WoW:Console variables

Reference e
AddOns WoW API Widget API XML UI Event API WoW Lua Macro API CVars Battle.net HOWTOs Snippets UI tech Categories

→ CVars

← Console variables

In the World of Warcraft game client you can access many of its configuration options through 'console variables' or 'CVars'. These variables affect many aspects of the game, including the graphics engine, sound system, and user interface.

The term 'CVar' predates WoW and originated with id Software's game Quake (the lead programmer of vanilla WoW was John Cash, a former programmer at idSoftware), and is meant to differentiate base game script variables from commands. 'CVars' should not be confused with the game's script variables, called vars. It's a bit of a misnomer because the base game scripting language is used for many things, and happens to be accessible through the game console. Here are several common ways accessing these vars and commands:

• .wtf files - Config.wtf, in 'WTF', in WoW folder, stores game settings, like 'gxResolution', and 'locale' for the language.
• '/console command' - chat slash command to run a base game script command, like setting a CVar.
• 'wow.exe -Console' - allows you to open "the console" in-game, opening and closing by using ~ key
• Configuration UI - WoW's normal in-game configuration interface. Hit Esc to get to it.
• SetCVar() - WoW global API for changing settings using Macros or AddOns

Warning: changing CVars directly can cause issues. Like changing 'cameraDistanceMax' in Config.wtf may render the "Max Camera Distance" slider useless. In some cases you may have to quit the game, and manually remove the CVar line from the .wtf file. Any changes done though CVars are generally the same as setting them through the game Configuration UI and will be saved.

Reference

This is a categorized list of console variables, along with a short explanation for each CVar. The list is not complete; for a complete list, see Console variables/Complete list. See Category: Removed CVars for the deprecated/removed list.

The general text syntax for setting a variable:

SET variableName "value"

Startup

These are general variables that are only relevant for starting the game (or which are only read during startup).

accountList - Saves multiple account names for login screen

accountName - Saves 1 account name for login screen

accounttype - Saves what account type the user is playing on - Wow, BC, LK or CT

blizzcon - Used by Blizzard to prevent tampering on Blizzcon computers

checkAddonVersion - Disable loading of out-of-date addons

CinematicJoystick

coresDetected - # of CPU cores detected

decorateAccountName -

expansionMovie - Display Cataclysm intro at startup (This variable is reset to 0 after the video has been shown)

forceEnglishNames -

installType - Retail/Beta/PTR

lastCharacterIndex - Number of last character that was used for logging in (initial selection for character screen)

locale - Game language code (e.g. "enGB", "enUS", "deDE", "frFR" ...)

heapAllocTracking - Enables/disables allocation tracking & dumping in SMemMalloc

heapUsage -

heapUsage2 -

movie - Display intro movie at startup (doesn't work in Burning Crusade game client)

movieSubtitle - Display subtitles for intro movies

readContest - Whether the user has accepted the PTR contest rules

readEULA - Whether the user has accepted the EULA

readScanning - Whether the user has accepted the system scanning terms

readTOS - Whether the user has accepted the Terms of Use

realmList - Realm list server to use (e.g. "eu.logon.worldofwarcraft.com" or "us.logon.worldofwarcraft.com")

realmListbn - Battle.net realm list server to use (default: "") - wow still uses realmList

REMOVED 5.4.1 realmName - Name of most recently used realm, displayed in the lower right corner. (removed 5.4.1)

showToolsUI - Enable the WoW Launcher

timingMethod - Sets the CPU timing method used. 0 is none, 1 is normal precision(fps limited to 64), 2 is high precision

patchlist - Address of wow patch server

processAffinityMask - Which processor core to start WoW on

Console

These are commands that only affect the drop down menu

help - Displays help and information for any command. (Eg. Help debug)

fontcolor - Console Font Color

bgcolor - Backdrop color

highlightcolor - Console text highlight color

fontsize - Font Size

font - Name of Font to use in console

consolelines - How many lines to display on screen at once

clear - clears all console text

proportionaltext - Spaces text out to cover the entire screen (E x a m p l e !)

spacing - specifies inter-character spacing, in pixels

settings - lists current console settings

default - returns console to default settings

closeconsole - closes console

repeat - repeats a command when entered

cvarlist - lists all cvars with their current & default settings

cvar_default - sets all cvars to their defaults

cvar_reset - resets config.wtf file to the settings you use when you log in for the first time

Camera

Note: This list is NOT complete due to the increasing number of cvars for this category. See Complete list for the full list of camera settings.

cameraBobbing

cameraBobbingFrequency

cameraBobbingLRAmplitude

cameraBobbingSmoothSpeed

cameraBobbingUDAmplitude

cameraCustomViewSmoothing

cameraDistance - Fixed value?

cameraDistanceD - Camera distance (zoom). May or may not show forced camera movements from camera-world collisions (untested).

cameraDistanceMax

cameraDistanceMaxFactor - Sets factor by which cameraDistanceMax is multiplied

cameraDistanceMoveSpeed - Default is 8.33.

cameraDistanceSmoothSpeed - Default is 8.33. Values range from 0.002778-50. Changes speed at which you scroll-wheel zoom in/out.

cameraDive - Default is 1.

cameraFlyingMountHeightSmoothSpeed

cameraFoVSmoothSpeed

cameraGroundSmoothSpeed

cameraHeightIgnoreStandState

cameraHeightSmoothSpeed

cameraPitch - Fixed value?

cameraPitchD - Camera pitch. Doesn't seem to take forced camera movements because of camera-world collisions into consideration.

cameraPitchMoveSpeed

cameraPitchSmoothSpeed

cameraPitchSmoothMin

cameraPitchSmoothMax

cameraPivot - Default is 1. Controls if your camera will stop when it hits the ground so you can look up without being blocked by your character model.

cameraPivotDXMax

cameraPivotDYMin

camerasmooth

cameraSmoothPitch

cameraSmoothStyle - Default is 0. Possible values 0-2.

cameraSmoothTrackingStyle

cameraSmoothYaw

cameraSmoothTimeMin

cameraSmoothTimeMax

cameraSubmergeFinalPitch

cameraSubmergePitch

cameraSurfacePitch

cameraSurfaceFinalPitch

cameraTargetSmoothSpeed

cameraTerrainTilt

cameraTerrainTiltTimeMin

cameraTerrainTiltTimeMax

cameraView

cameraViewBlendStyle - Default is 1. Possible values 1-2. Camera moves from saved positions smoothly or instantly.

cameraWaterCollision

cameraYaw - Fixed value?

cameraYawD - Camera yaw. May or may not show forced camera movements from camera-world collisions (untested).

cameraYawMoveSpeed - Default is 230. Possible values 1-360. Changes the speed at which the camera can spin.

cameraYawSmoothMax

cameraYawSmoothMin

cameraYawSmoothSpeed

Controls

assistAttack - Start attacking automatically after using /assist

autoClearAFK - Clear AFK upon movement

autoDismount - Dismount when trying to use an ability

autoDismountFlying - ...even when flying

AutoInteract - Right-click to move

autoLootDefault - Items picked up automatically when looting

autoRangedCombat - Automatically switch between ranged and meelee attack

autoSelfCast - Automatic self-casting

autoStand - Stand up when trying to use an ability (added Patch 2.3)

autoUnshift - Unshift/Unstealth/Leave shadowform when using an ability only usable "unshifted" (added Patch 2.3)

deselectOnClick - Sticky targeting

enableWowMouse - Enables the Steelseries Gaming Mouse

Joystick - Enable Joysticks

mouseInvertPitch - Invert up-down mouse motion

mouseInvertYaw - Invert left-right mouse motion

mouseSpeed - Mouse speed

stopAutoAttackOnTargetChange - Stop attacking when switching targets

Engine

asyncHandlerTimeout - A test of the engine - aka you're loading into instance, click out of wow, click back & wow has stopped responding.

asyncThreadSleep - Engine option: Set based on asyncHandlerTimeout

dbCompress - Database compression (?)

Errors -

ErrorFileLog -

ErrorLevelMin -

ErrorLevelMax -

ErrorFilter -

MemUsage -

ShowErrors - Enables/Disables errors from being shown

timingTestError -

Graphics

bspcache - Binary Space Partition Caching

componentCompress - Fixes issues with characters being fully black caused by bad/old drivers.

componentTextureLevel - Changes the quality of player textures. Older textures seem to be unaffected. (1: low quality, 0: high quality)

componentThread -

DesktopGamma - Matches Windows' Gamma Settings

detailDoodadAlpha -

DistCull - Sets distance for culling of objects near farclip

extShadowQuality - Enables Dynamic Shadows (WoW 3.0)

environmentDetail - Controls model draw distance for doodads (WoW 3.0)

farclip - Set detailed draw distance; sets the fog distance. Only terrain will be visible past this distance.

farclipoverride - Allows overriding of preset limit for farclip (WoW 3.0)

ffx - Enable all pixel shaders

ffxDeath - Enable full screen death effect

ffxGlow - Enable full screen glow effect

ffxNetherWorld - Enable full screen "nether world" effect, e.g. for a Mage's Invisibility

ffxRectangle - Enables Widescreen Framebuffer

ffxSpecial - Enables alternative on screen effects. (WoW 3.0 File:Wrath-Logo-Small.PNG)

fixedFunction - Force fixed function pixel and vertex processing

footstepBias - ?

Gamma - Gamma level

groundEffectDensity -

groundEffectDist -

gxApi - Graphics API to use

gxAspect - Preserve aspect ratio for windowed mode

gxColorBits - Color bits

gxCursor - Enable hardware cursors

gxDepthBits - Depth bits

gxFixLag - Smooth mouse cursor

gxMonitor - Сhoice of main monitor that is used for game

gxMaximize - When using windowed mode, maximize the window

gxMultisample - Enable anti-aliasing (e.g. "4" for 4x multisampling)

gxMultisampleQuality - Quality for anti-aliasing (?)

gxOverride - ?

gxRefresh - Refresh rate in Hz

gxResolution - Screen resolution (e.g. "1280x1024")

gxRestart - Restarts the graphics engine

gxTextureCacheSize - Set the cache size

gxTripleBuffer - Enable Triple Buffering

gxVSync - Enable VSync

gxWindow - Windowed mode

horizonfarclip - Set draw distance for the horizon (terrain). When larger than farclip, will show 'shadows' of terrain in the distance.

horizonfarclip - Set draw distance for terrain closest to you.

hwDetect - Perform hardware detection for best values

hwPCF - Use hardware based Percentage Closer Filtering for shadows (Default on)

lod - Level of detail, toggles the level of detail option in the graphics menu

M2BatchDoodads - Enable handling of Detail Doodads in batches (combine doodads to reduce batch count)

M2BatchParticles - combine particle emitters to reduce batch count

M2Faster - end user control of scene optimization mode - (0-3)

M2FasterDebug - Enables developer dynamic control (programmer control of scene optimization mode)

M2UseClipPlanes - use clip planes for sorting transparent objects

M2UseThreads - multithread model animations

M2UseZFill - Enabled Z-Fill on transparent objects

mapObjLightLOD - ?

mapShadows - Toggle map shadows

MaxFPS - Framerate Limitation

maxFPSBk - Framerate Limitation while Wow isn't in focus

MaxLights - Maximum number of hardware lights

nearclip - Clipping range for small detail doodads

objectFade -

ObjectFadeZFill -

occlusion - Disables rendering of objects that are entirely blocked by other graphics

particleDensity - Particle density

pixelShaders - Enable pixel shaders

playerTextureLevels - Deprecated and replaced by componentTextureLevel

PlayerFadeInRate - fade in rate for player mouseover

PlayerFadeOutAlpha - min fade out alpha for player mouseover

PlayerFadeOutRate - fade out rate for player mouseover

shadowBias - Blob Shadow transparency levels

shadowcull - ?

shadowinstancing - Shadow optimization which prevents flickering

shadowLevel - Level of detail for shadow mip maps

shadowLOD - Enables or Disables Blob Shadows

shadowscissor - ?

showshadow - ?

showfootprints - Enable footprints

showfootprintparticles - ?

showsmartrects - Deprecated in WoW 3.0

SkyCloudLOD - Level of detail for Sky

SmallCull - Affects the hiding ('culling') of small objects. Setting to 0 disables.

specular - Enable specular shading

spellEffectLevel - Spell Effect level

SplineOpt - Loading Screen Spline for travel

texLodBias - Texture Level of Detail Bias (?)

terrainMipLevel - Terrain texture blending mode. (1: low quality, 0: high quality)

textureFilteringMode - Texture filtering mode (?)

textureCacheSize - Caches in memory textures when they are not in use for quick loading. (Min: 8388608, Max: 536870912, Default: 33554432)

triangleStrips - Deprecated in WoW 3.0

UIFaster - UI acceleration level

unitDrawDist - Unit draw distance

unitHighlights - Toggle model highlighting on targeted units

useWeatherShaders - Enable weather shaders

violenceLevel - Changes the violence level of the game

waterLOD - Level of Detail for water (Locked)

windowResizeLock - Locks so the game can't be resized while in windowed mode - see gxWindow

weatherDensity - Level of weather effects

worldBaseMip - Environment texture quality (2: low, 1: medium, 0: high)

Interface

BlockTrades - Block trade requests

ChatBubbles - Enable chat bubbles

ChatBubblesParty - Enable party chat bubbles

colorChatNamesByClass - name will change to a color to match their class. default is 0.

CombatDamage - Enable damage display over target

CombatHealing - Enable healing display over target

combatLogOn - Enable combat log (?)

CombatLogPeriodicSpells - Enable periodic spells in combat log (?)

flaggedTutorials - Enable/Disable tutorials for new players

gameTip - Determine which Loading Screen tip will display next (increments per character Login)

guildMemberNotify - Display notification when guild members log in or out

lfgSelectedRoles - your current LFG role selection information

minimapZoom - Minimap zoom level (?)

minimapInsideZoom - Minimap inside zoom level (return the same zoom level as Minimap:GetZoom() when in indoors)

ObjectSelectionCircle - Size of the targeting circle ('0' disables)

PetMeleeDamage - Show pet melee damage

PetSpellDamage - Show pet spell damage

predictedHealth - Enables the Smooth filling Health Bar ('0' disables)

predictedPower - Enables the Smooth filling Energy/Mana/Rage/Runic Bar ('0' disables)

profanityFilter - Enable profanity filter

rotateMinimap - Rotate minimap

secureAbilityToggle - Keeps players from accidentally toggling off by hitting the button more than once in a short (3 sec?) period of time

spamFilter - Enable spam filter

screenshotFormat - Screenshot format

screenshotQuality - Screenshot quality (0-10)

showGameTips - Toggles displaying of loading screen game tips ('0' disables)

showLootSpam - Show a message in the combat log with the amount of money looted when auto-looting

ShowTargetCastbar - Show your target's cast bar

ShowVKeyCastbar - Show target's cast bar under nameplates

scriptErrors - (0/1) Whether or not the UI shows Lua errors

scriptProfile - ?

statusBarText - Show the Player status bar values as text on top of the normal HP/MP/Energy/Rage bars

synchronizeSettings - Toggles the saving of UI settings to the server (0-1)

UberTooltips - Show "extended" tooltips

uiScale - Interface scale

UnitNameRenderMode - ?

UnitNameOwn - (0/1) Toggle Own Name

UnitNameNPC - (0/1) Toggle NPC Name

UnitNamePlayerGuild - (0/1) Toggle Guild Tags

UnitNamePlayerPVPTitle - (0/1) Toggle Titles

UnitNameFriendlyPlayerName - (0/1) Toggle Friendly Player Names

UnitNameFriendlyPetName - (0/1) Toggle Friendly Pet Names

UnitNameFriendlyCreationName - (0/1) Toggle Friendly Creation Names

UnitNameEnemyPlayerName - (0/1) Toggle Enemy Player Names

UnitNameEnemyPetName - (0/1) Toggle Enemy Pet Names

UnitNameEnemyCreationName - (0/1) Toggle Enemy Creation Names

UnitNameCompanionName - (0/1) Toggle Companion Names

useUiScale - Enable interface scaling

Sound

ChatAmbienceVolume - Volume setting for surroundings while in voice chat

ChatMusicVolume - Volume setting for game music while in voice chat

ChatSoundVolume - Volume setting for voice chat

EnableMicrophone - Enables the Microphone

EnableVoiceChat - Enables Voice Chat

FootstepSounds - Enables/Disables footstep sound

InboundChatVolume

OutboundChatVolume

Sound_ChaosMode - Plays random sounds depending on what it is set to (needs to be enabled)

Sound_EnableSoftwareHRTF - Enables headphone designed sound subsystem

Sound_VoiceChatInputDriverIndex - Device for voice input (Microphone)

Sound_VoiceChatOutputDriverIndex - Device for voice output (Headset or secondary speakers)

Sound_OutputDriverIndex - Audio Device Selected

Sound_DSPBufferSize - Sound buffer size

Sound_EnableSFX - Enables SoundFX

Sound_EnableErrorSpeech - Enable error sounds ("Can't cast that yet!")

Sound_EnableMusic - Enables Music

Sound_EnableAllSound - Enables All Sound

Sound_ListenerAtCharacter - Set sound center to player

Sound_EnableEmoteSounds - Enable emote voices

Sound_EnableArmorFoleySoundForSelf - Enable armor damage sounds for player

Sound_EnableArmorFoleySoundForOthers - Enable armor damage sounds for NPCs and other PCs

Sound_MaxCacheableSizeInBytes - Max sound size that will be cached, larger files will be streamed instead

SoundMemoryCache - Sound cache memory size in MB

Sound_EnableMode2 - Enables Alternate sound processing

Sound_EnableMixMode2 - Enables and controls PCM Audio Quality

Sound_EnableHardware - Enable Audio Hardware Acceleration

useEnglishAudio - override the locale and use English audio

Removed

See Removed CVars