Formats

Info about our customizability of skins along side the formats.

These are not the only ways to customize a skin. You can innovate as always. If you feel you made a discovery feel free to share it in the Discord server!

Formats:

2 kinds of skins (VTF format and DDS format)

VTF format

VTF is the first found custom gun skin method. VTF custom skins take editing a path in a .mdl file to use the skin and script in the client_mp_common.bsp.pak000_000.vpk vpk or creating a vpk patch; client_mp_common.bsp.pak000_228.vpk.

• Unshaded textures

• Up to 4k skins

• Animated skins (VMT options)

• Viewed from afar

• Works on low graphics

• Can use transparency

DDS format

DDS is the 'best' custom skin method. DDS custom skins takes injecting skins into the games pc_stream.starpak file.

• Properly shaded skins

• Distance based visibility; viewing from up close.

• Community made tools

• high quantity high-quality skins

• Most commonly used

Format's possibilities

Static, Single frame

Static skins are skins that don't move in any way. Compatible with VTF and DDS format. Simple and at times, most elegant. DDS formats only skin style.

Moving texture, Single frame

Only available with VTF format. Moving skins are skins that have a code group in their .vmt that moves your vtf texture to your desired parameters. The code block to move your textures is below; note this goes into your models .vmt file:

"Proxies"
    {
        "TextureScroll"
        {
            "texturescrollvar" "$baseTextureTransform"
            "texturescrollrate" "-0.03"
            "texturescrollangle" "180"
        }
    }

Change "texturescrollrate" "-0.03" to change speed of movement. Change "texturescrollangle" "180" to change direction of movement.

Animated texture, Multiple frames

Only available with VTF format. Animated skins are skins that create a moving affect or active scene by using multiple frames. You wont need multiple vtf's as VTFEdit creates one file with every frame inside. Mind that this increases size; which can have affects in recompiling. Note you can use Add-ons on your image editors to help with making animated skins. You need this code group in your models .vmt to activate animation; found below.

"Proxies"
    {
        "AnimatedTexture"
        {
            "animatedTextureVar"	"$basetexture"
			"animatedTextureFrameNumVar"	"$frame"
			"animatedtextureFrameRate"	"2"
        }
    }

Change "animatedtextureFrameRate" "2" to change framerate in game.

Transparency

Only available with VTF format. Transparency can be enabled in the the model's vmt. Example.

$translucent 1

Refract Shader ('mirror')

Only available with VTF format. The refract shader can be apply to give the model a "refracted" look. Documentation here: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Refract)

Refract
{
	$normalmap ...
	$dudvmap ...
	$refracttint "[1 1 1]"
	$refractamount .2
}