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Compiling UI Textures

Note

CSDK 12 now ships with a Hero Image Template to skip decompilation. Use Duplicate Addon on a addon template in the CFG Tool to make an editable version of the addon.

Requirements

Source 2 supports making .vtex_c files out of various image filetypes.

There are multiple ways to make and compile a UI texture:

VData

Since a .vdata file automatically recompiles any referenced panorama images when that .vdata file is recompiled, you can use this template to compile your images.

Create a new file named image_compiler.vdata in the panorama or scripts folder of your addon, copy the template below and paste it into the file. Modify the image_list section to reference your own images ({images} is the panorama/images folder).

image_compiler.vdata
<!-- kv3 encoding:text:version{e21c7f3c-8a33-41c5-9977-a76d3a32aa0d} format:generic:version{7412167c-06e9-4698-aff2-e63eb59037e7} -->
{
    generic_data_type = "panorama_image_list"
    image_list =
    [
        panorama:"file://{images}/heroes/archer.psd",
        panorama:"file://{images}/heroes/archer_card.psd",
        panorama:"file://{images}/heroes/archer_mm.psd",
        panorama:"file://{images}/heroes/archer_sm.psd",
        panorama:"file://{images}/heroes/archer_vertical.psd",
    ]
}

Then, find this file in the Asset Browser, right click on it and select “Recompile > Full”.

Making a VPDI file

Warning

If you are using CS2 to compile UI textures, be aware that compilation of .vpdi resources doesn’t work. Use the above .vdata method instead.

VPDI (Valve Panorama Dynamic Images) is a file that compiles all UI textures defined in it. Here’s how it looks like:

dynamic_images_hero_icons.vpdi
"DynamicImages"
{
    //-------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // Changing absolutely any file referenced below
    // will cause a rebuild if it is
    // a directly referenced image in content.
    //-------------------------------------------------------------------------
    "Explicit Files"
    {
        "{images}/heroes/rimdle.png"                    ""
        "{images}/heroes/rimdle_mm.png"                 ""
        "{images}/heroes/rimdle_sm.png"                 ""
        "{images}/heroes/rimdle_vertical.png"           ""
        "{images}/heroes/rimdle_card.png"               ""
    }
}

First, make a .vpdi file in the panorama folder of your addon (you can copy the example above). Then, define all of your images in the “Explicit Files” section ({images} is the panorama/images folder).

With your CSDK 12 tools open, find your .vpdi file in the Asset Browser, right click on it and select “Recompile > Full”. Compilation of this file will recompile all referenced images to .vtex_c.

Packing

See Packing an Addon

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