[HOW-TO] Portal 2 Custom Skins Guide.

[AngryAngus]

Portal 2 Skin tutorial
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Programs required

• VTFEdit
• GCFScape
• HxD
• NotePad++
• Image editor
• Brain

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This tutorial will cover how to make skins for Portal 2.
It is very similar to the L4D method.



Step 1.
Go to F:\Steam\steamapps\common\portal 2\portal2 and backup pak01_dir.

After that open GCFScape and open pak01_dir. Browse around until you find the file you want to edit; for this tutorial it will be the Atlas shell.
Found at materials\models\player\coop_bots\ballbot_shell


Step 2.
Extract your VMT and VTF file you wish to edit. Again for this tutorial it will be ballbot_shell.


Step 3.
If your VTF opens with no problems skip this.

http://img15.imageshack.us/i/captureuot.jpg/
If your file is 7.5 right click on the VTF > Open With > HxD
Change the 05 to 04.


Step 4.
Open your VTF file [Ballbot_shell] in VTFEdit and click File > Export.
Export the file to where you want and select what you want the file type to be.


Step 5.
Edit the exported image in an image editing program.
My outcome is this
http://img839.imageshack.us/i/examplexo.jpg/


Step 6.
Save your file. (I used TGA)


Step 7.
Open VTFEdit and go to File > Import. Import your edited image that you just made.

http://img51.imageshack.us/i/capture2fm.jpg/

For this tutorial use these settings. Click Ok.


Step 8.
Click File > Save as. Save the file as, [Originalfilename]1, and yes add the 1 as its important.


Step 9.
Put the new VTF and old VMT into F:\Steam\steamapps\common\portal 2\portal2\materials\models\player\coop_bots if you're following the tutorial.

If you're not following the tutorial then find where you got your file from in GCFScape. For example its Models\Gabe\Gabe.VTF well then place your VTF in into F:\Steam\steamapps\common\portal 2\portal2\materials\Models\Gabe\Gabe1.VTF (Remember step 8).


Step 10.
Rename the VMT so it’s the same name as the VTF.


Step 11.
Open the VMT and make sure the "$baseTexture" "models\player\coop_bots\ballbot_shell" is edited to "$baseTexture" "models\player\coop_bots\ballbot_shell1".

If you're not following this tutorial then just place in the name of your new VTF.
For example: "$baseTexture" "Models\Gabe\Gabe1”.


Step 12.
Open pak01_dir with notepad++ and then click CTRL+F.
Type ballbot_shell into the ‘Find what’ area and tick ‘Match word only’ then click find next
(If you're not following the tutorial then place the name of your old extracted VTF into the find what).


Step 13.
Change $baseTexture "models/player/coop_bots/ballbot_shell” to $baseTexture "models/player/coop_bots/ballbot_shell1" then save.

(If you’re not following this tutorial change your basetexture like I did mine - Renaming the last part with a 1 if you followed step 8 correctly…)


Step 14.
Launch portal 2…Profit.

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I have tested this and found it to work but I might of missed something (Doubt it though or so I hope ). If it does not please post your problem and I'll help you.

[AngryAngus]

Bump for people to see.

[t2vanden]

Trying it now.

[Die_Angel]

Yeap, but You should point that only you will see it.

[t2vanden]

Did not work for me!

Originally Posted by t2vanden

Did not work for me!

May I ask what part of it failed for you? Wouldn't hurt to know what to patch up.

I would know that AngryAngus did something and it worked, Thus some screenshots he showed me.

[AngryAngus]

Originally Posted by t2vanden

Did not work for me!

How??

[t2vanden]

Originally Posted by AngryAngus

How??

Yeah I followed every step, replacing the chell_torso files with new ones to change the logo on her shirt. When I was done, I opened the game and no changes were made in the game. I did every step, including the modifying of the .vpk file.

[AngryAngus]

Originally Posted by t2vanden

Yeah I followed every step, replacing the chell_torso files with new ones to change the logo on her shirt. When I was done, I opened the game and no changes were made in the game. I did every step, including the modifying of the .vpk file.

No offence but it really is best if you follow the tut I laid out first.
I can't help you otherwise as I have no clue where you could of screwed up (No offence). Sorry.

So, changed the texture name and the vpk name to be the same?
might be a dumb question, but they're some things I will need to check.

Also having to agree with AngryAngus here. You should use the files shown in the tutorial to get the exact idea what to do. sometimes there can be a change in a different file that'll break the project.

[geos]

I followed every step, the change i made was to add "TEST" on same place where you put the Spy picture on the robot. But it didn't work for me. When i tried to launch the game it "updated" - downloaded something for the game (the file size was 10Gb,but it downloaded few mbs...) and then launched.

edit: ok apparently the 'update' has changed the pak01_dir back to original, so it removed the "ballbot_shell1". should add few notes to the topic:
1) only you can see the new skin
2) apply the changes after steam was opened, else: steam will update the files of the game and you won't be able to see the new skin
3) if both you and your co-op partner have the same files (pak01_dir & the folder materials\models\player\coop_bots) then you will be able to see the skins.

Had a thought, might be wrong with this, you hexed the file back to the 7.5 version of the vtf? let me know if that changes anything.

[t2vanden]

Originally Posted by AngryAngus

No offence but it really is best if you follow the tut I laid out first.
I can't help you otherwise as I have no clue where you could of screwed up (No offence). Sorry.

I know, but I had actually designed my own project before the release of your tutorial, but failed in trying to modify the contents of the actual .vpk itself, and waited until I saw this tutorial to try again.

And I tried this with the 7.5 and the 7.4 filetypes, neither of which worked.

[Rag567]

I tried to do it, but it would crash right after I load a map.

[b0b5634]

It worked! Thanks AngryAngus!