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Debug commands provide performance metrics, player information, and diagnostic tools to help troubleshoot issues and monitor game state.

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Performance Monitoring

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chimera_budget

Display various engine budgets including object limits and BSP polygon counts.
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enabled
boolean
true to show budget overlay, false to hide
chimera_budget true
The budget display shows:
  • Object limit usage (out of 1024 with Chimera)
  • BSP polygon limit (out of 32767 with Chimera)
  • Other engine resource usage
Chimera increases several engine limits:
  • BSP polygon limit: Boosted to 32,767 (from 16,384)
  • Visible object limit: Boosted to 1,024 (from 512)
  • Draw distance: Increased to 2,250 world units (~6.86 km)
Unless a map exceeds these limits, there’s no performance impact. If limits are exceeded without Chimera, maps will look incorrect or be unplayable.

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chimera_show_fps

Display real-time frames per second counter.
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enabled
boolean
true to show FPS, false to hide
chimera_show_fps true
This is also documented in Visual Commands but included here for completeness as a debugging tool.

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Position & Coordinates

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chimera_show_coordinates

Display your current in-game X, Y, Z coordinates.
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enabled
boolean
true to show coordinates, false to hide
chimera_show_coordinates true
Useful for:
  • Creating custom teleport points
  • Mapping locations for scripts
  • Bug reporting with specific locations
  • Creating waypoints for mods

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Player Information

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chimera_player_list

List all players with their indices. 
chimera_player_list
Shows each player’s index number, which is used by commands like chimera_teleport, chimera_spectate, and chimera_player_info.

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chimera_player_info

Display detailed information about a specific player.
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player
number
required
Player index from chimera_player_list
chimera_player_info 1   # Show info for player 1
chimera_player_info 5   # Show info for player 5
Player info typically includes:
  • Player name
  • Team assignment
  • Score/kills/deaths
  • Ping (if in multiplayer)
  • Connection status
  • Player index

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Console Customization

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chimera_console_prompt_color

Set the console input prompt color for better visibility.
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red
number
Red component (0-255)
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green
number
Green component (0-255)
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blue
number
Blue component (0-255)
chimera_console_prompt_color 0 255 0      # Bright green
chimera_console_prompt_color 255 128 0    # Orange
chimera_console_prompt_color 128 128 255  # Light blue
This is also documented in Visual Commands but useful for debugging to make console input more visible.

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Script Debugging

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Lua Script Commands

Chimera supports Lua scripting with scripts that can be reloaded without restarting the game. 
chimera_script_reload  # Reload global scripts
Lua scripts are loaded from:
  • Global folder: Loaded on startup, remain permanently loaded
  • Map folder: Loaded when a map loads, unloaded when the map unloads
  • Embedded in maps: Can be enabled via chimera.ini
The chimera_script_reload command is available if Chimera includes script management. Check your version’s documentation for exact command names.

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Developer Mode

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chimera_devmode

Enable developer mode for access to additional debugging commands.
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enabled
boolean
true to enable devmode, false to disable
chimera_devmode true
When enabled, you gain access to:
  • Additional console commands
  • Developer-only features
  • Extended debugging information
Unlike Halo’s built-in devmode:
  • ✅ Doesn’t block multiplayer access
  • ✅ No command line arguments required
  • ✅ Can be toggled on/off in-game

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Performance Testing

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Using Budget & FPS Together

For comprehensive performance monitoring: 
chimera_budget true
chimera_show_fps true
chimera_show_coordinates true
This combination helps identify:
  • Performance bottlenecks (FPS drops)
  • Areas with high object density (budget usage)
  • Problematic map locations (coordinates)

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Troubleshooting Tips

Low FPS Issues

  1. Enable chimera_budget to check object limits
  2. Use chimera_show_fps to monitor frame rate
  3. Check if specific areas cause drops using chimera_show_coordinates
  4. Consider lowering chimera_af or disabling chimera_model_detail

Multiplayer Issues

  1. Use chimera_player_list to verify all players are connected
  2. Check specific player info with chimera_player_info
  3. Use chimera_show_coordinates to verify teleport positions
  4. Enable chimera_devmode for extended diagnostics

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Map Development

These commands are particularly useful for map creators: 
# Setup for map development
chimera_devmode true
chimera_show_coordinates true
chimera_budget true
chimera_show_fps true
This configuration provides:
  • Real-time position data for placing objects
  • Budget monitoring to prevent exceeding limits
  • Performance feedback for optimization
  • Developer commands for testing

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