Detailed SFM GIMP and VTF Edit tutorial

[WAcrobat19]

Could someone tell me how to edit a model's textures for sfm? I have GIMP, VTF Edit, and xvi32 for hexing models. Also, if you can, can you also help me to reverting the model's textures back to the original textures?

[green]

First things first, you need the vtf plug in for Gimp. Here's that:

https://github.com/Artfunkel/gimp-vtf/releases

Install that, and you've got all you need, software wise. Now, we import an image, and dazzle it up. After you dazzled it, you probably want to save. Don't save it, export it. Export your work, and end the title in ".vtf", without quotation marks.

Here's where things might get a little confusing. You're gonna see some window pop up with all these weird number-letter combinations. There's gonna be two of those that will be of major interest to you: DX1 and DX5. I'm sure the other compression types have their uses, I've just yet to use em.

Anyway, use DX1 when there's no alpha channel, and use DX5 when there is. At least, that's the rule of thumb I use. If you don't know what an alpha channel is, that's ok, just google it.

Lastly, for reverting the materials back to their original form, I think you gotta find the original texture. Let's say I love a video game character named Bob, and I downloaded a purple Bob from somewhere. I could either re-color the Bob, so he looked like original Bob, or I could find the original textures for Bob— either from the video game, or from some other place.

[episoder]

you'll not need xvi. you only need gimp and the vtf plugin for it. you can use override materials or edit the vmts directly to change the textures. reverting is as quick if you just name your textures correct. like...

	"$basetexture" "models/player/soldier/soldier_red"

	"$basetexture" "models/player/soldier/soldier_red_edited"

is real easy. no need to edit mdl files.

[Zappy]

Originally posted by WH40Klover29:

Could someone tell me how to edit a model's textures for sfm? -

First, find the VTF texture file that you'd like to edit.

Then, depending on how you like to do things, either open the VTF in something like VTFEdit, export a PNG image from it, and open the PNG in an image editor of your choice, or alternatively see if there's a VTF import plugin for the image editor that you want to use, and then just import the VTF directly into the image editor.

Once you're done editing it, then, again depending on how you like to do things, either export it as a PNG image, import the PNG into something like VTFEdit, and save it as a VTF texture, or alternatively see if there's a VTF export plugin for the image editor, in which case you may be able to export the VTF directly from the image editor.
You should not overwrite the original texture, so you may want to use something like "soldier_yellow" (or "custom_soldier_yellow") instead of "soldier_red" as the filename.

And then you can use the following guide to apply custom textures to models on a per-[model copy] per-session basis:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=291500222

Originally posted by WH40Klover29:

- I have - xvi32 for hexing models. -

I would not recommend doing that instead of the above. (In fact, I'd recommend against that.)

[WAcrobat19]

Originally posted by Hunter in the Green Vest:

First things first, you need the vtf plug in for Gimp. Here's that:

https://github.com/Artfunkel/gimp-vtf/releases

Install that, and you've got all you need, software wise. Now, we import an image, and dazzle it up. After you dazzled it, you probably want to save. Don't save it, export it. Export your work, and end the title in ".vtf", without quotation marks.

Here's where things might get a little confusing. You're gonna see some window pop up with all these weird number-letter combinations. There's gonna be two of those that will be of major interest to you: DX1 and DX5. I'm sure the other compression types have their uses, I've just yet to use em.

Anyway, use DX1 when there's no alpha channel, and use DX5 when there is. At least, that's the rule of thumb I use. If you don't know what an alpha channel is, that's ok, just google it.

Lastly, for reverting the materials back to their original form, I think you gotta find the original texture. Let's say I love a video game character named Bob, and I downloaded a purple Bob from somewhere. I could either re-color the Bob, so he looked like original Bob, or I could find the original textures for Bob— either from the video game, or from some other place.

I also want to know how to add colours when using GIMP

[green]

Originally posted by BOOF THE PASS:

I also want to know how to add colours when using GIMP

You mean recolor an image? You create a new layer, set the mode to "color", and paint where you want colored.

[WAcrobat19]

Originally posted by Hunter in the Green Vest:

Originally posted by BOOF THE PASS:

I also want to know how to add colours when using GIMP

You mean recolor an image? You create a new layer, set the mode to "color", and paint where you want colored.

Version 1.2.1 will work with 2.1.8 (current version)? And which Asset should I download?

[green]

Originally posted by BOOF THE PASS:

Originally posted by Hunter in the Green Vest:

You mean recolor an image? You create a new layer, set the mode to "color", and paint where you want colored.

Version 1.2.1 will work with 2.1.8 (current version)? And which Asset should I download?

Probably. If not, just rollback your Gimp. Which asset? Either the x64 or x86 one. I'd go with the x64, and if that doesn't work, go with the other. Idk if you need the Source code or not (it was nearly a year ago since I downloaded the plugin).

[Doggylord356]

ok so i'm using gimp 2.10 and for some reason it will not allow me to export a vtf file. i put the plug-in in the right folder. and it still won't let me export vtf files

[green]

Originally posted by doggylord2021:

ok so i'm using gimp 2.10 and for some reason it will not allow me to export a vtf file. i put the plug-in in the right folder. and it still won't let me export vtf files

I'm using 2.10.22, which is probably around the same one you're using, and it works fine for me. Make sure you install the plugin right. I had to reinstall it a year or so ago, and it was slightly tricky, especially if you've never installed it before. Lots of directories and such. There's tutorials online.

Also, wow this was 4 years ago. Time flies.