How to Change the Map on Your Garry's Mod Server

You set the map your server starts with in your server's settings. By default it is gm_flatgrass. Besides the included maps gm_flatgrass and gm_construct you can use maps from the Steam Workshop or upload your own maps via SFTP.

Important

Always enter the file name of the .bsp file without the extension as the map, not the title from the Steam Workshop. For the file rp_downtown_v4c_v2.bsp the map name is rp_downtown_v4c_v2.

Set the start map in the settings

1. Open the dashboard
   Open the dashboard of your server.

2. Open the settings
   Navigate to the Settings.

3. Enter the map
   Enter the name of the map in the Map field, for example gm_construct. The server then starts with the parameter:

   +map gm_construct

   Note

   The field only accepts letters, numbers, hyphens (-) and underscores (_). Spaces, dots or the .bsp extension are not allowed.

4. Restart the server
   Save the setting and restart your server.

Change the map while the server is running

You can change the map without a restart directly through the console.

1. Open the dashboard
   Open the dashboard of your server.

2. Enter the command
   Enter the following command in your server's console:

   changelevel <map>

   Replace <map> with the name of the map, for example changelevel gm_construct.

Note

A change via changelevel only lasts until the next restart. After that the server starts with the map from the Map field again. If the map does not exist on the server, the command fails and the server stays on the current map.

Use a map from the Steam Workshop

The server downloads Workshop maps through your Workshop collection. A Workshop map that is not in the collection is neither downloaded by the server nor distributed to the players.

1. Add the map to the collection
   In the Steam Workshop for Garry's Mod, add the map to the collection whose ID is entered in the Workshop ID field. To learn how to set up a collection, see Add mods.

2. Find the map name
   Find out the .bsp name of the map (see the next section).

3. Enter the map
   Enter the .bsp name in the Map field in the Settings.

4. Restart the server
   Save the setting and restart your server. The server downloads the collection on startup and then starts with the map.

Tip

If your server is running a map that is also in your server's collection, the map is automatically marked for download by the players. The console then shows the message "Making workshop map available for client download". So you do not need a resource.AddWorkshop entry for the map (see Add mods).

Find the .bsp name of a Workshop map

The title in the Steam Workshop often differs from the actual map name. This is how you find the exact name:

1. Check the Workshop description
   Open the map's page in the Steam Workshop for Garry's Mod. Many creators state the map name in the description. If you find it there, you can skip the following steps.

2. Extract the addon file
   If the name is not in the description, extract the map's addon file. Workshop addons usually come as a .gma file. You extract a .gma file with gmad.exe from your local game installation under …\GarrysMod\bin\:

   gmad.exe extract -file "<path to file>.gma"

3. Find the map file
   In the extracted folder you will find the map in the maps/ subfolder. The file name without the .bsp extension is the name you enter in the Map field or use with changelevel.

Warning

The server runs on Linux and file names there are case-sensitive. Therefore copy the map name exactly as it appears in the file.

Upload your own map via SFTP

Maps that do not come from the Workshop are uploaded to the server as a .bsp file.

1. Stop the server
   Stop your server via the dashboard.

2. Connect via SFTP
   Connect to your server via SFTP.

3. Upload the map
   Upload the .bsp file to the following directory:

   /garrysmod/maps/

   Example: /garrysmod/maps/gm_examplemap.bsp

4. Enter the map
   Enter the file name without .bsp in the Map field in the Settings, in this example gm_examplemap.

5. Start the server
   Save the setting and start your server.

Important

A map uploaded via SFTP only exists on the server. Players need the map as well to be able to join. If the map is also available in the Steam Workshop, use your collection instead of the SFTP upload (see Use a map from the Steam Workshop). For a map that is not on the Workshop, set up FastDL so that players can download it.

Choose a map that matches the gamemode

Many gamemodes are designed for specific maps. The prefix of the map name tells you which gamemode a map is intended for:

Prefix	Gamemode
gm_	Sandbox
rp_	Roleplay, e.g. DarkRP
ttt_	Trouble in Terrorist Town
ph_	Prop Hunt

The prefixes are a convention, not a fixed rule. A gamemode will still start on an unsuitable map, but it will lack things like spawn points or weapon placements there. The default map gm_flatgrass is only suitable for Sandbox. When you change the gamemode, adjust the Map field as well.