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This page will walk you through setting up Hammer++ with our custom tools for TF2Classic map development.
This page will walk you through setting up Hammer++ with our custom tools for TF2 Classified map development.
 
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== Setting up Hammer ==
== Step 1: Installing Hammer++ ==
Hammer++ is highly recommended. Valve's Hammer will not display materials correctly without using the [https://www.moddb.com/mods/mapbase/downloads/mapbase-multi-tool Mapbase Multi-Tool] to create a shortcut. This section will guide you through installing Hammer++ instead, which does ''not'' require using the Multi-Tool.
 
Go to the [https://ficool2.github.io/HammerPlusPlus-Website/download.html download page for Hammer++], scroll down until you find the "Source SDK 2013 Multiplayer" option and click it. This will download a ZIP file.
 
If you open the ZIP file, you'll find a ''hammerplusplus_2013mpbuildXXXX'' folder, which itself contains a ''bin'' folder. You should merge the ''bin'' folder inside of the ZIP with the ''bin'' folder in your ''Source SDK Base 2013 Multiplayer'' directory that contains hammer.exe. After that's finished, hammerplusplus.exe and hammer.exe should be in the same folder.
 
Open up Hammer++ by double-clicking "hammerplusplus.exe". After it's started, in the main interface, go to '''Tools''' -> '''Options''' -> '''"Game Configurations" tab''' -> Click "Edit" next to the "Configurations" drop-down. Add a new one, titled however you like.
 
Edit this new configuration to point to the TF2C gamedata (the FGD files in the ''tf2classic'' folder), the game executable directory (your Source SDK Base 2013 Multiplayer folder), and the game directory (your ''tf2classic'' folder, containing GameInfo.txt)
 
[[File:Hammer configuration.png|frame|center|Example image showcasing what your configuration should look like]]
 
== Setting up your compilation tools ==
A custom set of compile tools is required in order to have proper lighting on your maps, due to the default compilers not supporting custom shaders, and relying on DX8 models. We use the Mapbase VBSP and Slammin' VRAD which fix both of these problems, along with many other bugs: https://wiki.tf2classic.com/misc/tf2c_compilers.zip


Like with Hammer++, this is an archive you'll need to open and extract. The entire contents of the ZIP file you download should be extracted into your bin folder. This will add vbsp_tf2c and vrad_tf2c executable files, alongside the regular vbsp and vrad files.
# Make sure Team Fortress 2 Classified is installed on Steam.
# Download the latest [https://ficool2.github.io/HammerPlusPlus-Website/download.html Team Fortress 2 build of Hammer++].
# Copy the files of the Team Fortress 2 build of H++ into the {{code|steamapps\common\Team Fortress 2 Classified}} folder, as if you were installing it for Live TF2.
# Navigate to the {{code|steamapps\common\Team Fortress 2 Classified\bin\x64}} folder, and run {{code|hammer_tf2c_setup.bat}} (this should be right next to {{code|hammerplusplus.exe}} if you have installed everything correctly).
# Run {{code|hammerplusplus.exe}}.


After extraction, you will need to configure Hammer++ to use these tools. In the menu bar, click on "Tools" -> "Options..." -> "Build Programs", and adjust the BSP and RAD executable names to add the _tf2c suffix to the binary names. In the end, the paths should end with vbsp_tf2c.exe and vrad_tf2c.exe.
As of the Steam release (3.0.0) we include new customized versions of the compilers with the game. Older versions of TF2C's VBSP, VRAD, and VVIS are no longer compatible. ficool2's compilers [https://ficool2.github.io/HammerPlusPlus-Website/tools.html (VBSP++/VVIS++/VRAD++)] have a superset of our compiler's functionality, however some features like ambient occlusion may need to be retuned, as VRAD++ takes different parameters than ours.


=== Configuring VRAD ===
== Step 2: Configuring VRAD ==
When you're ready to compile your map, you need to make sure that the parameters you're passing to VRAD are supported by our custom build. Some, such as -staticproplighting, are now enabled by default and will produce a RAD error if you include them, causing your map to appear fullbright in-game.


In the "Run Map..."/F9 dialog, you should click the "Expert..." button in the bottom-left corner of the panel to view your configurations, and adjust the parameters for the $light_exe command in the configuration you use for your final compile to be:
When preparing a final compile of your map, you need to make sure that the parameters you're passing to VRAD are supported by our custom build. Some, such as -staticproplighting, are now enabled by default and will produce an error if you include them. The default VRAD settings we use for most official TF2C maps are:
-final -hdr -ambientocclusion -aoscale 0.5 -LargeDispSampleRadius -softencosine -worldtextureshadows -translucentshadows -game $gamedir $path\$file


Meanwhile, for fast compiles when prototyping your map, you can simply use:
{{pre|-final -hdr -softencosine -ao -aoradius 2 -LargeDispSampleRadius -worldtextureshadows -StaticPropIndirectMode 2 -choptexlights}}
-fast -ldr -game $gamedir $path\$file


You can add these to your final compile settings in H++ by going to the the "Run Map..."/F9 dialog, click the "Expert..." button in the bottom-left corner of the panel to view your configurations, and add those the parameters to the $light_exe command in your final compile configuration.
[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Guides]]

Latest revision as of 19:14, 20 February 2026

This page will walk you through setting up Hammer++ with our custom tools for TF2 Classified map development.

Step 1: Installing Hammer++

  1. Make sure Team Fortress 2 Classified is installed on Steam.
  2. Download the latest Team Fortress 2 build of Hammer++.
  3. Copy the files of the Team Fortress 2 build of H++ into the steamapps\common\Team Fortress 2 Classified folder, as if you were installing it for Live TF2.
  4. Navigate to the steamapps\common\Team Fortress 2 Classified\bin\x64 folder, and run hammer_tf2c_setup.bat (this should be right next to hammerplusplus.exe if you have installed everything correctly).
  5. Run hammerplusplus.exe.

As of the Steam release (3.0.0) we include new customized versions of the compilers with the game. Older versions of TF2C's VBSP, VRAD, and VVIS are no longer compatible. ficool2's compilers (VBSP++/VVIS++/VRAD++) have a superset of our compiler's functionality, however some features like ambient occlusion may need to be retuned, as VRAD++ takes different parameters than ours.

Step 2: Configuring VRAD

When preparing a final compile of your map, you need to make sure that the parameters you're passing to VRAD are supported by our custom build. Some, such as -staticproplighting, are now enabled by default and will produce an error if you include them. The default VRAD settings we use for most official TF2C maps are: 

-final -hdr -softencosine -ao -aoradius 2 -LargeDispSampleRadius -worldtextureshadows -StaticPropIndirectMode 2 -choptexlights

You can add these to your final compile settings in H++ by going to the the "Run Map..."/F9 dialog, click the "Expert..." button in the bottom-left corner of the panel to view your configurations, and add those the parameters to the $light_exe command in your final compile configuration.

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