1. Introduction
2. A Quick Tour of Hammer
3. Constructing the Basic Room
4. Placing a Simple Light Entity
5. Placing a Spawn Point
6. Compiling Your First Map
7. Loading Your Map in the Game

Why This Tutorial?

Welcome to CStrike Planet mapping tutorials.

First of all, I want to inform you why I am writing another sets of tutorials for CS:S. There are already countless tutorials on the internet on the same subject, but what makes these tutorials stand out is that I am going to make you into a good (or even great) mapper. I am going to teach good mapping techniques from the start, so you don't develop bad habits. I am going to infuse you with practical knowledge from the perspective of an experienced mapper. It's not just about the technical aspects of mapping--you can get that from any other counter-strike website. Follow my advice, and I'll save you from regret and massive mistakes in your mapping career.

In addition, I am going to cover the aesthetics aspects of mapping as well as the technical skills. Mapping really should be considered an art form. Simply getting a map to compile and load without error is not sufficient. A serious mapper should set his sights on something more. Not only are we going to discuss gameplay, but we're also going to cover performance optimization and how to make your maps realistic and beautiful. These will be covered in the advanced topics later, but once you mastered them, you're going to impress your friends and clan members to no ends.

So, without further delay, let's get right to it. By the end of this tutorial, you will know how to make a simple room in CS:S. But before we get started, you should already be familiar with the Steam directory structure and know how to work with the CS:S console. If not, I strongly recommend you reading up on the tutorial Configuring Hammer and Working with CS:S Console first.