I have created this tutorial for all new mappers with hope that it will help them.
For this tutorial you will need:
- Valve Hammer Editor (3.4 or 3.5) – We will configure it.
- Zoners Half-Life Tools – This tool is used to compile maps for Counter-Strike.
- Counter-Strike FDG – In that file are stored all entities for Counter-Strike.
- GCFScape – You will need it to extract WAD files ( textures ) from GCF files
Let’s start by opening Valve Hammer Editor, if you have just installed it it should ask if you want to configure it otherwise click "Tools -> Options…".
"Game Configurations" tab
1. Click edit, then in window what just opened click "Add" and name to something like "CS" or "Counter-Strike" and click "OK".
2. Click "Add" and select FDG what you downloaded.
3. Browse directory where “hl.exe” and “cstrike” folder are located.
4. Browse your "cstrike" directory.
5. Browse "valve" directory.
6. This is not required, but you can browse where you store your RMFs.
In game configurations tab that’s all, all other fields you can leave with their default values.
"Build Programs" tab
1. Browse your "hl.exe", this is only needed if you want to run map after compiling.
2. Browse "hlcsg.exe" this is required for compiling, I suggest to use tools for ZHLT, because tools what are included in hammer fails.
3. Browse "hlbsp.exe" this is required for compiling.
4. Browse "hlvis.exe" this is required for compiling.
5. Browse "hlrad.exe" this is required for compiling.
6. Browse directory where maps are stored, for steam "C://Program Files/Steam/steamapps/*username*/Counter-Strike/cstrike/maps", if you won’t browse correct directory you will have to manually copy BSP from compiling directory to maps folder.
"Textures" tab
1. Browse few WAD files, if you add too much compiler will nag you, but if your maps works fine just ignore it. "zhlt.wad" (included in ZHLT) and "half-life.wad" have most textures you will need for start.
Extracting files from GCF

Open GCFScape.
1. Click "File -> Open" or just press "CTRL + O" and browse GCF you want to extract.
When you have opened GCF right click on needed file and select "Extract" and select folder where you want to extract it.