[Guide] Verifying the Cache in Source Filmmaker

In this guide, I will show you how to verify the application cache in SFM.

Why would you want to do this?

Verifying the cache can potentially fix a number of minor errors with regards to Source Filmmaker, thus removing the need to uninstall/reinstall SFM, which can be a long process, even on the best of internet connections.

How to 'Verify the cache'...

Step One:

Open your Steam Library and change the filter at the top from 'Games' to 'Software'.
SFM is NOT a game, so you will not find it in your 'Games' list.

Step Two:

Right-click Source Filmmaker and select 'Properties'.

Step Three:

You will see this:
Click the 'Local Files' tab and then click 'Verify Integrity of Application Cache'.

You will have a window pop up like this:

Allow it to fully complete the process!

When it's finished, it will look like this:
You will also note at the bottom that Steam says it's downloading, this is normal, it is downloading the files that failed to validate.

Let it complete this step before you start SFM!

Step Four:

You will now have to re-enable any DLCs that you want to use or any custom folders that you may have in order to use them. Right-click on Source Filmmaker again and select 'Launch SDK':


You should see this:
Select 'Edit Search Paths for Selected Mod'.

You should now see this:
Select any and all folders that you want access to within SFM by putting a check next to them.
You can also click and drag them to change the priority of the folders.
Folders at or near the top of this list have a 'higher priority' than those below them.

I highly recommend that the top two folders always be 'tf_movies' and 'tf', after that, you can organize them in any fashion that suits you.

NOTE: DO NOT PUT THE WORKSHOP FOLDER ABOVE THE 'TF_MOVIES' OR 'TF' FOLDERS!

If you do this, anything that you download from the workshop will override (not overwrite, they are NOT the same thing..) the contents of the tf_movies and tf folders, resulting in some 'unwanted' side-effects...

Video Guide

Here's a video guide for those of you who are either 'reading challenged' or just too damned lazy to read the above guide... just kidding lol

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them below, I will try to reply as fast as I possibly can...

[Capt Fuzzy]

Thank you!

[oBEASTity 🦇🍍🌜]

fuzzy you are literally one of the best sfm teachers i've ever come across. thanks so much man!

[Capt Fuzzy]

No problem, I've used Recuva before, most of the time it works well, but once in a great while I have had it corrupt files on me.
I find the best way to protect my session files is to periodically back them up manually.
I copy them to a folder outside my SFM install, that way if I ever have to reinstall SFM, I don't accidentally delete my session files.
I do the same with my installed models, makes reinstalling them a snap.

[Caesar]

Im not trying to advertise LMFAOOOO but the app surprisingly for free

[Caesar]

Welp..yeah you're right..i was disappointed but i downloaded this app called "recuva"..got all my deleted files back again but i need to reinstall my models which is not that alot anyway but i got my session back and at first the model was ERROR until i downloaded the model again and now its still working..animation is still wroking..the thing is they dont recover your model files but i got my sessions back

[Capt Fuzzy]

If you deleted your SFM folder, check in your recycle bin and see if it's still in there.
If it's no longer in the recycle bin, then yeah, your session is gone.
Verifying the game cache doesn't affect your session files, at least it never has that I've noticed.

[Caesar]

Is deleting my sfm file gonna permanently remove my session? my steam had a disk write error bug and i fixed it by deleting the local file path of my sfm on steamlibrary and then common..but now my session is gone...hopefully this validate method can fix it.

[CringeRabbit]

oh nvm, i checked the workshop folder, not the usermod folder

[Capt Fuzzy]

If that is the case, then they should still be there.
Simply move them back to the original sessions folder and you should be good to go.

[CringeRabbit]

it was there, i put the sessions in my sessions folder but when i validated it was all deleted. i made a "backup as in i copied the folders into another folder but i forgot to copy it back instead of move it