Installing the Workshop Tools

Each Source 2 game with public tools provides a DLC package that contains the tools required to create custom content. These tools are distributed separately from the main game, and the installation steps differ between games.

Counter-Strike 2

1. Launch Counter-Strike 2 from Steam.
2. Click on the Settings menu.
3. Search for Install Counter-Strike Workshop Tools.
4. Change the setting to Yes.

After this quit out of the game, and wait for the workshop tools to install.

Half-Life: Alyx

1. Open Half-Life: Alyx in your Steam Library.
2. Scroll down to the DLC section. (Or Right-Click -> Properties -> DLC)
3. Locate the entry labeled Workshop Tools and install it.

Dota 2

1. Open Dota 2 in your Steam Library.
2. Scroll down to the DLC section. (Or Right-Click -> Properties -> DLC)
3. Locate the entry labeled Workshop Tools and install it.

Steam VR

Steam VR ships with Workshop Tools by default, so there is nothing to install. The tools application sits in the SteamVR install, which is reached by browsing local files:

After installing

The install adds three things to the game directory:

• a content/ tree next to game/, where source files live; see content/ and game/
• resourcecompiler.exe in game/bin/win64/, which turns source files into the compiled resources the game loads; see Resource Compiler
• the Addon Launcher and the ability to run the game in tools mode (-tools)

The tools themselves are launched into an addon rather than on their own, so creating one is the next step: see Addons.