[2.4] How to Install custom content into ZPS

Overview

This guide will help you install custom content into Zombie Panic! Source. There is 2 ways of installing content into SteamPipe version of ZPS. One is which is the classic way of inserting maps/models/materials and/or sounds, by placing it directly into the game folder, or the other long way around, which is more safer and doesn’t cause the game to stop working.

Information

This guide is oudated, since v3.x and higher you only need to insert your custom files into zps_custom, or subscribe to the Workshop content, which makes this guide obsolete for future versions of ZPS.

On this guide I will help you very clearly how to install new content into ZPS without breaking the game and/or corrupting it. By doing this way, you don’t need to worry about the game crashing or losing your files if your game starts to stop working.

The way we will do it, is a long work around, but its safe. Its like doing the mod way around like before ZPS was SteamPipe, execpt this is inside the Source SDK Base 2007 folder.

Setup Information

Before we start, we first need to setup 1 folder under Source SDK Base 2007 and also grab 1 custom weapon. Luckily I have ported some models from Contagion into ZPS, so we will be using those on this guide. For those who want the full list of ported Contagion weapons to Zombie Panic! Source, here is the thread: Click Me!

Step 1: Creating the folder zpscustom

Firstly we need to head over to Steam/Steamapps/Common/Source SDK Base 2007/.

After that you need to create a new folder called zpscustom.

Step 2: Getting the custom content

Now we need to grab a custom weapon or anything that will replace the model to the one we want. In this guide I’m taking the Contagion Winchester[zps.gamebanana.com], which is the Over & Under from Contagion.

Download the Winchester, and simply take the following ZIP and/or RAR file it comes with, and open it up. Here you will see some folders like Materials, Models and Sounds. Remember that not every skin you download comes with Sounds and/or Materials (if its just a new animation for the weapon).

After you have opened the ZIP and/or the RAR file, be sure to extract them under zpscustom.

After you have inserted all the content into zpscustom, we only need to do 1 more simple step, which is to remove the files with the same name from the zps folder.

Step 3: Getting it working in-game

This is the easiest part of them all. Here you only need to delete the files with the same name to make them work. Since we use custom materials, we don’t need to remove any material from the weapons. But we still need to remove the model and sounds (if it include custom sounds). Here is a quick video tutorial on this part I’ve made a few weeks back.

You can either rename and/or remove the model from the ZPS folder. But if you want to keep the original files, I recommend you to either rename them, or copy them to a backup folder and delete the original one. What method works best for you, is up to you.

The Results

If you have done this correctly, this is how the results will look like.

I hope this Guide was useful, cheers!

FAQ

Q: Why do we need to remove the files with the same name?
A: Because else it doesn’t want to show up In-Game. It will forcefully read the default models if you don’t remove them. If they were in .vpk format, it would be much easier.

Q: Why not place them into the ZPS folder directly?
A: You can if you can’t be bothered. But if ZPS ever gets updated or anything, it will override your old files, which means every custom content you got will be replaced with the default ones. And if your ZPS gets corrupted by a custom content, you need to verify your ZPS, which means that it will again, delete all your custom content.