This is a tutorial on how to make a material hack for Counter-Strike: Source which should work on most maps and servers unless the map is different or the server has a block on modifications of this type.
Introduction
A material hack is not actually a hack but a modification of game files (the same thing as a mod). It is a modification to the game files to allow you to see players and weapons through walls and easily see players and weapons when there are not walls in sight. It is basically a Chameleon Skin but justified as a modification instead of a hack so you should be able to get out of VAC bans.
Terminology
players = models of players
v_weapons = weapons that you see in your hands
w_weapons = weapons that are everywhere but in your hands
Tools
GCFScape:
Nem's Tools [GCFScape - Download]
VTFEdit:
Nem's Tools [VTFLib - Download - VTFEdit v1.2.5 Full]
MSPaint (I will use it for tutorial because seriously, how many people on this forum have PhotoShop or have it cracked. If you really want to be fancy with your editting then go ahead and use PhotoShop or something else.)
Notepad (Quicker to open .vmt and edit than VTFEditor.)
Step 1: The Extraction
Open GCFScape
Ctrl + O
Go to Steam/steamapps
Double click "counter-strike source shared"
Open "cstrike"
Right click "materials" and select "Extract"
Choose a place to extract the folder "materials"
Step 2: The Deletion
Open the extracted "materials" folder
Delete the folders "console", "detail", "effects", "environment maps", "FX" and "particle".
Step 3: The Change
Copy this code
"LightmappedGeneric"
{
"$basetexture" "vgui/maps"
"$translucent" 1
}
Open every .vmt folder in "brick" with Notepad and replace all the text with the copied code
Do the same for "buildings", "cable", "carpet", "composite", "concrete", "cs_assault", "cs_havana", "cs_italy", "de_aztec", "de_cbble", "de_chateau", "de_dust", "de_nuke", "de_piranesi", "de_prodigy", "de_tides", "de_train", "decals", "dev", "glass", "ground", "halflife", "lights", "liquids", "metal", "nature", "plaster", "props", "stone", "test_speakers", "tile" and finally, "tools".
Step 4: The Players
Open VTFEdit
Ctrl + I
Open materials/models/player/ct_gign/ct_gign.vtf
Ctrl + E
Change the export place to an easy to access place
Change "Save as file type:" to "PNG Files (*.png)"
Open the exported file in MSPaint
Edit it (easiest way to edit players is to make the whole box 1 colour and keep that colour for CT and a choose different one for T)
Save it
Open VTFEdit again
Ctrl + I
Open .png file
Ctrl + Shift + S
Overwrite "ct_gign.vtf" in the materials/models/player/ct_gign/
Repeat for all models
Step 5: The V_Weapons
Open VTFEdit
Ctrl + I
Open materials/models/weapons/v_weapons/c4/c4.vtf
Ctrl + E
Change the export place to an easy to access place
Change "Save as file type:" to "PNG Files (*.png)"
Open the exported file in MSPaint
Edit it (easiest way to edit weapons is to make the whole box 1 colour and keep that colour for v_weapons and a choose different one for w_weapons)
Save it
Open VTFEdit again
Ctrl + I
Open .png file
Ctrl + Shift + S
Overwrite "c4.vtf" in the materials/models/weapons/v_weapons/c4/
Repeat for all v_weapons
Step 6: The W_Weapons
Open VTFEdit
Ctrl + I
Open materials/models/weapons/w_weapons/w_c4/c4.vtf
Ctrl + E
Change the export place to an easy to access place
Change "Save as file type:" to "PNG Files (*.png)"
Open the exported file in MSPaint
Edit it (easiest way to edit weapons is to make the whole box 1 colour and keep that colour for v_weapons and a choose different one for w_weapons)
Save it
Open VTFEdit again
Ctrl + I
Open .png file
Ctrl + Shift + S
Overwrite "c4.vtf" in the materials/models/weapons/w_weapons/w_c4/
Repeat for all w_weapons
Step 7: The Hostages
Open VTFEdit
Ctrl + I
Open materials/models/hostages/hostage_sheet.vtf
Ctrl + E
Change the export place to an easy to access place
Change "Save as file type:" to "PNG Files (*.png)"
Open the exported file in MSPaint
Edit it (easiest way to edit weapons is to make the whole box 1 colour)
Save it
Open VTFEdit again
Ctrl + I
Open .png file
Ctrl + Shift + S
Overwrite "hostage_sheet.vtf" in the materials/models/hostage/
Repeat for all .vtf files in materials/models/hostage/
Step 8: The Usage
Take your extracted "materials" folder and place it in Steam/steamapps/-insert username-/counter-strike source/cstrike/ and overwrite the original "materials" folder
Go ingame and search for servers where this modification will be accepted and work
Have fun!
The Shortcut
You can skip Step 1 - Step 3 and only do Step 4 - 7 by downloading an already made Material Hack and change the colours of everything to your liking.
