Setting up VHLT for mapping

The basics

What is VHLT? Its a new set of compilers made by vluzacn.
This dude made a new set of compilers from the existing ZHLT compilers. He added new features, improved lightings and added a whole bunch of other stuff.

If you are still mapping for goldsrc, you should definitely be using the VHLT compilers.

How to install

First, setup valve hammer editor. I have made a handy tutorial here which should guide you through the whole process. Oh and there is no need to download and setup ZHLT so ignore that part.

Now go and download VHLT from here.
The latest version is v33 released on 2/2/2014. This is probably the last one. I doubt any new version will be released after this although the source code is provided so you can always make your custom version.

Now extract the zip file into a folder somewhere in your c:// directory.

Note : There is a bug where you won't be able to compile if the path to your compiler is like this :
C:\Program Files (x86)/vhlt

This is because hammer idiotically parses the path and uses anything after a space as a parameter. So it will interpret the path as path : 'C:\Program Files', paramter : '(x86)'. This mind numbing bug has been around since years.
If you are getting a compile error such as "unknown parameter 'Hammer'", this is the solution. Use a path which has no spaces in it.

So, now open up hammer and go to options>build programs and replace the paths of csg, bsp, vis and rad with the ones provided by VHLT. Use the hlrad_x64 as the rad compiler if you are running a 64 bit OS.

That's it pretty much. You have VHLT installed, now go and make some maps.