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Shadowsun™ edited this page Sep 20, 2026 · 1 revision

Creating Custom Maps

This guide explains how to make a map fully compatible with Cinema (Fixed Edition).
It is an updated version of the classic PixelTail mapping tutorial, adapted to the current codebase.

You will need:

  • Hammer (or another Source map editor)
  • The Cinema FGD (included in the repository)
  • Basic knowledge of Garry’s Mod Lua for the location file

1. Add the Cinema FGD to Hammer

The FGD defines the special entities the gamemode understands.

Location in this repository:

cinema_modded/cinema.fgd

In Hammer:

  1. Tools → Options → Game Configurations
  2. Add the FGD to your Garry’s Mod configuration
  3. Restart Hammer if necessary

You now have the following point entities available:

Entity Purpose
theater_screen 3D2D theater screen
theater_thumbnail Preview screen that shows what is currently playing
theater_door One-way teleport door used by classic Cinema maps
theater_portable_tv / theater_portable_projector Portable media entities

2. Place theater entities in Hammer

theater_screen

  • Place it at the top-left corner of where the screen should appear, pointing outwards (toward the audience).
  • Keyvalues:
    • Theater Name – shown on scoreboard and thumbnails
    • Flags – public / private / etc.
    • Screen Width / Height – size in Hammer units
    • Thumbnail – targetname of the matching theater_thumbnail (optional)

theater_thumbnail

  • Place anywhere (usually outside the theater entrance).
  • Give it a unique targetname and reference that name from the corresponding theater_screen.

theater_door (optional)

  • Classic Cinema maps use these for one-way teleports between rooms.
  • Pair with an info_teleport_destination.
  • Two doors are required for two-way travel.

After placing entities, compile the map as usual.

3. Create location data (required)

Even with perfect entities, the gamemode needs Lua location boxes so it knows when a player enters a theater.

Interactive method (recommended)

  1. Load your map with the Cinema gamemode.
  2. Become admin.
  3. Noclip to one corner of an area → run: 
    cinema_loc_start
  4. Move to the opposite corner (a live wireframe box follows you).
  5. Run: 
    cinema_loc_end
  6. The generated Lua is copied to the clipboard. Paste it into a text editor and give it a proper name.

Repeat for every distinct area (lobby, each theater, bathrooms, etc.).

You can also grab a single position with:

cinema_loc_vector

Resulting file structure

Create a file named exactly after your map, e.g. mymap.lua, and place it in:

garrysmod/gamemodes/cinema_modded/gamemode/maps/mymap.lua

Template:

Location.Add( "mymap", {

	[ "Lobby" ] =
	{
		Min = Vector( -100, -200, 0 ),
		Max = Vector(  100,  200, 200 ),
	},

	[ "Private Theater #1" ] =
	{
		Min = Vector( ... ),
		Max = Vector( ... ),
		Theater = {
			Name   = "Private Theater 1",
			Flags  = THEATER_PRIVATE,
			Pos    = Vector( ... ),   -- top-left of screen
			Ang    = Angle( 0, 180, 0 ),
			Width  = 396,
			Height = 192,
			ThumbInfo = {             -- optional
				Pos = Vector( ... ),
				Ang = Angle( 0, 0, 0 )
			}
		}
	},

} )

Standalone Workshop maps

If you distribute the map separately from the gamemode, put the location code in an autorun file instead:

-- garrysmod/lua/autorun/mymap.lua
hook.Add( "InitPostEntity", "mymap_locations", function()
	if not Location then return end

	Location.Add( "mymap", {
		-- locations here
	} )
end )

4. Manual theater placement (when entities are missing)

If the map is already compiled and you cannot re-add entities, you can define the theater completely inside the location table (see the Theater = { ... } block above).

Useful workflow:

  1. Use cinema_loc_vector while standing at the desired top-left corner of the screen → paste into Pos.
  2. Adjust Ang (especially the yaw) until the screen faces the audience.
  3. Tweak Width and Height until the picture fills the wall correctly.
  4. Optionally add ThumbInfo the same way.

Only one theater is allowed per location box.

5. Theater flags reference

Constant Use case
THEATER_REPLICATED Normal public theater
THEATER_PRIVATE Ownable / rentable private theater
THEATER_PRIVILEGED Restricted / VIP theater
THEATER_NONE Public but hidden from scoreboard

6. Testing checklist

  1. cinema_debug_locations 1 – confirm every box is correct and non-overlapping.
  2. Walk into each theater – the scoreboard should show the theater name and queue controls.
  3. Request a short video – playback should start for everyone inside the location.
  4. Test private theater ownership / renting if applicable.
  5. Check thumbnails outside the rooms.

7. Example maps in the repository

Look at the existing files for real-world examples:

cinema_modded/gamemode/maps/
  cinema_theatron.lua
  theater_gcinema.lua
  lp_cinema_rc3.lua
  theater_nexmultiplex_1m.lua

The original cinema_theatron.vmf is also available in the repository root if you want to study a complete Hammer map.

8. Tips & common pitfalls

  • Keep location boxes as tight as possible; large overlapping boxes cause ambiguous results.
  • The screen Pos is the top-left corner of the 3D2D quad.
  • Always test with the debug visualizers before publishing.
  • If the “map unsupported” message still appears, the map name in Location.Add does not match game.GetMap().
  • Portable TVs / projectors are separate entities and do not require location boxes in the same way fixed theaters do.

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