So here is the scoop on using studioCompiler, Cannonfodder’s gui app for compiling models and textures for use within hammer and your level’s.

Each game, and the source SDK itself has a data file called gameInfo.txt used to initialize the proper launch of the apps. To use the gui app you will need to edit these txt files, disabling one of the lines. One of the gameInfo.txt files is located in the sourceSDK/launcher folder, the other located in the half-life 2 deathmatch/hl2mp folder. Inside the file you will find somethig akin to the following information

“FileSystem
{
SteamAppId 220 // This will mount all the GCFs we need (240=CS:S, 220=HL2). ToolsAppId 211 // Tools will load this (ie: source SDK caches) to get things like materials\debug, materials\editor, etc.
//
// The code that loads this file automatically does a few things here:
//
“

In each of the files you will need to add // to the beginning of the ToolsAppID line, like such

//ToolsAppId 211 // Tools will load this (ie: source SDK caches) to get things like

// turns the line into a “comment”, effectively disabling the line at launch. Unfortunately once you do this you won’t be able to run Hammer or any of the other tools … remove the comments and they will run fine. My recommendation is that when you begin to work on your level, you run hammer with the “comment” removed, open your gameInfo files and add the comments, open studio compiler. Then you can have both apps running simultaneously. It is also a good idea to create a shortcut to your gameInfo files on your desktop or somewhere convenient so you can avoid the annoying process of hunting them down each time for editing. We will walk through the process in class, as well as the process of compiling both models and textures.