reyalp
09-15-2007, 05:54 AM
People keep needing to post this information in replies to other problems, so here's a detailed post to link to.
What is the console ?
The console allows you to enter commands which are not available in the menu. Be warned that use of the console is unsupported, and using some commands or settings can cause problems with the game.
How do I access the console ?
Press ctrl+alt+`
Note the last key may have a different character on it depending on your keyboard layout. It will be the same key as other quake3 games.
That's complicated, can I make it easier ?
Yes open the console as described above and type
seta com_allowConsole 1
Now you will be able to open it with just the ~ key.
What are .cfg files ?
.cfg files are collections of console commands. If you create a .cfg file, it should be plain text, with the extension .cfg. An easy way to do this is to copy one of the default .cfg files.
Where do .cfg files belong ?
cfg files are located in two different subdirectories in your et:qw user directory, which on windows XP is named something like this:
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Username\My Documents\id Software\Enemy Territory - QUAKE Wars
Inside this there are subdirectories called base and sdnet
Most .cfg files belong in base, but see below.
note: Vista has a slightly different directory structure, probably starting with c:\Users
What .cfg files does etqw use automatically
on startup, etqw loads:
base\etqwconfig.cfg
base\etqwbinds.cfg
and base\autoexec.cfg if it exists.
When you log in, some more .cfg files are loaded:
sdnet\<your profile name>\base\profile.cfg
sdnet\<your profile name>\base\bindings.cfg
and sdnet\<your profile name>\base\autoexec.cfg if it exists.
The files other than the autoexec.cfg files are maintained by etqw. If you want to be sure etqw won't overwrite your settings, you should make an autoexec.cfg.
Some cvars need to be set in the profile autoexec. In particular those related to context binds (http://community.enemyterritory.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4161).
what about other cfg files ?
You can create your own .cfg files which can then be run using the exec command. These should go in the base directory, NOT the profile directory.
cvars ? commands ? how do I find out more
cvars are console variables. They are settings that affect the game in some way. Set cvars using the set, seta or setp commands.
seta saves the cvar in etqwconfig.cfg
setp saves it in profile.cfg
set doesn't save it, unless it was already a saved cvar.
commands are commands you an type in the console. These take effect right away, and should not be preceded by any of the set commands.
To get a list of cvars, with descriptions, you can use the htmlcvars command. This creates a file called cvars.html (http://4newbies.planetwolfenstein.gamespy.com/ETQW/htmlcvars.php) (click for an online copy) in your base directory, listing most of the game defined cvars. You can also use the listcvars command.
To get a list of console commands, you can type listcmds. This lists the commands in the console. You can use the condump command to save the current contents of console to a file.
More information can be found here:
http://4newbies.planetwolfenstein.gamespy.com/ETQW/scripting.php
tab completion
The ET:QW console has extensive tab completion. If you start typing a cvar or command name, and press tab, it will show you all the cvars and commands that start with that string, and in the case of cvars, their values. If you type a complete command and press tab, it will often give you a list of the options that command accepts.
Help, I've messed my .cfg up completely, how do I start over ?
Delete (or move outside of your etqw directory) the cfg files listed above in What .cfg files does etqw use automatically ?
I have a scripting question
This thread is to tell you about the console, not answer specific scripting questions. If you have a specific scripting problem, please start a new thread.
What is the console ?
The console allows you to enter commands which are not available in the menu. Be warned that use of the console is unsupported, and using some commands or settings can cause problems with the game.
How do I access the console ?
Press ctrl+alt+`
Note the last key may have a different character on it depending on your keyboard layout. It will be the same key as other quake3 games.
That's complicated, can I make it easier ?
Yes open the console as described above and type
seta com_allowConsole 1
Now you will be able to open it with just the ~ key.
What are .cfg files ?
.cfg files are collections of console commands. If you create a .cfg file, it should be plain text, with the extension .cfg. An easy way to do this is to copy one of the default .cfg files.
Where do .cfg files belong ?
cfg files are located in two different subdirectories in your et:qw user directory, which on windows XP is named something like this:
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Username\My Documents\id Software\Enemy Territory - QUAKE Wars
Inside this there are subdirectories called base and sdnet
Most .cfg files belong in base, but see below.
note: Vista has a slightly different directory structure, probably starting with c:\Users
What .cfg files does etqw use automatically
on startup, etqw loads:
base\etqwconfig.cfg
base\etqwbinds.cfg
and base\autoexec.cfg if it exists.
When you log in, some more .cfg files are loaded:
sdnet\<your profile name>\base\profile.cfg
sdnet\<your profile name>\base\bindings.cfg
and sdnet\<your profile name>\base\autoexec.cfg if it exists.
The files other than the autoexec.cfg files are maintained by etqw. If you want to be sure etqw won't overwrite your settings, you should make an autoexec.cfg.
Some cvars need to be set in the profile autoexec. In particular those related to context binds (http://community.enemyterritory.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4161).
what about other cfg files ?
You can create your own .cfg files which can then be run using the exec command. These should go in the base directory, NOT the profile directory.
cvars ? commands ? how do I find out more
cvars are console variables. They are settings that affect the game in some way. Set cvars using the set, seta or setp commands.
seta saves the cvar in etqwconfig.cfg
setp saves it in profile.cfg
set doesn't save it, unless it was already a saved cvar.
commands are commands you an type in the console. These take effect right away, and should not be preceded by any of the set commands.
To get a list of cvars, with descriptions, you can use the htmlcvars command. This creates a file called cvars.html (http://4newbies.planetwolfenstein.gamespy.com/ETQW/htmlcvars.php) (click for an online copy) in your base directory, listing most of the game defined cvars. You can also use the listcvars command.
To get a list of console commands, you can type listcmds. This lists the commands in the console. You can use the condump command to save the current contents of console to a file.
More information can be found here:
http://4newbies.planetwolfenstein.gamespy.com/ETQW/scripting.php
tab completion
The ET:QW console has extensive tab completion. If you start typing a cvar or command name, and press tab, it will show you all the cvars and commands that start with that string, and in the case of cvars, their values. If you type a complete command and press tab, it will often give you a list of the options that command accepts.
Help, I've messed my .cfg up completely, how do I start over ?
Delete (or move outside of your etqw directory) the cfg files listed above in What .cfg files does etqw use automatically ?
I have a scripting question
This thread is to tell you about the console, not answer specific scripting questions. If you have a specific scripting problem, please start a new thread.