Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead 2

153 ratings
UI Font Fix [up to 4K] | Increased console font
2
   
Award
Favorite
Favorited
Unfavorite
Game Content: UI, Miscellaneous
File Size
Posted
Updated
234.423 KB
Nov 22, 2022 @ 1:47am
Dec 11, 2022 @ 4:08pm
7 Change Notes ( view )

Subscribe to download
UI Font Fix [up to 4K] | Increased console font

Description
Tired of using a microscope each time you try to read the console?
Well, then you've come to the right place! This addon increases the font sizes in the game console, net_graph, cl_showpos, chat, server browser and other UI's, making them readable on high DPI screens.
No BS, just bigger fonts.

Now with 4K support!
Most of the UI elements have been adapted for 1440p (2K) and 2160p (4K).

This is a normal version
If you need to go bigger, check out the other one here.


IMPORTANT!

Due to some unfortunate specifics of Left4Dead 2 loading order, addons that change the fonts do not work straight out-of-the-box. But follow these steps carefully and you'll be good:
  1. Click Subscribe.
  2. Launch the game to make sure that the addon is downloaded.
  3. Close the game, go to "..\Steam\steamapps\common\Left 4 Dead 2\left4dead2\addons\workshop\" and sort the folder by date. Unless you subscribed to a lot of addons simultaneously, this one should be the latest one. You can check it visually with the help of .jpg file. It should be 2891842569.vpk
  4. Move the .vpk file to "..\Steam\steamapps\common\Left 4 Dead 2\left4dead2\addons\" folder. Unsubscribe from the addon in the workshop to avoid addon conflicts.
  5. Go to "..\Steam\steamapps\common\Left 4 Dead 2\left4dead2\cfg\" folder, open autoexec.cfg and put these two lines in:
    mat_setvideomode XXX YYY 1 mat_setvideomode XXX YYY 0
    where `XXX YYY` is your screen resolution. For example, if you're playing in 1080p, these lines should look like this:
    mat_setvideomode 1920 1080 1 mat_setvideomode 1920 1080 0
    '0' or '1' in the end sets the video mode. Use example above, if you're playing in fullscreen, and swap them, if you need windowed borderless mode.
  6. That's it, you're done.



Note that if you have a lot of addons, there will likely be contradictions (e.g. one of them wouldn't work). So you'll have to decide for yourself, what's more important for you and get rid of the rest of conflicting addons.

If you have some stupid questions, you're welcome to leave them elsewhere. This guide is more than extensive, I do not intend to teach you the basics of PC usage here. I'm gonna assume that if you ended up on this page, looking for a way to make the console readable, you already know all this stuff. And if you didn't bother reading this description before asking your question, I'm gonna ignore your message as well.

As for the other questions, you're welcome in the comments.


Changelog (only the latest update)
v1.4.0
  1. Increased the fonts for:
    • Post-final campaign statistics
    • Radial voice commands
  2. Adapted for different resolutions:
    • Close captions (subtitles)
    • Some more dev-related fonts
  3. Fixed the fonts for:
    • Voting frame
    • Kicking frame
    • And more
  4. Some minor adjustments and improvements
See the full changelog here


DONE!
There will be no more major updates of this addon, except for the necessary fixes.
If you strive for perfection, there is an additional addon that fixes the bug with the game mode titles in the main menu. It is in a separate project, because it would be incompatible with the most popular addons that add the server browser in the main menu. So use it only if you really want to, it is optional.
47 Comments
Crossbow Nov 2 @ 8:37am 
Okay, I'll try again,maybe I can finish it. I'm just too clumsy to handle something this complicated,I apologize for making a fool of myself. Thanks again!
El Daro  [author] Nov 2 @ 7:56am 
To create your own addon with only some changes from mine you first need to unpack the .vpk files from the Left 4 Dead2\left4dead2 folder. Choose pak01_dir.vpk in GCFScape (3rd party tool) and then select resource folder to properly unpack it ( vpk.exe from the game's bin folder fails to do that correctly).

Then you can diff the files with the ones from this addon, see what was changed and adapt the stuff that you need.
Crossbow Nov 2 @ 12:18am 
I tried searching in the res document following the clues you provided, and oh my god, it's really complicated! My brain is completely overloaded, lmao. My initial reason for asking was that I subscribed to your addon, but it's a global modification. Actually, my only problem is that the font in the console and server browser is too small, so I was wondering if it was possible to extract this part from your results. I just tried it, and it's simply beyond my capabilities. For my own sake, I'll just use your addon directly, lmao. Thank you very much for your patient explanation; perhaps I'll try again in the future. Have a nice day!
El Daro  [author] Nov 1 @ 10:34pm 
So, to summarize:

1. Console
- Title: sourcescheme.res/UIBold (non-exclusive)
- Output: sourcescheme.res/ConsoleText (exclusive)
- Input: sourcescheme.res/DefaultSmall (non-exclusive)
- Input suggestions: *likely the same as input*
2. Server Browser :
- Main: resource/l4d360uischeme.res/Default (non-exclusive)
- First tab: sourcescheme.res/Default (extremely non-exclusive)
- Column titles: sourcescheme.res/DefaultSmall (non-exclusive)

* non-exclusive — means it controls various other parts of UI, so changing them will require fixing the rest manually, painstakingly, one by one.
Which is why this addon exists.
El Daro  [author] Nov 1 @ 10:33pm 
I have documented everything inside the resource files. You can go from the header, searching the file for the fonts listed there, or you can search for keywords, like "console", or "server browser", or even my name to find the stuff that's been altered or simply figured out — I left comments everywhere it could be helpful for anyone trying to learn from it.

As a bonus: Marlett font describes symbols used to indicate window buttons (such as minimize, close, resize and so on). It is described in every resource file. But since this font errors out during import, you don't see those symbols (aside from 'x', which is taken from a standard font family). However, there is still a way of loading it if you find the font and put it in your addon. Although it requires a different installation method, if I remember correctly.
El Daro  [author] Nov 1 @ 10:27pm 
After defining your new font with the old properties you have to change the following:
- For keybinding editor:
resource\l4d360uischeme.res —> { BaseSettings { SectionedListPanel.Font "YourNewFont" } }

- For menu titles:
resource\ui\l4d360ui\mainmenu.res —> { BtnGameModes { "subpicnamefont" "DefaultMedium" } }
This one doesn't have to be your new font. For example, here I used one of the default ones simply because it is in a separate optional addon (kind of the sole reason it exists as the optional addon in the first place, 'cause it would conflict with all of the server browser addons).
I did it to avoid introducing unnecessary dependancy.

But it doesn't stop there. The first tab of the Server Browser is actually described by a third font:
resource\sourcescheme.res —> Default

Note: Can't remember if console suggestions use the same font as input window or not, but since I don't have specific notes on them, I would say they do.
El Daro  [author] Nov 1 @ 10:26pm 
The console fonts are described in resource\sourcescheme.res

Console title is described by UIBold font.
Console output is described by ConsoleText font.
Console input window is DefaultSmall . But it also controls the Server Browser column titles.

And this is where it becomes interesting. Because it's a bit more complicated with Server Browser.

The main font it uses is Default in the resource\l4d360uischeme.res . But it is the default font for other UI elements, such as game titles and descriptions, or keybinding editor. And it scales automatically everywhere... aside from the Server Browser.
Which means you have to create a supplementary font with the old descriptions, and then make all the other panels use it instead. Because as soon as you define different properties for different resolutions, it can no longer be scaled automatically where it does so by default.
Crossbow Oct 31 @ 10:42am 
The l4d360uischeme.res file is a bit complicated, and I really don't understand it, so I had to ask you for help. Can you help me?
Crossbow Oct 31 @ 10:40am 
Hello, I want to change only the font size in the console and server browser. I know this mod works using chatscheme.res, clientscheme.res, sourcescheme.res, and the main file l4d360uischeme.res. Could you tell me which sections in l4d360uischeme.res are responsible for the console and server browser font sizes?
El Daro  [author] Dec 3, 2024 @ 6:01am 
No, not possible to do with addons. If it was, I would've done it already. But, alas, the size of the chat's input window is hardcoded.