Maps - add community maps to Zero Hour

The Maps tab in the Studio lets you choose community maps for Command & Conquer: Generals – Zero Hour and add them with the same installer that applies your style. You tick the maps you want, make your installer, and the maps appear in the game under Unofficial Maps. There is nothing to unzip or copy by hand.

Where is the Maps tab?#

Open the Studio and click the Maps tab (or go straight to /en/studio#maps). The list comes from a public GitHub repository of community maps, about 295 at the time of writing. Each map has a preview, its mode, the number of players, its size and a short description written from the map's own stats.

You can also browse every map without opening the Studio in the public map directory, where each map has its own page, for example TD Classic ZH v1.

How to find a map: search and filters#

At the top of the tab you have three tools:

• Search maps - type part of a name, such as "Lagoon" or "Tournament".
• Mode - All, 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4 or Fun.
• Money - All, Low, Normal or Lots.

Filters work together, so you can show only 2v2 maps with lots of money, for example. Maps marked Ranked or 2024 pool carry a small label on their card.

Select all and Unselect all#

A new design starts with no maps ticked, so you only get the maps you choose. Click a map's card to tick it: a ticked map gets a highlighted frame, a check mark on its picture and a Selected label. Click it again to untick it. Two buttons change many ticks at once:

• Select all ticks every map, and maps added to the list later are included too.
• Unselect all clears every tick.

When a search or filter is active, the buttons change to Select shown and Unselect shown and only touch the maps you can see. A handy pattern is to filter by your favourite mode, then press Select shown.

The counter under the list shows how many maps are selected and roughly how many MB they take.

What do the money coins mean?#

Each map card shows one to three coins for how much money the map gives:

The level is worked out from what is on the map, counted per player: Supply Docks, small supply piles and Oil Derricks. The site admin can correct the level by hand when they know a map better. Tech buildings such as an Oil Refinery, Hospital or Repair Bay are listed in the description too.

How the installer adds maps to your PC#

When you make your installer with maps ticked, the maps are not packed inside the file. Instead the installer:

1. Downloads each chosen map on your PC from GitHub over a secure connection.
2. Checks every file against the signed map list (SHA-256). A file that does not match is dropped, so a broken map is never saved.
3. Skips any map you already have, either by the same folder name or by an identical .map file under another name. Existing files are never overwritten.
4. Saves each map in its own folder in Documents\Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour Data\Maps.

The maps go to your Documents folder, never into the game folder, so no admin rights are needed and a OneDrive Documents folder works too. The result screen shows something like "Maps: 12 added, 3 already on this PC". Restore my original files and Re-apply my style do not remove or change maps. More on the installer itself is in the installer guide.

Where to find the maps in the game#

1. Start Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour.
2. Open Skirmish, or host a game in Network (LAN) or Online.
3. Click Select Map in the game options.
4. Choose Unofficial Maps. Your new maps are listed there by name.

Everyone in a lobby needs the same map. If a friend does not have it, the game sends it to them before the match. For a full walkthrough of map folders and common problems, read how to install maps in Zero Hour.

The maps report on My account and My installers#

After an install, My installers and My account → Your maps show what happened to every map:

• Added - the map is now on your PC.
• Already on your PC - it was skipped.
• Not added - with the reason, such as a lost internet connection or a file that did not match.

Back in the Studio's Maps tab, every map that was added or already on your PC has a green Installed ribbon on its picture and the line "Already installed on your PC", and the counter shows how many are installed. You can still tick an installed map, for example to put it on another PC. A warning then appears above the list naming the installed maps you picked. It is only a heads-up: the installer skips maps that already exist, so you can ignore it or press Dismiss.

To retry failed maps, make a new installer from My installers. Maps you already have are skipped, so only the missing ones download.

Do maps need a paid plan?#

Yes. Maps come with the Monthly and Yearly plans. With the free trial, or without a plan, the Maps tab is browse-only: you can search, filter and look at every map, but the ticks and buttons are locked. See plans and billing for what each plan includes, and pricing for current prices.

Frequently asked questions#

How many maps can I add at once?#

You can tick every map in the list, which is about 295 at the time of writing. Many players prefer to pick only the modes they play, so the in-game list stays short and easy to scroll.

Will the installer delete maps I already have?#

No. Existing files are never overwritten or removed. Maps you already have are simply skipped.

Can I make an installer with only maps?#

Yes. An installer with only maps works on its own and skips the screen for choosing game copies, because maps go to your Documents folder rather than into a game copy.

Why can't I tick maps in the Studio?#

Your account does not have a plan that includes maps. The free trial is browse-only for maps; the Monthly and Yearly plans unlock the ticks.

Do these maps cause a mismatch online?#

Maps do not change the game itself. Everyone in the lobby needs the same version of the map, and the game sends it to players who do not have it before the match starts.