1.1. J.A.C.K. & Hammer setup

The following steps will help you to set up MESS for J.A.C.K. or Hammer:

• 1.1.1. Downloading MESS
• 1.1.2. Adding the mess.fgd game data file
• 1.1.3. Adding the MESS.exe compile step

1.1.1. Downloading MESS

This guide assumes that you have downloaded MESS 1.2.3 and extracted the contents of the zip file to C:\HL\Tools\MESS\. You should see the following files:

1.1.2. Adding the mess.fgd game data file

1. In J.A.C.K. or Hammer, go to the Tools menu and select Options.
2. In the configuration window that opens, go to the Game Configurations or Game Profiles tab.
3. Look for the Game Data Files section, click the Add button and select C:\HL\Tools\MESS\mess.fgd.
4. Press OK to save the settings changes.

1.1.3. Adding the MESS.exe compile step

1. In J.A.C.K. or Hammer, press the F9 key (or go to the File menu and select Run...) to open the map compile window.
2. Press the Expert button to switch to expert mode.
3. In the Compile/run commands list, click New to create a new build step, then press the Move Up or Up button until the new command is at the top of the list.
4. In the Command: field, enter C:/HL/Tools/MESS/MESS.exe.
5. In the Parameters: field, enter "$path/$file.$ext"
6. For J.A.C.K. users: enable the Wait for Termination and Use Process Window checkboxes.

That's it! You're now ready to start using template entities and templates.