DESCRIPTION:
Ever wanted to make your own main menu background video(-s) and music getting played each time you launch the game? That's what i want to tell you about as much as i know it myself.
Portal 2 features several backgrounds that display pre-rendered videos in .bik file formats, which correspond to the story act currently being undertaken in the single-player campaign, or the most recently loaded single-player map. If a single-player map has not been played recently, the main menu will default to the first menu background (broken GLaDOS).
There are 5 different backgrounds:
1. menu_act01.bik (broken GLaDOS, Chapter 1):
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2. menu_act02.bik (Aperture conveyor, Chapters 2-5):
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3. menu_act03.bik (Old Aperture levels, Chapters 6-7):
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4. menu_act04.bik (Frankenturret at "Wheatley Laboratories", Chapters 8-9):
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5. menu_act05.bik (Wheatley and Space Core in space, after finishing single-player campaign):
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And 5 different main menu tracks:
1. portal2_background01.wav;
2. portal2_background02.wav;
3. portal2_background03.wav;
4. portal2_background04.wav;
5. portal2_background05.wav.
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Let's start from main menu background videos.
If among default backgrounds you want only one to play every time you launch the game (Wheatley in space for example, because it's my favorite :D) - you gotta move other 4 backgrounds away from "media" folder somewhere else, and make 4 copies of menu_act05.bik and name them respectively to those 4 backgrounds you just moved away. The similar procedure if you want to keep 2, 3 or 4 favorite backgrounds - make a copy/copies and give it/them a name of a video(-s) that getting replaced.
If you want to make a custom main menu background from a video outside Portal 2 that is not in .bik file format - you gotta use RAD Video Tools to convert source video from .mp4 or any other video file format to .bik file format - and enjoy your own main menu background video(-s) every time you launch the game! :D
*A little note: Portal 2 main menu background videos must not contain audio tracks, so first you have to remove audio stream from a video stream in any video editor to reduce its size and avoid other issues.*
The same way about Portal 2 intros (unlike main menu background videos - it can go along with audio stream) - if you want some video getting played as an intro (before going to actual main menu) - you have to open startupvids.txt file that located in the same folder and list the video(-s) in it.
For example, my own startupvids.txt file contains 2 lines:
media/valve.bik (2011 Valve intro);
media/attract02.bik (2010 Portal 2 teaser).
Those videos are already in "media" folder by default.
The same way about custom/self-made intro(-s) - convert the video(-s) to .bik, give it/them a name, and list it/them in startupvids.txt file:
media/your_video_name1.bik
media/your_video_name2.bik
media/your_video_name3.bik
Now - about the main menu music.
In that case you'll have to use Portal 2 Authoring Tools/SDK to create a .vpk file with your own main menu tracks in it (maximum supported tracks quantity - 5, as have been said above before).
.vpk files directory must look like this:
sound/music/mainmenu/portal2_background01.wav
portal2_background02.wav
portal2_background03.wav
portal2_background04.wav
portal2_background05.wav
and place that .vpk file into "portal2_dlc3" folder (if you don't have that folder - create it and move it into main Portal 2 directory (where portal2, portal2_dlc1, portal2_dlc2 and many other folders located).
*A little note: If you already have that folder and .vpk files in it - you'll have to rename the .vpk file respectively by number's order in your "portal2_dlc3" folder (pak21_dir.vpk, pak22_dir.vpk, pakNN_dir, otherwise it won't load).*
If you want to make a custom main menu track from an audio outside Portal 2 that is not in .wav file format - you gotta convert source audio from .mp3 or any other audio file format to .wav file format - for that you can use this online converter, the best one i ever found :D
You must set these audio parameters before actual converting to .wav file format, otherwise it won't be played in main menu:
Bit resolution - 16 Bit;
Audio frequency - 44100 Hz;
Audio channels - Stereo.
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Convert source audio file(-s) with these parameters, give it/them a name, place it/them in a folder directory described above, convert it to .vpk file, give .vpk file a proper name and place it into "portal2_dlc3" folder - and enjoy your own main menu music every time you launch the game!
LINKS:
GameBanana tutorial link:
gamebanana.com
I hope you will like it! :D
CREDITS:
Valve Software - Original Files;
Taras_F97 - Tutorial.
