THIS IS IN BETA  (I HAD ONLY ONE PERSON ABLE TO HELP ONCE, SO NOW YOU CAN)
IF YOU FIND ANY BUGS, QUIRKS, OR SOMETHING IS WRITTEN THAT ISN'T WORKING, TELL ME WITH SOME PROOF

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Heisters, I give you a Steam Workshop like all the others... a Usable Workshop!

Since release, the Payday 2 Workshop has been a gallery, the exact opposite of what most Steam Workshops are.  That was what July 14th of 2016 gave up, so before there is an anniversary of a Workshopless Workshop, I decided to change that...

What had an entire year... I made in 10 days...

DOWNLOAD:
BETA v0.4 - Fixed stupid mistake in stupid workaround I had to make to avoid Overkill's crashing and added possible fix from SyndeyHUD creating issues
Temporary Download Mirror:  LINK
Usable Workshop Mod Workshop Page  (THIS):  LINK
Usable Workshop Steam Guide Page:  LINK
Payday 2 Steam Workshop:  LINK
Downloadable Workshop Skins:  LINK
Downloadable Skins:  LINK

Example Workshop Item:  LINK
Example Skin Assets Download:  LINK

Discord:  LINK

My Other Mods:  The Crew Background

          

The Usable Workshop mod has 3 purposes:

• Allow creators to design skins and actively use them with little hassle
  
• Allow players to use skins from the Workshop if the creator provides a download
  
• Allow skins to naturally gain popularity by use in-game with notifications of skins users don't have downloaded
  

Features for Players:

• Install skins from the Workshop that friends and you use and don't load the ones you dislike
  
• Instantly identify Workshop skins from real skins with a custom rarity background and color
  
• Get informed of skins you don't have that other players are using with a full notification system
  

Features for Creators:

• Be able to instantly see your skin as a game item after saving in the Skin Editor
  
• Uniquely show off your work with a customizable Blackmarket icon
  
• Advertise your work by showing people your skin's page from in-game
  

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INSTRUCTIONS
 - Install
(Please read "Uninstall" below to make yourself aware of an issue caused by the game should you ever want to uninstall or disable the mod)

1. Download Usable Workshop like any other BLT mod, placing the "Usable Workshop" folder from inside the archive into your "mods" folder.
   
2. Everyone should browse "INSTRUCTIONS FOR PLAYERS" below for general know-how, but only creators of skins need to worry about the "INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREATORS" section.
   

 - Uninstall

1. Go through your inventory and remove all Workshop skins on both your primary and secondary weapons.
   
2. Delete the "Usable Workshop" folder within "mods".
   

WARNING:  If you remove or disable Usable Workshop at any point WITHOUT removing Workshop skins from your weapons they WILL BE REMOVED from your inventory.  Overkill made it so if a weapon skin does not exist but your weapon has it applied it SELLS the weapon.  Should there be a game breaking bug within Usable Workshop causing it not to work and you still want to play or you have gone inside your inventory and found weapons missing that had Workshop skins applied when you previously had Usable Workshop enabled, follow the steps in "Workshop Repair" below immediately.

 - Workshop Repair
(Follow these instructions as a last resort if Usable Workshop stops working, you've removed it on accident, or otherwise told to)
If you are in-game and found weapons missing from your inventory, immediately force close the game.  (Minimize the window and close the window from the task bar, use Task Manager to end the task, etc.)
If you have already seen the weapons missing and have backed out to the main menu or noticed it after playing for some time, the game has probably saved and the weapons are now permanently sold so you can stop reading this section, I apologize for the issue but that's the way Overkill programmed it, not me.

1. Delete the "Usable Workshop" folder inside your "mods" folder if Usable Workshop is causing some type of crash or error, otherwise if you have disabled it using BLT's menus keep the folder.
   
2. Place the "Workshop Repair" folder provided in the Usable Workshop download into your "mods" folder.  (It is its own BLT mod that includes only fixes that prevent weapons from being removed from the inventory)
   
3. Launch the game and look in your inventory, check that the weapons are still there, then go back to the main menu.  (You are trying to force the game to save, entering the inventory and going back out does this, so does modifying a weapon, playing a heist, etc.)
   
4. Close the game and delete the "Workshop Repair" folder from your "mods" folder.
   

Your inventory should now be fixed and the weapons will still be there when you re-enter the game later after this point, and you may continue whatever you were doing and re-enable / re-install Usable Workshop without issue.  Workshop Repair contains a duplicate of a portion inside Usable Workshop, so keeping Workshop Repair installed if Usable Workshop is running fine, you're just burning away at your computer's parts for nothing.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR PLAYERS:
 - Installing Skins

1. On a Workshop page (Or wherever you find a download for a Workshop skin that is made using Payday 2's Skin Editor, Downloadable Workshop Skins and Downloadable Skins in RESOURCES is where you can find links) download the indicated archive for the skin.  (.zip, .rar, .7z, you know)
   - If you find a skin in the Workshop that has the "Usable Workshop" tag which can be found from the Downloadable Workshop Skins link that doesn't have a link to the assets, you may freely call them an idiot for not giving the assets, as the only reason that tag exists is from making an effort to make a Usable Workshop skin.
   
2. Place the folder inside the download into your "workshop" folder inside your "PAYDAY 2" folder.  (If you don't have a "workshop" folder, you can make one, just make sure the directories go "PAYDAY 2/workshop", all lowercase in "workshop".  Enabling and using the Skin Editor once will also create this folder.)
   -  If there are two folders that are the same name inside "workshop", do NOT merge them if they are suppose to be different skins, simply rename the existing one slightly and it will no longer conflict, AFTERWARDS move in the new one.
   -  If it is an update for a skin you already have, you can merge them.
   -  If you are able to see a file named "item.xml", you have either gone too far into the downloaded archive or the creator is an idiot and you need to make a new folder with any name inside "workshop" to put all the items you see into.
   
3. See "Reloading Skins" below to see how to get them to appear.
   

 - Removing Skins  (From your game completely)

1. Locate the folder that the skin uses.
   A)  If the folder has a custom name inside of "workshop" you can easily identify it, otherwise if not,
   B)  Selecting the skin in the Blackmarket will list the exact folder on screen where weapon stats usually are (To the right) in the description.
   
2. Delete the located folder.
   
3. See "Reloading Skins" below to see how to get them to disappear.
   

 - Reloading Skins
(Note:  The fixes this mod adds should keep the weapon where you left it, but the game may sell the weapon if the skin is not removed from the weapon only if you deleted a skin.  If you're still in-game and haven't exited after deleting a skin, you can safely remove it from the weapon like normal before you use these instructions.)
To prevent your computer from doing more work than needed and to make sure most things work smoothly, to load or remove Workshop skins within the game you must do one of the following:

• Go into "Options > Mod Options > Usable Workshop" and click the "Reload Workshop Skins" button, or
  
• If you have the Workshop enabled go to any applicable weapon with the "Edit Skin" option and enter the Skin Editor, or
  
• Reach a loading screen.  (For example: restarting the game; going from the lobby to the briefing screen; going from in game to the lobby)
  

There are other ways the mod tries to keep your skins and inventory tidy but these are 3 specific ways to force your skins to refresh.

 - Notifications
When you come across another player while at a menu who has Usable Workshop and has a skin you have not downloaded, you may see a custom notification about it.  The reason you see the notification is because the other player is using a Workshop skin you have not downloaded yet, or have not ignored, etc.  When presented with a notification, you have five options:

• View in Steam Overlay  -  This will open the Workshop page in the Steam Overlay so you can see the skin.
  
• Next  -  This closes the current notification and opens the next notification if there is another unseen one.
  
• Ignore: "Player Name"  -  This will mute all future notifications from that player until the next time you launch the game and opens the next.
  
• Ignore: "Skin Name"  -  This will permanently mute all future notifications of the one skin and opens the next.  (Skins can be unmuted through "Options" below)
  
• Close  -  This simply closes the notification and does not pull up any remaining ones until a new notification is received.  Any unseen notifications are preserved though and will be possible to see if a new one is received and "Close" is not selected again.
  

All skins from notifications are remembered so you do not get duplicate notifications for the same skin from multiple users, so there is only one chance to see the notification of that skin until the next time the game is launched.

 - Options
Custom options for this mod are located within "Options > Mod Options > Usable Workshop" and will hide sections automatically if there are no choices for it.

• Reload Workshop Skins  -  Forces all Workshop skins to be removed, then re-added from the "workshop" folder, so all removed ones will disappear, and all new ones will be added without needing to relaunch or change screens.
  
• Notifications  -  Toggles the ability to send and receive notifications of Workshop skins.  The reason it is not only receive notifications is to make it fair, if someone is unwilling to look at what other people are using but want everyone to see what they have, that narcissism shouldn't be accepted, but if the notifications become too annoying they can be turned off entirely if chosen.
  
• Rarity Background  -  Allows choice between two different rarity background styles:  "Steam Workshop" which is the original, uniquely different from the game's version, and "Samey Samerson" which is the same as the game's except with a watermark on it.
  
• Workshop Skin Qualities  -  Items below this label are Workshop skins you have.  Changing the quality here will change the quality of the Workshop skin item, and adjust it on all weapons it is on.  This will not change the quality other players see unless you change your loadout slightly to re-send the data.
  
• Ignored Workshop Skins  -  Items below this label are skins you have ignored from notifications.  Toggling the item off will make it so that skin is no longer ignored permanently from notifications.
  

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREATORS:
 - Skin Editor Additions
There are two additional text inputs on the main Skin Editor screen:

• Author Input  -  Input your name if you wish it to be visible in the description of the skin in the Blackmarket.  The author input on the Workshop demo in "RESOURCES" below is "The Joker".  (Optional)
  
• Workshop ID Input  -  Input the unique number ID visible in the URL of your submitted skin's Workshop page.  The Workshop ID on the demo below in "RESOURCES" is "942897253" since the Workshop URL is "http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/fi...=942897253".  (Required to have your skin be visible in notifications and ensures absolute uniqueness)
  
• Rarity Selector  -  Choose the rarity of your skin from Common to Epic for selecting the background in the inventory screens.
  

In order for these two items to save with the skin you must click the "Save Skin" button otherwise the change will not be made.

 - Skin ID
Each skin has a unique ID that links all the information about it to the game, and since Workshop skins are not directly implemented in the game the ID for these skins is generated from info you provide.  Every time this ID changes all weapons with this skin in your inventory and other peoples' inventory that install updates to the skin will have the skin removed from the weapon.  This ensures that when the skin is updated, it is finalized as its own skin.  This also means that to add the Workshop ID you must first publish your skin on the Workshop then enter the number in the Skin Editor and save the skin again.  (You do NOT have to publish again, the Workshop ID just needs to be saved in the skin files that you will upload later, so hitting the Save Skin button does this)

Without Workshop ID:

1. Weapon Type  -  This is out of your control, this is the game's unique name for the weapon type but allows for 2 and 3 to be the same.
   
2. Author Name  -  If you provide an Author name with the weapon skin this will come next, and will be a lowercase, alphanumeric version of what you put in.
   
3. Skin Name  -  This is the name you input for the skin which defaults to "New Skin 1" originally, and will be a lowercase, alphanumeric version of what you put in.
   

With Workshop ID:

1. Workshop ID  -  If you have a Workshop ID filled out, the skin's unique ID WILL be the Workshop ID, and since it is unique to Steam, it will be unique to the game.
   

Note:  If you try to be clever and fill in a Workshop ID that is the same as another skin's in an attempt to make that skin which isn't yours not load or be seen, should someone install both you'll be sadly disappointed.  The Workshop ID does two things:  1. Uniquely identify the skin to the game, and 2. Display in the notifications to others.  IF and ONLY IF your skin is loaded first will it prevent the other skin you're trying to block from loading, so then you'd be successful... for those people.  For everyone else who doesn't have either skin, they will see the Workshop ID for the REAL skin with that ID, not yours since you don't have that ID on Steam, effectively DOUBLING the amount of visibility of the skin you just tried to block, as those with the real skin will see the ID of the real skin, but you will also broadcast the ID of the real skin since your blocking one has the same ID, so your plan was outsmarted before you did it.

 - Custom Blackmarket Icon
Just like real skins, you can create a Blackmarket icon that appears in the Steam Inventory, skin application in the Blackmarket, and loadout screens.  In the Workshop demo at the bottom in "RESOURCES" there is an "icon" file for the AMCAR.

1. Acquire a template of the weapon icon.
   A)  Extract the game files and locate the icon in the "guis/textures/pd2/blackmarket/icons/weapons" or "guis/dlcs/{DLC BUNDLE}/textures/pd2/blackmarket/icons/weapons" folders, or
   B)  Download a mod that overrides these icons such as FEDNET Inventory Icons and locate them in the same area, or worse case,
   C)  Create a new image using the specifics in step 3 and continually estimate the size until it doesn't look abnormal.
   
2. Acquire a side picture of your weapon skin.  To make it look like a legitimate skin icon, remove all weapon modifications then simply enter the Skin Editor's screenshot mode and do not adjust the rotation of the weapon.
   
3. In your image editor:
   1.  Ensure that the image you want to save as your icon is 256 x 128 and allows for transparency
   2.  Remove the background of the screenshot so it is transparent
   3.  Resize the screenshot to fit within the 256 x 128 canvas  (If you have a loaded icon from the game as a template, you can simply resize and realign the image until they overlap and it will work exactly the same, otherwise you'll have to guess and keep looking in-game to see if the sizing is right)
   
4. Save the image as one of the three supported formats like other weapon skin materials (.png, .tga, .dds) with the name "icon" within the folder of your skin.  (If you saved the image as "icon.dds", you should be able to see "icon.dds" and "item.xml" at the same time in the same window)
   

In my experience (Of which I'm not a Photoshop guru nor have up-to-date versions of Photoshop) saving the image as DDS in DXT5 with no MIP maps so it used the alpha channel and couldn't change quality seemed to work flawlessly, but you can freely experiment as long as it is one of the 3 file extensions listed and works.

 - Workshop Icon
If you want to distinguish your skin directly on the preview image on the Workshop, in the "Usable Workshop" mod folder there is an image called "workshop_watermark.png."  If you place that image within your preview, it is a unique identifier that your skin is able to be used with Usable Workshop since you provide the assets.  There are no requirements for the watermark, just that it is there if you want to make it obvious you supply your assets.  You can see in the Workshop image of this in the demo at the bottom of this page in "RESOURCES".

 - Finalizing Your Skin
In order to have your skin work to the fullest with Usable Workshop, make sure you've completed everything on this checklist:

• Apply the Workshop watermark image on to your preview image
  
• Publish your skin on the Steam Workshop
  
• Input your author name in the Author field  (See "Skin Editor Additions")
  
• Input your Workshop ID in the Workshop ID field  (See "Skin Editor Additions")
  
• Add a Blackmarket "icon" file  (See "Custom Blackmarket Icon")
  
• Rename the timestamp named folder your skin files are in to a name of your choosing
  
• Package your skin's folder in an archive so users only have to drag out the one folder  (Required)
  
• Upload your skin to a file service and link it on your Workshop page (MEGA, Dropbox, etc.)  (Required)
  

If you are contacted by Overkill that your skin has been selected to be put into a safe, I would highly recommend removing the link to the assets as soon as possible.  Everything else can remain, but the assets should at least be removed.

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RESOURCES:
DOWNLOAD:
BETA v0.4 - Fixed stupid mistake in stupid workaround I had to make to avoid Overkill's crashing and added possible fix from SyndeyHUD creating issues
Temporary Download Mirror:  LINK
Usable Workshop Mod Workshop Page  (THIS):  LINK
Usable Workshop Steam Guide Page:  LINK
Payday 2 Steam Workshop:  LINK
Downloadable Workshop Skins:  LINK
Downloadable Skins:  LINK

Example Workshop Item:  LINK
Example Skin Assets Download:  LINK

Discord:  LINK

My Other Mods:  The Crew Background



To those who leave negative ratings without commenting:  That's mighty worthy, "NO!  Dislike!  My tireless fruit of labor is done!  Mom!  Another gold star on the fridge!"  *runs away*  The minimum effort you could do is quite literally that, press a single button and not even contribute to the world by saying why or what was disliked, but I guess that would require moving.

BETA v0.4 - Fixed stupid mistake in stupid workaround I had to make to avoid Overkill's crashing and added possible fix from SyndeyHUD creating issues
BETA v0.3 - Re-added Workshop tag and added rarity options
BETA v0.2 - Removed Workshop tag due to Steam not liking it
BETA v0.1 - Initial release  (Mostly tested, but let the world beat it up)

You should know better to not try to take code, digital timestamps on servers you don't own will smite your credibility.