Your First Map

This guide walks you through creating a simple map in the editor and running it in the Mortar engine.

1. Open the Editor

Go to editor.ctx.gg or run the editor locally. You’ll see a 3D viewport with a grid plane.

2. Add Geometry

Use the toolbar to add basic shapes:

• Box — Click the box tool and click in the viewport to place a box
• Plane — Create flat surfaces for floors and walls
• Sphere — Add spherical objects

Each shape can be moved, rotated, and scaled using the transform gizmo.

3. Set Properties

Select an object and use the properties panel to set:

• Position — World-space coordinates (x, y, z)
• Scale — Size multiplier on each axis
• Material — Color and texture settings
• Physics — Static or dynamic body, collision shape

4. Save Your Map

Click Save to store the map. If you’re signed in, it saves to the ctx.gg API. Otherwise it saves locally as a JSON file.

5. Play the Map

Desktop App

1. Open the ctx.gg desktop app
2. Find your map in the library
3. Click Play — the app launches the Mortar engine with your map

Command Line

./mortar --map path/to/map.json

What’s Next?

• Map Format — Understand the map JSON structure
• Collaboration — Build maps together in real-time
• Tournaments — Create competitions on your maps