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Gyro Revolution for Half-Life 2

by Major Gnuisance

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Resource summary
3. Installation, summarized
4. Installation, detailed
5. Removal
6. Controls
   1. Basics
   2. Weapons
   3. Utility
   4. Menu mode
7. Feature List
8. Bugs/Problems
9. Possible Improvements
10. Changelog
    1. v1.0-beta
    2. v1.1
    3. v1.1.1
11. Acknowledgments
12. Contact

Introduction

This page will help you set up and use my Steam Input configuration to play Half-Life 2 with a DualShock 4 controller.

Here’s some footage of what playing with this looks like:

Follow either the summarized or detailed Installation section to set everything up, then check out the Controls section details to see how this control scheme works exactly.

Resource summary

• Custom cfg file: gyro_revolution.cfg
• Icon pack: HL2_TouchMenuIcons.zip
• Controller Configuration
  • v1.1 URLs:
    • Half-Life 2: steam://controllerconfig/220/2083662274
    • Half-Life 2 Episode 1: steam://controllerconfig/380/2083662274
    • Half-Life 2 Episode 2: steam://controllerconfig/420/2083662274
  • VDF file for manual import: gyro_revolution_hl2_v1.1.vdf

Installation, summarized

1. Extract icon pack into game’s directory (Half-Life 2)
2. Put gyro_revolution.cfg under the hl2/cfg/ directory
   1. For Episodes 1 and 2, put it in the episodic/cfg/ directory
3. Add a line with exec gyro_revolution to your autoexec.cfg file in the same directory (hl2/cfg/ or episodic/cfg/). You can use this autoexec.cfg if you don’t have one.
4. Connect DS4 controller
5. Enable PlayStation Configuration Support in Big Picture, if not already enabled
6. Import my controller configuration (link above)
7. (Linux only) Remove the file at <GAME_DIRECTORY>/bin/libSDL2-2.0.so.0

Installation, detailed

1. Install icon pack and custom configuration file
   1. Open the game’s directory
      • Right click game in Steam library > Manage > Browse local files
        
   2. Extract the Icon Pack zip there. You should now have a TouchMenuIcons directory.
   3. Enter the hl2/cfg/ directory and place the gyro_revolution.cfg and autoexec.cfg files there.
      • For Episode 1 and Episode 2, use the episodic/cfg/ directory instead.
      • If you already have an autoexec.cfg file, you can edit it and add a line with following text: exec gyro_revolution
   4. (OPTIONAL) Make a backup of your config.cfg file, should you want to restore it later.
2. Connect your DualShock 4 to your computer. Either:
   • Wired, using a micro USB cable
   • Wireless, using Bluetooth
     • With the DualShock 4 turned off, hold SHARE and the PS button to enter Bluetooth pairing mode, then pair it with the computer.
3. Enable DualShock 4 configuration support in Steam’s Big Picture mode
   1. Start Big Picture by clicking the button to the left of the “minimize” button in Steam
      
   2. Go to Setting > Controller Settings
      
   3. Check “PlayStation Configuration Support” box
      
   4. Select your controller under “Detected Controllers” and then click Calibrate
      
      
   5. Tune your joystick deadzones if necessary
      
   6. Place the controller on a stable, level surface and click “Start Gyro-Only Calibration.”
      
   7. Make sure the controller stays completely still until the calibration is done (about 5 seconds).
4. Import my configuration
   1. Click the links below to open the configuration in Steam. Choose the one for the game you want.
      • Half-Life 2
      • Half-Life 2: Episode 1
      • Half-Life 2: Episode 2
   2. This screen should appear:
      
   3. Press to apply, then to exit
5. (Linux only) Remove the libSDL2-2.0.so.0 file in the game files, under the bin/ directory. It’s outdated as of this writing (2020-05-03) and it can cause double input problems. The version included in the Steam Runtime works fine and will be used automatically instead.
6. Play the game!

Removal

1. Remove the exec gyro_revolution line from your autoexec.cfg file
2. Delete config.cfg and optionally restore a backup of it.

Controls

Basics

Use and the gyroscope to move the camera.

It’s recommended to rely on the gyro to aim and for broader motions.

The gyro is always on by default, but you can toggle it on and off by clicking . It’s recommended to turn it off when driving outside of combat.

Hold to aim more precisely.
Gyro is always enabled when doing this.

Note: If the camera moves on its own you might be experiencing gyro drift.
Try recalibrating the gyroscope as explained in the detailed installation instructions if this happens.

Use to move.
Click while moving to sprint.
You will stop sprinting when you return the stick to its neutral position.

Tap to jump.
Tap to toggle crouch.
Press to use.

Hold to crouch while jumping, which may help extend your reach, land tricky jumps or vault over obstacles.
Note: the game itself automatically crouch jumps in some situations, usually next to boxes/windows/vents/etc. This is only useful for more advanced moves.

Press to pause.

Table 1: Summary

Action	Control
Move
Sprint	click
Move Camera	Gyro
Move Camera (coarse)
Toggle gyro	click
Jump
Crouch-jump	(hold)
Toggle Crouch
Use
Pause

Weapons

Pull for primary fire and press for secondary fire.
Tap to reload

Tap to swap to your previously selected weapon.
Hold to bring up the Weapon Select Wheel and then select a weapon with .

Due to usability constraints, not all weapons are in the selection wheel, but they have their own dedicated quick access buttons.

The following weapons have quick access buttons:

• Crowbar on
• Grenades on Hold and Hold
• Gravity Gun on
• Pheropods on Hold or icon in .

You can also browse and select from available weapons the traditional way with and . Press to confirm your selection.

Table 2: Summary

Action	Control
Fire
Secondary fire
Reload
Weapon Wheel	Hold +
Last Weapon	Tap
Previous/Next Slot	/
Crowbar
Gravity Gun (swap)
Grenade	(hold), (hold)
Pheropods	(hold),

Utility

Hold to zoom in and reduce aiming sensitivity.
Use it to aim with additional precision if necessary.
This temporarily enables the gyroscope if it’s toggled off.

Hold to toggle the flashlight.

Click to toggle the gyroscope.

Squad Commands can be found on the right edge of

Click and hold the corresponding icons to Quicksave or Quickload.
(The requirement to hold is so that you don’t accidentally save or load your game.)

Table 3: Summary

Action	Control
Aim mode
Gyro Toggle	Click
Flashlight Toggle	Hold
Quickload/save
Squad send/recall

Menu mode

When the mouse cursor is shown, the configuration enters a special mode for menu interaction.

In this mode, the following controls are available:

Action	Control
Mouse	or
Click	click, click or
Volume Up/Down	up/down

Feature List

• Weapon Selection Wheel ( + )
  • Quickly select specific weapons
  • Game slows down when the weapon wheel is held open
  • Toggle to last weapon by tapping weapon wheel button
• Aim button
  • Zooms in and lowers sensitivity for finer aiming
• Modern sprint button (click)
  • Click once while moving to start sprinting, return stick to center position to stop sprinting.
• Direct quick access to Crowbar and Gravity Gun /
• Sequential weapon select ( / )
• Gyroscope aim
  • Always on by default
  • Can be toggled by clicking
  • Always available when holding aim button ()
• Quickload and Quicksave on
• Menu interaction mode
  • Triggers automatically when the mouse pointer is displayed, returns to game mode when the mouse is hidden
  • and can be used to move the mouse, click and click for Left Mouse Button
• Squad Command and Pheropods on
• Custom Steam Input Icons for Half-Life 2’s Weapons
  • Derived from touched up game assets
• Lowered rumble intensity
  • Excessive rumble may interfere with gyro aim the and default is way over the top

Bugs/Problems

• Achievements are disabled due to enabling cheats
  • A cheat-free variant is planned
• Potential weapon/mechanic spoilers from on-screen menus and documentation
  • Maybe remove some labels but keep icons?
• click doesn’t uncrouch automatically.
  • Need to find how to go directly into uncrouched state after a toggle_duck. -duck doesn’t touch the toggled state, so it doesn’t cut it.

Possible Improvements

• Enhance icon visibility in weapon wheel
• Blur the background or something when the weapon wheel slowdown is enabled.
  • mat_hsv 1 makes it black and white and could be used for a similar effect, but feels like a bad hack
• Add animation to zoom and slow motion.
  • Idea: make a dynamic re-aliasing-based binding that increments/decrements stuff progressively upon repeated presses and couple it with a turbo activator. Could be brittle, though.
    • Tried and failed. The turbo doesn’t go fast enough to be smooth.
• Full gyro off mode (if anyone asks for it)
• Fine tune sensitivities and timings
• Find way to hide spoilers until needed
  • No way to save state after changing to/from menu mode, though…
  • Proper Steam Input integration or gameside weapon wheel implementation would be best, but it’d require a mod or an update from Valve
    • Maybe Half-Life 2: Update would accept to include such a feature?
• Some features require cheats => find alternatives or make those easily optional. An alternate no-cheat cfg file could be easy.
  • Made it tunable in Section 5 of `gyro_revolution.cfg`
• Sounds aren’t distorted when setting host_timescale for the slowdown effect. See if there’s any way to do this.
• Add support for HL2: Update and MMOD
• Fully test with Episode 1 & 2
• Port to Steam Controller
• Port to Half-Life 1, Half-Life 1: Source and other similar Source games.
  • Let me know if you have any requests!

Changelog

v1.0-beta

• Initial public release

v1.1

• Tweak trigger sensitivities
• Rearrange touchpad menus
• Fix Windows compatibility
  • Fix sprint not resetting because Windows HL2 doesn’t respond to KP_SLASH binding with some keyboard layouts
  • Fix OPTIONS not being bound (which was workaround for double input on Linux caused by the outdated SDL shipped with game)
• Add fast forward button
• Make tuning some parameters in `gyro_revolutio.cfg` easier
• Add versioning information to `gyro_revolution.cfg`
• Add warning about SDL on Linux

v1.1.1

This version only affected the cfg file and guide.

• Immediately apply changes made to sensitivity and FoV tunables upon (re)loading gyro_revolution.cfg
• Fix outdated configuration link in the detailed installation. It was still pointing to v1.0 by mistake.
  • Thank you to Mister Man for making me aware of the problem in the YouTube comments of one of my videos!
• Add instructions on using this configuration with the Half-Life 2 Episodes
  • This hasn’t been thoroughly tested as of this writing. It’s a direct reuse of the work done for Half-Life 2. The only changes were the controller configuration URLs and the location of the cfg directory.
• Add contact information.

Acknowledgments

• The awesome guys at THOSE AWESOME GUYS for their free controller glyph pack
• The r/SteamController community
• Testing/debugging
  • Mister Man

Contact

You can find me at the following places (sorted by reliability):

• YouTube channel
• Email
  • Click “view email address” on the YouTube about page
• GitHub
• Reddit
• Discord: Major Gnuisance#7251
• Twitter: @MajorGnuisance