Category:Source SDK FAQ

This is a directory of Frequently Asked Questions about the Source SDK.

Installation

The Source SDK is freely available to all owners of Half-Life 2. At this point, no other Source game gives access. To install, click on the 'Tools' tab in your Steam window and doubleclick on the Source SDK entry. It will then be downloaded to your computer and you will be able to launch it either in the same way you installed it (i.e. from the Tools tab), or by creating a desktop shortcut by right-clicking on the SDK's entry.

General SDK troubleshooting

• Where can I go for more help?
• How do I reset the Source SDK Game Configuration?
• I reset my Game Configuration, but I get a configuration error when I try to run Hammer.
• My game configurations menu In Hammer and the SDK application is empty.
• How do I re-install the entire Source SDK installation?
• How do I remove old games from my "Current Game" menu?
• After working in the SDK for a little while, my machine runs out of resources and crashes!
• How do I fix the "Cache Needs Repair" error?
• How do I fix the "Cache Needs Decryption" error?
• I get an error "Can't find steam.dll relative to executable path (steam path)"
• I'm experiencing constant, strange problems not covered elsewhere in this FAQ.

General SDK information

• How are the Source SDK files and directories structured?
• What is meant by Game Directory?
• I get an error "The configuration information for the game is invalid or missing". What do I do?
• How can I make my own GameInfo.txt?
• Gamecfg.ini conversion information
• How do I launch the game without loading the 3D background maps?
• What are some game parameters I can launch the game with?

Hammer Configuration and Compiling

• My Hammer Configuration does not work correctly. What do I do?
• How do I manually configure the Hammer Editor?
• How do I copy the contents of the compile Process Window?
• After launching Hammer, the application takes a huge amount of RAM/system resources!
• What is the "Additional game parameters" field for?
• My multiplayer map isn't appearing in the multiplayer map list.
• I compiled my map with Hammer, but when I run the game from the Steam menu, the map is not there.
• When I compile my map, it freezes on vvis or vrad.
• I added some prop models in Hammer, but they don't appear in the game!
• When I compile, I get "Error! static_prop using model (modelname), which must be used on a dynamic entity."
• When I load my Counter-Strike: Source map, it says "Both Teams are Full".
• Hammer reports "leaked!" when I compile. How do I fix it?
• I get a message "Memory leak: mempool blocks left in memory: (number)" when I compile.
• When I run my multiplayer map in the game, people join my server!

Hammer 2D and 3D views

• Models I place in Hammer are rendered with a black and purple checkerboard in-game.
• How do I get back to having 4 views - the 3D, top, front, and side views?
• How do I make it so textures show up in the 3D view? Mine is only wireframe.
• When I'm using the Texture Application (Face Edit) window, I have to close it to move the 3D camera.
• When I use camera shortcuts with the Texture Application window, the window gets "stuck".

Level editing features and problems

• How do I correctly make a skybox?
• How do I add fog to my level?
• Can I make a custom soundscape for my level?
• How do I use Half-Life 2 model or material in a Counter-Strike: Source map?
• I'm trying to set the lightmap scale on my displacements, but it won't let me set the value I want.
• When I use the Carve tool, I get errors, or Hammer simply freezes for a long time.

FacePoser

• I get an error "SAPI 5.1 Unable to create recognizer context".

Programming

• What compiler do I need to build the SDK code?
• Can I use Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 with the SDK?
• Am I seeing an issue that's already well known?
• When I use run_mod.bat, I can't run the game if my path has spaces.
• Missing certain Half-Life 2 entities in Hammer with custom Mods.

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