Animated Menu Background

Todo: This implementation has an unsolved issue, please check out "A Deal Breaker" at the bottom of the page.

What Is This?

This implementation allows you to use a .bik file as your main menu's background. Similar to what's seen in Left 4 Dead 2 and Portal 2.

• Examples
• 
• 

The Implementation

First off you'll need these two files:

• menu_background.h
• menu_background.cpp

Which you'll put into src/game/client/

Once that's done, open up cdll_client_int.cpp and add this:

void SwapDisconnectCommand();

Above

void CHLClient::PostInit()

Then at the bottom of the PostInit() function, add this:

SwapDisconnectCommand();

Now head over to baseviewport.cpp, and add this at the top:

#include "../menu_background.h"

In the same file, add this in the constructor (CBaseViewport::CBaseViewport()):

m_pMainMenuPanel = NULL;

Add this in the destructor (CBaseViewport::~CBaseViewport()):

if ( !m_bHasParent && m_pMainMenuPanel )
{
	m_pMainMenuPanel->MarkForDeletion();
}
m_pMainMenuPanel = NULL;

Add this in the Start function (CBaseViewport::Start(...)):

m_pMainMenuPanel = new CMainMenu( NULL, NULL );
m_pMainMenuPanel->SetZPos( 500 );
m_pMainMenuPanel->SetVisible( false );
m_pMainMenuPanel->StartVideo();

Add this in the OnScreenSizeChanged function (CBaseViewport::OnScreenSizeChanged()):

bool bRestartMainMenuVideo = false;
if (m_pMainMenuPanel)
	bRestartMainMenuVideo = m_pMainMenuPanel->IsVideoPlaying();
BaseClass::OnScreenSizeChanged(iOldWide, iOldTall);
m_pMainMenuPanel = new CMainMenu( NULL, NULL );
m_pMainMenuPanel->SetZPos( 500 );
m_pMainMenuPanel->SetVisible( false );
if (bRestartMainMenuVideo)
	m_pMainMenuPanel->StartVideo();

Add this in the RemoveAllPanels function (CBaseViewport::RemoveAllPanels( void )):

if (m_pMainMenuPanel)
{
	m_pMainMenuPanel->MarkForDeletion();
	m_pMainMenuPanel = NULL;
}

Below the GetDeathMessageStartHeight( void ) function add these:

void CBaseViewport::StartMainMenuVideo()
{
	if (m_pMainMenuPanel)
		m_pMainMenuPanel->StartVideo();
}

void CBaseViewport::StopMainMenuVideo()
{
	if (m_pMainMenuPanel)
		m_pMainMenuPanel->StopVideo();
}

Now head over to baseviewport.h, add these:

void StartMainMenuVideo();
void StopMainMenuVideo();

Below

virtual int GetDeathMessageStartHeight( void );	

After the last function under public:, add:

private:
	class CMainMenu* m_pMainMenuPanel;

Now head over to convar.h, and make this public (protected -> public):

protected:
	virtual void Create( const char *pName, const char *pHelpString = 0, int flags = 0 );

What Next?

The Bink File

Now that you're done with the implementation, you'll need a .bik file to play as your background.

I won't show you how to make your own .bik file, but I can recommend following this guide for that:

• Tutorial: Modding the Background of the Menu (MP4 to Bik) - By "BreakingFuse"

Once you've got your .bik file ready, rename it to mainmenu.bik, and place it in your mod's media folder. If a media folder doesn't exist, create one.

The Chapter Images

You might notice that your chapter images are all white now, this can be fixed by adding this to your to your chapter's VMT file:

"$ignorez" "1"

Example of working VMT chapter file:

"UnlitGeneric"
{
	"$baseTexture" "VGUI/chapters/chapterX"
	"$vertexalpha" 1
	"$gammaColorRead" "1"
	"$linearWrite" "1"
	"$ignorez" "1"
}

• Left: $ignorez 0 | Right: $ignorez 1
• 
• 

A Deal Breaker

Once this is implemented, you'll notice that your main menu's title text is gone.

If anyone knows how to get this issues fixed, please contact me on Discord at Ian B.#8678, and I'll edit this page with the fix applied!

• 

Conclusion

And that's it, try launching your mod to see if it works!

This is currently only tested on the SP branch of Source SDK 2013. The MP branch and Source SDK 2007 remains untested as of writing this article.

Special Thanks

Special thanks to OzxyBox, Taz and Gocnak from the Source Modding Community for solving some of the problems this implementation was facing!