Custom textures for an HL2 Mod

I have looked at two texture tutorials here at the SnarkPit.

I have looked at 3 tutorials I found by googling for them.

I absolutely drop-dead cannot convert my image.tga + image.txt to a .vmt/.vtf.....

I make a shortcut to VMEX. Got that.

In the target area, I add:

-mkdir -shader LightmappedGeneric C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\myemail@hotmail.com\sourcesdk_content\hl2\materialsrc\console\image.tga

Then I click apply, then ok. (which then, after it is all said and done, my target looks like this:

"C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\myemail@hotmail.com\half-life 2\bin\vtfexplorer.exe" -mkdir -shader LightmappedGeneric C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\myemail@hotmail.com\sourcesdk_content\hl2\materialsrc\console\image.tga

I make a txt file with the same name as my image and add some bulls**t values I don't understand into the file and save it in the same dir as my img.

Then, supposedly I double click that VMEX shortcut and it converts my .tga to vmt/vtf? Well...it doesn't for me. It just opens up the VTF Explorer and nuthn else while I sit baffled and pissed and feeling more and more like a n00b. the only thing that gets converted is myfrustration into anger.

What am I missing?

Is it that impossible to make a texture?

i just drag and drop my .tga images instead of making a big shortcut. but i drop them onto VTEX.exe to do it, not VMEX.exe. so if that isn't a typo, maybe that's where you went wrong.

VMEX is a map decompiler, VTEX is the program you want. As fishy said, you can just drag and drop your .TGA image onto the VTEX icon (you'll need two explorer windows open to do this). This will create a .VTF for you, and then you'll need to make your own .VMT with notepad or something (to see what to do, just open up the Source materials GCF, and see what values they use).

You can create shortcuts to VTEX and change the command line a little
in order to make it automatically generate simple VMT's for you as
well. For example...

For a simple WORLD texture (eg. one you use on brushes in hammer), my shortcut looks like this...

C:\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\reno84\sourcesdk\bin\vtex.exe -shader LightmappedGeneric

For a simple MODEL texture (eg. one you use on props or characters), my shortcut looks like this...

C:\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\reno84\sourcesdk\bin\vtex.exe -shader VertexLitGeneric -vmtparam "$model" "1"

Label these shortcuts appropriately (eg. "vtex.exe (basic world
texture)" and "vtex.exe (basic model texture)") and then just drag your
TGA's onto the appropriate shortcut to have it generate both a VTF and
VMT. You can then tweak the VMT easily to change envmap settings,
normal maps, and what have you.

I was all screwed up.

first off....VMEX was a typ-o. I meant to say VTEX.

second....I was shortcutting to vtfexplorer.exe......not VTEX (don't ask).....

third.....Every time a tut reffered to vtex.exe....for some reason I thought they were referring to vtfexplorer.exe, for some reason.

Anyway, Fishy, Lep, (edit: and ReNo) you guys are lifesavers....dunno how to thank you enough. :smile:

double edit:

I only usually post a prob here as last resort when all else searching and googling has failed.....thus my long ranting problem posts contrived of possibly untranslateable problem text. I try to be more helpful than always questionative....maybe someday.

Dark Tree said:
Anyway, Fishy, Lep, (edit: and ReNo) you guys are lifesavers....dunno how to thank you enough. :smile:

i can only speak for myself here, but money is always a good option :biggrin:

fishy said:
i can only speak for myself here, but money is always a good option :biggrin:

Why thank you, that was nice of you to say. I try.. I try.