Left 4 Dead 2: Illuminated Buildings [Part 3/6]

For textures – VTFEdit[nemstools.github.io]
Photoshop alternative – Paintnet[www.getpaint.net]
To pack/unpack vpk’s – GCFScape[nemstools.github.io]
For adjusting textures – VMT editor[gortnar.com].

Have your console enabled, options – keyboard & mouse – allow dev console.
Now open the console type “sv_cheats 1”, then “map apartments” to load up a map.
It’ll boot the first level of no mercy, disable the annoying infected “director_stop”, then “noclip”.

Look around, let’s say we wanna change that building over there

Aim at it and type “mat_crosshair”.

It will show you the name of the texture you’re looking at, and the file path that leads to it.
In this case, it says buildings/brick 08, we now know the file path.

Let’s go yoink the texture first.
Check pak01_dir files, there’s 5 of them.
You will find all textures in dir vpk folders (use GCFSCAPE).

The texture I want to change is in left4dead2_dlc2 folder’s pak01_dir.
Follow my lead, let’s go grab it and export it to desktop in BMP format.

Open up paintdotnet, drag and drop brick 08 into it, press open.
Here you can see your tools tab, layers, colors you name it.

Now make a duplicate of brick 08.

Select the original layer, go to properties and lower it’s opacity to “1”.

Now select the visible duplicate layer on top, time to erase a few things.

I’m gonna be very lazy and put no effort into this, for demonstration purposes.
Use the rectangle selection tool, zoom in on the windows and erase the window bits.

Good enough, now fill them up with some piss using the paint bucket tool.

Moving on, erase absolutely everything.
Only keep the painted parts, we need those for the glow.

Now save it.

Save as – PNG – desktop – OK – flatten.

Open up VTFedit, choose file – import

Set the correct dimensions, in this case it’s 512×512.
(Because the original’s dimensions are also 512×512).

This is how our texture should look, make sure there are no artifacts/glitches.

Click file – save as, and name it “brick08” (same exact name as the original).

Now we need to find brick 08’s VMT file.
It’s in left4dead2_dlc2’s pak01_dir vpk, grab it.

We need to add self illumination to it.
Reduce the tint down to 0.20, and save it.

The less tint – the more detail you can make out inside the glow.

Build a file path that leads to the original textures, so they get overwritten.
Create an empty new folder on your desktop, call it “root”, make another folder there.
the file path should look like this “Root – materials – buildings”, c’mon you already know this.

Assuming you also know how to make a vpk already, moving on.

If you didn’t mess up any steps, it should look like this.

I made a mod called 07 buildings, where I put a bit more effort.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3224846392
You can see I added vignette, curtains, plant shadows, coloring, dirt, glass overlay.

Try to experiment, add shiny parts, maybe some cracks.
You can apply this method to any texture, not just buildings.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3344167090
I made a mod that makes infected eyes glow, you can add glow to anything.