Steam Community :: Guide :: Tutorial: Modding the Background of the Menu (MP4 to Bik)

Store Page

Left 4 Dead 2

All Discussions Screenshots Artwork Broadcasts Videos Workshop News Guides Reviews

Left 4 Dead 2 > Guides > BreakingFuse's Guides

113 ratings

Tutorial: Modding the Background of the Menu (MP4 to Bik)

By BreakingFuse

This guide will show you the ropes of turning ANY MP4 video into a bik file. This is useful for modding the video into the menu background of the game.

Award

Created by

BreakingFuse
Offline

Category: Maps or Levels, Modding or Configuration, Workshop

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

20 Feb, 2016 @ 2:24pm

13 Feb, 2020 @ 7:46am

5,026	Unique Visitors
190	Current Favorites

Guide Index

Overview

Required Applications

Get Your MP4 Video

Using RAD Tools - Converting

Modding Your Menu Background

Your Changes Are Complete!

Comments

Required Applications

RAD Video Tools:

This program will be the main tool that compresses your video into the ".bik" format.
(http://www.radgametools.com/bnkdown.htm)

Quicktime Player:

We will be needing this(but not using) because it is required if you want the audio to be playing in the bik file along with the video. (If you do not get this, the video will not have audio). Make sure that you download it with ALL components.
(http://www.apple.com/quicktime/)

VLC Media Player(Optional):

This player allows you to preview your bik files before adding it into the game.
(http://www.videolan.org/vlc/)

Get Your MP4 Video

If you are trying to get a video off youtube, you can use a site like this (http://www.clipconverter.cc/) to download any of them in a selected format(In this case, I suggest MP4).

Make sure you have the right portion of your video ready to be converted. Cut any unnecessary parts before we convert.

Using RAD Tools - Converting

Assuming that you have QuickTime and RAD Tools installed:
Do not open QuickTime(We'll never really need to open it).
Open RAD Video:

When you open the application, select a video in the Explorer

Select "Bink it!"

Converting Phase

So, I myself have trouble understanding the majority of what shows up on this screen, but you do not really need to(You can just select "Bink" from here and get started).

If you would like to gain more info on this screen(or anything else on RAD Video), go here:
(http://www.radgametools.com/binkhlp2.htm)

After hitting "Bink" just go through the process and wait it out. From my experience on an older computer, I believe this can take 30 minutes.
If you get an error, refer to the above link.

Modding Your Menu Background

This is the part where you actually get to mod the background and test it out.
First, go to (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Left 4 Dead 2\left4dead2\media) and backup "l4d2_background01~ l4d2_background05". You do not need to back them up, but it beats having to verify integrity or reinstall.
Place your bik file and the folder into a good viewing position

Make 4 duplicates(Totaling 5) of your bik file and rename them respectively to "l4d2_background01~ l4d2_background05". then place them inside the folder.
If asked, "Replace All".

Your Changes Are Complete!

Your background may have a strange pink/green line on the edge(s). I honestly have no idea how to change that, but these are the basic steps.

Anyway, now go out there and show the world your new menu!
Unfortunately, this means there'll be more clips of little anime girls dancing suggestively.

40 Comments

< >

pixel.was.taken.so.i.used.this 9 Jun @ 3:23am

FYI for anybody doing this and seeing the green and purple lines. Make sure that your aspect ratio is 16:9, and that your resolution is 720p.

Also, in the bink compressor settings make sure file format is bink 1.

Then, under data rate settings, tick "Compress to a %".

Set the value in the box to 100.

Under Keep peak data rate, tick multiple and set it to 3.0.

The box for "frames to preview during bandwitdth allocation" is 8.

Tick "Use alpha plane unchanged from input file"

Do nothing for all but one box in Input video settings.

Under "Smooth % 0 (nine) to 100 (max)", set the box value to 0.

Tick "Compress audio"

Set the Compress level value to 4

Tick "16-bit/stereo"

----------------------------------------------

pixel.was.taken.so.i.used.this 9 Jun @ 3:23am

These are my exact settings that lead to a successful conversion every time. It is IMPERATIVE that the mp4 files you start with are in 16:9 and 720p. If you are not sure. You can get a mobile app called YouCut (pretty decent for free actually) and manually convert the files yourself, then email them to yourself so you can access them on pc. If you want to do this on PC, I would recommend Open Shot. It's clunky, but when used right can get the job done. But, it WILL take longer at first than just using youcut. With experience though, open shot is about just as fast.

Hope this helps, cheers lads.

kanashimih 10 Mar @ 2:36pm

thanks!! i used this to mod Killing Floor 1 lobby videos. thanks, again!

legit booty warrior 10 Dec, 2024 @ 9:26pm

hey is anyone elsse having trouble with rad tools all the sudden? i used to use it easy and now it doesnt work, any fixes?

Astro The Red-Panda 16 Sep, 2024 @ 4:08am

to whom thou concerns, HOW DO I GET AUDIO WITH IT????

HellToast 20 Aug, 2024 @ 6:34pm

finally! i looked everywhere

のあ 2 Jun, 2023 @ 12:18am

@sendan
Thanks for advising.

chaelex 2 Apr, 2023 @ 6:08pm

I've followed all the exact steps, I checked the videos on VLC and they looked fine. but when I boot up the game they get all stretched and squiggled apart, anyone else having this issue?

∆ B L O O D S ∆ 10 Sep, 2022 @ 6:11am

Yes, it's depend on your CPU power and some other thing. It's literally rendering.

Soda 10 Sep, 2022 @ 5:52am

istg it take 1 hour to convert .mp4 to .bik

< >