Welcome back to the GMod Machinima Guide, this time featuring a deep dive into one of the most useful toolsets in your creative arsenal—console commands. Whether you’re aiming for cinematic perfection, troubleshooting your visuals, or just making your life easier while shooting, this episode walks you through the must-know commands, how to use them effectively, and even how to bind them to keys for speed and convenience. Let’s get into it.

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Getting Started: Enable the Console

Before diving into commands, make sure the developer console is enabled:

• Go to Options > Advanced
• Check Enable Developer Console
• Use the assigned key (usually ~) to open the console

This will open up your command interface—where the magic begins.

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1. Remove the HUD – Cleaner Cinematics

One of the biggest rookie mistakes in machinima is leaving the HUD visible. If your video has the health bar in the corner, it’s a dead giveaway you haven’t mastered the basics.

Command:

cl_drawhud 0

This removes the HUD completely. To bring it back:

cl_drawhud 1

To toggle this easily during recording, bind it to keys:

bind k “cl_drawhud 0”

bind l “cl_drawhud 1”

Now you can toggle the HUD off with K and bring it back with L. Simple and efficient.

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2. Clear Decals – Reset the Scene

Whether it’s blood splatter or random bullet holes ruining your shot, decals can get in the way.

Command:

r_cleardecals

This wipes them clean. If you find yourself needing it often, consider binding it to a key as well.

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3. Adjust Detail Distance – Make Maps Pop

Want better-looking backgrounds with visible grass and detail props farther in the distance?

Command:

cl_detaildist 10000

This tells the game how far away to render detail props. The default is often lower, around 1200. You can experiment with values like 5000 or 10000. Higher values will look better but might impact performance unless you’re running a strong system.

To revert:

cl_detaildist 1000

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4. Slow Motion – Realistic Action Shots

Want to show someone getting blasted across the room in glorious slow motion? Console commands can do that in real time without relying on editing software.

Command:

phys_timescale 0.5

This slows down physics to half speed. For more dramatic effect:

phys_timescale 0.1

And to return to normal:

phys_timescale 1

You can also go in reverse and speed things up:

phys_timescale 2

Bind them for instant control:

bind o “phys_timescale 0”

bind p “phys_timescale 1”

Use case: Want an actor to fall at the exact moment on cue? Pause the action with O, unfreeze them, then hit P to let gravity take over—without any UI elements popping up during the fall.

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5. Fix Purple Reflections – Kill the Cube Map Glitch

Sometimes when using community maps, you’ll run into those infamous purple checkerboards caused by missing cubemaps. These show up in reflective materials and absolutely wreck immersion.

Command:

mat_specular 0

This disables reflectiveness, and with it, the checkerboard artifacts. It’s an essential fix if you’re using maps that lack proper cubemap generation.

To re-enable reflectiveness later:

mat_specular 1

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Final Notes

These commands are more than just tricks—they’re tools for controlling your environment, polishing your scenes, and elevating the quality of your GMod machinima. Whether it’s toggling visibility, resetting decals, or getting those perfect slow-mo sequences, these commands let you stay in full control.

Grab a notebook, bind your keys, and experiment. The more fluid your control becomes, the more focus you can give to story, direction, and framing.

That’s it for this episode—stay tuned for the next one. Until then, keep creating and don’t forget: if your HUD is showing in your video, you might want to hit that K key and try again.

Catch you next time, and stay cinematic.