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Hammer++

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Hammer++ - Background.png
Hammer++
The Hammer++ Editor splash screen, which appears when being launched.
Screenshot of Hammer++, with d1_trainstation_01 map loaded.
Developer(s)
Type
Map Editor
Target engine(s)
Source
Website
Download

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

Supported games

Hammer++ currently officially supports the following:

It is also included with Military Conflict: Vietnam Military Conflict: Vietnam (x64 only), in lieu of vanilla Hammer. Half-Life 2 RTX Half-Life 2 RTX also includes Hammer++ alongside Slammin' Hammer 5.2.

Hammer++ for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is no longer supported and no longer receives updates; Ficool recommends using Garry's Mod Garry's Mod's Hammer++ and porting the Shader-ball.png lightmapped_4wayblend shader[How?]. Alternatively, the Military Conflict: Vietnam Military Conflict: Vietnam's version of Hammer++ can be used, although it is also behind on updates.

Likewise, Hammer++ for Source 2013 Multiplayer Source 2013 Multiplayer (and legacy version of Source SDK Base 2013 - Multiplayer Source SDK Base 2013 - Multiplayer) is also no longer technically supported and no longer receives updates, and should be only used for mods built on pre-2025 Source SDK Base 2013 - Multiplayer or third-party games running on Source 2013 Multiplayer. The new Team Fortress 2 branch TF2 branch version of the Source SDK Base 2013 - Multiplayer should use Team Fortress 2 Team Fortress 2 version of Hammer++.

Note.pngNote:All users using older versions of Hammer++ build 8869 on Team Fortress 2 branch games need to manually update the application and the game with the new hotfix build. Checking for Hammer++ updates at this time does not work because the build numbers are identical.
Icon-Important.pngImportant:Do not follow any outdated instructions on how to install Hammer++ (especially outside VDC or Hammer++'s official website), as this can often leads to users downloading the wrong version of the application for the game (like Hammer++'s Source 2013 MP version for GMOD), and preventing it from working.

Always select the correct version (Hammer++ for Garry's Mod Garry's Mod for example), and install it in the appropriate game's directory. If your game isn't officially supported by Hammer++, you can try following instructions on Other games/mods tested.
Hammer++ 64-bit version must be installed on 🖿bin\x64 folder and not 🖿bin folder.

Other games/mods tested

Icon-Important.pngImportant:In order to use CS:GO Hammer++, you must have the csgo_legacy beta branch installed for Counter-Strike 2 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 ViewDiscussEdit templatePurge
Alien Swarm Alien Swarm Alien Swarm engine branch Garry's Mod Errors about reading particles, use mount.cfg to mount Alien Swarm data.
Note.pngNote: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.
Icon-Important.pngImportant:use func_details for your entire map as it will generate unwanted portals
Half-Life: Source 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 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 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 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.
PlacementTip.pngWorkaround: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.pngTip:You can enable dev by going to manage < properties and on Launch options, type: -dev 1.
Note.pngFix:Remove the steam_appid.txt from the 🖿hammerplusplus folder.
Left 4 Dead 2 Left 4 Dead 2 L4D2 Identical to Left 4 Dead Left 4 Dead, without the Steam rejection, only displaying error on console and unable to interact with the menu when exiting the map.
Note.pngFix:Remove the steam_appid.txt from the 🖿hammerplusplus folder.
Momentum Mod Momentum Mod Strata Source Garry's Mod Need retest using GMOD version.
[confirm]
Source Filmmaker 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 Team Fortress 2 Classic Source 2013 Multiplayer Source 2013 Multiplayer Setting up Hammer
Black Mesa Black Mesa Xengine Source 2013 Multiplayer Check out the issues below in the relevant subpage. A separate version for Black Mesa is not planned.
Black Mesa Black Mesa (2012 mod version) Source 2007 Source 2013 Singleplayer Install to Source 2013 Singleplayer Source SDK Base 2013 - Singleplayer's 🖿bin folder and add a game configuration pointing to the mod; the Source 2013 Singleplayer Source 2013 SP compilers generate BSPs that are compatible with Source 2007 Source 2007.
Mapbase Mapbase Source 2013 Singleplayer Source 2013 Singleplayer Install to game's 🖿bin folder normally.

Check out the issues below in the relevant subpage.

Postal III 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 Portal Source 2013 Singleplayer Source 2013 Singleplayer Install to game's 🖿bin folder normally.
Portal 2: Community Edition 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 Strata Hammer.
Source SDK Base 2013 - Multiplayer SDK Base 2013 - MP (2025) Team Fortress 2 branch Team Fortress 2 Install to game's 🖿bin/x64 folder normally.
Source SDK Base 2006 Source SDK Base
Source 2006 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 Hunt Down the Freeman (launch version) Source 2013 Singleplayer Source 2013 Singleplayer Install to game's 🖿bin folder normally.[confirm]
Hunt Down the Freeman 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 Source 2013 Multiplayer to reduce map size.

Jabroni Brawl: Episode 3 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 Garry's Mod 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
  • Built-in version of propper
  • Quality of life improvements
  • Jumpman mode
  • ... and much more!

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

Issues and caveats

Icon-Bug.pngBug:
  • On some machines, always uses Windows's high-DPI scaling setting, even when scaling override mode is set to "Application" in Wikipedia icon File Explorer's compatibility settings for 🖿hammerplusplus.exe. This can result in less real estate than Hammer Hammer 4.x, depending on Windows settings.
  • On some systems or the way Windows was configured (usually happens on Windows 10 or later), Hammer++ may crash when it tries to open the Select File window. You can workaround this by editing the 🖿hammerplusplus\hammerplusplus_settings.ini, and change FileDialogHack to 0. This would disable the new file dialog (which makes it quicker & easier to navigate compared to old file dialog). This issue is not affected on Windows 7 (and possibly 8.x).
  • Brush entities that have a non-FGD classname upon VMF load are ignored by the lighting previewer until changed to an classname in the FGD or a world brush. This does not apply to entities that are changed to a non-FGD classname from one in the FGD.
  • Texture previews in the drop-down list do not render in builds 8866 and newer.
  • (Build 8869, confirmed on Source 2013 Singleplayer version) Can occasionally randomly crash with "Out of memory" error when baking lightmaps (lighting preview) after making some modifications to the map.
PlacementTip.pngWorkaround:For Half-Life 2 Half-Life 2, you can use Hammer++ (Team Fortress 2 branch Team Fortress 2 branch) running on HL2 Deathmatch (and make sure Hammer++ loads HL2DM assets, aswell as TF2 branch shaders instead of HL2 assets & new 20th anniversary shaders), then uses Half-Life 2 compilers. That way, you can workaround the issue of Hammer++ randomly crashing when baking lightmaps.
For Portal Portal or other Source 2013 Singleplayer games, you can downgrade to previous version of Hammer++.
Warning.pngWarning:
  • Does not support some features from Hammer Hammer 4.x, such as "Convert WAD to VMT...", or loading GoldSrc MAP or RMF files directly (this also includes being unable to load ENT files extracted from Source maps via GCFScape GCFScape).
  • Ignores %notooltexture, with no option to disable this change; as such, textures which aren't intended to be used on brushes/displacements directly (and may not work correctly) will appear in the texture browser.
  • Manifests are not supported, only instances.
  • Instances are always fullbright in the lighting preview, and do not cast shadows.
  • Lighting preview ignores _minlight and %CompileNoLight.
  • Tool textures outside of the 🖿tools/ directory aren't accounted for by the lighting preview and the toolbar button that toggles visibility of tool textures in the 3D view.
Note.pngNote:
  • Due to computational constraints, the lighting preview does not include per-vertex lighting or lightmaps for static props, nor are brush/displacement lightmaps supersampled.
  • func_ladder does not cast shadows in the lighting preview unless vrad_brush_cast_shadows is enabled, which is inaccurate in games before Left 4 Dead Left 4 Dead.

Hammer++ game specific issues

Icon-Bug.pngBug:Garry's Mod (Build 8869) - Lightmaps are not bilinear filtered at all

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

See also

External links

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