Custom Sign Example + Source

@msleeper

4,141 Posts

Admin

Posted May 20, 2011

Example of how to include a custom sp_lightboard_icons.txt without overwriting existing user data. The answer is easy - use a VPK!

File Name: Custom Sign Example.rar
File Size: 176.55 KiB

@msleeper

4,141 Posts

Admin

#32277

Posted May 20, 2011

Replied 1 minutes later

There's not much more to it other than following this creating a VPK for Portal 2 article. Basically you include the modified sp_lightboard_icons.txt file and your map into the VPK, so that you do not overwrite any of the actual game data files. My example lightboard addition is as such:

&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;custom_sign_example&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;{
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;//Map data
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;level_number&quot; &quot;1&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;total_levels&quot; &quot;33&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;startup&quot; &quot;dirty_flicker_flicker&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;dirt&quot; &quot;1&quot;

&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;icons&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;{
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;cube_drop&quot; &quot;0&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;cube_bonk&quot; &quot;0&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;paint_bounce&quot; &quot;0&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;paint_speed&quot; &quot;0&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;goop&quot; &quot;0&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;turret&quot; &quot;0&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;turret_burn&quot; &quot;0&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;portal_fling&quot; &quot;0&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;portal_fling_2&quot; &quot;0&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&quot;handoff&quot; &quot;0&quot;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;}
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;}

I can't seem to find any info on if files in a VPK overwrite existing game files on game startup or when a map is loaded from one. I am pretty sure it will still override the sp_lightboard_icons.txt present in the vscripts folder. So don't be a douchebag and release a VPK with a blank one of these to ruin someone's game.

I'll have to do some testing to see how it reacts when there are multiple VPKs with different lightboard files in it.

Jomonay (@Jomonay)

294 Posts

#32294

Posted May 20, 2011

Replied 1 hour later

Excellent stuff

. Certainly beats the VTF editing that had to be done back in the day.

@msleeper

4,141 Posts

Admin

#32374

Posted May 20, 2011

Replied 6 hours later

Yeah seriously. My only complaint is that you can't add more things to it. Like where it says "None" when you don't enter the level_number and total_levels, I was hoping we could put text there (such as, "www.ThinkingWithPortals.com"). Could still do this with materials but eh, why do it the hard way.

ZeronFX (@ZeronFX)

32 Posts

#32471

Posted May 20, 2011

Replied 7 hours later

So if we do this for a custom map, we don't have to package materials/sounds/etc in the map?

Awesome.

@msleeper

4,141 Posts

Admin

#32479

Posted May 20, 2011

Replied 1 hour later

Using a VPK is an alternative to using Pakrap or BSPZIP.

tactical fluke (@tactical fluke)

31 Posts

#33058

Posted May 22, 2011

Replied 1 day later

this is great and there will probably be a whole wave of singleplayer maps (doesn't work in co-op

)
with custom lightboards. great work

Omnicoder (@Omnicoder)

299 Posts

#33112

Posted May 22, 2011

Replied 3 hours later

VPKs (and the lightboard files) are loaded at Game start, so this will have the same issues that replacing the file would, as the VPKs will override each other and whichever one the game gets to first will load. Whether this is alphabetical or by recency I don't know, but I can't see this working out well.

ChickenMobile (@ChickenMobile)

2,460 Posts

#33360

Posted May 23, 2011

Replied 20 hours later

I also have to point out that the script for the coop signs are in a different folder. They are in: Steam\steamapps\common\portal 2\portal2\scripts\vscripts\coop and is named coop_lightboard_icons. How they work? I am yet to know.

EDIT: I decompiled one of the coop maps and saw that they should have a instance for coop signs but they don't. So far I've been able to make a sign appear in coop-mode but all it's values are default, even though I did put code into it.

Looking into it...

ChickenMobile (@ChickenMobile)

2,460 Posts

#33806

Posted May 25, 2011

Replied 1 day later

Co-op custom signs obviously don't want to be made. I renamed a default co-op map and then renamed my map to it. The sign works but I still can't make any custom signs.

I don't know where they shoved in code to label the map one of the 5 courses and what Chamber number it is in the list. I looked through nearly every possible script, even files still in the pak_01.dir.
A mystery...