How To Create Sound Mod .vpk's

This will show how to create .vpk mods (specifically for sound mods) and then upload it to the workshop (which is optional) using 90% pictures.

Had a request to create this.

Have any questions or confused?
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Introduction

This process may seem a little confusing and tough to understand at first, but once you do it once, it will be much easier. Just follow the instructions and use the pictures as a guide.

Left 4 Dead 2 Authoring Tools

This is the main program that is going to create the .vpk for you and upload it to the workshop (which I will show how.) The program is free and comes with Steam.

Step 1: Go to your Library tab in the Steam Overlay and click on "Games" underneath.






Step 2: Click on "Tools" in the tab.

Step 3: Scroll down the large list of tools until you find "Left 4 Dead 2 Authoring Tools"
Step 4: Double click on it and follow the instructions.
*NOTE*: It will install just like a regular game would.

Step 5: Once Left 4 Dead 2 Authoring Tools is installed (and assuming Left 4 Dead 2 is installed) navigate to this folder in your computer:
32x System:
C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Left 4 Dead 2\bin
64x System:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Left 4 Dead 2\bin
*NOTE*: If you have Steam installed anywhere else, just navigate to wherever you have the "Steam" folder and follow the path from there.

Step 6: In that folder, you should see an application called "vpk" If so, you are on the right track!
*Optional strategy*: To make getting to this application easier for the next section, right click on the application and click "Create Shortcut". Your computer will create a shortcut of the application. Move this shortcut to wherever you intend on putting together the mod folder (as in the next section.) In my case, I place it on my desktop. This is NOT required but can make life a little easier for a future step.

Putting Together The Mod

Now this is where you're going to actually put the mod together.

Step 1: Create a new folder anywhere on your computer (I recommend your desktop)





Step 2: Rename the folder to whatever you want the name of the mod to be. In this case, I just used "Interesting Sound Mod"







Step 3: This is the confusing part. You need to create a replica of the game files path. This means you have to create a chain of folders inside the mod folder that follows where the original sound in game is located in Left 4 Dead 2's sound folder. In this case, I decided to go as if I was replacing the tank music. So in my case, the folder path I would need to create is:
Interesting Sound Mod\sound\music\tank
*NOTE*: If you do not know where a sound folder is located, search your Left 4 Dead 2's sound folder. Once you find the sound you want to replace, the path (starting with "sound") will be what you need to use. Message me if you need help with this part.

Step 4: Once the path is replicated, place the sound mod (which I assume you converted) into the final folder. In my case, I just used a random sound file and named it "Sound you are replacing original with"
*NOTE*: If you have yet to create the sound, visit my guide on how to create the sound mods. Found here: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=120488031

Step 5: Another fairly confusing part. Rename the converted sound file to whatever the original sound file for in game was. In my case, I had to use the file the twice and renamed them to "tank" and "taank".
*NOTE*: Again, if you do not know the name, just look in the Left 4 Dead 2 sound files. Message me for help.

Add to Step 5: A lot of people don't know this, but if you are replacing a sound that is played either in The Passing or Left 4 Dead 1 Campaigns, step 5 will be a little bit different. Say you are replacing the track that plays at the end of No Mercy in L4D2. You would go to the end of your mod's folder chain, and use "themonsterswithin_l4d1" instead of "themonsterswithin." The "_l4d1" at the end of the file name is what tells the game that that track is for a DLC campaign. In the picture below, you will see replaced both the track for both the l4d2 maps and l4d1 maps. If you want to find the file paths or the name of the file for DLC campaign tracks, find them in these directories:
The Passing:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Left 4 Dead 2\left4dead2_dlc1\sound
No Mercy & L4D1 Style Music:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Left 4 Dead 2\left4dead2_dlc2\sound
All Other L4D1 Campaigns:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Left 4 Dead 2\left4dead2_dlc3\sound

Step 6: Now the worst part is over. I promise! Once the sound files have all been renamed to the original sound file names, go back to the first folder (where you see the sound folder) and place an "addoninfo" text file right next to it.
*IMPORTANT NOTE*: I have created a template of the addoninfo file to save you guys some time. Simply download and place the file inside the mod folder. Simply replace the text that I put in with whatever you want.

Download: Due to the unfortunate fact that Steam keeps taking down the link because in their mind, everything on the internet is a virus. So you can either email me at [e-mail] or you can copy everything below and put it into a new addoninfo.txt file that you create. It's sadly the best I can do. I'd also highly recommend doing the optional step 7 to avoid having to come back to this guide every time you make a mod.

addoninfo.txt copy (COPY EVERYTHING BETWEEN THE LINES)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"AddonInfo"
{
addonSteamAppID "550"
addontitle "Title of the mod"
addonversion "1"
addonauthor "Whatever the name of the author"
addonauthorSteamID "LEAVE THIS BLANK"
addonURL0 "Optional URL to outside website"
addonDescription "Description of the mod"
}

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[/previewimg]

Step 7 (Optional but highly recommended): Create a copy of the addoninfo.txt file I gave you and place it somewhere safe in case you make other mods. This makes it so you do not have to keep coming back to this guide in order to get the file.

Step 8: Once the addoninfo.txt is all filled out and saved, you are ready to actually create the .vpk. Drag and drop the whole sound mod folder (in my case "Interesting Sound Mod") onto the vpk.exe application created with the Left 4 Dead 2 Authoring Tools (or if you created a shortcut to the application, drag and drop onto the shortcut. Either way is fine). You will see a black box appear for a second on the screen. If you did everything else successfuly, a .vpk file will be created in the same location as the original mod folder.
*IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE*: You can actually open up a .vpk once it has been created and re-edit the files inside in case you make a mistake using the same way you made it. Simply drag and drop the .vpk file you made onto the vpk.exe program and it will open the .vpk and will show all the folders you put together to make it WITHOUT deleting the .vpk itself. It is basically the opposite of putting the .vpk together. This helps in case it doesn't work and you want to fix it, OR if you need to make an update to the mod itself. Once you are done editing the folder, simply drag and drop the folder back into vpk.exe again to update the .vpk.

Step 9 (Optional but recommended): Congradulations! You have created the .vpk mod. I'd suggest testing it ingame first if you intend to upload the mod to the Steam Workshop or another website. To do this, place the .vpk created into this directory:
32x Systems:
C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Left 4 Dead 2\left4dead2\addons
64x Systems:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Left 4 Dead 2\left4dead2\addons
Or wherever you "Steam" folder is.

Step 10: If all went well, you should hear the sound you want in game. If not MESSAGE ME!

Uploading To The Steam Workshop

This will show you how to upload the mod you created to the Steam Workshop for other players to download and use.
*NOTE*: If you are not intending to upload your mod to the Steam Workshop for other people to download, ignore this whole section.

What you need:
-Your mod all finished and in .vpk form
-Left 4 Dead 2 Authoring Tools

Step 1: Open up Left 4 Dead 2 Authoring Tools using either your Game Library or an icon you created. You will see this screen pop up.



















Step 2: Click on "Workshop Manager" in the list of programs.

Step 3: A list of all mods you have uploaded with be shown on this page. To publish a new one, click on the small + symbol on the top left corner of the window.
*NOTE*: If you have not uploaded any mods yet, this whole list will be empty.













Step 4: This window will pop up. This is where you will fill in all of your mod details, upload a picture for the mod, pick tags which will help users find your mod, and upload the mod itself.

Step 5: Once you have finished putting in your mod details and have uploaded it to the window, click "Upload" on the bottom right corner of the window.
*IMPORTANT NOTE*: The mod itself cannot be more 100mb large. If it is, the publishing may never end. (it may be 250mb. Someone find out for me)

Step 6: The mod will be published to the workshop. It may take a couple of minutes depending on how large the mod is. Once the uploading is complete, an internet page (using your default browser) will pop up showing the mod on the workshop.

Step 7: You will not be able to add any additional photos or videos of the mod onto the mod's page until after it has been fully uploaded.

Step 8: Go ahead and have fun!

[Dewey]

"_spewinfo" couldn't be found in in the DLL", everytime I try to throw my addonn into the vpk.exe

[SonicMaster519]

This isn't outdated -- most of this still works. Of course, I haven't tried the uploading to Steam process, but I'm not sure why any of this wouldn't work anymore.

[Chain]

This guide is not outdated. Up to now, used methods from this guide and it worked fine for me.

[FlussKohl🍋]

I am also wondering if this is outdated, I assume so, but I want to make sure.

[Lucas096br]

(made some grammar fix so I posted twice)

[Lucas096br]

Hey everyone and the author/creator of this guide. Is this outdated? Also, how to convert KBPS to HZ or vice versa? It's troublesome the amount of HZ making the KBPS of the audio either lower or higher. I tried searching and nothing to not ask here because this is most likely not giving me an answer but here I am
I'm considering going trial and error by adding 1 to 10 HZ till it reaches 144KBPS honestly.

[idiot 3]

https://youtu.be/DdmNYNkcwKE

[LXNCH1]

bro i drag the folder to the vpk.exe and the black window appears it closes and then no vpk file is created not in my desktop folder, or my desktop or where the vpk.exe file is located what the hell do i do

[Albus_of_Ecclesia]

Excuse me, but I´m trying to upload the mod and every time appears "error code: 8". How can I solve it?

[Valshmere]

Will this work with just a sound effect? i dont want tank music when im trying to hear the game in versus, but i still want to know a tank spawned
I followed the steps, but its just static for half a second
Idk if i didnt add all of the tank music files, but i think i did