Help:Taking Screenshots

Screenshots are a vital part of the Wiki, due to it covering a game series. Here are some tips to create good quality screenshots for use on the Wiki.

Setting up your game

Enabling the Console

To take the best screenshots, enable the developer console by starting your game, and going to Options >> Keyboard. In Portal, click advanced and tick the select box that says Enable Developer Console. In Portal 2, set Allow Developer Console to Enabled.

Disabling the HUD, Crosshair and Portal Gun Model

Next, open the console (~ by default) and enter "cl_drawhud 0" and hit enter. Next, type "r_drawviewmodel 0" and hit enter. This will disable the HUD/Crosshair, and portal gun. To get the hud and crosshair back, simply type "cl_drawhud 1" and "r_drawviewmodel 1" respectively.

Noclip

To get special angles, type in "sv_cheats 1", and then "noclip". This will enable noclip, allowing you to fly across the room looking for the best angles. When done flying, simply type "noclip" again.

Taking the screenshot

In-game Screenshots Function (preferred)

All Source Engine games are able to take their own Screenshots via the F5 key (by default). Screenshots are saved in the Targa (.tga) format in the /screenshots/ folder of the relevant game:

• Portal: Steam\steamapps\username\portal\portal\screenshots\
• Portal 2: Steam\steamapps\common\portal 2\portal2\screenshots\

This method is preferred as Targa files suffer less compression artefacts than JPEG files.

Steam Screenshots function

Players can take screenshots within a game and upload them either during or after play onto the Steam Cloud. These can be made open for anyone to view, restrict to friends only or be private. They are also saved onto your local drive. Steam Screenshots are saved in the JPG format.

Windows Users

When in-game, players can press the Screenshot key to take the screen capture. By default this is F12; if changed a player can find out what it is via Steam Settings – In-game.

In Windows, Steam saves Portal screenshots to \Steam\userdata\UNIQUE ID\760\remote\400\screenshots and Portal 2 screenshots to \Steam\userdata\UNIQUE ID\760\remote\620\screenshots.

Mac

By pressing Shift+Cmd+3, OSX will automatically take a full screen screenshot. Any images taken via this method will appear on the Desktop.

Converting images to meet the Wiki's Image guidelines.

The Wiki requires screenshots to be uploaded in the .PNG format. Most image-editing applications can open and re-save images from both Targa and JPEG into PNG. Here are a few examples of free image editors capable of doing the conversion:

• Gimp
• Paint.net