Overview
Easy and detailed tutorial on what you need and how to go about making custom weapon skins for Contagion. This has every direct step, with images, so those with absolutely no experience with this sort of thing can easily follow along.
What you’ll need
Here is a list with links of what you’ll need to successfully create a weapon texture. Click on the title for a link to get them.
Nem’s Tools GCFScape[nemesis.thewavelength.net]
Nem’s Tools VTFEdit[nemesis.thewavelength.net]
A graphics editing program. I’m currently using GIMP, but you’re free to use your own.
GIMP – GNU Image Manipulation Program[www.gimp.org]
We’ll also need vpk.exe. We can get that from “C:Program Files (x86)SteamSteamAppscommonContagionbin”
You’ll also need Contagion Workshop to upload your finished texture, which is in the same folder.
Now, in order to make things easier and quicker for yourself, I recommend sorting out your programs/shortcuts as well as folders so they’re easy to both access and locate. (This step is optional)
Obtaining the textures
You’ll need to grab the proper textures from the ‘materials_dir.vpk’ file, located in “C:Program Files (x86)SteamSteamAppscommonContagioncontagion” folder.
Using GCFScape, open the file, go into materials, down to weapons, and select the folder of the item you wish to retexture. For this, i’ll be using the AK74u. We’ll only be doing the First-person view, so grab v_ak74, but for future reference, when you want to do World view textures, scroll further down and grab the w_ak74 folder.
v_*item* = First person view
w_*item* = World view
Ok, next is extracting the TGA file for you to work with. Open the ‘ak74u_diff.vtf’ file. This file contains the visual texture of the item.
The ‘ak74u_diff.vmf’ file stores scripted information on how the .vtf files should function; while the ‘ak74u_norm.vtf’ file contains a texture that tells the game how light should reflect off the object, giving it extra detail and depth. For now, we’ll ignore these files 🙂
Now, with the file open, go to File, and Export (Ctrl+E). Export the file, and open the file using your graphics program (I’ll be covering this using GIMP).
Editing the textures
Now, go wild! have some fun playing around with the texture. For newbies the texture can be a bit intimidating, so a tip to locating what each of the texture parts are on the item is to use coloured blocks, see how that shows up ingame, and manipulate the image from there.
When you’re happy with your design, go to File, and Export the file (Shift+Ctrl+E). With intricate designs, I’d advise saving the file as an .xcf file, so you can work on it later/have a backup in case anything goes wrong. When you export, GIMP will ask for the origin, change this from Bottom left to Top left.
Re-packing the textures for use
Open up VTFEdit, and Import the .TGA. Now save the file to as the same name as the original .vtf ‘ak74u_diff.vtf’
Next up is setting up out folder to become a .vpk file. Follow the steps in the image below.
Now to fill out the .txt document. Insert the following details into the document.
(I’ve used ‘alpha’ as the addonImage name, Change that to ‘bunny’)
Now, for this step you can either do this after you’ve taken snapshots of your mod, or you can do it beforehand with a fill in image. I’ll show you how to do it now. We’ll create the ‘vgui’ image for the .vpk, by selecting an Image you wish to use. Like the previous step, we’ll Import the image using VTFEdit, then save it as a .vtf. Follow the image below.
Use this for the .vmf file:
UnlitGeneric
{
$basetexture “vguibunny”
$vertexcolor “1”
$vertexalpha “1”
$translucent “1”
$ignorez “1”
$no_fullbright “1”
}
Now that that is done, drag and drop your folder onto your .vpk packer. Yay! we now have our .vpk!
Uploading to Workshop, and using the texture
Next, to upload it to steam workshop. You’ll need to open Contagion Workshop, located in “C:Program Files (x86)SteamSteamAppscommonContagionbinContagionWorkshop.exe”. Follow the image below to publish your skin.
We’re published! we’re close, but not done yet. Now, you can either go to the page and subscribe to it, or drop the .vpk directly into your ‘addon’ folder at which point you can check your texture out ingame.
Now, start contagion up, head to the extras page and check the addons tab. it should flicker ‘addons – updating’ and download the said application. After a few seconds (if nothing happens) exit the application, then restart contagion. The texture will have now been implemented into the game. Congratulations!
You now know the basics of creating a texture for Contagion! Time to go have fun experimenting with your creative juices XD