HOBEY, HO! LET'S GO!(phase 0)
Hey Guys! New recruit doubt. here to post an epic tutorial on custom weapon skinning!
In this tutorial I'll cover the basics of skinning (modifying) your own weapons. I will not be covering modeling. If you understand this tutorial, you should be able to easily apply pre-made skins to weapons; such as the ones you can find for free and without any type of registration at FPSBanana.com.
ARE YOU READY FOR THIS!?(phase 1)
Just to start, though, you'll need the following program:
GCFScape
*Just click on Installer (424 KB) near the top to download
You will also need a way to open .vtf files, there are two ways to do this.
One way is to download VTFLib. The download link is at the bottom of the page I just linked. This allows you to convert .vtf files for use in other programs, I believe. I don't use it, because I use the Photoshop (6 or higher) plugin; it can be found here. I find this to be much easier.
Note: The installation tutorial for the plugin is quick and easy, and is at the top of the download page. I won't cover the installation in this tutorial.
Once you have installed both programs (GCFScape and a way to open .vtf files), we're ready to begin! On to phase TWO!
SET PHASERS TO KILL! (phase 2)
Now that we've downloaded and installed the proper programs, the first thing we're going to do is use GCFScape to grab our weapon files. For the purposes of this tutorial we'll work with the knife, it's pretty simple, yet fun, eh!?
Open GCFScape and click on the folder icon with the green arrow in the upper left-hand corner of the window, this is the Open button, it will allow you to browse for the necessary files.
We're aiming for the following directory. Please note that this is what it will be like on MOST computers, but some may be different (for instance, my local disk is E:, not C: ), and this is for Windows XP, not Vista. This will also be different if you installed Steam to a custom directory.
From the Desktop -> My Computer -> Local Disk ( C: ) -> Program Files -> Valve (some users may not have a Valve folder here, instead you will go directly to Steam folder) -> Steam -> Steamapps
Still with me? Great! From here, double click (or otherwise open) the file "counter-strike source shared.gcf" (without quotes, of course)
You should now have a screen looking something like this:
If not, I lost you somewhere. If you do, great!
Next, in the right window, starting at the cstrike folder we're going to navigate to cstrike -> materials -> models -> weapons -> v_models -> knife_t
Select *ALL THREE* of the files (knife_t.vmt, knife_t.vtf, and knife_t_ref.vtf) here (you can select at the same time by holding the control button on your keyboard while clicking them individually) and then right click and hit extract. Extract them to your desktop, or, if you prefer, another place you won't forget about. Note that by the time we are done, these files will all have been moved to another location.
You may now close GCFScape. We're done with it!
IT'S COLORIN' TIME!(phase 3)
Now that you've extracted the files to your DESKTOP, it's time for the fun part, EDITING! For the purposes of this tutorial I will only cover using Photoshop, as I do not have and do not know how to operate VTFLib. There is a tutorial for it here if you wish to use it.
Anyways, right click on knife_t.vtf, select open with (or open) and select Adobe Photoshop. You may have to browse for it, in which case go to Program Files -> Adobe -> Adobe Photoshop. From here you may edit what you see... Unfortunately this is not a photoshop tutorial, so this is where you get to do whatever you want. Note: If it's black in the picture, drawing over it won't do anything, the other file, knife_t_ref.vtf makes sure of that. feel free to try and mess with that, but you might break your warranty! (just kidding XD)
WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED MODIFYING YOUR WEAPON, MAKE SURE TO SAVE IT TO THE SAME NAME OF THE ONE YOU EDITED, THAT IS, WITH THE .VTF FILENAME, NOT PSD.
Anyways, once you're done with that we're going to have to put it in the right place, so open up My Computer (yours, not mine!) and browse to: My Computer -> Local Disk ( C: ) -> Program Files -> Valve (some users may not have a Valve folder here, instead you will go directly to Steam folder) -> Steam -> Steamapps -> *YOUR STEAM USER ACCOUNT NAME* -> counter-strike source -> cstrike -> materials -> models
At this point 99% of you won't have the next few folders, so we're going to make them. In the models folder that we just navigated to, we're going to create a new folder called weapons (no quotes, no caps). In this folder we're going to make two new folders, one called v_models and one called w_models. In the first folder go models for first-person viewing... That is, what you see when you're holding it. In the second one, the one with the w go third-person viewing. That is, when you see other people holding the weapon. You can put the same stuff in both folders, but for now just focus on v_models, it can get confusing ;-).
Once in v_models, make a folder called knife_t, in that folder put your edited knife_t.vtf along with the knife_t.vmt and knife_t_ref.vtf that we extracted to the desktop.
FINAL FIGHT!(phase 4)
Once your files are in there, you should be able to see your newly edited weapon in-game! If you want to use the pre-made weapons, you will download the finished .vtf and .vmt files, so just put the files in the correct folders. Note that the .vmt file contains instructions for the counter strike program to find the correct files, so the file names and folder names must all match up!
No doubt I forgot something, so please feel free to ask questions, as I'll definitely answer them!
Just another quick note: Sometimes you may download weapons with different MODELS, in this case you will also have to install the ANIMATIONS for them. You should dump the animation files (there will be quite a few) into in the right place, so open up My Computer (yours, not mine!) and browse to: My Computer -> Local Disk ( C: ) -> Program Files -> Valve (some users may not have a Valve folder here, instead you will go directly to Steam folder) -> Steam -> Steamapps -> *YOUR STEAM USER ACCOUNT NAME* -> counter-strike source -> cstrike -> models -> weapons with no extra subfolders. Otherwise you may not seem to be holding any weapon at all!
FINISH HIM!(extra stuff)
If you're interested, you can see my first works of art in žέяo's thread here. I'm on page 4. =P
I'd love to see what you guys come up with, so feel free to post screenies here. You can also edit other things, such as outfits (clothes that the dudes wear), so feel free to mess around a bit.
Anyways, this is my first tutorial (for anything, as far as I can remember), so it's a bit wordy, but I just learned how to do this myself yesterday and today, and I ran into quite a few horrible tutorials leaving out steps and assuming knowledge, so I did my best to thoroughly explain everything to the best of my ability (except the use of VTFLib, Sorry!).
Good luck, and like I said, feel free to ask questions!
Hey Guys! New recruit doubt. here to post an epic tutorial on custom weapon skinning!
In this tutorial I'll cover the basics of skinning (modifying) your own weapons. I will not be covering modeling. If you understand this tutorial, you should be able to easily apply pre-made skins to weapons; such as the ones you can find for free and without any type of registration at FPSBanana.com.
ARE YOU READY FOR THIS!?(phase 1)
Just to start, though, you'll need the following program:
GCFScape
*Just click on Installer (424 KB) near the top to download
You will also need a way to open .vtf files, there are two ways to do this.
One way is to download VTFLib. The download link is at the bottom of the page I just linked. This allows you to convert .vtf files for use in other programs, I believe. I don't use it, because I use the Photoshop (6 or higher) plugin; it can be found here. I find this to be much easier.
Note: The installation tutorial for the plugin is quick and easy, and is at the top of the download page. I won't cover the installation in this tutorial.
Once you have installed both programs (GCFScape and a way to open .vtf files), we're ready to begin! On to phase TWO!
SET PHASERS TO KILL! (phase 2)
Now that we've downloaded and installed the proper programs, the first thing we're going to do is use GCFScape to grab our weapon files. For the purposes of this tutorial we'll work with the knife, it's pretty simple, yet fun, eh!?
Open GCFScape and click on the folder icon with the green arrow in the upper left-hand corner of the window, this is the Open button, it will allow you to browse for the necessary files.
We're aiming for the following directory. Please note that this is what it will be like on MOST computers, but some may be different (for instance, my local disk is E:, not C: ), and this is for Windows XP, not Vista. This will also be different if you installed Steam to a custom directory.
From the Desktop -> My Computer -> Local Disk ( C: ) -> Program Files -> Valve (some users may not have a Valve folder here, instead you will go directly to Steam folder) -> Steam -> Steamapps
Still with me? Great! From here, double click (or otherwise open) the file "counter-strike source shared.gcf" (without quotes, of course)
You should now have a screen looking something like this:
If not, I lost you somewhere. If you do, great!
Next, in the right window, starting at the cstrike folder we're going to navigate to cstrike -> materials -> models -> weapons -> v_models -> knife_t
Select *ALL THREE* of the files (knife_t.vmt, knife_t.vtf, and knife_t_ref.vtf) here (you can select at the same time by holding the control button on your keyboard while clicking them individually) and then right click and hit extract. Extract them to your desktop, or, if you prefer, another place you won't forget about. Note that by the time we are done, these files will all have been moved to another location.
You may now close GCFScape. We're done with it!
IT'S COLORIN' TIME!(phase 3)
Now that you've extracted the files to your DESKTOP, it's time for the fun part, EDITING! For the purposes of this tutorial I will only cover using Photoshop, as I do not have and do not know how to operate VTFLib. There is a tutorial for it here if you wish to use it.
Anyways, right click on knife_t.vtf, select open with (or open) and select Adobe Photoshop. You may have to browse for it, in which case go to Program Files -> Adobe -> Adobe Photoshop. From here you may edit what you see... Unfortunately this is not a photoshop tutorial, so this is where you get to do whatever you want. Note: If it's black in the picture, drawing over it won't do anything, the other file, knife_t_ref.vtf makes sure of that. feel free to try and mess with that, but you might break your warranty! (just kidding XD)
WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED MODIFYING YOUR WEAPON, MAKE SURE TO SAVE IT TO THE SAME NAME OF THE ONE YOU EDITED, THAT IS, WITH THE .VTF FILENAME, NOT PSD.
Anyways, once you're done with that we're going to have to put it in the right place, so open up My Computer (yours, not mine!) and browse to: My Computer -> Local Disk ( C: ) -> Program Files -> Valve (some users may not have a Valve folder here, instead you will go directly to Steam folder) -> Steam -> Steamapps -> *YOUR STEAM USER ACCOUNT NAME* -> counter-strike source -> cstrike -> materials -> models
At this point 99% of you won't have the next few folders, so we're going to make them. In the models folder that we just navigated to, we're going to create a new folder called weapons (no quotes, no caps). In this folder we're going to make two new folders, one called v_models and one called w_models. In the first folder go models for first-person viewing... That is, what you see when you're holding it. In the second one, the one with the w go third-person viewing. That is, when you see other people holding the weapon. You can put the same stuff in both folders, but for now just focus on v_models, it can get confusing ;-).
Once in v_models, make a folder called knife_t, in that folder put your edited knife_t.vtf along with the knife_t.vmt and knife_t_ref.vtf that we extracted to the desktop.
FINAL FIGHT!(phase 4)
Once your files are in there, you should be able to see your newly edited weapon in-game! If you want to use the pre-made weapons, you will download the finished .vtf and .vmt files, so just put the files in the correct folders. Note that the .vmt file contains instructions for the counter strike program to find the correct files, so the file names and folder names must all match up!
No doubt I forgot something, so please feel free to ask questions, as I'll definitely answer them!
Just another quick note: Sometimes you may download weapons with different MODELS, in this case you will also have to install the ANIMATIONS for them. You should dump the animation files (there will be quite a few) into in the right place, so open up My Computer (yours, not mine!) and browse to: My Computer -> Local Disk ( C: ) -> Program Files -> Valve (some users may not have a Valve folder here, instead you will go directly to Steam folder) -> Steam -> Steamapps -> *YOUR STEAM USER ACCOUNT NAME* -> counter-strike source -> cstrike -> models -> weapons with no extra subfolders. Otherwise you may not seem to be holding any weapon at all!
FINISH HIM!(extra stuff)
If you're interested, you can see my first works of art in žέяo's thread here. I'm on page 4. =P
I'd love to see what you guys come up with, so feel free to post screenies here. You can also edit other things, such as outfits (clothes that the dudes wear), so feel free to mess around a bit.
Anyways, this is my first tutorial (for anything, as far as I can remember), so it's a bit wordy, but I just learned how to do this myself yesterday and today, and I ran into quite a few horrible tutorials leaving out steps and assuming knowledge, so I did my best to thoroughly explain everything to the best of my ability (except the use of VTFLib, Sorry!).
Good luck, and like I said, feel free to ask questions!
Last edited:
!
still stuck at the place where you have to use VTFedit xD
