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VTF to TGA Converter

Drop one or more .vtf files and save them as .tga images with the alpha channel kept, ready to edit in Photoshop, GIMP or Krita and convert back. You can pick any frame of an animated texture, any cubemap face or mipmap, or export every frame at once. It runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.

Loading the VTF to TGA converter...

How to convert VTF to TGA

  1. 1

    Add your VTF files

    Drop VTFs from a game folder, an addon or a VPK. Versions 7.0 to 7.5 are read, with DXT1, DXT3, DXT5, BGRA8888, RGBA8888, BGR888 and the other common formats.

  2. 2

    Pick what to export

    Choose the file, then the frame, cubemap face and mipmap. The preview shows the exact pixels the TGA will hold on a checkerboard, so you can see the alpha.

  3. 3

    Choose the alpha mode

    Auto writes a 32-bit TGA when any pixel is see-through and 24-bit otherwise. You can force either one, and turn on RLE for smaller files.

  4. 4

    Download

    Save one TGA, every frame of an animated VTF as a ZIP, or frame 0 of every file you added.

What the TGA keeps from the VTF

PixelsThe decoded colours of the frame, face and mipmap you pick, at full size. DXT textures are decoded exactly as the game does.
Alpha channelKept as an 8-bit channel in a 32-bit TGA, so masks, transparency and specular alpha survive.
Animated VTFsEach frame becomes its own TGA (name_frame1.tga, name_frame2.tga ...) in the frames ZIP.
CubemapsPick each of the six faces (plus the sphere map in older files) and export them one by one.
MipmapsAny level can be exported, from full size down to 1 x 1.
Not keptFlags, reflectivity and the low-res thumbnail are VTF header data; TGA cannot store them. Note them from the info table to rebuild the VTF.
TGA typeTruecolour, top-left origin, optional RLE. Opens in Photoshop, GIMP, Krita, Paint.NET, Blender and Substance.

Why edit in TGA rather than PNG

TGA is the format Valve's tools and most Source texture artists work in. Photoshop treats a TGA's alpha as a separate channel you can paint, while a PNG's alpha becomes layer transparency and colour under fully clear pixels is lost. That matters for Source, where the alpha often holds a specular or self-illumination mask on an opaque texture, not transparency at all. TGA keeps both the colour and the mask.

The round trip back to VTF

After editing, convert the TGA back with the TGA to VTF converter. Use the same format, size and flags shown in this page's info table so the material keeps working. If the original VTF was DXT1, you can save a 24-bit TGA; if it was DXT5 or had a mask in the alpha, keep it 32-bit.

Need a new model or texture for your mod?

Make a 3D model from a photo or a short text prompt with AI, or generate a seamless texture, then bring it into your Source or GoldSrc project with these free converters.

Image to 3D →Text to 3DSeamless textures

More free Source texture tools

PNG to VTFVTF to PNGJPG to VTFPNG to VMTTGA to PNGDDS to PNG

VTF to TGA questions

Drop the VTF on this page, pick the frame and mipmap if it has several, and press Save as TGA. The file is decoded in your browser and never uploaded.
Yes. In Auto mode, any VTF with see-through pixels is saved as a 32-bit TGA with its alpha channel. Choose Always 32-bit to keep masks that are fully opaque in some areas too.
Yes. Press All frames as ZIP and every frame is saved as its own numbered TGA.
DXT1 and DXT5 are lossy formats that store 4 x 4 pixel blocks. The TGA shows exactly what the game shows; the detail was already lost when the VTF was made.
Both decode the same textures. TGA keeps colour under transparent pixels and opens as a separate alpha channel in Photoshop, which is better for editing Source textures. PNG is better for sharing on the web.
No. CS2, Dota 2 and Half-Life: Alyx use the compiled vtex_c format, not VTF. This tool reads VTF files from Source 1 games.

Valve, Source, Garry's Mod, Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike are trademarks of Valve Corporation, named only to describe file compatibility; The3DAI is not affiliated with or endorsed by Valve.