# Unlock ultra high settings in TF2 (+possibly more Valve games)



## oli_ramsay (Mar 12, 2009)

> *If you don't care much for how the command works and my comparisons, just skip to the bottom.*
> 
> ---
> 
> ...



Source

Other console commands to improve quality:

mat_picmip -10
mp_usehwmmodels 1
mp_usehwmvcds 1
mat_picmip -10
mat_parallaxmap 1
mat_aaquality 8
r_threaded_particles 1
r_threaded_client_shadow_manager 1
cl_threaded_bone_setup 1
cl_threaded_client_leaf_system 1
mat_antialinis 16







Enjoy!


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## MadClown (Mar 12, 2009)

omg cool beans


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## Mr.Amateur (Mar 12, 2009)

I believe this was on the internet somewhere, but thanks for bringing it up in TPU 

Too bad you have to type it in EVERY SINGLE TIME you play


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## DarkMatter (Mar 12, 2009)

Mr.Amateur said:


> I believe this was on the internet somewhere, but thanks for bringing it up in TPU
> 
> Too bad you have to type it in EVERY SINGLE TIME you play





> (or preferably, in an autoexec)



If you put it in an autoexec the settings will be applied everytime the game starts.


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## wolf (Mar 12, 2009)

DarkMatter said:


> If you put it in an autoexec the settings will be applied everytime the game starts.



please include how this is performed


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## DarkMatter (Mar 12, 2009)

wolf said:


> please include how this is performed



Yeah, sorry. You are right :

http://www.tweakguides.com/HL2_7.html

^^ That is a complete guide to the source engine. I reccommend to follow it, but basically:

- Enter the game folder and inside it the cfg folder, typically: 
	
	



```
\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\[username]\[game name]\[game name]\cfg\
```

- Right click -> New -> Text Document

- Write down as many commands you'd like to add, each in a different line.

- Save the document as autoexec.cfg

- You're done! 

* You can also directly edit the config.cfg file, but the method above is highly recommended, if anything just so you can delete/move the autoexec if the game has problems (unlikely). You'll rapidly know if any of the changes you made is guilty or not. Also you may want to cancel the changes in the future and is not easy to remember all the changes.


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## kyle2020 (Mar 12, 2009)

very nice find. /subscribed so I can try this as soon as I get home.


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## Darknova (Mar 12, 2009)

Once I get home I'll have to try this on the links of Counter-strike Source as well. See if it works


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## crtecha (Mar 12, 2009)

im all over this when I get home.


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## kyle2020 (Mar 12, 2009)

deffinately makes an improvement. Just created a server on TF:2 and dropped the code in - very impressive. Going to try it with CS:S now.

*edit*

Does nothing on CS:S. Shame


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## Darknova (Mar 12, 2009)

kyle2020 said:


> deffinately makes an improvement. Just created a server on TF:2 and dropped the code in - very impressive. Going to try it with CS:S now.
> 
> *edit*
> 
> Does nothing on CS:S. Shame



Nope. I don't think the older Source engine-based games will see any quality increase.


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## ShadowFold (Mar 12, 2009)

I'm going to try this in Left 4 Dead now. I will post some screens if it works.


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## ShadowFold (Mar 12, 2009)

Ah poo l4d doesn't have any of those commands. I am gonna try TF2 and CSS now.


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## kyle2020 (Mar 12, 2009)

TF2 100% works - even added all those lines of tweaks to my config file - it does have a noticeable improvement.


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## oli_ramsay (Mar 12, 2009)

Just tried the mat_picmip command in CSS and the lowest it goes to is 0.


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## ShadowFold (Mar 12, 2009)

kyle2020 said:


> TF2 100% works - even added all those lines of tweaks to my config file - it does have a noticeable improvement.



Sweet. I gotta install it first.


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## red268 (Mar 12, 2009)

So, does this work with Half Life 2 then?


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## ShadowFold (Mar 12, 2009)

EP2 probably since TF2 and EP2 use the Orange Box engine, but not Ep1 or HL2. I will test those later as I just got done installing tf2!


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## D007 (Mar 12, 2009)

wow look at that..
L4D just got better..lol..

this work in L4D?
I hope so. XD

EDIT: crap.. you said it doesn't shadow..
dangit..
maybe the commands are different in L4D..
hope they exist..


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## red268 (Mar 12, 2009)

ShadowFold said:


> EP2 probably since TF2 and EP2 use the Orange Box engine, but not Ep1 or HL2. I will test those later as I just got done installing tf2!



Thanks! Let us know how you get on and which ones work for deffinate!


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## TheMailMan78 (Mar 12, 2009)

ShadowFold said:


> I'm going to try this in Left 4 Dead now. I will post some screens if it works.



Are you 100% sure man?


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## h3llb3nd4 (Mar 12, 2009)

Darn! I don't have the orange box!!


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## MoonPig (Mar 12, 2009)

So this only really works on TF2 and EP2? Might have to start playing them.


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## ShadowFold (Mar 12, 2009)

Yea it doesn't work on EP1 or HL2. EP2, Portal and TF2 work tho. HL2/CSS use a different engine compared to L4D and Orange Box games.


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## TheMailMan78 (Mar 12, 2009)

ShadowFold said:


> Yea it doesn't work on EP1 or HL2. EP2, Portal and TF2 work tho. HL2/CSS use a different engine compared to L4D and Orange Box games.



I thought they were all Source based?


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## PVTCaboose1337 (Mar 12, 2009)

I saw this WAYYYYYYY back when.  It is highly unstable at times, mainly when someone is on a custom map with 1000 cows or something on it.  But very cool for stock mapp.


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## ShadowFold (Mar 12, 2009)

They are but there are a ton of variations. HL2 and CSS use 1.0, Orange Box and Left 4 Dead use their own proprietary/edited versions of source.


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## Polaris573 (Mar 12, 2009)

Wonder if it works on DOD:S since it got a bunch of upgrades late last years (Very High texture, motion blur, etc.).  I'll have to try it later this afternoon.


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## crazy pyro (Mar 12, 2009)

DOD:S was updated to run on the orange box engine I think.


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## wolf (Mar 13, 2009)

the command works beaut for me, thanks for the autoexec stuff Darkmatter, your a champion.

no noticeable dip in FPS at all too, still i run a GTX295 that is hardly stressed by TF2.


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## red268 (Mar 13, 2009)

After making the autoexec.cfg I just get to the loading menu screen (Ep2) and it never gets any further.
Made the file as described, and put it in the folder as described. Made in Notepad and saved as autoexec.cfg making sure it was set to 'All files'.
Any ideas?


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## CDdude55 (Mar 13, 2009)

Nice stuffs.

TF2 already looks nice imo.(and this is on a 8600 GTS)


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## kyle2020 (Mar 13, 2009)

red268 said:


> After making the autoexec.cfg I just get to the loading menu screen (Ep2) and it never gets any further.
> Made the file as described, and put it in the folder as described. Made in Notepad and saved as autoexec.cfg making sure it was set to 'All files'.
> Any ideas?



no idea - I created the cfg and its fine. Try deleting that file, play the game for a few minutes, and re make it.


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## DarkMatter (Mar 13, 2009)

red268 said:


> After making the autoexec.cfg I just get to the loading menu screen (Ep2) and it never gets any further.
> Made the file as described, and put it in the folder as described. Made in Notepad and saved as autoexec.cfg making sure it was set to 'All files'.
> Any ideas?





kyle2020 said:


> no idea - I created the cfg and its fine. Try deleting that file, play the game for a few minutes, and re make it.



Yeah, I too have no idea. The problem is not in the autoexec file itself, the commands inside could be a problem tho. Move the file to another folder or the desktop and run the game. You can try the command(s) in the console, that way you'll know if any of those is creating the problem. I say so because if you are using all of the ones in the OP, some *might* be problematic for your card, because of the available memory. If you are using the max mat_picmip -10 (no texture compression at all) and you set the AA to 8x confused:? mat_aaquality 8 = 8xAA??), that might stress the memory too much and cause the error idk. 

In fact, that mat_aaquality command is confusing for me to begin with. Usually we use the term sample for common AA levels and quality term is used for coverage sample/custom filter CSAA/CFAA modes. i.e 16x CSAA is 4 AA samples with quality 4.

I'm just guessing, I haven't tried the commands myself, because I have none of the compatible games installed atm and Steam is a pain here to download the files...

I suppose that if the problem is in the hardware, my card would find the same limitations as yours. I might give it a try this weekend, but I'm not sure, because it's a real pain to download them (I have a 12mb/s connection and it downloads at 50kb/s ). 

Let's see if someone else can help you. You could start by saying which commands you used and see if others tried all them too.

EDIT: huh, I just remembered that someone said CSS's maximum setting for mat_picmip is 0, it could be that HL2:Ep2 also has a lower maximum like -4 or something. Again, try the commands in the console first, the console will tell you if the value is valid or not. But if you try to force the setting in the autoexec... that could be the problem.

EDIT2: Ok regarding mat_aaquality, I was right. I tried the commands in CSS and I have not found mat_antialinis, is a typo? I found mat_antialias and is exactly what I said. When 16x CSAA is chosen mat_aaquality is automatically set at 4 and mat_antialias is 4. When 8x CSSA, mat_aaquality is 2 and is always set to 0 in MSAA modes, i.e 8xMSAA is mat_antialias 8, mat_aaquality 0. IF mat_antialinis is a typo the commands given in the OP would be setting the AA to 16 samples with 8 quality OR what is the same 16 x 8 = 128xAA!!


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## Corrosion (Mar 13, 2009)

This only makes the little posters and some 3d objects better looking. not all the textures. ive tried this months ago.


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## TheMailMan78 (Mar 13, 2009)

Corrosion said:


> This only makes the little posters and some 3d objects better looking. not all the textures. ive tried this months ago.



Corrosion remove your avy. It makes me go to the bathroom and punch my crotch.


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## red268 (Mar 14, 2009)

DarkMatter said:


> You can try the command(s) in the console, that way you'll know if any of those is creating the problem. I say so because if you are using all of the ones in the OP, some *might* be problematic for your card, because of the available memory. If you are using the max mat_picmip -10 (no texture compression at all) and you set the AA to 8x confused:? mat_aaquality 8 = 8xAA??), that might stress the memory too much and cause the error idk.
> 
> EDIT: huh, I just remembered that someone said CSS's maximum setting for mat_picmip is 0, it could be that HL2:Ep2 also has a lower maximum like -4 or something. Again, try the commands in the console first, the console will tell you if the value is valid or not. But if you try to force the setting in the autoexec... that could be the problem.
> 
> EDIT2: Ok regarding mat_aaquality, I was right. I tried the commands in CSS and I have not found mat_antialinis, is a typo? I found mat_antialias and is exactly what I said. When 16x CSAA is chosen mat_aaquality is automatically set at 4 and mat_antialias is 4. When 8x CSSA, mat_aaquality is 2 and is always set to 0 in MSAA modes, i.e 8xMSAA is mat_antialias 8, mat_aaquality 0. IF mat_antialinis is a typo the commands given in the OP would be setting the AA to 16 samples with 8 quality OR what is the same 16 x 8 = 128xAA!!



Thanks for your help! I'm not going to be back home until late tomorrow night, so I probably won't get a chance to try anything until Monday at the earliest. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks again!!


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