SFM/Rendering at 4K

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with SFM/Rendering at 1080p. (Discuss)

As of version 0.9.6.2, Source Filmmaker supports the option of exporting a movie or image sequence at 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution.

If you want to render at 4K, you must set the appropriate command-line startup option before you launch the SFM.

Note:4K rendering is VERY slow, especially on weaker/older hardware.

To render at 4K:

1. Quit the Source Filmmaker if it's open.
2. In Steam, right-click Source Filmmaker, click Properties, click the SET LAUNCH OPTIONS button, and add -sfm_resolution 2160 -w 3840 -h 2160 to your command-line startup options.
3. Launch the Source Filmmaker.

Note:SFM will complain about the resolution being too high. This will not affect rendering

You can also use this command-line switch in a command prompt or in a desktop shortcut.

Once Source Filmmaker is running, you will be able to select higher export resolutions via the Export Movie panel; This also affects the resolution of image exports.

Bug:SFM will crash if you attempt to export as an image after changing the export resolution without first saving and reloading the session.  [todo tested in ?]

If you want to change back to the default render setting of 720p, just remove -sfm_resolution 2160 -w 3840 -h 2160 from your launch options.

Warning:Having the SFM resolution set to 2160p will severely degrade viewport performance. For this reason, you might want to only switch to it when you are ready to perform your final movie layoff.

Bug:SFM will crash if attempting to load a session with the export resolution set higher than the current launch option.  [todo tested in ?]

Tip:If working at higher resolution, mark the file name appropriately to avoid confusion with the above issue.

See also

• Rendering at 1080p
• Command-line startup options