Manually Updating TF2 Content

SFM lags behind TF2 in getting the latest innovations in hats and hat-esque objects (and also maps I guess). Here's how to remedy that if you're impatient.

Introduction

You'll notice that it takes a good while for SFM to update with newer TF2 content. This can be annoying if you want to use, say, a new map, or new cosmetic items, in your movies and posters. Luckily, it's fairly easy to update the content yourself with a little poking.

As you can imagine, this will have some effect on your TF2 content in SFM. Here's quick summary of known effects:

• Will update your TF2 content to have all the newest stuff. Obviously.
  
• May break the particle effect on Demoman grenades in Game Mode. If you want to avoid this, don't update the particles folder. (Though this will mean you don't get any new unusual effects. Decisions, decisions...)
  
• Will fix the weird visual artifacts on MvM maps. Yay!

NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LETTER YOU MAY FACE ERRORS WITH YOUR SFM INSTALL. THIS IS BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T ACTUALLY READ THIS GUIDE, AND INSTEAD JUST KIND OF MASHED YOUR HAM-HANDS ON THE KEYBOARD. IF YOU SOMEHOW RENDER YOUR SFM INOPERABLE BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T ACTUALLY READ THIS GUIDE, YOU CAN VERIFY YOUR STEAM CACHE FILES TO RESTORE TO SFM'S OLDER FILES AND TRY AGAIN. ANY REQUEST FOR HELP THAT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT YOU DIDN'T ACTUALLY READ THIS GUIDE WILL BE IGNORED.

Requirements

You'll need the following to do this:

• Source Filmmaker. Obviously.
  
• Team Fortress 2. It's free nowadays, ya know.
  
• GCFScape[gamebanana.com].

Got all that up and ready? Good! Let's go.

Grab The Updated TF2 Files

Go to your Steam\steamapps\common\Team Fortress 2\tf folder and scroll down. You'll find a bunch of .vpk files. Concern yourself with these ones:

• tf2_misc_dir.vpk
  
• tf2_textures_dir.vpk
  
• tf2_sound_misc_dir.vpk
  
• tf2_sound_vo_english_dir.vpk

Open them up in GCFScape, and you'll see a list of files and folders that looks similar to a TF2 install.

Shuttle Them Over To SFM

Highlight the following folders AND NOTHING ELSE in the GCFScape windows, and extract them to Steam\steamapps\common\SourceFilmmaker\game\tf:

• maps
  
• models
  
• materials
  
• particles
  
• sound

Simple, huh?

[Crowdough]

If anyone needs help with this feel free to add me

[ASBpro7]

I don't know how but GCFScape says error in every file that I try to extract, I have followed the instructions but it says error in every file

[yellowbaby]

@Gameboi27 If you don't know how to follow instructions, then give up on SFM, because you will never learn by refusing to try.

GCFScape is not a broken tool, you just are using it improperly. Start over and follow the instructions *exactly,* and read them carefully before even trying to do something. If something still went wrong, then that means you still aren't doing it right.

[saz]

im dragging the files it gives me the replace or skip option do skip files?

[Klaus Schwab]

This guide worked just fine, thanks for that! But you need to watching your stinking fucking attitude. "THIS IS BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T ACTUALLY READ THIS GUIDE, AND INSTEAD JUST KIND OF MASHED YOUR HAM-HANDS ON THE KEYBOARD." "ANY REQUEST FOR HELP THAT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT YOU DIDN'T ACTUALLY READ THIS GUIDE WILL BE IGNORED." Give me a break dude, reword these sections to be more objective and less of a passive aggressive asshole, and I wouldn't have said anything aside from a thank you.

[Senpai'Ro]

@Geesemen
Yes, you can delete GCFScape afterwards, though I would keep it, since you will need to use it again with every seasonal update.

[Hardinator]

It works for most cosmetics.
Sadly, some are still missing, for instance "BINOCULUS" or "Make Ogre" are still not avbilable in SFM.
Also I can't access maps like Banana Bay.
Any suggestions on that?

[Gameboi27]

do not tell us to use a broken tool either tell us a easyer way to do so to updat the map some way else but dont bitch to us for a broken tool reading the gfspe comments I REFuse to do this if the file is broken if you make maps either find a new way of doing so or dont do it at all.

[Geesemen]

Is ok to delete GCFScape after I'm done with it?

[Suomipe]

i did everything as said in the guide and now sfm wont open saying an error such as "CSceneFileCache: Bad scene image file scenes/scenes.image"