Have you ever had an idea how to make a map in CS:GO and what it takes to do so? At best, a similar principle applies here as when creating your own skins. But the process of developing a real prototype map is much more complex, more comprehensive, and generally more time-consuming. While we're not saying it's impossible, you can take some time at your leisure.
Especially since Steam even provides an SDK for developing arenas, models, and other textures related to the game. Who knows, maybe the moderators will see your work and offer you a place in the company, as it was with the developer of the very first mod «Counter Strike» on the Half Life engine.
Basic Toolkit
To try your
hand
at visual 3D modeling, first of all log in to your Steam account, go to «Library» and find the tab «Tools». Here among the many files you need to find an inconspicuous package CS GO – SDK, and then download it to your PC.Important note: SDK is available only to those who have Counter Strike and Prime account. Only then does Steam give you access to the development. As a last resort, the package can be found on third-party resources in free access. Just don't forget to turn on antivirus when downloading.
Next you will need a texture pack (there are built-in, but suddenly you intend to work seriously) and a lot of free time. It is not a bad idea to have above-average knowledge of English, as the SDK is developed in this language.
First steps to the masterpiece
To open the workspace, open the developer tools and select the item indicated on the screenshot.
Next, click on the leftmost File field in the editor and select New.
So, an empty layout has been created. With its help you can make an infinite map in CS GO or any other map at your discretion. But let's start with the simplest — filler. There are three basic tools to operate in the editor:
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selecting objects;
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adding objects/lighting;
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building texture blocks and obstacles.
Schematically it looks as follows.
You should start with a basic texture, i.e. «cube». Click on the desired icon, open the Browse command and look for a substrate that suits your opinion. You can use the search if you already know what you want to add at the beginning.
The next step is explained in more detail in the screenshot below. It shows the process of building a texture in space and the procedure of working with the camera.
To control the camera (upper left square), point at the texture, select it with the mouse and press the Latin letter Z. After that you can rotate the object in space by classic WASD key combination, as in the game. This process of creating a full map in CS:GO in 2020 will give a better idea of the scale, proportions and overall workload of the game space.
Essentially, the box — is the map, as all the action takes place inside it. But you can't just walk around inside the facility. You need to select the object «arrow» left», and then the location from where you are looking at the map. After that, select the square to make it red, right-click on it and choose Make Hollow.
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A set of walls of 32 or 64 objects will appear. We advise you to choose the last one, because it will increase the total number of polygons, so you can more easily make holes in the walls of the cube (windows, doors, holes).
Themain process
So, you are inside the box where everything is pre-prepared and you can start creating a map in CS CO. Select the light bulb icon on the left (fourth from the top), which will allow you to set a player respawn point. It will look like this.
Now switch to the camera and point in the cube at the place where you plan to create a respawn. With the left button, you'll set the base terrorist model, indicating that the process was successful. In the opposite place it is now worth putting counter-terrorists, but for these purposes you need to fiddle a little with the console.
The first thing you do is the same spavn terrorists, and then double-click on it to open the settings menu. Change the Class field from Terrorist to Counterterrorist and click «Apply».
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We are done with the spawning, let's move on to the rest of the procedures. The most fun — adding textures, which are also done through the bomber. Apparently, the SDK developers made such a joke, but you have to twist.
To add a new item to the map — make a terrorist, select it and in the Class field write «prop_dynamic», applying the changes. The window does not need to be closed. It is necessary to find the World Model command, which is responsible for texture selection.
Using the Browse button you get to the menu with textures, which are all labeled with English terms. Let's say a couch is needed. Click on the search bar as shown in the screenshot and type in «sofa» for an example. After that, confirm the action with the OK button.
You will get approximately the following picture. The sofa is, of course, taken as an example. It can be moved, rotated, resized and oriented in space.
To clean the map in CS GO, more precisely a certain object — select it and press DEL.
With textures more or less sorted out, now make holes in the walls. To do this, select the white square in the main menu (the field on the left), click on the wall in your texture block and use the square sliders to achieve the dimensions you need.
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Now press Enter, select the Carve command and press DEL on the keyboard in parallel. That's it, the space is freed up, turning into a passage.
All that remains is to save the result via File – Save As.
How to play on your map
After you have spent a long and painstaking time creating a map, it's time to check the finished result. It is done as follows:
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Open the map via SDK;
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Click File — Run Map;
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In the opened menu in the Configuration column write Full compile -both -final [slow!] and click GO;
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Wait for SDK to rebuild the map and then open it directly in CS GO;
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Choose one of the opposing sides and start long and thoughtful testing for balance and dynamics.
This is the most basic guide to maps that do not provide a lot of items and objects. But if you understand the principle itself, it's much easier to move on. Good luck to you!
