You have virtually limitless possibilities with Garry's Mod. As long as you add new assets and models, you can always create something new and unique. To help users catalog their list of add-ons and items, Steam has introduced the collection feature.
With collections, you can have all your Gmod addons in one group. If you want to invite friends into your session, you can ask them to download and install your collection. This way, everyone benefits from the same things.
If you're new to Gmod or just need a refresher on building collections in Gmod, you've come to the right place. Keep reading to learn more about Collections for Gmod on Steam.
How to make a collection
A collection can contain entities, textures and more. As you load them into Gmod, everything starts to come to life and interact with each other. For example, you can create a unit with custom animations and sound.
A Call of Duty collection would contain weapon models you can shoot, various unique animations, and texture packs for soldiers and operators. In contrast, a humorous collection featuring the Doge meme would have all types of fun designs and other add-ons.
When you create a collection, you put together a list of add-ons that work well together or just what you like. So, it's all up to you as to what to include in the collection.
First phase
To create a collection, carefully follow these steps:
- Open and log in to your Steam client and account.
- Go to the “Community” tab.
- Head to the workshop.
- Choose "Garry's Mod".
- Select "Collections" from the list.
- On the right, click on "Create a collection".
- Give the collection a name, an image, and a brief description.
- Choose a collection type.
- In the categories, select “ServerContent”.
- Save your settings and do this twice as instructed.
Phase two
At this point, the collection is completely empty of add-ons and objects. Now you can finally compile all the addons you want in one place.
- Go back to the Gmod workshop page.
- Look for add-ons.
- When you see something you like, go to the add-on page.
- Click "Add to Collection" and select the collection you just created.
- Click "OK" to confirm.
- Keep repeating until you've had enough.
- Go back to the Gmod workshop page again.
- Select "Lab Files" on the right side of the page.
- Choose the “Collections” option.
- Click and publish your new collection.
Now your collection is ready to use. Your collection will also have a unique ID, which you can get by copying its page URL. It would look like this:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=xxxxxxxxx
The numbers at the end that we have replaced with the letter X will designate your unique collection. You can also check out other collections, and they will all have different IDs.
When you create your collection, you can choose to make it public or private. The former is best if you want to share it with friends, as they won't be able to get the exact addons quickly otherwise.
Now that you have your collection and your ID, you can start using it for your Gmod server. However, before doing so, there are a few steps to follow.
Add the collection to your Gmod server
When you have a collection ready, you can start adding its content to your server. First of all, you will have to open the Steam client, because everything is done there.
- Open Steam on your PC.
- Go to "Community" and select "Workshop".
- Locate Gmod and select it.
- Click on "Browse" before choosing the "Collections" option.
- Find your collection and get its ID if you don't already know it.
- Go to “Files”.
- In "Configuration", open the OneControlCenter configuration panel.
- Now you can paste your collection ID in the field "Workshop Collection ID (Host_workshop_collection)".
- Save your changes.
- Restart your Gmod server.
- Once the server has restarted, your collection should be permanently available on your server.
Depending on your server host, some of the final steps may vary.
Each server can only have one collection loaded at a time. If you have recently found other addons that you want to implement on your server, you will need to update your collection first.
Check your friends' collections
While you may not be able to use your friend's collection without loading it into Gmod, you can still take a look. Something in it may even catch your eye. When you access other collections, you can instantly add add-ons to yours.
To do so, see these instructions:
- Launch Steam.
- Go to “Community” and “Workshop”.
- Search for Garry's Mod and click "Browse".
- Head to “Collections”.
- Click on "Friends' articles".
- If your friends are using Gmod addons, you can take a look at their collections.
- Add anything you like to your collection.
As long as a collection is public, anyone can save anything they want from it. This is how Steam community creations spread in the first place. Without collections, it would be difficult for add-on and mod creators to advertise their fantastic work.
Removal of add-ons
If you get bored of specific add-ons and mods, you can always delete them from your collection. Here's what to do:
- Go to the page of the add-on you want to remove from your collection.
- Click “Add to Collection”.
- Uncheck your collection.
- Click on OK. "
- Now it should disappear from your collection.
Although this method is not intuitive, it is the only way to remove items from your collection. Until Steam implements a new way to instantly clear your addons from a list, you'll have to do it manually. What's worse is that you have to do this for every add-on you want to remove.
Additional FAQs
Does Gmod have a workshop?
Gmod does not have a workshop, but it does have a workshop space on Steam. As Steam is currently distributing the game, it makes sense for the Workshop to be integrated into the platform. This allows players and users to quickly obtain add-ons and mods.
How to download mods for Gmod on Steam?
It is possible to obtain mods outside of collections on Steam. When you are in Gmod you can use these steps to download mods instantly.
1. Press Shift + Tab in Gmod.
2. When the Steam overlay appears, click "Workshop" in the upper right corner.
3. Find addons and mods for Gmod.
4. Download them.
Can you make Ragdolls for Gmod?
Yes you can. Although the process is more difficult than installing add-ons and mods, you can learn how to use the required apps. It takes time, but eventually you can create a ragdoll that you can use in Gmod.
How do I find my Gmod collections?
All of your collections can be found under the "Browse" tab and the "Collections" page. You can view their content by clicking on them and scrolling their pages up and down. Specific add-ons also have their own pages.
Each collection has an individual URL, as you learned above. Thus, be sure to send the voucher to others. This will avoid any confusion.
Use these add-ons instead
There are thousands and thousands of Steam collections, not just for Gmod. If you find something cool that you want to try, it's as easy as loading it into your Gmod game. It doesn't take long and you can try new things right away.
How many collections do you have for Gmod? Do you like the way Steam organizes collections? Let us know in the comments section below.