How to get Valve's props out of package?

You first have to extract the files from the VPK archives in your /csgo folder (using GCFScape for example). Open the file pak01_dir.vpk with GCFScape, you'll recognise a folder tree similar to what is in your /csgo folder, follow the folders according to where hammer tells you where the model is.

For your example of model (tractor01.mdl), you'll find :

- In the folder models/props_vehicle, the files :

• tractor01.dx90.vtx
• tractor01.mdl
• tractor01.phy
• tractor01.vtx
• vvd

- In the folder materials/models/props_vehicle, the files :

• tractor01.vmt
• tractor01.vtf
• tractor01_ref.vtf

Extract all of them (with a drag and drop) in folders with the same names in your csgo directory (follow the exact same folder tree as in the VPKs).

So, now you have the files of the compiled model, but you will not be able to just edit it (neither the geometry or the texture), firstly because it's a compiled model and secondly, if you change the texture, the one from the VPK will be loaded first anyway, so your own texture won't work.

You have to decompile the model. Squad gave me recently a very nice software to do that : Crowbar. It will give you all the files you need : 2 SMD files (one for the geometry and another one for the collision model). It will also give you other things that can be useful (the .qc file to compile the model once again and animation files if needed).

If you just want to change the texture, you'll need to recompile the model, with a different name and/or in a different folder, using a texture with a different name and/or different folder.

The question now is : do you know 3D modeling or not, that is the question !

To be continued ...

Oh ... ok i've been too slow. What have you done ?

Vinneri if you could please put the steps you used in the thread so anyone searching the forum can find them.

you have no idea how frustrating it is searching for help for every thread to end with

'NVM sorted myself'

I can recommend WWMT to recompile the model. It comes with a smd/qc importer and easy to use tools for compiling.

See this thread

Quote from Vinneri

I don't know 3d modeling and I used GCFscape to get those out. Then I think I made mistake. I exported .vtf texture to .tga and customized it. Then I imported it back with new name and new folder etc. I can now find the model in my new folder by hammer, but it still has normal texture. So one part right, something wrong.

leplubodeslapin explained perfectly what you need to do. It won't work if you don't decompile, give it a different material name, rename the model and recompile.