• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 19:10
CET 01:10
KST 09:10
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
ByuL: The Forgotten Master of ZvT28Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book19Clem wins HomeStory Cup 289HomeStory Cup 28 - Info & Preview13Rongyi Cup S3 - Preview & Info8
Community News
Weekly Cups (Feb 23-Mar 1): herO doubles, 2v2 bonanza1Weekly Cups (Feb 16-22): MaxPax doubles0Weekly Cups (Feb 9-15): herO doubles up2ACS replaced by "ASL Season Open" - Starts 21/0258LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals (Feb 10-16)46
StarCraft 2
General
Weekly Cups (Feb 23-Mar 1): herO doubles, 2v2 bonanza Terran AddOns placement How do you think the 5.0.15 balance patch (Oct 2025) for StarCraft II has affected the game? Nexon's StarCraft game could be FPS, led by UMS maker ByuL: The Forgotten Master of ZvT
Tourneys
PIG STY FESTIVAL 7.0! (19 Feb - 1 Mar) RSL Season 4 announced for March-April Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament SEL Doubles (SC Evo Bimonthly) WardiTV Team League Season 10
Strategy
Custom Maps
Publishing has been re-enabled! [Feb 24th 2026] Map Editor closed ?
External Content
The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 515 Together Forever Mutation # 514 Ulnar New Year Mutation # 513 Attrition Warfare
Brood War
General
It's March 3rd CasterMuse Youtube Recent recommended BW games Soma Explains: JD's Unrelenting Aggro vs FlaSh TvZ is the most complete match up
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues BWCL Season 64 Announcement The Casual Games of the Week Thread [LIVE] [S:21] ASL Season Open Day 1
Strategy
Soma's 9 hatch build from ASL Game 2 Fighting Spirit mining rates Simple Questions, Simple Answers Zealot bombing is no longer popular?
Other Games
General Games
Path of Exile Nintendo Switch Thread Battle Aces/David Kim RTS Megathread Online Quake Live Config Editor Tool Diablo 2 thread
Dota 2
The Story of Wings Gaming Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas Vanilla Mini Mafia TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread UK Politics Mega-thread NASA and the Private Sector Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine
Fan Clubs
The IdrA Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece [Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books Anime Discussion Thread
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion TL MMA Pick'em Pool 2013
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Laptop capable of using Photoshop Lightroom?
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Just Watchers: Why Some Only…
TrAiDoS
Unintentional protectionism…
Uldridge
ASL S21 English Commentary…
namkraft
Life Update and thoughts.
FuDDx
How do archons sleep?
8882
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 2114 users

Variable.txt forcefield settings?

Forum Index > Tech Support
Post a Reply
dbddbddb
Profile Joined April 2010
Singapore969 Posts
September 22 2010 12:49 GMT
#1
I currently play on low shader settings, dont intend to switch to medium.
However, doing so causes the visibility of forcefields to become much less obvious as seen from the pictures.

low
[image loading]

med
[image loading]

I was wondering if it was possible to edit the variable.txt file in the starcraft 2 folder located in my documents to improve the way the graphics of spells such as forcefields are rendered?
Welmu
Profile Blog Joined November 2009
Finland3295 Posts
September 22 2010 13:00 GMT
#2
I would be intrested in gettin "medium" forcefields as well =/
Progamertwitter.com/welmu1 | twitch.com/Welmu1
theSAiNT
Profile Joined July 2009
United States726 Posts
September 22 2010 13:24 GMT
#3
This would certainly be useful if it was possible. The forcefields on low are nigh on invisible.
butter
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States785 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-09-22 15:47:57
September 22 2010 15:08 GMT
#4
As suggested in this thread from beta Disadvantages with low graphics and demonstrated in Best graphics settings, the relevant settings are

      simplifiedCloaking=0
      simplifiedShaders=0

With Shaders set to Low and the above change made to Variables.txt, the result looks like this:
[image loading]

For comparison, plain Low shaders setting:
[image loading]

And Medium shaders:
[image loading]

(In the screenshots above, all other settings are on lowest, except Textures and Models on High)


Edit: I should point out that it works with low-detail models as well.

Here's simplifiedShaders=0 with both Textures and Models set to Low:
[image loading]
TL should have a minigame where you have to destroy some rocks before you can make a new post – DentalFloss
dbddbddb
Profile Joined April 2010
Singapore969 Posts
September 22 2010 15:34 GMT
#5
thank you so much very helpful
NrG.NeverExpo
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
Canada2114 Posts
September 22 2010 18:05 GMT
#6
I've always felt for this exact reason that playing on low had a slight disadvantage. It was like i couldn't quite make out where the FF started and where it stopped, so it was hard to place them.

I have a question though, will this compromise any other visual aspects of the game? What else will change with the editing of the Variables file?
TwitteR: @NeverExpo follow me, i'll follow back :)
Drium
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
United States888 Posts
September 22 2010 18:08 GMT
#7
On September 23 2010 00:08 butterbrain wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
As suggested in this thread from beta Disadvantages with low graphics and demonstrated in Best graphics settings, the relevant settings are

      simplifiedCloaking=0
      simplifiedShaders=0

With Shaders set to Low and the above change made to Variables.txt, the result looks like this:
[image loading]

For comparison, plain Low shaders setting:
[image loading]

And Medium shaders:
[image loading]

(In the screenshots above, all other settings are on lowest, except Textures and Models on High)


Edit: I should point out that it works with low-detail models as well.

Here's simplifiedShaders=0 with both Textures and Models set to Low:
[image loading]

I love you
KwanROLLLLLLLED
TheGiftedApe
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States1243 Posts
September 22 2010 19:24 GMT
#8
butterbrain for the win
xO-Gaming.com || [xO]TheGiftedApe.364 || xO-Gaming Manager.
crazeman
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
664 Posts
September 22 2010 19:38 GMT
#9
On September 23 2010 03:05 NrG.NeverExpo wrote:
I've always felt for this exact reason that playing on low had a slight disadvantage. It was like i couldn't quite make out where the FF started and where it stopped, so it was hard to place them.

I have a question though, will this compromise any other visual aspects of the game? What else will change with the editing of the Variables file?


It's actually similar with shadows. You can actually completely disable shadows in the variables.txt but it's not available from the settings menu. Even on the lowest possible settings (from the menus) there will still be shadows under the units. I thought this was because blizzard didn't want people on the lowest settings to be at a disadvantage since you can see flying unit's shadows just outside of your vision range sometimes.
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Replay Cast
00:00
LiuLi Cup Grand Finals Group C
CranKy Ducklings43
LiquipediaDiscussion
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
elazer 226
JuggernautJason31
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 10618
Sea 5124
Artosis 621
GuemChi 206
Shuttle 174
Counter-Strike
Fnx 1777
taco 497
Super Smash Bros
PPMD49
Other Games
summit1g10136
shahzam379
C9.Mang0170
Maynarde154
ToD144
Mew2King48
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick538
Counter-Strike
PGL103
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 14 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Hupsaiya 411
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Doublelift2096
Other Games
• imaqtpie961
• Shiphtur156
Upcoming Events
PiGosaur Cup
1d
Replay Cast
1d 8h
Replay Cast
1d 23h
The PondCast
2 days
KCM Race Survival
2 days
WardiTV Winter Champion…
2 days
Replay Cast
2 days
Ultimate Battle
3 days
Light vs ZerO
WardiTV Winter Champion…
3 days
Replay Cast
3 days
[ Show More ]
CranKy Ducklings
4 days
WardiTV Winter Champion…
4 days
Replay Cast
4 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
5 days
WardiTV Winter Champion…
5 days
Replay Cast
5 days
Replay Cast
6 days
Monday Night Weeklies
6 days
Replay Cast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-03-02
PiG Sty Festival 7.0
Underdog Cup #3

Ongoing

KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
Jeongseon Sooper Cup
Spring Cup 2026
WardiTV Winter 2026
Nations Cup 2026
ESL Pro League S23 Stage 1&2
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
eXTREMESLAND 2025

Upcoming

ASL Season 21: Qualifier #1
ASL Season 21: Qualifier #2
ASL Season 21
Acropolis #4 - TS6
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
CSLAN 4
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
RSL Revival: Season 4
NationLESS Cup
Asian Champions League 2026
IEM Atlanta 2026
PGL Astana 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
CCT Season 3 Global Finals
FISSURE Playground #3
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League S23 Finals
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.