Material Tool Guide
Complete guide to the Material tool in Garry's Mod - apply textures and skins to props
Material Tool
The Material tool applies custom textures to props. Give any prop a new surface appearance — metal, wood, glass, brick, or any installed material.
Basic Controls
| Action | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Left-click | Apply material to prop |
| Right-click | Copy material from prop |
| Reload (R) | Reset prop to original material |
Selecting Materials
Material List
The tool menu shows commonly used materials in a grid. Click to select.
Custom Path
Type a material path directly:
models/debug/debugwhite
phoenix_storms/stripes
metal/metalfloor001a
brick/brickwall001aFinding Material Paths
Use the Face Poser or Material Browser to find material paths.
Common Materials
| Material | Path |
|---|---|
| Debug White | models/debug/debugwhite |
| Debug Black | models/debug/debugempty |
| Chrome | models/shiny |
| Glass | models/props_combine/combine_fenceglass001a |
| Invisible | models/effects/vol_light001 |
| PHX Metal | phoenix_storms/metal |
Prop Skins
Some props have multiple built-in skins. While not part of the Material tool, you can change them with:
ent_fire !picker skin [number]Or use addons like the Skin tool.
Tips
Cause: Invalid path or missing texture pack.
Solution: Check path spelling. Some materials need CS:S or HL2:EP2 mounted.
Cause: UV mapping doesn't match new texture.
Solution: Some materials work better on certain props. Try different ones.
Cause: Material resets on map change.
Solution: Save with Advanced Duplicator 2 — it preserves materials.
Quick Reference
| Task | How |
|---|---|
| Apply material | Left-click |
| Copy material | Right-click |
| Reset material | Reload (R) |
| White prop | models/debug/debugwhite |
| Invisible prop | Use Color tool alpha instead |