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Custom Menu Backgrounds! (2020)

By lonestar

This guide will show you how to change boring background(s) in main menu to your own one!

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Created by

lonestar
Offline

Category: Modding or Configuration, Multiplayer, Secrets

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

18 Sep, 2018 @ 8:15am

26 Sep, 2021 @ 5:41am

18,920	Unique Visitors
413	Current Favorites

Guide Index

Overview

Introduction

Instruction

How to remove characters in the main menu?

Conclusion

Comments

Introduction

This guide will show you how to set up custom backgrounds in main menu!

Instruction

First of all, you need your pictures to be in the same resolution as your screen is.
For example, 1920x1080, 2560x1440, 1280x720, etc.
Secondly, your backgrounds must be in .vtf format.
To convert pictures into .vtf, you have to download & install VTFEdit[nemesis.thewavelength.net].
Since the official site is down for some reason check this archive (2021): Gamebanana[gamebanana.com].
After installation, open the program and press «File - Import».
Choose your picture and VTFEdit settings window will appear.
Make sure that settings are same as are in the following picture and press «OK»
Then, press «File - Save As» and save your converted background anywhere you want.
After this, make «custom» folder in the «tf» folder. And then make «wallpapers» -> «materials» -> «console» folders there. It should look like this...
...\tf\custom\wallpapers\materials\console\..
Put your backgrounds or background in the «console» folder. Make copies of your converted picture(s) and name each of your copies on of the following names:
- background_2fort, background_2fort_widescreen.
- title_fullmoon, title_fullmoon_widescreen (moon event)
- background_xmas2011, background_xmas2011_widescreen (for smissmas event)
- title_team_halloween, title_team_halloween_widescreen (for halloween event)
- background_gravelpit, background_gravelpit_widescreen.
- background_mvm, background_mvm_widescreen.
- background_upward, background_upward_widescreen.
It's important to have all of these names to make your backgrounds work. Use the following scheme made by me to understand what I mean:

Notice:
If you have a hud, you should replace the huds' backgrounds with your custom ones, that usually are located in hudname/materials/console.
If everything is done right, your custom background(s) will work perfectly.
For example, i'll show you my menu:

(I am using ToonHud[toonhud.com] and I removed characters on the right side)

How to remove characters in the main menu?

Firstly, download this modification[gamebanana.com].
Then, move the .vpk mod to your custom folder.
Kapow! Annoying characters are removed!

Conclusion

If you have any problems use the comments section.

Check my other TF2 guides:
https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1511463814

169 Comments

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Sandless Apprentice 12 Jul @ 10:18am

Is it possible to have multiple custom wallpapers and switch between them or can you only have one

( ￣ω￣.) 12 Jul @ 12:05am

@Ace No Spades You prob already found out but loading screen is
"background01_widescreen"
"background01"

Ace No Spades 1 May @ 12:11am

hello how can i change the loading screen?

Lightning 23 Mar @ 4:19pm

so im trying to make a custom one for my hud with title blu but its not working any ideas y i already have 6 other custom images

Lightning 16 Mar @ 9:05pm

guide for better resolution backgrounds please

Jvzz 4 Mar @ 2:30pm

For those who are having low resolution issues, you have to un tick the "Generate Mipmaps" check box in VTF options. That should fix everything!

󠁳 19 Dec, 2023 @ 9:49pm

tried it still the same also my image background isnt 1280x720 (the image i use is 1280x720)

omegabyter 11 Dec, 2023 @ 10:44pm

copy your background, paste it, and rename the copied vtf to "background_xmas2023" or "background_xmas2023_widescreen". valve updated the background for this years smissmas

PinkyBowTie 5 Dec, 2023 @ 6:38am

Might be because it's smissmas but it doesnt work for me

Kronos | cp_gorge 4 Dec, 2023 @ 7:30am

somehow my winter tf2 custom wallpaper still gets overwritten by the game. working in loading screen but after that it switches back to default

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