Material Editor
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Contents
Overview
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.
To do: Find out if material editor supports custom shaders?
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 
Alien Swarm to loadInterface
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.
Parameters
see List of Shader Parameters for more details
Data types
To do: add more information
- bool "short for boolean" in which 0 = false and 1 = true
- string file path (ex. brick\brickfloor001a.vtf) Warning: you cannot load vtf files not currently in the game or mod directory, make sure they are in before making the materials
- color <color255 + int> (ex. 97 11 255 255)
- float
- 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 )
To Create a new material
click file -> new , then begin editing
see Material for editing information
select the type of shader to be used
see List of Shaders
To do: Finish Tutorial
Loading a material
Bug: Complex material designs can crash the editor when loadingclick 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 overclick file -> save as..., give the material a name, and save in the mod or game directory loaded
