Is a GMod Map Safe? Check a BSP Before It Goes on Your Server
Can a GMod map harm your server? What lua_run may do, what GMod blocks, and how to check the entities and pakfile of a BSP before installing it.
Know-how for mappers and server owners
Guides and background on Garry’s Mod maps: from your first brush in Hammer and compile errors to selling your map and protecting your BSP file.
BSP Protection & leaks
8 articlesBSP Decompiling Explained: What a Decompile Really Gives You
BSP decompiling turns a compiled Source map back into a VMF. What comes back, what is lost and what anti-decompile protection realistically achieves.
BSP Fingerprinting Explained: Watermarks for GMod Maps
A BSP fingerprint is a hidden marker inside the map file. It does not prevent copying, but it makes a leaked copy traceable to its origin.
BSP Obfuscation Explained: What It Does for GMod Maps
BSP obfuscation changes a compiled map so it still runs normally but is harder to reconstruct. How it works, what can go wrong and where it stops.
GMod Map Leaked: What to Do, Step by Step
GMod map leaked? How to secure evidence, check where the copy came from and report it to the platform, the host and the server owner.
Protect a GMod Map From Leaks: What Actually Helps
Protect a GMod map from leaks: how maps get leaked and what fingerprinting, obfuscation, Server-Exclusive and leak monitoring can realistically do.
Server-Exclusive Maps: Binding a GMod Map to One Server
Server-Exclusive maps only run in full on a licensed GMod server. How the license check works, who it suits and where the limits are.
What Is a BSP File? Header, Lumps and Pakfile Explained
A BSP file is the compiled map format of the Source engine. Here is how it is built: header, lumps, entity lump and pakfile, plus tools to open it.
Mapping & Hammer
22 articlesAreaportals, Hints and Occluders: Which One Solves What
Areaportals, hint/skip brushes and occluders compared: how each tool works, what it costs, when to place it and how to verify the result in game.
Building TTT Maps: Entities, Spawns and Testing in GMod
Building TTT maps: which spawns and weapons TTT picks up automatically, what each ttt_ entity does, how to load ttt.fgd in Hammer and test rounds alone.
Create Custom Textures for GMod: VTF and VMT Explained
Custom textures for Hammer and GMod: save the image as a VTF, write the VMT, put the files in the right place under materials and fix typical errors.
Custom Skybox, Fog and Colour Correction for GMod Maps
Set the sky, fog and look of a map: 2D skybox and custom sky textures, env_fog_controller with Far Z, color_correction and HDR exposure.
Displacements in Hammer: Build Terrain Without the Usual Errors
Displacements in Hammer explained: create terrain, choose the power, blend textures, sew edges and fix cracks, leaks and collision problems.
Elevators and Trains in Hammer: func_door to func_tracktrain
Elevators and trains in Source and GMod maps: which entity fits, setup with keyvalues, call buttons, path_track routes, causes of crushing and stutter.
func_detail vs World Brush: What Goes Where in Hammer
func_detail or world brush? Clear rules with measurements from a test compile: what seals, what cuts visleafs and which mistakes lead to leaks.
Hammer Inputs and Outputs: Wiring a Button to a Door
Inputs and outputs in Hammer explained: the fields of the Outputs tab, a button and door example, !activator, logic_relay and debugging with ent_fire.
Hammer++ for GMod: Installation, Features and Differences
Hammer++ for Garry's Mod: what it does better than the bundled Hammer, how to install it, where its files live and which compilers it uses.
Playtest a GMod map: testing with players in five stages
Playtest a GMod map before it goes live: five stages from the solo pass to a round with players, with console commands, a checklist and feedback rules.
prop_static vs prop_dynamic vs prop_physics: Differences and Errors
prop_static, prop_dynamic and prop_physics compared: what each type costs, which model fits which type and what the VBSP and console messages mean.
Reduce BSP File Size: What Makes Maps Large and What Helps
Reduce BSP file size: which data takes up the space, how to measure it, and what lightmap scale, HDR, cubemaps, packing and bspzip -compress achieve.
Soundscapes Guide: Ambient Sound for GMod Maps in Hammer
How Source soundscapes work: env_soundscape, proxy and trigger, a script per map, packing it into the BSP and fixes when the map stays silent.
Water in Source Maps: Set It Up Correctly and Fix Bugs
Water in Source and GMod maps: how the water brush is built, expensive and cheap water, water_lod_control, cubemaps and fixes for rendering bugs.
3D Skybox Guide for Hammer: Setup with sky_camera
How to build a 3D skybox in Hammer: 1/16 scale with sky_camera, clean alignment with the main map, matching fog and the most common mistakes.
GMod Navmesh and AI Nodes: Differences and Setup
Navmesh or AI nodes? When your GMod map needs a .nav file for Nextbots, when it needs info_node for classic NPCs, and how to ship both with the map.
Hammer Editor for Garry's Mod: Setup and Your First Map
Set up the Hammer Editor for GMod: where Hammer lives, how to check the game configuration, build a first room, compile it and load it in game.
Optimize GMod Map Performance: More FPS Through Visibility
Optimize a GMod map: understand visleafs and the PVS, use func_detail, hint/skip, areaportals, occluders and fade distances, then measure in game.
Pack Custom Content into a BSP: Textures, Models, Sounds
Pack custom content into a BSP: what belongs inside, how bspzip, CompilePal and VIDE work, which folder structure applies and how to verify the result.
Source Engine Lighting Guide: Lighting GMod Maps Properly
Source Engine lighting explained: light, light_spot, light_environment, HDR compiles, lightmap scale, cubemaps and the most common lighting errors.
Source Map Limits: Brush, Entity and Size Limits Explained
Source map limits at a glance: coordinate space, brushes, entities, displacements and lightmaps, typical MAX_MAP errors and how to stay below them.
VBSP, VVIS and VRAD Explained: The Three Compile Steps
VBSP, VVIS and VRAD explained: what each compile step calculates, what the log shows, where the time goes and which settings fit tests and releases.
Fixing errors
7 articlesED_Alloc: no free edicts in GMod: the Edict Limit Explained
ED_Alloc: no free edicts means every edict is in use. What an edict is, where the limit sits in GMod and what mappers and server owners can do about it.
Check a BSP before release: a checklist for GMod maps
Check a BSP before release: final compile, cubemaps, packed content, spawns, navmesh, performance and a scan. The checklist for GMod mappers.
Cubemaps in GMod: Fix Purple and Black Reflections
Purple and black or wrong reflections in your GMod map? How to place env_cubemap, build cubemaps for LDR and HDR, and keep them intact when packing.
Fix Missing Textures and ERROR Models in GMod
Pink and black textures and red ERROR models in GMod: causes and fixes for mappers, players and servers, from packing content to mounting games.
Fix the Map Leak Error: "leaked" When Compiling in Hammer
Fix a map leak: what the VBSP message "leaked" means, how to find the gap with the pointfile, and why a giant skybox around the map is not a solution.
How to read a compile log: VBSP, VVIS and VRAD in Hammer
How to read a Hammer compile log: the VBSP, VVIS and VRAD sections, the messages that matter and how to find the first real cause of an error.
VVIS Taking Forever? How to Cut Your Compile Time
VVIS takes forever when a map creates too many portals. Reduce them with func_detail, simpler rooms and targeted hints, without -fast in your release.
Servers & communities
8 articlesCS:S and HL2 Content in GMod Maps: What Players Have
CS:S and HL2 content in GMod maps: what ships with GMod, what has to be mounted, what players see when content is missing and how to handle it.
GMod Map Names and Versions: Prefix, File Name, Updates
How to name a GMod map: prefix, file name, version scheme and why an update must never keep the old file name. With the list of companion files.
Spawn points in GMod maps: entities for Sandbox, DarkRP and TTT
Which spawn points a GMod map needs for Sandbox, DarkRP and TTT, how GMod picks a spawn and what happens when spawns are missing or too few.
Upload a GMod Map to the Steam Workshop: Step by Step
Upload a GMod map to the Workshop: create a folder with addon.json, build it with gmad.exe, publish it with gmpublish.exe. With the most common errors.
Custom map vs Workshop map: which fits your GMod server?
Custom map vs Workshop map: a comparison for GMod communities covering recognition, performance, support, cost, risk and exclusivity.
GMod roleplay map types: DarkRP, SCP-RP, MilitaryRP and more
GMod roleplay map types at a glance: DarkRP, SchoolRP, SCP-RP, MilitaryRP, Star Wars RP and HogwartsRP with typical areas and performance traps.
How to choose a DarkRP map: what server owners should check
How to choose a DarkRP map: size that fits your player count, FPS, layout, required content, license and updates. The criteria for server owners.
Install a map on a GMod server: FastDL or Workshop
Install a map on a GMod server: put the file in garrysmod/maps, set the start map and serve players via FastDL or Workshop. With troubleshooting.
Buying & selling
5 articlesBuy GMod Maps Safely: A Checklist for Server Owners
Buy GMod maps safely: what to check in screenshots, performance, required content, license, updates and payment, and why leaked maps are risky.
Commissioned Map or Ready-Made Map? A Comparison
Commissioned map or ready-made map: a comparison by cost, time, uniqueness, risk and rights, with a table and decision guide for server owners.
GMod Map Copyright Basics for Mappers and Buyers
GMod map copyright explained in plain terms: who owns a map, what applies to third-party content and what buyers may do. Not legal advice.
Price Your GMod Map: Factors, Models and Mistakes
Price your GMod map: which factors count, when selling to many or an exclusive license makes sense, and which pricing mistakes to avoid.
Sell GMod Maps: How to Get Started as a Mapper
Sell GMod maps: what makes a map ready for sale, what a good product page looks like and how price, protection and support fit together.