Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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READ ME!
This unoptimized video is meant for my TF2 Blender staff, should they feel the need to expand the TF2 Trifecta's assets on the event of an update. I don't have the time nor the budget to cut the video, so hopefully this works. I don't expect this to be a video that needs revisiting.

Prerequisites:
Specific version of SourceIO - drive.google.com/open?id=1L6jMSu61h1jWun_GRzPIymThqEvHk_J-&usp=drive_fs
Node.js - nodejs.org/en/download/package-manager
Valve KV Deserializer - github.com/Perryvw/valve-kv?tab=readme-ov-file
Porting Template - drive.google.com/open?id=1KNn7T2SS9kfvW6Iqe_xY69Dbrtd-Pl_l&usp=drive_fs
Blender 4.1 (for maximum compatiblity between 3.6 and anything upwards) - download.blender.org/release/Blender4.1

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:15 Installing Specific SourceIO Version
2:18 Converting .txt files to .json with Node.js
4:08 Getting the deserializer
4:33 Using the deserializer
Use "utf16le" codec in second parameter of deserializeFile!

8:55 Preparing cosmetics
These .mdl, .vvd and .vtx files have to be extracted, though they don't necessarily need to be under the "tf" folder. So long as their path stems from a folder named "models", and their respective paths are intact, you should be fine. However, you may be required to extract the materials as well. In which case, make sure the path stems from "materials" and all the respective paths are intact.

13:20 Preparing the template file
Set the "item_schema" variable to the path of the .jsonified "items_game.txt" file, and set the "item_names" variable to the path of the .jsonified "tf_english.txt" file.

15:05 root_path variable
Set the "root_path" variable to the path of the folder where all the extracted cosmetics are under. The "models" folder should be directly under this path.

Set the "current_class" variable to the class you are currently porting from. Choose between {'scout', 'soldier', 'pyro', 'demo', 'heavy', 'engineer', 'medic', 'sniper', 'spy', 'all_class'}. Set the "ALLCLASS" variable to True if porting all_class cosmetics.

16:02 Add "tf" folder as a mounted resource for SourceIO
This is required if you are to port materials! If materials cannot be found, then I reiterate: You may need to extract the .vmt files with their folder structures intact, stemming from "materials". Add it next to the "models" folder, or place it under the "tf" folder.

16:50 Re-establishing link to _resources
17:26 Porting
18:10 Fin
Anything after this might as well be useless, as they are problems that resolved on their own.