Since I released my little portal map sample countless people have asked me how to get hammer ready for mapping. So this is what I did.
What you will need
- Run the SDK and create a new mod. I chose portalmap as a name.
- extract the portal models and materials from portalcontent.gcf into your new mod folder.
- Put the portal.fgd in C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\username\sourcesdk\bin
- Download fixvtf and drag your materials folder onto fixvtf.exe to convert them for hammer.
- Run Hammer and in the configuration options choose your mod and add portal.fgd (See below)
- Make sure you save you games in the actual portal maps folder so it finds them!
At step 3 make sure you extract the actual folders into the mod folder not just the files.
My mod folder location was C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\SourceMods\portalmap was the path to my mod folder.
Have fun mapping!
Should i use Start a mod from scratch OR Source code only?
The catalog that i create when i create the mod, should that be the same as the /SourdeMods/$dir$ ?
Should the extracted models and materials be in the materialsrc or in just a catalog named material?
Make your mod folder using the new mod thing then extract just the directories named models and materials.
Thank you, i got it to work now
Kenjara,
First off, great effrort in getting us some user based mods for this great game. But I am a bit newer to using the SDK. When I try to create a new mod I only get four choices, Half-Life 2 Single player
Half-Life 2 Multi player
Advanced
and Advanced source only
Which are you using, and what steps do you use after selecting one of those?
Sorry, but it appears quite simple to put directories in the wrong place with the Advanced selections, and I don’t see a way to select Portal at the Start.
Sorry select start mod from scratch. Didnt remember those options being there.
Awesome! Don’t forget to put a spawn point, with the entity info_playerstart or something like that.
Thanks for putting this info online!
I’ve followed these directions and when i try to launch hammer with my PortalMap configuration, it gives me some sort of error about MountFileSystem and that Valve Content Servers are not available.
I had that error at some point. Are the models and materials in the custom mode folder? Also have you converted the material textures?
I keep running into issues with Hammer freezing when I select the portal.fgd file. Completely siezes up.
Also, in the “configuration” dropdown in the Configure Hammer window (show above), is that supposed to already be populated with the name of the new mod, or do you have to “add” it?
Hmm I think its already there but if not go to edit, then new i think. Either way after pressing edit theres a button to add a new mod.
Hi kenjara
I’m having a problem with getting portal working for hammer. I extracted everything from the portal directory, but there is no .fgd file anywhere. What did I do wrong?
I have a problem, the textures on the models looks good in hammer, but the textures on the brushes are purple.
(I did the fixvtf thing)
Any help?
Hen7: Just try another texture.
Don’t know why but some textures that appear in the browser aren’t actually there.
VooDoo PeoPLe: There’s a third link in the blog entry called portalfgd.
Click it.
Download it.
Use it.
Theres a solution for it over here thanks to Ster.
http://www.biohazard15.com/forum/index.php?topic=21.0
ok thanks so very much for this tut, its especially apriciated once i reallized that after only 4 hours of playing that was it, omg i was sssoooooooo angry!
well anywho i got hammer and i got the unpacker and the fgd andall that stuff but oddly enought the portal .fgd, once i put it into the hammer config hammer will freeze….
whats going on here?
what should i do?
Hmm are you adding it to the settings for your new mod. And are you sure everything is in the right place?
That common freezing problem is because you need to right-click and Save Target As… on the portalfgd link, otherwise it opens it in your browser and puts a bunch of tags in.
I had the same problem…
Now though, I’ve got hammer to run, but i accidentally overwrote the base.fgd file!
Has anyone got a copy they can upload? Or a site where i can find a replacement.. I don’t relish reinstalling the SDK
base.fgd? I’ll find it and post here
Here ya go.
http://two.xthost.info/kcd/base.fgd
Thanks Kenjara, the walk through is very helpful. I went through all the steps and everything is working just fine till I try and run the map. Everything starts to load but then I get kick with the error “unable to load authentication library.” I have tried a few ways to fix this that I found on other sites but no luck yet. I was wondering if you had any advice.
I was pretty excited to see user-made content, because I have some interesting puzzle ideas myself. However, I’m running into trouble.
The first thing I did is download your map to my maps folder as outlined in the readme. I figure I want to see how it plays before starting my own.
Now here is where I run into trouble: I can’t access the console. I tried hitting the `/~ key from the main menu, and also from random in-game points, but no console comes up. Am I doing something wrong?
Possibly helpful information: I downloaded only Portal (i.e. not Orange box) from Steam, and I do not own HL2.
You can now find GCF Scape here: http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/index.php?p=26
Which materials folder do I use?
thanx for putting a guide online… they only problem i have, though, is that everytime i create a new mod, when sdk is copying the files, i get an error report at some file called
sampleapp\sound\weapons\mp5navy\mp5_slideback.wav
any ideas as to whats happening, or an alternative method to make the mod?
I don’t really get what ”SDK”means,but I really want to start mapping….
how do i make a mod folder to extract stuff? and whats sdk?
678555 beers on the wall. sck was here
I presume this is exactly among the a large number of vital info in my position. And additionally i am thrilled checking any page. Still should comment relating to some broad matters, All the web site trend is normally ideal, all the articles or reviews actually is great: Defense. Wonderful activity, all the best
You have writtent an amazing post about How to begin mapping in portal « Kenjara. I will link to your post. Thanks.
How do you post such good content on such a regular basis? It seems that every time I visit your site I find something interesting that I probably wouldn’t have found otherwise. I’ll be linking to you from a couple of my sites just because your content is so well thought out