Screenshot (GoldSrc)

A screenshot is a single rendered frame outputted to an image file. In GoldSrc engine, it can output BMP bitmap (.bmp) and TGA (.tga) image formats.

Both file formats are uncompressed, meaning the saved image is identical to the rendered frame with no loss of quality, however, TGAs may require third-party software (such as Adobe Photoshop) in order to open/preview the image. Screenshots can be also taken using other programs and injectors, with support for modern formats like PNG (which is lossless, like TGA, except with proper compression, aswell as compatible with more third-party software).

The default screenshot key is F5. This will take a BMP screenshot.

Limitations

Warning:The screenshot (for TGA) and snapshot (for BMP) commands take the screenshot immediately, displaying all current screen elements. In other words, if these commands are manually typed into the console, the screenshot will also contains the console.

Workaround:To take a gameplay screenshot, the command should be bound to a key and the console closed.

Console commands

screenshot	Takes a TGA screenshot
snapshot	Takes a BMP screenshot. Progressive or not?[Clarify] The filename will have ".jpg" appended. If no quality is specified, the quality defined by jpeg_quality is used. Confirm:You cannot specify the quality without a filename. Tip:The filename may contain subdirectories as long as they exist, for example jpeg overviews/test_01 writes into the directory screenshots/overviews/.
jpeg_quality [1-100] (not in )	Compression quality to save the JPEG with, ranging from 1-100, with 100 being the best quality. The default value is 90, which means visually lossless for most images. Note:This is reset to 90 every time the game is closed but one can force it through autoexec.cfg.

Files

Screenshots are saved in the <game> directory of the relevant game. By default, the naming scheme they use is "mapname####", with sequential numbering using four digits, for example "c1a00035". When the map is not loaded, the file will be saved as "Snapshot####" (for BMP) or "HalfLife##" (for TGA).

See also

• How To Take Artistic Screenshots - a general guide on setting up, saving, and editing screenshots for artistic purposes
• Panorama Creation - a guide for creating a panorama image using multiple screenshots
• Category:Screenshot needed - a list of articles on this Wiki which could use one or more screenshots. You can help!