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Editable Computer Screens

>> Important! This relies on Override Materials and Element Viewer! First rule: Right click on the model name and Add Override Materials! <<
>> Get VTFEdit, SFM does not support other image files except VTF, so convert your images with this: https://valvedev.info/tools/vtfedit/ <<
>> For videos, render your videos as image sequence and import them all at once in VTFEdit, then save as a VTF <<

This is an edit of the Spytech computer_screen_bank prop for use with multiple animated VTFs with manual control over the frame rate and an option to switch to automatic loop of textures.
All screens can be set to display a manually-controlled or automatic animated VTF and, of course, allow change of texture through the string $basetexture.

Thanks goes to:
Vintage for basically guiding me throughout the whole modding process.

episoder for the VMT settings required to switch between manual and automatic texture animation.

64GIGS.exe for providing info on creating VMTs for animated textures.

Rimpula™ for demonstrating a possible use in a poster https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=486392074

VALVe for making this prop's model and for SFM.

I just edited this thing in Blender, followed instructions, made the static and base VTFs and uploaded it to the workshop.

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FAQ and important notes:
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Q: The screens! They do nothing! Why?
A: By default, it is in manual mode. Add Override Materials, go to Show in Element Viewer > Model. Go to the + of materials. Use Add Attribute by right-clicking on a Scr material to add float $frame to one of the 15 Scr materials (each is a screen, with 7 being the big one, and numbering starts from top-left), set its value to max number of frames your custom VTF has minus one (or around 30 if you want to test the static it comes with), then use "Create AnimationSet for Element" to acquire the frame control slider. Animate it based on your VTF's video's original speed.

Q: How do I loop textures on these things?
A: Add Override Materials, go to Show in Element Viewer > Model. Add int $manual and it should be on 0 by default. This will allow any texture you assign to that screen to loop endlessly. Note that it will start from a random frame and play all frames in order. This can be useful for looping static (snow/noise) or certain graphics. Its default settings are 30fps, so either your sessions (current one and the one where you've recorded the video for the VTF) should have 30fps or you can edit the VMTs' framerate or just put it on manual mode again (set $manual to 1).
TIP: You can instead choose bool and you will get a checkbox. Unticked = it's on auto. Ticked = it's on manual.

Q: I-is it s-safe?
A: It might crash sometimes when animating textures. Save often and have backups of the sessions whenever you use this thing.

Q: What can I do with this thing?
A: Use it to display (pre-recorded) surveillance camera views on multiple screens or perhaps for a Master Control Room to show various TV stuff in your movies.
Just build your animated VTFs, shove them in the folder of the materials (path is: workshop\materials\models\detonatress\props) for faster access and then add the string $basetexture, copy the material path from mtlName above it and edit the file name at the end of the string with the name of your new VTF.

Q: Do I really have to type $basetexture all the time? Can't I load the textures faster?
A: Yes you can, but on one condition: usermod folder must have highest priority in SFM. By default it has it, unless you've put workshop as highest priority.
Here's what you have to do: create your custom VTFs (SFM accepts VTF only so convert your PNGs and anything else with VTFEdit) in a folder on your desktop, name them scr<number of screen you need it on> and scr7main for the big one, and then go to SFM's usermod/materials/models and create a folder named detonatress, then create a folder named props in that new folder. Throw your newly-created VTFs in that props folder and:
a) If you were running SFM already, with this model already in your scene, go to Console and type mat_reloadallmaterials. Your new VTFs should be loaded after it finishes.
b) If you didn't have SFM running, they should update automatically and your model should already have the new VTFs loaded when you start SFM and pick it from the list.
NOTE: If your textures are too heavy and they crash SFM upon loading the model, downscale them to 360p or 420p.


Good luck!

Includes:
detonatress\props\editable_computer_screens.mdl