So I need to change the colour of the white portal-surface-painting gel. I believe that the original texture being used is a 4x4pixel texture, paintblobs/blob_surface_portal. So I created a pure black 4x4 vtf file and placed it in the '\common\portal 2\portal2\materials\paintblobs' where I had to create the paintblobs folder. I then loaded the game but the paint is still white both when it falls and when it lands on the ground.

Any help on this matter would be appreciated.

Note, I did NOT also place a vmt file in there. I am assuming it will use the one in the VPK, wherever the hell it is located.

Edit: Note, the paintblobs folder is the one under materials, not the paintblobs under material>particle

VPKs are higher ranked in Portal. If you have a map in a custom VPK and as single BSP in your maps folder, it will always use the VPK file.

Update: Included the VTF and the VMT for the blob_surface_portal but unfortunately it's still coming up white. :/

gompasta wrote:
If your replacing an ingame texture in the _dir.vpk, would it not be permanent, and through all maps?

Yes, that's the drawback. I'm not sure how to replace textures on a map-by-map basis.

I deleted the old vpk I created and made a new one, this time with a map in it to see if the modification would work on that map alone. Unfortunately it did not.

I'm a bit weary of editing the standard .vpk's. I remember reading somewhere it was a VAC bannable offence. Obviously this is for innocent, singleplayer use but I don't know if that's still taken into consideration.

Enraged wrote:
I'm a bit weary of editing the standard .vpk's. I remember reading somewhere it was a VAC bannable offence. Obviously this is for innocent, singleplayer use but I don't know if that's still taken into consideration.

I believe it would only be bannable, in multiplayer, if it is network manupulation or cheats. I would have thought it would be fine to do so, within singleplayer.

Until I'm sure I'd prefer to avoid taking the risk.

Update, I've heard talk of a launch option, '-override_vpk' and attempted to use it to no avail. It was used both with the custom vpk and with actual files in the portal2/materials folder. Neither worked.

mapping-help/modifying-vpk-files-t2336.html

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/s ... ?t=1427390

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/s ... ?t=1888439

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/fo ... 06start=0

Update: It should be noted the texture works absolutely fine as normal when it is renamed to be a unique texture of it's own, so it's NOT a problem with that.

Actually I don't know.

Anyway, I tried packing a map and custom textures in a VPK, adding the -override_vpk parameter, and it still doesn't work. The best I can discern is that there's no way to override stock files of any sort without modifying pak01_dir.vpk.

Next point of interest I found in researching the paints, if you create a info_paint_sprayer, turn off smart edit and set the paint type to 1 you'll have purple paint. However, the blobs are NOT textured and use the black/purple chequerboard error texture. In the blobs folder I've been working in this makes sense as there are only the textures for speed, bounce, cleanse and portal. However, if the floor is still being covered in purple paint this means there is another texture/code somewhere that will also need to be edited. I cannot guess what it is as I have tried all the obvious search terms to find it. (Gel, paint, blob, stick, purple, etc. in the filter field.)

All of your guys help is massively appreciated!

Enraged wrote:
Well I guess I'll have to do it then to get this done.

Next point of interest I found in researching the paints, if you create a info_paint_sprayer, turn off smart edit and set the paint type to 1 you'll have purple paint. However, the blobs are NOT textured and use the black/purple chequerboard error texture. In the blobs folder I've been working in this makes sense as there are only the textures for speed, bounce, cleanse and portal. However, if the floor is still being covered in purple paint this means there is another texture/code somewhere that will also need to be edited. I cannot guess what it is as I have tried all the obvious search terms to find it. (Gel, paint, blob, stick, purple, etc. in the filter field.)

All of your guys help is massively appreciated!

Wait for it...
18ZMM6XPcQY

Might want to talk to reepblue, he can probably help you out.

Another note, I have confirmed that the paintblobs and paintsplats ARE different and it is not simply an incomplete programming error in the case of the purple paint as can be seen here: http://steamcommunity.com/id/EagleStrik ... 2360115126

I cannot for the life of me find where the hell the splat textures/color templates are located. I've tried as I said ALL the obvious locations in the textures. This has led me to believe that the colour is being determined in a vmt or some other text file by an RGB or CMYK or some shit like that.

Update

Ok, mistakes get made. In this case it was my interpretation that the paint splats are 1 texture when infact it is quite obvious that the are simply a mix of decals and when a sufficient area is covered the paint is effective in that area. I believe I've found the related textures in the particle's folders and am now about to investigate them further.

On a side note, I believe I've isolated how to change the base colour. I've opened and modified the splash particle effects file and there's a third, non-effect related colour for each of the gels. As a result I believe THIS is the colour code used to determine the splat colour. I've modified the file appropriately so it's a black effect with the black splat expected third, and now just need to replace the existing effects file to test it. As I said, still weary of editing the VPK but if it comes down to me not finding another solution very soon it'll have to be done.

I'm wondering if I could get an addon VPK to work by including an addoninfo.txt. Unfortunately I obviously don't know what the Portal 2 definitions will be as they haven't released them yet. Time to take a shot in the dark.