The developer console is an essential tool for game developers for debugging their
code and also for players to customize their settings. The console is a text-based
input/output interface to execute commands or change global settings during runtime.
Enabling the console
To enable the console for use:
, typically labeled ~ ("tilde") on a US keyboard.
If the Source Engine is started with an attached debugger, the console output is shown in your debug output window. Starting HL with -condebug will also log all console output in the text file console.log located in your game directory.
Entering commands
Commands are entered into the console by typing them in at the box at the bottom. After entering a new command, it is executed by hitting the <Return> key or pressing the Submit button.
A command has a unique name and an optional list of parameters where each parameter is separated by a <Space> character. Note: The
The syntax is:
Commands and variables
The console differs between console commands and console variables.
Console commands usually pass the parameters to some code function and execute it, but they don't remember these parameters.
Console variables store the last parameters like a global setting. Console variables can only have one parameter, which can be a number or string; it depends on the game code how these values are interpreted. A lot of console variables act like triggers, 0 usually means off and 1 means on (e.g.
Most console commands and variables have prefixes in their name to show the subsystem they belong to, but this isn't always the case, especially for commands coming from Half-Life 1, where the old name was kept unchanged.
Commonly used console command prefixes are:
If you forgot the exact name of a command or variable, find shows all
commands containing a given substring.
The command help shows help text for a given command (if available).
Entering Cheats Into The Console
If you wish to enter a cheat such as impulse 101 then you would need to have already typed in sv_cheats 1. This enables the cheats to be typed in. To turn cheats off simply type in sv_cheats 0.
Full Console Command Listing
You can find a full listing of console commands at Valve's developer site here.
Enabling the console
To enable the console for use:
- Run the game/mod.
- In the main menu click on Options.
- Click the Keyboard tab.
- Click the Advanced... button.
- Check the box next to Enable developer console (~).
- Click Apply.
Note: The ~ key may not work on some keyboards, in which case you should right click on the game, and add -console in launch options. When the game has launched, the console should be open, enter bindThe console is also enabled when the game executable is started with the -dev or -console parameters. (Developers should always start the game with -dev.)toggleconsole
Replacewith the key you want to use. Eg: bind t toggleconsole
You can also manually set another key by opening the cfg/config.cfg file of the game/mod and changing this line: bind "" "toggleconsole"
If the Source Engine is started with an attached debugger, the console output is shown in your debug output window. Starting HL with -condebug will also log all console output in the text file console.log located in your game directory.
Entering commands
Commands are entered into the console by typing them in at the box at the bottom. After entering a new command, it is executed by hitting the <Return> key or pressing the Submit button.
A command has a unique name and an optional list of parameters where each parameter is separated by a <Space> character. Note: The
] is a prompt,
and is not typed.The syntax is:
command <parameter1> [<parameter2>]. For example:
]bind mouse1 +attackIf a command parameter contains <Space> characters, it must be encapsulated in quotes:
]map dm_lockdown
]bind h "say hello world"The console stores the last executed commands in a command history that is accessible with <UpArrow> (goes to the command you just/last entered) and <DownArrow> (goes to the very first command that you entered into the console) keys. You can auto complete a command by pressing <Tab> and choose from a list of available commands if the console found multiple matches. Some commands (e.g.
]name "Gordon Freeman"
map,
load etc) support auto completion for the first parameter too. Commands and variables
The console differs between console commands and console variables.
Console commands usually pass the parameters to some code function and execute it, but they don't remember these parameters.
Console variables store the last parameters like a global setting. Console variables can only have one parameter, which can be a number or string; it depends on the game code how these values are interpreted. A lot of console variables act like triggers, 0 usually means off and 1 means on (e.g.
cl_showfps).
To see the current value of a console variable just type the name without any parameters.
Most console commands and variables have prefixes in their name to show the subsystem they belong to, but this isn't always the case, especially for commands coming from Half-Life 1, where the old name was kept unchanged.
Commonly used console command prefixes are:
ai_ |
single player AI |
bot_ |
bot system |
cc_ |
close caption system |
cl_ |
multiplayer client |
demo_ |
demo playback |
disp_ |
terrain displacement maps |
dsp_ |
audio DSP settings |
ent_ |
entity control/debug |
fire_ |
firing entity events |
fog_ |
fog renderer |
g_ |
single player game |
hltv_ |
Half-Life TV |
host_ |
host system |
hud_ |
client HUD |
joy_ |
joystick input |
log_ |
logging system |
m_ |
mouse input |
mat_ |
material system |
mp_ |
multiplayer game (server) |
nav_ |
navigation graphs |
net_ |
engine networking |
npc_ |
single player game NPCs |
phys_ |
physics system |
r_ |
video renderer |
rcon_ |
remote control access |
sk_ |
player skill / difficulty |
snd_ |
sound system |
sv_ |
server settings (engine) |
v_ |
client view |
vgui_ |
VGUI |
voice_ |
ingame player voice |
vprof_ |
code profiler |
wc_ |
WorldCraft/Hammer helpers |
If you forgot the exact name of a command or variable, find
The command help
Entering Cheats Into The Console
If you wish to enter a cheat such as impulse 101 then you would need to have already typed in sv_cheats 1. This enables the cheats to be typed in. To turn cheats off simply type in sv_cheats 0.
Full Console Command Listing
You can find a full listing of console commands at Valve's developer site here.
