Hammer++

Hammer++ is a community-made modification of the Valve Hammer Editor for Source that provides an updated, more stable, feature-rich version of the editor.

Hammer++ currently supports the following branches of the Source engine:

• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (does not work for CS2, only CS:GO through csgo_legacy branch, so it is essentially deprecated for that use. Still usable for and however, as well as third-party games running on CS:GO engine branch.)
• Team Fortress 2 (x64 only)
• Counter-Strike: Source
• Source 2013 Multiplayer
• Source 2013 Singleplayer
• Garry's Mod (x64 only)
• Left 4 Dead 2

It is also included with Military Conflict: Vietnam, in lieu of vanilla Hammer.

Other games/mods tested

Main article:  Hammer++/Docs/Installation for Other Games

See also:  Hammer++/Bugs and limitations with unsupported games

Important:In order to use CS:GO Hammer++, you must have the csgo_legacy beta branch installed for Counter-Strike 2. The CS:GO Hammer++ no longer receives updates, so it's highly recommended that you use the Garry's Mod version alongside it instead, if you have GMod.

Game	Engine branch (game)	Hammer++ Version	Notes
Alien Swarm	Alien Swarm engine branch	Garry's Mod	Errors about reading particles, use mount.cfg to mount Alien Swarm data. Note:Functions differently than Hammer, instead of using a func_brush with name structure_seal, use a normal brush to close your maps. If compiled it forces the map to be fullbright even if there are lights. Important:Use func_details for your entire map as it will generate unwanted portals
Half-Life: Source	Source 2013 Singleplayer	Source 2013 Singleplayer	Configure Hammer for Half-Life: Source, then install to game's bin folder normally.
Half-Life Deathmatch: Source	Team Fortress 2 branch	Team Fortress 2	Configure Hammer for Half-Life: Source, then install to game's bin/x64 folder normally.
Half-Life 2: Deathmatch	Team Fortress 2 branch	Team Fortress 2	Install to game's bin/x64 folder normally.
Left 4 Dead	Left 4 Dead engine branch	L4D2	L4D2 Hammer++ appears fine on Left 4 Dead, except when compiling the map. Once compiled and joining the map, an error will appear and display: STEAM validation rejected and unable to interact with the menu after pressing ok. Workaround:Before compiling the map, check the box Don't run the game after compiling and then compile the map, after it has been compiled, enter Left 4 Dead and via console, type: map <map name>. Tip:You can enable dev by going to manage < properties and on Launch options, type: -dev 1. Fix:Remove the steam_appid.txt from the hammerplusplus folder.
Left 4 Dead 2		L4D2	Identical to Left 4 Dead, without the Steam rejection, only displaying error on console and unable to interact with the menu when exiting the map. Fix:Remove the steam_appid.txt from the hammerplusplus folder.
Momentum Mod	Strata Source	Garry's Mod	Need retest using GMOD version. [confirm]
Source Filmmaker	Alien Swarm engine branch	Garry's Mod & Portal 2	Need retest using GMOD version. Portal 2's compile tools also work. Hammer++ shouldn't be installed in SFM's bin folder, but works when pointed to from another game.
Team Fortress 2 Classic	Source 2013 Multiplayer	Source 2013 Multiplayer	Setting up Hammer
Black Mesa	Xengine	Garry's Mod	Follow this guide to make it working. Check out issues in relevant subpage. A separate version for Black Mesa is not planned.
Black Mesa (mod) (2012 mod version)	Source 2007	Source 2013 Singleplayer	Install to Source SDK Base 2013 - Singleplayer's bin folder and add a game configuration pointing to the mod; the Source 2013 SP compilers generate BSPs that are compatible with Source 2007.
Mapbase	Source 2013 Singleplayer	Source 2013 Singleplayer	Install to game's bin folder normally. Check out the issues below in the relevant subpage.
Pirates Vikings & Knights II	Source 2013 Multiplayer	Source 2013 Multiplayer & Team Fortress 2	Hammer++ shouldn't be installed in PVKII's bin folder, but works when pointed to from another game. Important:Requires the Use special I/O delimiter (ESC) setting to be off.
Postal III	Source 2009	Source 2013 Singleplayer	Requires modification to Postal 3's FGD file(s); Recommended to use Postal 3's compilers instead; Some Hammer features from Postal 3's are missing like 'prefabs' (not to be confused with Prefab on Hammer); Requires Source SDK Base 2013 MP/SP to be installed; Requires folder linking inside SDK Base's sourcetest folder to load assets; Hammer++ will crash if placed inside Postal 3's bin folder.
Portal	Source 2013 Singleplayer	Source 2013 Singleplayer	Install to game's bin folder normally.
Portal 2: Community Edition	Strata Source	Garry's Mod?	Check out the issues on the relevant subpage. Support by developers is not planned, and usage is strongly discouraged; some Hammer++ features will be added to Strata Hammer.
SDK Base 2013 - MP (2025)	Team Fortress 2 branch	Team Fortress 2	Install to game's bin/x64 folder normally.
Source SDK Base Source 2006 games & mods (including Counter-Strike: Source v34, Half-Life 2 Old Engine, etc...)	Source 2006	Source 2013 Singleplayer	See Installation for Source 2006 games. Don't forget that Source 2006 games will have less textures (including tools textures such as 2D Skybox), differences in LDR + HDR lighting compared to Source 2007 and later (including Hammer++ lighting preview). So remember to run both Source 2006's Hammer and Hammer++ and check see if the same texture exists in Texture Browser on Source 2006's Hammer before adding it to the map.
Hunt Down the Freeman (launch version)	Source 2013 Singleplayer	Source 2013 Singleplayer	Install to game's bin folder normally.[confirm]
Hunt Down the Freeman (latest)	Source 2013 Multiplayer	Source 2013 Multiplayer	Install to game's bin folder normally.[confirm] This build uses Source 2013 Multiplayer to reduce map size.
Jabroni Brawl: Episode 3	Counter-Strike: Global Offensive	Counter-Strike: Global Offensive	Install to game's bin/win32 folder normally.[confirm] FGD must be modified to replace soundscape and sky KVs with string. As CSGO version of Hammer++ is frozen on an older version, it may be desirable to use H++ alongside the native CSGO version, to take advantage of newer features like Propper++.

Features

• Accurate lighting preview
• Upgraded graphic fidelity
• Significantly better stability
• Particle rendering
• 2D + 3D skybox preview
• New model browser, particle browser, color editor, and keybinding editor
• Realtime display of fog and ropes
• Variety of new tools such as physics simulation, gizmo manipulation, drawing of polygon shapes, and convex brush merging
• New func_instance tools
• Quality of life improvements
• ... and much more!

A more detailed feature list can be found on the website and you can support ficool2 via Ko-fi

Caveats

Warning:Does not support some features from Hammer 4.x, such as "Convert WAD to VMT...", or loading GoldSrc ".MAP" files directly.

Bug:Always uses Windows's high-DPI scaling setting, even when scaling override mode is set to "Application" in  File Explorer's compatibility settings for hammerplusplus.exe. This can result in less real estate than Hammer 4.x, depending on Windows settings.  [todo tested in ?]

Warning:Ignores %notooltexture, with no option to disable this change.

Additional bugs can be found in the official issue tracker, which is no longer maintained.

Bugs/Limitations with unsupported games

This article or section needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality because:

grammar and layout; probably should be moved to subpage

For help, see the VDC Editing Help and Wikipedia cleanup process. Also, remember to check for any notes left by the tagger at this article's talk page.

Black Mesa

Works with Source SDK 2013 Singleplayer version. However, there are some bugs and issues due to which you will not be able to work in it constantly.

New lights broken

Entities with "newLight_" and "newLights_" prefixes doesn't work with SmartEdit.

• 

  This new light point placed with Entity Tool.

Attempt to replace an entity with one of these will cause obsolete.

• 

  npc_gman is replaced by newLight_Point.

This because of new lights use big letters in classname. Because of this, Hammer++ cannot read them normally. You can fix it if replace big letters with small, with this the game will work with new lights the same as before. However, you will still not have any preview for new lights.

Note:Similar issue have npc_xortEB.

Lightmapped_4WayBlend is missed

You will not be able to work with xen levels, since xen uses this shader for surfaces everywhere. Earthbound outdoor levels as well.

• 

  Hammer.

• 

  Hammer++.

• 

  Hammer.

• 

  Hammer++.

The only workaround is Hammer++ version for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This is the only version of Hammer++ that support Lightmapped_4WayBlend. However, you will need to port game's assets, because Counter-Strike: Global Offensive don't use and don't support old models format.

No surface blend preview

WorldVertexTransition replaced by LightmappedGeneric with all its features. This means that you will not be able to see blended surfaces in Hammer++, since this feature is not provided.

• 

  Hammer.

• 

  Hammer++.

GRPortal is missed

This shader uses for nihilanth's portals.

• 

  Hammer.

• 

  Hammer++.

Physics Tool doesn't work properly with new ragdoll entities

prop_ragdoll_original and misc_dead_hev are ragdoll entities, Hammer++ doesn't know about this. You can add ragdoll() in FGD for these entities to fix this.

• 

  prop_ragdoll_original and misc_dead_hev simulating as general objects, but prop_ragdoll works fine.

Confirm:More ?

Portal 2: Community Edition

Mainly works with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive version. Hammer++ will not provide many features from Strata Source's version of Hammer and its engine (mainly UI elements and how it works with content). Сonvenient of its usage will depends on what you plan to use and how you plan to use it.

Works only models that use format from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Strata Source support all model formats from any game, including old games. Hammer++ will work only with models that use format from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, you'll need to port models if they do not use this format (or use other Hammer++ version if your mod using assets from old games).

No Scale Override preview

In Strata Source static props support Scale Override (similar to Source 2). You'll not see changes in Hammer++.

• 

  Strata Hammer.

• 

  Hammer++.

Custom folder

Strata Source support custom folder. Hammer++ for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive doesn't.

Doesn't read mounts.kv

mounts.kv is a safe way to mount content from other games than traditional gameinfo.txt editing. Hammer++ doesn't read this file.

Escape sequences is not supported

Only Strata Source Hammer version support escape sequences.

Confirm:More ?

Garry's Mod

Works fine with Source SDK 2013 Multiplayer version. There are some limitations that can be very annoying.

Doesn't work with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive's content

Models will not work. Most particles and textures as well.

Doesn't read mount.cfg

mount.cfg is quick and easy way to mount content from other games. Hammer++ doesn't read it.

Confirm:More ?

Mapbase

Works fine with Source SDK 2013 Singleplayer version. Some custom shaders may work incorrectly. Some custom features will not work as expected with Hammer++ features.

SDK_Cable doesn't work properly

Display skybox instead of a cable texture.

• 

  An example.

Spotlight textures doesn't applying to spotlight preview

Mapbase support customization for beam and halo texture. Hammer++ always draw the standart textures.

• 

  An example. Used obsolete icon for halo and electric texture for beam.

TeamSpen's Hammer Addons

Not a game, but it have some compatibility issues as well. Some issues make it difficult to use together with Hammer++.

Sprite tries to be applied as model for helper

TeamSpen's Hammer Addons uses model helper for sprite entities, this allows you to place them more accurately than with the white cube. Copy and paste cause helper model to use value from model property name, which sprites use to display sprite texture, this cause helper model to use a non existing model and replace it with placeholder. Fixes with Undo button. Doesn't happen when you place sprite entity via Entity Tool or when you replace an entity with a sprite entity.

• 

  An example.

Confirm:More ?

See also

• Hammer++ for Linux
• Half-Life Model Viewer++

External links

• Official Hammer++ Website