How To Upload Let 4 Dead 2 Mapo To Workshop

Contents

• 1 Install the Authoring Tools
• ii Create an Improver folder
• three Create primary game assets
• iv Create secondary game avails
  • 4.1 Campaign Poster
  • 4.2 Map Thumbnail Previews
  • 4.iii Creating a audio.cache file
• 5 Create metadata files
  • v.1 addoninfo.txt
  • 5.ii addonimage.jpg
  • 5.3 Mission File
• half dozen Test information technology out
• 7 Packaging and shipping
  • seven.1 Compression
• eight Last testing
• 9 Meet too

There are six basic steps to creating your own custom campaign Add together-ons for Left 4 Dead two:

1. Make an Add-on folder and content sub-folders.
2. Create game avails and place them in the proper sub-binder.
3. Create metadata files and identify them in the proper sub-folder.
4. Pack the contents of the Add-on binder into a .VPK file.
5. Examination the VPK thoroughly and brand changes accordingly
6. Create a homepage for the addition where it can be downloaded by players.

In guild to writer content for Left 4 Dead two, you lot will demand to install the Left 4 Dead ii Authoring Tools. This provides you with the applications and utilities you volition need to create game content. Mainly, you volition be using the Hammer application to create levels, and the other utilities to create custom textures and models.

A description of how to create these assets is beyond the scope of this tutorial, but you lot can find useful information in the L4D Level Pattern Basics Tutorial. Because the focus of this article is how to assemble the assets into a campaign Add-on, we will assume that you take already learned how to successfully create these assets from this point forward.

The Authoring Tools provides an case Add-on campaign chosen Dead Line that has source examples.

Create an Add-on binder

To brainstorm, navigate to the 'addons' folder of your Left 4 Dead two game install location. For most users, this volition be similar to:

C:\Programme Files\Steam\steamapps\common\left 4 dead 2\left4dead2\addons        

 Notation: If you have a folder with a hyphen, i.e. "add-ons", make sure it'south empty and go ahead and delete information technology. The correct folder has no hyphen: "addons".

Note: The 'addons' folder may not exist in your L4D2 Authoring tools install.

Make a new binder within the 'addons' directory, and give it an appropriate name. This new binder will be the proper name of the .VPK file you'll ultimately create and distribute, and then it's skillful do to avoid spaces and use all lowercase letters. You may besides include the game in the title, to differentiate it from add together-ons for other titles, and optionally a version number. We'll use "deadline" instead of "l4d_deadline" for our case for the sake of readability.

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2        

Conceptually, this improver folder volition serve as the base "game" folder for your assets, and will mirror the layout in the shipped .VPK files as we shall see below.

Create primary game assets

The assets you create will substantially suspend those shipped with the game. For a campaign, the chief avails are the .BSP and .NAV files for your map levels.

Make a folder called 'maps' inside your add-on project folder:

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\maps        

Into this maps folder, copy the .BSP and .NAV files you're using for your maps. For this Dead Line tutorial example, at that place are 3 map file bsp.nav pairs:

File	Clarification
l4d_deadline01	Minimal starting map for co-op, versus
l4d_deadline02	Final map for co-op, versus, survival, scavenge

The advantage of having a single map office for multiple game modes is size reduction, which tin can exist worth the additional authoring complexity.

You may also optionally create custom .VTF texture images, custom .VMT fabric description files, and custom .MDL models which your maps can utilize. In order to go along the size of your improver modest, information technology's advisable to apply as many textures and models from the game as possible.

Additional .VMT and .VTF materials (see Creating a Textile) should go under this binder:

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\materials        

.MDL and related model files (see exporting and compiling a model) should go under here:

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\models        

 Note: Since "The Sacrifice" update, model .vtx files are no longer renamed when packed. For example, packing a .dx90.vtx file no longer renames to simply .vtx. All official files that were .vtx files have reverted back to .dx90.vtx. Campaigns with custom models that were released prior to the update will be invisible in-game. Before the October 2010 update, a campaign would crash if .sw.vtx and .dx80.vtx were included for packing.

And materials for your models should go under here:

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\materials\models        

It should exist noted that L4D2 treats the /deadline2 binder much the same manner every bit the /left4dead folder, so any folders y'all apply inside the /materials and /models that you apply must also exist present in your campaign'south folder.

Create secondary game avails

Secondary avails such as poster and thumbnail images are non strictly required, but they tin give your campaigns an extra level of polish. (Besides, the poster/concept fine art was probable the commencement affair yous created, wasn't it?) If you haven't already, go ahead and make a materials folder and a vgui folder inside of it:

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\materials\vgui        

Campaign Poster

Inside the vgui folder yous'll want to place at to the lowest degree ii .VTF files, along with .VMTs that reference them:

LoadingScreen_DeadLine2.vtf

This is a affiche image that is displayed while your campaign loads. Standard size is 1024 x 1024 pixels with an alpha channel for transparency.

OutroTitle_DeadLine2.vtf

This is a championship image that appears behind the terminate credits/stats. Standard size is 1024 10 256 pixels. Your design should expect good against a blackness background and also let white text in the foreground to be readable.

Map Thumbnail Previews

In addition to these ii, y'all'll also want to make thumbnail images for each map in your campaign. These serve to provide a visual reinforcement indication for users while they're selecting map "capacity" in the UI.

To do so, create a new binder named 'maps' under the vgui folder:

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\materials\vgui\maps        

In this folder, you lot'll desire to create a .VTF/.VMT pair for each map y'all wish to create. They should each exist 256 by 128 pixels. If advisable, you lot may utilise a single thumbnail image to stand for multiple .BSP maps, such as when you take a versus or survival variant of the aforementioned level.

.VMT files which are used for interface elements such equally posters, thumbnails, etc., (I.e. Those typically found in the materials/vgui folder,) often need to specify an UnlitGeneric material. See Deadline vgui .VMT File for an instance.

Creating a sound.cache file

If you wish to take custom sounds in your add-on, you lot need to build an sound enshroud file that the engine uses to load your sounds. Place your sounds in a "sound" folder in your addition directory, so while Left 4 Dead ii is running enter the control "snd_buildsoundcachefordirectory <path>" with the path of your sound binder. For instance, in the Deadline example, we would place sounds in:

..\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\sound        

So rebuild information technology with:

snd_buildsoundcachefordirectory "..\left4dead2\addons\deadline2"        

This will generate a sound.cache file in the sound binder that y'all should include when building your VPK file.

Create metadata files

In that location are a few more files that you volition make in order to permit your addition content to function in game.

 Note: The addoninfo and addonimage you lot create will not be used past the game when yous upload your addons to the steam workshop. The addon moving picture, clarification and tags will be taken from the steam workshop release upon subscribing to a mod

 Note: The addoninfo and addonimage are not required for the game to recognize the files. The addoninfo is only required to see the addon listed in the addon menu and for the addon installer tool to recognize which game it belongs to.

addoninfo.txt

The first is the addoninfo.txt file. This allows your content to be recognized by the game. Information technology should go inside your add-on root folder, which was the start one we created way back at the height:

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\addoninfo.txt        

This file is used past the game in the Extras->Add-ons screen. It describes your add-on in full general and what it provides. The instance Deadline AddonInfo File includes total comments and instructions for using it as a template for your own improver.

addonimage.jpg

Another file you can create in the root binder is an image named addonimage.jpg. This serves as an icon to help differentiate your add-on and is displayed when an improver is selected in the UI forth with add-on details listed in the addoninfo.txt. Some JPG files may not work, depending on which application they are saved from. If y'all're having trouble getting you lot JPG to work, endeavor exporting it from VTFEdit.

Mission File

The 2nd required file is the mission file. This describes the structure and content of your campaign and is used past the campaign pick UI, matchmaking, and the game server. This should be a .TXT file with a unique proper name in the 'missions' folder, which you lot will also demand to make:

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\missions\deadline2.txt        

The instance Deadline Mission File includes total comments and instructions for using it as a template for your ain mission.

 Note: Calculation a mission.txt file (or any text file) to the missions folder will flag the VPK as a entrada instead of a content pack. Information technology is unknown whether there are other factors that bear on how the VPK is treated. Specific sets of files in the VPK will non eclipse other campaigns. Such content includes, but are not limited to, unique and replacement materials/textures, models, sounds, sound cache, particles, and particles manifest. At the moment, script files (found in the scripts folder) and resource files are withal eclipsed past add-ons regardless of the "type" of VPK it is packed. This causes conflicts with official and other add-on campaigns if file names are the aforementioned.

Test information technology out

At this indicate, your add-on should be fully functional. You lot should be able to launch the game, go to Extras->Add together-ons, and enable your addition. If you type path into the panel, you lot should see the root directory of your add together-on most the lesser. This means that the game will search your add-on folder for files that it cannot find in the standard game .VPK files. Play a total game on other computers to check for an errors such as crashes and missing assets. Y'all can keep tweaking your content in folder form until you're ready for that magical moment: Release into the wild.

Packaging and shipping

The final remaining step is to bundle your add together-on into a .VPK for distribution.

The .VPK serves as a convenient, one file method for others to install your add-on folder. They need simply put the .VPK in their ain add-on folder. Or, assuming they, similar near non-authoring players, oasis't associated the .VPK extension with something else, they can double click on information technology and it will install itself in the correct identify.

Every .VPK file contains a unique ID that allows the game to ensure everyone is running the aforementioned content. If you've put in meta-data properly, the game volition too prompt users to download a newer version if information technology is required to play.

Navigate to this folder:

C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\left four dead 2\bin\        

Locate the vpk.exe packaging utility and brand a shortcut to it on your desktop. Drag your add-on root binder and drop it onto the shortcut. The utility should brand a new .VPK next to your original binder. Past default it will non include source files such every bit .VMF, .TGA, .SMD, .QC etc., and it will e'er strip out executable binaries. Remove the folder version of the add-on (or movement it to a safe location) and so that the .VPK is lonely and test information technology out. The .VPK should function exactly as the add-on folder does. If it works, yous're ready to upload it to a location you lot specified in the metadata files and from which information technology is available.

Ideally, you'll want an add-on "homepage" that includes ratings, screenshots, and thespian comments. A elementary example can exist constitute here.

Pinch

Since full Left iv Dead 2 campaigns can exist very large information technology is advisable to compress them before uploading to file sharing sites for distribution. The open source Windows utility 7-goose egg supports compressing files in the 7z format/LZMA algorithm, which provide a very high pinch ratio. The majority of a campaigns size comes from the .bsp map files, which are highly compressible, and then a vpk can exist reduced to 25% or less of its original size. For example an unofficial version of Death Aboard was packaged upwards by a fan; the vpk was 267MB uncompressed, 92MB zipped, and 55MB with 7z.

Final testing

At this point, y'all should exam out the download prompt. Start a anteroom with a local server, and invite a friend to join. When they accept, they should exist prompted to download the necessary add-on, after which a browser window volition opened to your add-on homepage. They should be able to download and install the improver without having to restart the game, and and so join your antechamber.

Run into likewise

• VPK
• VPK File Format
• L4D2 - Campaign Packager Tool

Source: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/L4D2_Campaign_Add-on_Tutorial

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