Garry's Mod

Garry's Mod

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How to make a PAC3 Custom Model From Workshop Addons!
By Reticent and 1 collaborators
A Guide on how to make Custom Models with the Addon PAC3.
   
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PAC3 Custom Models Demostration.



STEP 1 (Skip step if you don't want something from a Workshop addon)

GET GMAD EXTRACTOR:[gamebanana.com] Use this program if you plan on using models and materials from your WORKSHOP addons. You don't need this if you find your models and materials elsewhere. (ex. TF2, Other Source Games) When you subscribe to a workshop addon, it will appear in your Addons folder as a .gma file. This is basically a .zip or .rar archive, except it's a special Garry's Mod specific format that requires the GMAD Extractor to open and extract it.

STEP 2 - GETTING MODELS AND MATERIALS FROM WORKSHOP ADDONS (SKIP IF YOU DON'T WANT A MODEL FROM A WORKSHOP ADDON:

Subscribe to the workshop addon you want. In order for it to actually download, you need to launch Garry's Mod and let it stop locking up (It is downloading or unpacking the workshop addon).

At this point, you'll likely have a .gma file for it in your addons folder. Open GMAD Extractor and you should be greeted with a screen if everything worked properly.

Next, click on Open. You should now be greeted with anthor Screen.

Next, click on Browse. A browsing window should now pop up. Navigate to your addons folder

Steam\steamapps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod\addons
NOT
Steam\steamapps\USERNAME\GarrysMod\garrysmod\addons

and find the .gma file associated with the addon you want.

In this case, I subscribed to Payday2 Clown masks. I want to open it. So I find it in my addons folder, and double click it. So the GMA file should now appear in the extractor.

NOW. Double click on the listing you want, in this case, it's the Clown Masks. Or click on it once, and then hit SELECT. You should now be back at the main screen With some Folders.

NOW. Click on EXTRACT ALL. Pick on any folder you want. In this case, I am going to make a folder called Payday 2 masks somewhere, and extract them there. Now that this is done, navigate to where you extracted it to. This is everything that was inside that .gma file you extracted.

STEP 3 - MOVING TO ZIP FILE

We are going to use the newer method of extracting the models and materials folders to a ZIP file, as it is more streamline.

WinRAR will allow you to archive select pieces into a ZIP file or RAR file, we want ZIP.

Select both the Materials and Models folders and right click them, if you have WinRAR you should have a option to "archive" the files.

Select the Archive Format as "ZIP", and set Compression method to Store.

And now you can move to a hosting website of your choice and grab the actual download link (not to the website, has to be direct link to download the ZIP file) And you should be good to go, just add a model part, and paste the link into your "model" field.

If you apply the texture, and you notice it looks extremely blocky/pixelated, change the "Texture Filter" field on that model in PAC to 2. 2 will smooth out the texture and make it look nicer. Every other number does nothing.

Sometimes a texture will load up completely black, or another player will say they see a black texture, while you or another say it's loading up fine. It's different for every player, and it happens a lot more often if the JPG isn't exactly 1024x1024 in size.

If a model just simply doesn't show up, or it's all broken and mangled looking, it's either too large in filesize, or it just won't work. Happened to me a couple times. (Try not use an OBJ larger than 2-3MB, 3 is the absolute max.)

That's it for this guide. If you're having any problems with the programs, you should probably search somewhere else for help getting them started. If you need me to be more descriptive about something, I will try to add it to this guide. I hope you understand this is the reason why people never answer you when you ask how to do this. It's a lengthy but easy process that just has too many steps to explain without a guide and proper knowledge.
End
This is the end of the Guide, I hope it helps in some way. FAQ Questions and Commonly Asked Questions below.


Guide by CapsAdmin
Modified by Nova

FAQ:


Will everybody be able to see the models?

Aslong as they don't have PAC 3 disabled or custom downloads disabled then yes.

I can't find GMAD Extractor.

Should be a download above. If not. let me know in the comments.

GMAD Extractor says "cannot find gmad.exe" or something similar to that

Look for another one. there are some faulty extractors.


I am extracting something from another game that has mdl files. how do i make them into obj files?

Just go to the Extract button and make it a OBJ File.

No need for OBJ files, just move materials and models into a uncompressed zip file.

Do Custom Models have Bone Rigs?

No. they have to be manually applied, or have their own animations.

Models can have bone rigs applied to the entity directly by a checkbox in the model's fields, you can also put the Dropbox link directly on the entity's model field, but you may experience some distortions that need to be manually fixed if it's a playermodel.
82 Comments
FlexAir Fan Numba Oneeeee!! 7 Jul, 2024 @ 1:42pm 
where find texture filter
Senni  [author] 14 Jul, 2022 @ 7:56am 
You can, but you’ll probably have more of a headache doing that.
Millymilo000 13 Jul, 2022 @ 10:07pm 
Can i use a OBJ file? if not what other model files can i use?
Senni  [author] 21 Oct, 2021 @ 1:06pm 
You just need the materials and models folder into a ZIP file, the file type shouldn't matter but i'm not positive on that.
76561199133646850 21 Oct, 2021 @ 7:20am 
what about pmx
Senni  [author] 28 Aug, 2021 @ 9:33am 
I added a disclaimer about this, you do not have to change it to a OBJ anymore, it's easier to move your materials and models folder into a single zip file.
Telly Gomi 28 Aug, 2021 @ 6:35am 
I fixed it with Crowbar and Blender.
Telly Gomi 28 Aug, 2021 @ 5:21am 
Pac keeps telling me the file has to be a zip, when I do, it doesn't accept .obj.

I have exported a .nif from NIFskope to an .obj, then took that .obj and saved it through crafty, and when it finally goes through that hurdle, I just get another error saying that it's not an .mdl.

This is infuriating.
fiji 26 Mar, 2021 @ 1:13pm 
Nevermind, it seems that if I upload it all as a zip, i don't need to upload the individual files seperately, and i can get it in all its glory: https://wiki.pac3.info/tutorial/using-mdl-files
even the textures are perfect
fiji 26 Mar, 2021 @ 12:13pm 
I've recently been getting a lua error when trying to import a model
"lua/pac3/core/shared/util.lua:193 bad zip signature (file is not a zip?) "
I'm not sure where to go from here, can you help me?