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== Overview ==
[[File:MaterialEditor.jpg|thumb|400px|right|The VMT Editor]]
The Material Editor is an engine tool available in Source 2007 and later. This tool allows you to edit VMT properties while in-game with via a simplified interface that is both user friendly and real time. This heavily simplifies the material editing process as well. Previously users would have to edit the vmt outside of the engine, then go back in-game and reload all materials, or the current vmt. To use it, run your game or mod with -tools -nop4 on the command line and select 'Material Editor' from the Tools menu. This tool is used to edit the material properties with the added advantage of a preview.


{{todo| Find out if material editor supports custom shaders?}}
The '''Material Editor''' is an [[:Engine tools|engine tool]] originally released with the {{src07|2}} engine branch. This tool allows you to edit [[VMT]] properties while in-game with via a simplified interface that is both user friendly and real time. This heavily simplifies the material editing process as well. Previously users would need to edit the VMT outside of the engine, then go back in-game and reload all materials, or the current vmt. To use it, run your game or mod with {{Code|[[-tools]] [[-nop4]]}} on the command line and select '''Material Editor''' from the Tools menu. This tool is used to edit the material properties with the added advantage of faster, more robust interface than the typical text editor.  
{{Note| Make sure that sv_lan is set to 1 in the console located in the lower-left corner (sv_lan 1) if your game is MP based.}}


{{Warning|you need to use the command: "toolload vmt" in console for {{as}}[[Alien Swarm]] to load}}
{{Note|This editor supports custom shaders, including ones from the [[:Source_shader_editor|Source Shader Editor]]!}}


== Interface ==
{{Note| Make sure that {{Command|sv_lan}} is set to 1 in the console located in the lower-left corner ({{Command|sv_lan|1}}) if your game is MP based.}}
[[File:MaterialEditor.jpg]]


The first viewport on the left is the vmt properties that you could set. The lower right viewport is the vmt preview, and bove that is the engine viewport. When you are editing, the vmt properties viewport will identify all of the avalable parameters as well as what type of data that could be inputted.
{{clr}}


== See also ==
* [[:Category:VMT Editor|VMT Editor Documentation]]
* [[Material]]


[[Category:Engine Tools]]


== To Create a new material ==
[[Category:VMT Editor]]
 
click file -> new , then begin editing
 
see [[Material]] for editing information
 
 
 
== Selecting Shaders ==
 
go to "shader" from the properties list and click [[File:EditorDotDotDot.jpg]]
 
the Select Shader window will appear
 
[[File:MaterialEditor Shader Select.jpg]]
 
select from the list or type in the name of the shader in the filter box
 
see [[:Category:List of Shaders|List of Shaders]]
 
 
''Ideally, you should pick one of these three.''
 
*[[LightmappedGeneric]] -> for world texturing
 
*[[VertexLitGeneric]] -> for model texturing
 
*[[UnlitGeneric]] -> for UI texturing
 
 
After your shader type is selected, the list of avalable parameters, for the selected shader, will update.
 
 
== Selecting textures ==
 
go to the $basetexture parameter and click [[File:EditorDotDotDot.jpg]].
 
the select VTF window will appear
 
[[File:MaterialEditor selectvtf.jpg]]
 
select the desired texture to be used in the material
 
 
== Selecting Colors ==
 
go to the $color parameter and click [[File:EditorColor.jpg]]
 
the Select Color window will appear
 
[[File:MaterialEditor selectcolor.jpg]]
 
adjust the settings  to get the desired color
 
the color box [[File:EditorColor.jpg]] will change to the selected color
 
 
== Shader Parameters ==
 
 
see [[:Category:List of Shader Parameters|List of Shader Parameters]] for more details
 
'''Data types'''
 
{{todo|add more information}}
 
*'''bool''' "short for boolean" in which 0 = false and 1 = true
*'''string''' "file path" (ex. brick\brickfloor001a.vtf) "name" (ex. VertexLitGeneric)
*'''color''' <color255 + int> (ex. 97 11 255 255)
*'''float''' "floating point" a decimal between 0 and 1 (ex. 0.75)
*'''int''' "short for integer" (ex. 56)
*'''matrix''' "written in binary"  ( 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 )
 
 
{{todo|Finish Tutorial}}
 
== Loading a material ==
 
{{bug|Complex material designs can crash the editor when loading}}
{{warning|Do not load material vmts outside of the loaded mod or game directory, the associated vtf files may not load as a result}} 
 
click file -> Open..., find the file located in the mod or game directory loaded
 
 
 
 
== Saving a material ==
 
{{bug|Somtimes settings may not stick, keep a text editor open to copy your settings over}}
{{warning|Do not save material vmts outside of the loaded mod or game directory, the material '''will not''' load as a result}}
 
click file -> save as..., give the material a name, and save in the mod or game directory loaded
 
 
 
== See Also ==
*[[Material]]
*[[Valve Texture Format]]
*[[Engine tools]]
 
[[Category:Tools]]

Latest revision as of 00:56, 8 December 2025

The VMT Editor

The Material Editor is an engine tool originally released with the Source 2007 Source 2007 engine branch. This tool allows you to edit VMT properties while in-game with via a simplified interface that is both user friendly and real time. This heavily simplifies the material editing process as well. Previously users would need to edit the VMT outside of the engine, then go back in-game and reload all materials, or the current vmt. To use it, run your game or mod with -tools -nop4 on the command line and select Material Editor from the Tools menu. This tool is used to edit the material properties with the added advantage of faster, more robust interface than the typical text editor.

Note.pngNote:This editor supports custom shaders, including ones from the Source Shader Editor!
Note.pngNote: Make sure that sv_lan is set to 1 in the console located in the lower-left corner (sv_lan 1) if your game is MP based.

See also

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