Hybridic graphic settings - between Low and Medium

How to get hybridic settings

• Set Low Graphics (including Textures)
  
• Shaders to Medium
  
• Shadows to Medium (already done)
  
• Models to High
  
• Close SC2 and go to the folder C:\Users\<your_username>\Documents\StarCraft II\
  
• Open variables.txt (or create it) and add this line:
  
  

  GraphicsOptionOverallQualityVer7[8]=5

  
  
• Still in Starcraft II folder, open the folder Accounts\<some_random_numbers>\
  
• In this folder, there is another variables.txt - open and add these lines to the bottom:
  
  

  spec=0
  creeptrans=1
  texQualityLevel=1
  preblendedcreep=0
  shadowmapsize=1024
  alternateLowTextures=1

  
  

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If you have lag, purple terrain/models and FPS drops, try to clear cache from ProgramData / BlizzardEntertainment / StarCraft II (this folder might be hidden, google how to show hidden folders)

If you still have problems with FPS drops and lags, in "Arcade" search map called preloader and launch it. Do this every time you launch SC2 for better performance.

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Watching many streams and most players are using low settings. I understand them: less details, less attention spread, more clear and readable game, and sometimes more smooth game with 50-60-80+ FPS.

I've tried to experiment a bit more with parameters in variables.txt. And found an interesting preset, that can be called "Low-Medium Hybrid Settings". You can't get those settings via ingame options. This graphical settings preset was fully created in variables.txt file

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The main differences of "Low-Medium Hybrid Settings" from LOW settings are:

• More detailed models - now you can see awesome green deaths from acid weapons (banelings, roaches) or flame deaths (from helions, colosus)
  
• Shadows and better lighting. On fully-low settings the game becomes a bit darker, and sometimes it's TOO dark, especially on night maps, like Cloud Kingdom, Metalopolis or Shakuras Plateau. This settings preset fixes that
  
• Another important feature of this preset is more visible/detailed Force Fields and Cloaked units than on low settings
  
• You will be able to see what unit your enemy is warping. On low settings it's impossible to see
  
• Small glossy effect on Overlords. On low settings they are very dark, but on medium and higher they are more noticeable with their glow on left-right sides of unit model
  
• On low settings, the game is a bit more saturated. On medium-high-ultra settings, with HDR turned on, the game is a bit less saturated and a bit more realistic and less toy-ish
  
• Pylon circle is same, as medium-high settings. No more ugly blue circle without animation!
  

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The main differences of "Low-Medium Hybrid Settings" from MEDIUM settings are:

• Instead standart textures it uses special low textures, that have lower sizes, meaning that they require less memory to load these textures
  
• Every unneeded graphic parameter is turned to LOW for more FPS and more smooth game
  
• Not much bloom, probably fully deleted bloom effect from the game
  
• Everything feels more matt than glossy, especially with Zerg buildings (easier on the eyes)
  
• Less special lighting, like green light from injection or blue light under workers with minerals in hands
  
• More stability and more FPS, especially high stability is noticeable when watching replays on 4x and 8x speeds
  

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Important information These settings require a bit more from your PC, than standart ingame low settings. And probably you will need PC that can smoothly launch SC2 on standart medium settings.

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http://ru.twitch.tv/colminigun/b/325133339
http://ru.twitch.tv/colminigun/b/325130968

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Explanation of those parameters above

alternateLowTextures uses less memory and are sharper than standard ground textures.

Standard textures are 1024x1024 in DXT5 compression format (with Alpha channel) while low textures are in DXT1 format (no alpha) and with half resolution per axis (512x512 resolution.) That means: Standard textures support up to "ultra" texture detail level while low textures only support up to "high" texture detail level.

The alpha channel for standard textures doesn't seems to be used for alpha (= transparancy) though, it looks more like a monochrome version of the texture – probably used for some lighting effects.

spec adds shiny effect that is most noticeable on Zerg buildings. Works badly with alternatelowtextures=1 because causes double lighting on the ground, so it will be too bright and like in the Fire-wall mission in WoL

shadowmapsize - I've decreased resolution of default shadows from 2048 to 1024. It's a bit pixelated, but not that much like 512 or 768, but it's less sharp than 2048 resolution. So I think it's the most balanced visual variation of shadows - not much sharp (less memory usage), but not that ugly and pixelated.

creeptrans - it's a smooth edges of creep, If you turn it off, creep will be more sharp at the end of creep territory. It's just a texture, so it does not takes a lot of your perfomance

preblendedcreep - if you have this parameter set to 1, then your creep will spread like it was in StarCraft: BroodWar or WarCraft 3 for Undeads, with bricky-animation instead of smoothly one

texQualityLevel - makes textures on buildings and units a bit more sharper and less blurred-smoothed. It does not takes your perfomance so why not?

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If you have FPS problems or high temperature, try to add those 2 parameters to the end of variables.txt file

frameratecap=60
frameratecapGlue=30

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Request: You want to bring back shiny effect back (most noticeable on Zerg buildings and zerg creep)
Solution: Change back SPEC=0 to 1 in the C:\Users\<your_name>\Documents\StarCraft II\Accounts\<numbers>\variables.txt. With alternateLowTextures=1 you will see very brightness ground, so change then alternateLowTextures=1 to 0.

Request: You want bring back animation on creep
Solution: Change CREEPNORMALMAP=0 to 1. Requires Medium Shaders for the animation

Request: You want SC1 and WC3 styled creep spread animation (blocks/bricks instead smoothly)
Solution: Open C:\Users\<your_name>\Documents\StarCraft II\Accounts\<numbers>\variables.txt and edit preblendedcreep=0 to 1.

Request: You want bring back blue circle for Pylon power field
Solution: Change in game options Models from Medium to Low. Relaunch game
But: You lose understandable warp animation, acid/flame deaths, decals on units/buildings

Request: You want black hole texture for burrowed units
Solution: Change in game options Effects from Low to Medium