Opening .bsp in Hammer

Demian

L1: Registered
Dec 7, 2009
21
0
How do I open .bsp files in Hammer? If I remember correctly you need to convert them to some other format first but how? I intend to examine some awesome custom maps that I've seen a little bit better. Stuff like how wide or tall certain hallways are. Yes, I am a perfectionist.
 

Demian

L1: Registered
Dec 7, 2009
21
0
Also, shouldn't I have the default map's .bsp files somewhere too? I can't find them. I really would like to take a look at them too. Also, how do I use custom textures in my map? I know how to make them, but how do I package it with the map when releasing?
 

Nimelrian

L2: Junior Member
Jun 13, 2010
64
6
They are in Steam/SteamApps/Username/team fortress 2/tf/maps, but most of them are already decompiled and can be loaded in hammer in the standard vmf folder
 

Demian

L1: Registered
Dec 7, 2009
21
0
Uhh, no they are not. There only the custom maps of servers I've been to. Now that you mentioned it, I can't seem to start a server with any of the default maps. Do I need to reinstall?
 

Freyja

aa
Jul 31, 2009
2,994
5,813
No, all the valve (and custom official maps) .bsp's are in the TF2 content.gcf
You need GCFScape to extract them.
 

Nimelrian

L2: Junior Member
Jun 13, 2010
64
6
No, all the valve (and custom official maps) .bsp's are in the TF2 content.gcf
You need GCFScape to extract them.

Really? I never extracted something out of it, but they are in the maps folder?
 
Feb 18, 2009
640
629
Textures:
Assuming you have made the texture, converted it to vtf, and written a vmt, place the vmt and vtf into steamapps/<username>/team fortress 2/tf/materials (where <username> is your steam user name obviously). Boot up hammer and your texture should be in the texture browser.
To let others see the texture when playing, you need to pack the texture into the .bsp file. for that, use pakrat or packBSP

If you haven't got a vtf or vmt, see here.
 

StickZer0

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aa
Nov 25, 2008
664
647
Are you sure you aren't confusing .bsp with .vmf files?

You open the .vmf file and edit it in hammer, and then compile it into a .bsp. When you download a custom map, whether off a website or a server, you download the .bsp. The .bsp is only playable in TF2 and not in Hammer, whereas you can only open the .vmf in hammer but not in TF2.

I don't know if that helps, but I just wanted to make sure you know the difference, even if you already did, heh
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
Really? I never extracted something out of it, but they are in the maps folder?

some pre-compile TF2 vmf's were released by Valve after the community asked for them. Actually, TF2 was the only Valve game (except perhaps L4D when it was later released) that was originally released without vmf examples of their maps. HL2, it's DM multiplayer, CS and even DoDS were all released with a limited number of vmf examples in the sdk_content folder.