How to add custom skin?

[djmuz]

Hi, I'm new to creating custom skins. In the past, I've edited existing skins, but now, I'm trying to add a new skin. I've created my VMT and my VTF files, but when I try and add them into the .mdl file, I get a missing texture. Do I need to decompile the .mdl file to add in the VMT, or am I making some stupid mistake?

I'm trying to add a police skin to a TDMcars 2012 Dodge Charger.

[djmuz]

I've decompiled the MDL file, and added the texture to the .qc file, but when I try and recompile it, I get this error - ERROR: Model can only have one $shadowlod and it must be the last lod in the .qc (163270) : end

[LoneWolfie.]

You don't need to decompile anything. All you need to do is save the VTF and VMT files as skin# (Where # is a number between 1 and 13, Make sure it doesn't conflict with any existing skins) inside the TDM 2012 chargers texture folder, Which is [I]'materials/models/tdmcars/charger12'[/I].
Make sure the path in your VMT is also [I]'materials/models/tdmcars/charger12/skin#'[/I]

[CaptainBigButt]

[QUOTE=LoneWolfie.;45398298]You don't need to decompile anything. All you need to do is save the VTF and VMT files as skin# (Where # is a number between 1 and 13, Make sure it doesn't conflict with any existing skins) inside the TDM 2012 chargers texture folder, Which is [I]'materials/models/tdmcars/charger12'[/I].
Make sure the path in your VMT is also [I]'materials/models/tdmcars/charger12/skin#'[/I][/QUOTE]

The name of the material and texture can be just about anything you desire -- as far as I know, the engine doesn't look for additional skin variants automatically. [url="https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Skinfamilies"]That stuff is indeed listed in the QC file.[/url] I'm not sure that additional folder you're adding will be active at all unless you list it in $cdmaterials which is also in the QC file.

[LoneWolfie.]

[QUOTE=CaptainBigButt;45402724]The name of the material and texture can be just about anything you desire -- as far as I know, the engine doesn't look for additional skin variants automatically. [url="https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Skinfamilies"]That stuff is indeed listed in the QC file.[/url] I'm not sure that additional folder you're adding will be active at all unless you list it in $cdmaterials which is also in the QC file.[/QUOTE]

For TDM car skins it has to be skin#, as that's the texture that's defined in the skinfamily for the car.

[CaptainBigButt]

You mean whoever released the pack linked the model to a bunch of non-existent skins?

[LoneWolfie.]

Im not sure you are getting what I mean.

This is what TDM puts in his qc. when he compiles his car:

    $texturegroup "skin"
    {
       	    { "skin" }
            { "skin1" }
            { "skin2" }
            { "skin3" }
            { "skin4" }
            { "skin5" }
            { "skin6" }
            { "skin7" }
            { "skin8" }
            { "skin9" }
            { "skin10" }
            { "skin11" }
            { "skin12" }
            { "skin13" }
    }

Not all of these skin slots are filled by default. People can create skins to fill these slots by saving a vtf and vmt file inside the cars texture folder with the name skin#, Where # is a number between 1 and 13, Like so:
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/J2CFs4e.png?1[/IMG]

I've make skins for TDM Cars before and thats how it works.

[Bisharp]

Making skins is easy.
You have to save the VTF and VMT as skin4 for example. This should make it work. It's like LoneWolfie said. At least that's how I made my first skin (it's on workshop, a pace car skin (accidental advertisement ?))