Testing in TF2

Testing in TF2

HUD Studio can start TF2 for you, show the game's console, and send it commands. Saving a HUD can reload it in game straight away.

Launching

Use the Play button (top right), or Launch TF2 in the Game panel (the gamepad icon). Steam must be running.

System	What starts
Windows	tf_win64.exe (64-bit, the standard build). From Play's menu, or Settings, you can pick tf.exe (32-bit, legacy). Settings can also hand the launch to Steam instead.
Linux / Steam Deck	Steam starts TF2 (64-bit only). Steam can be on your PATH or the Flatpak.
macOS	Not possible: Valve ended TF2's Mac support in 2024.

Start in itemtest

On by default. TF2 starts as a quick local game on itemtest, with:

-window -noborder -w <width> -h <height> -noipx -nosteamcontroller -softparticlesdefaultoff -nohltv -nojoy -enablefakeip
+sv_lan 1 +map itemtest

The width and height come from your display the first time you launch. Change them in Settings → Launching TF2 (or press Use my display size there). Extra launch options of your own go in the same place. Switches like -novid are placed before the + commands, and + commands keep their values (+exec my config.cfg).

The Game panel

• Log: the game's console, read from tf/console.log (-condebug -conclearlog). Filter it with the box above.
• Command line: type any console command; ↑ and ↓ go through what you've typed before.
• Reload HUD: runs hud_reloadscheme. With Reload HUD after saving on, every save does this for you. That only helps when the HUD is installed as a link (or opened straight from tf/custom), because a copy doesn't change when you save.

The remote console

Commands go through TF2's remote console. HUD Studio launches TF2 with:

-usercon -port <free port> +ip 127.0.0.1 +rcon_password <random password> +net_start

• The password is generated for every launch and never saved. The game's command line in the log shows it as ••••••.
• The console listens on 127.0.0.1 only, so nothing on your network can reach it.

Turn the remote console off in Settings if you don't want it.

Test commands

The Game panel groups buttons for things a HUD has to handle:

Group	Buttons
Class	Join any class (joinclass).
HUD	Reload HUD, hide/show HUD, VGUI panel tree (vgui_drawtree, shows every panel's name), panel outlines, FPS, net graph, damage numbers, minimal HUD.
You	Respawn, explode, take damage, overheal, refill, god mode, buddha, noclip, third/first person, spectate, join RED/BLU.
Conditions	Crits (11), Übercharge (5), Buff Banner (16), marked for death (30), Jarate (24), Mad Milk (27), bleed icon (101), on fire (22), healing (21), cloak (64), and Clear conditions.
Mannpower power-ups	Strength 90, Haste 91, Regen 92, Resist 93, Vampire 94, Reflect 95, Precision 96, Agility 97, Knockout 103, King 109, Plague 110, Supernova 111.
Bots	Add puppet bots (bot -team … -class …), make them copy you (bot_mimic) or fire, kick them all.
Round & game mode	Skip waiting for players, restart, RED/BLU wins (win panel), tournament mode on/off.
Maps	itemtest, 2Fort, Badlands, Harvest, Badwater, Hightower, Coal Town (MvM HUD), Foundry (Mannpower) and Walkway. All load as a local game (sv_lan 1).

Buttons with a red dot first turn on sv_cheats 1, which only works in a local game such as itemtest. Hover a button to see the exact command it sends.