Change Outline Glows

Are you bored from same color outlines?
Many players think it cannot be changed but it is not.
In this guide, I will show how to change color of the survivors and infecteds glow (the colored line border of the models that make you see the model behind the walls)
To make the game a little bit more interesting.

Introduction

This configuration is all about some console commands. The game let us change the glows but developers didn't explain it to the players clearly. (although you can access them in cvar list for l4d2 in official Valve Developer Community web site.)

These commands are not cheat-flagged so it is safe to use them in any kind of servers (except the ones that exclusively block these commands.)

I wrote this guide a way back before TLS update. Since then I no longer actively play L4D2, if something broke, doesn't work, and know a workaround please let me know I will update accordingly with credits given.

autoexec.cfg

If you already have a autoexec.cfg you can skip this part

Unfortunately these cvars are "Client Side (cl)" which means these changes will be reset everytime you close the game, we need a autoexec.cfg to keep these changes forever.

For who doesn't know: What is autoexec.cfg ?

It is a configuration file which contains some console commands submitted automatically when you open the game.
Including glows, you can write as many commands (which cannot be saved to Steam Cloud) as you want.
You can also use autoexec.cfg for other Valve's games such as CS:GO, Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead 1.

How can I find my autoexec.cfg ?

For Left 4 Dead 2:
1. Browse game files via Library
   
2. Follow "left4dead2\cfg\" folders it must be here

I don't have autoexec.cfg file. Can I create a new one?

Of course yes,
First you need to create a new notepad there and name it "autoexec.cfg" [change the extension (.txt) as well], open it with notepad(all cfg files are edited with notepad)
IMPORTANT: In Windows Folder Options you need to uncheck the box below to see the extensions. (If you don't do this, .txt extensions doesn't show up and .cfg extensions that associated with notepad will disappear.)





















ALTERNATIVE WAY (apply if you couldn't make it): There are lots of cfg files in the folder. Copy one of them to the desktop, open and empty all of text in it, save and rename it "autoexec" (you don't need to do anything with file extension because it is already a cfg file.)

Calculating RGB Variables

Alright you need to know RGB models of the color that you wish. You can see some of them here[www.rapidtables.com]: (The RGB color model is an additive color model in which red, green and blue light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors.)

Each glow has 3 commands:
* End with _b is Blue intensity number
* End with _g is Green intensity number
* End with _r is Red intensity number

Normally, color intensity number interval is 0-255 but in l4d2 it is 0-1. So you need to calculate the number for the game (you might need a calculator unless your maths is great)
Your formula is:

EXAMPLE

Let's say our color is Royal Blue (R: 65, G: 105, B: 225) and we will change the survivor teammate glow color

Calculating of Red intensity number:










Calculating of Green intensity number:










Calculating of Blue intensity number:









So we must add these commands to your autoexec.cfg to see the changes in the game:

cl_glow_survivor_b "0.882"
cl_glow_survivor_g "0.411"
cl_glow_survivor_r "0.254"

What happens when I set all RGB values to 1?

Same thing as you mix colors in physics. You will get WHITE glow.

What happens when I set all RGB values to 0?

No glow will appear, you can use it for unwanted glows. There is no black glow.

Can I change glows of gas canisters in Dead Center and The Passing finale?

No, they are map specific glows so you can't configure them. You can see more map specific glows in custom campaigns.

Survivor Team Outline Glows

cvar "default value" 

1. Your fellow survivor glow

(When you see a teammate behind walls)

cl_glow_survivor_b "1.0"
cl_glow_survivor_g "0.4"
cl_glow_survivor_r "0.3"

2. Objects that you can interact

(such as weapons, throwables, crescendo event starters etc.)

cl_glow_item_b "1.0"
cl_glow_item_g "0.7"
cl_glow_item_r "0.3"

3. Objects that you can interact (from far)

(from pretty far distance)

cl_glow_item_far_b "1.0"
cl_glow_item_far_g "0.4"
cl_glow_item_far_r "0.3"

4. When your fellow survivor is puked

(also applies to infected hit with bile jar)

cl_glow_survivor_vomit_b "0.0"
cl_glow_survivor_vomit_g "0.4"
cl_glow_survivor_vomit_r "1.0"

5. When your fellow survivor is in trouble

(caught by a special infected or incapacitated)

cl_glow_survivor_hurt_b "0.0"
cl_glow_survivor_hurt_g "0.4"
cl_glow_survivor_hurt_r "1.0"

6. Objects that you can interact (in black&white screen)

(they are red in default)

cl_glow_thirdstrike_item_b "0.0"
cl_glow_thirdstrike_item_g "0.0"
cl_glow_thirdstrike_item_r "1.0"

7. The special infected which is attacking to a survivor

(such as pounching hunter, crashing charger or riding jockey)

cl_glow_ability_b "0.0"
cl_glow_ability_g "0.0"
cl_glow_ability_r "1.0"

NOTE:

If colorbind mode is enabled, 6th and 7th commands won't work. Right commands for colorblind mode are:

cl_glow_thirdstrike_item_colorblind_b
cl_glow_thirdstrike_item_colorblind_g
cl_glow_thirdstrike_item_colorblind_r

and

cl_glow_ability_colorblind_b
cl_glow_ability_colorblind_g
cl_glow_ability_colorblind_r

Infected Team Outline Glows

1. SI Teammates

(spawned)

cl_glow_infected_b "1.0"
cl_glow_infected_g "0.4"
cl_glow_infected_r "0.3"

2. SI Teammates

(not spawned yet & ghost form)

cl_glow_ghost_infected_b "1.0"
cl_glow_ghost_infected_g "0.4"
cl_glow_ghost_infected_r "0.3"

3. Puked Survivors

cl_glow_infected_vomit_b "0.72"
cl_glow_infected_vomit_g "0.07"
cl_glow_infected_vomit_r "0.79"

4. Survivors whose health is above 40

(Green color in their HP bars)

cl_glow_survivor_health_high_b "0"
cl_glow_survivor_health_high_g "0"
cl_glow_survivor_health_high_r "0.039"

5. Survivors whose health is between 25 and 40

(Yellow color in their HP bars)

cl_glow_survivor_health_med_b "0.032"
cl_glow_survivor_health_med_g "0.45"
cl_glow_survivor_health_med_r "0.59"

6. Survivors whose health is below 25

(Red color in their HP bars)

cl_glow_survivor_health_low_b "0.0"
cl_glow_survivor_health_low_g "0.25"
cl_glow_survivor_health_low_r "0.70"

7.Incapacitated survivors & Survivors whose health is 1

(Can be incapacitated or killed by single CI attack. (sometimes it doesn't show up although the survivor has 1 HP.)

cl_glow_survivor_health_crit_b "0.098"
cl_glow_survivor_health_crit_g "0.098"
cl_glow_survivor_health_crit_r "0.63"

8.The Witch which is not angry

(just crying, not disturbed)

cl_witch_glow_idle_b "0.2"
cl_witch_glow_idle_g "0.4"
cl_witch_glow_idle_r "0.2"

9.The Witch which is startled by a survivor

(or about to be startled)

cl_witch_glow_angry_b "0.0"
cl_witch_glow_angry_g "0.0"
cl_witch_glow_angry_r "1.0"

NOTE:

Like survivors, if colorbind mode is enabled, survivor health glow commands won't work.
You need to add "_colorbind" before "_b" or "_g" or "_r" too.
(e.g. cl_glow_survivor_health_low_colorblind_g)

Finish

My guide ends here. Thanks for reading
If something is not right or I missed something please let me know so I will edit the guide as soon as possible.

[Derezzed]

Good guide! but the witch glow command doesn't work for me, don't know why.

[SpitFire]

is there a way to change the trapped survivor outline color?

[Eyal282]

Cheat flagged commands are not possible to VAC ban, as they are a second party commands ( commands given to the costumer of the software )

Valve only bans for Third Party software.

Although it's scummy, if you somehow manage to cheat via those commands, it is not possible to be banned. If you manage to do so, report it so it gets patched.

Cheating via second party commands ( without modifying the game client ) is known as glitches. For example shooting your friend with RPG to make him fly is a glitch.

Cheat flagged commands are commands given for both the developer, the costumer developers ( me ) and the costumer gamers ( you and me ) so we can alter games that belong to us via the command sv_cheats 1, which disables the barrier of cheat commands.

[☢↯€△ᚱ™]

hello
AshesBeneath!

I am trying to add more brightness to the glows in general, and I found these parameters that I show you here:

cl_glow_blur_scale
cl_glow_brightness
cl_glow_los_delay
cl_glow_los_fade_in_time
cl_glow_los_fade_out_time

I would like to know if you can recommend a numerical range for these parameters, since I use a script in conjunction with an autoexec.

I only hope that you can recommend me some guide to adjust them myself or if instead you know how to adjust them, it would be very helpful...

thanks and very good guide XD!...

[Umi]

Thank you

[AshesBeneath]

@Aoi It's ok

[Umi]

Sorry For Using It Without Permission!

[Umi]

hello uh. i put ur guide on my guide of HS top outline colors, if you want me to remove it i will

[󠀡󠀡]

hey idk if you answer the comments but for some reason I can't see the witch outlines or the trapped survivors outlines, in 80% I can't see any outlines idk why

[voodadoo]

thanks so much man, i love you