Custom skin and Wheatley looking at player help
Hello, this is my first time posting here and I'm stuck on two things. Any help is appreciated.
First off, how do I change the skin of Wheatley so I can use another core eye for a mod pack? If I do re-skin him,
how will I make others be able to play my mod pack with the least effort of downloading textures? I've already created the two files (one the text and one the image) for the skin.
Second, how do I make the core turn to face the player on its management rail, like in the intro to the game. I'm using three prop_dynamics (the core, the attacher, and the stick that fits in the rail.)
Any help is appreciated.
Musical website Moddb
Hello, and welcome to the forums!
1. In order to make ppl watch your custom skins you should pack the 2 files for your texture into the .BSP before publishing the map. I don't know how you customize your model, if hexing it or decompiling-recompiling, but you should surely pack the model too.
In order to do so, you need pakrat. there are MANY topics here about this little app, use the Search feature (locate the button on the middle top of this page). However if you encounter problems with it, just post them and we'll help you out.
2. To achieve the core facing to the player, you can parent your prop_dynamic core to a brush entity called func_tank (then parent the func_tank to your other prop_dynamics that follow the rail...), then fire an output via a logic_auto like so:
- OnMapSpawn > [func_tank name] > SetTargetEntity > !player
Good luck!
useful tools and stuff here on TWP 
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]
Josepezdj is almost right on, but be careful paking the skin: it won't show up if it replaces an existing texture. It's a "feature" in games using the VPK system.
The easiest way to fix that would be to hex the model. This is a little more complex, but if you're sure you want to do it I can give you instructions.
Well, as I mentioned, I'm asumming either a hexing or a decompile-recompile, to make the model point to custom folders and textures... that is why you normally use of one these methods 
useful tools and stuff here on TWP [spoiler]
[/spoiler]I tried the Func_tank and fired the output but he won't look at the player. I types it exactly how you did, I don't know whats wrong.
Also, with the skin, i'm not that good at doing stuff like that. Pretty much, I'm going to make a mod pack not on the workshop but as a whole separate game. Kind of like what you see on modDB, with the own main menus and maps and stuff. Anyways, just thought you should know that. I don't know what you mean by pack the files into the .bsp. I know what the files are, and I know what the .bsp is, but I don't know what you mean by pack them in. I don't even know how to install them. :/
Anyways, thank you so much for the quick replies. This website is really helpful.
Musical website Moddb
For the func_tank, make sure that you have a trigger or a logic_auto activate it with the activate output. The first time I used one, I missed that. Also, make sure the func_tank is targeting:
!player
To pack a texture into a map with packrat, all you really need to do is open the .bsp in pakrat, click the add button, and add the .vtf, and the .vmf that you created for the custom texture.
I hope this helps. If anything is unclear, I can try to clearify for you. If you already tried what I'm suggesting, then I doubt I can be the one to help you.
Hmmm. I'm either really stupid, or Portal 2 just doesn't like me. I am positive have the func_tank inputs all correct, and am still clueless on how to get the skins to work. would you like the .vmf and the .bsp?
Musical website Moddb
My bet is that you didn't check the tank's flag Active... Check this flag.
Anyways, I'm attaching a working example, please take a look.
useful tools and stuff here on TWP [spoiler]
[/spoiler]Thank you so much! Wheatley follows the player's movements perfectly! You're a really big help.
Now that that works, I still ca't figure out custom skins. I have the .vmt and the .vtf created, and they're names are personality_sphere_skin01.vmt and personality_sphere_skin01.vtf
Here is what's in the .vmt file:
- Code: Select all
VertexlitGeneric
{
$basetexture "modelsnpcspersonality_spherepersonality_sphere_skin01"
"!gameconsole?$phong" 1
"!gameconsole?$phongboost" 1
"!gameconsole?$halflambert" 0
"!gameconsole?$phongDisableHalfLambert" 1
"!gameconsole?$phongexponent" 12
"!gameconsole?$phongfresnelranges" "[.6 1 2]"
"!gameconsole?$basemapalphaphongmask" 1"!gameconsole?$rimlightexponent" "0.2"
"!gameconsole?$rimlightboost" 3
"!gameconsole?$phongalbedotint" 1
}
Musical website Moddb
Glad to hear!
Regarding the custom skins, well, if you are developing a mod, and you know what you're doing, you'll know that you only need to put your custom textures inside your custom pak01_dir.vpk file... do you know that?
useful tools and stuff here on TWP [spoiler]
[/spoiler]