Arma 3: Startup Parameters

These parameters can be configured by creating a new shortcut on your desktop and then adding the appropriate option in the target line.

Steam

1. Choose the game in Steam\Library
2. Right click on the game
3. Select properties
4. Hit "Set launch options"

Example

-nosplash -mod=test;x\test;c:\arma3\test2

Windows

When working with shortcuts,,cmd launch options: there is max characters limit for the executing line, use -par (see: Startup parameters config file;) to avoid it;

Available parameters

Display Options

-window	Displays Arma windowed instead of full screen. Screen resolution / window size are set in arma3.cfg.
-posX=<Integer>	Sets the default X Position of the Window.
-posY=<Integer>	Sets the default Y Position of the Window.
-adapter=<Integer>	Sets the default Video Adapter.

Game Loading Speedup

-noSplash	Disables splash screens.
-world=<string>	Select a world loaded by default. Example: -world=Utes. For faster game loading (no default world loaded and world intro in the main menu, only at game start, disabled): -world=empty.
-worldCfg=<String>	Init Landscape by the given world config
-skipIntro	Disables world intros in the main menu permanently.

Performance

-maxMem=<number>	Overrides memory allocation limit to a certain amount (in megabytes). 1024 MiB is a hard-coded minimum (anything lower falls back to 1024). The maximum is influenced by your operating system (any value over the maximum will be reverted to this value): 32-bit Windows + 32-bit game: 2047 64-bit Windows + 32-bit game: 3071 64-bit Windows + 64-bit game: (physical memory*4)/5 Without the -maxMem parameter the engine attempts to set this parameter internaly to a reasonable value often defaulting to max values as described above. The file cache is always excluded from the virtual address limit, see our developers blog: https://www.bistudio.com/blog/breaking-the-32-bit-barrier. Note that setting maxMem to 2000 does not mean that the game will never allocate more then 2000 MiB. It says that the game will do everything in its power to not cross this limit. In general, it makes sense not using this parameter at all and only resort to it in case you experience issues with memory.
-maxVRAM=<number>	Defines Video Memory allocation limit to number (in megabytes). Use to resolve e.g. Windows problem: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2026022/en-us?p=1. Minimum value is 128 MiB (anything lower falls back to 128). The value is ignored (under DX11) if engine properly detected VRAM size, minus 20% reserve with ceiling limit 300MB max..
-noCB	Turns off multicore use. It slows down rendering but may resolve visual glitches.
-cpuCount=<number>	Change to a number less or equal than numbers of available cores. This will override auto detection (which equate to native cores). Details below.
-exThreads=<number>	Change to a number 0,1,3,5,7. This will override auto detection (which use 3 for dualcore and 7 for quadcore). Details below.
-malloc=<string>	Sets the particular memory allocator to be used. Significantly affects both performance and stability of the game. More details.
-noLogs	Be aware this means none errors saved to RPT file (report log). Yet in case of crash the fault address block info is saved. More details here.
-enableHT	Enables the use of all logical CPU cores for parallel tasks processing. If your CPU does not support Hyper-Threading or similar technology, this parameter is ignored. When disabled, only physical cores are used. Note that enabling this parameter may slightly improve or harm the performance depending on a scenario. This parameter may be overriden by -cpuCount so if you want to use the maximum number of CPU cores use "-enableHT" without "-cpuCount".
-hugepages	Enables hugepages with the default memory allocator (malloc) for both client/server (https://forums.bistudio.com/topic/160288-arma-3-stable-server-166-performance-binary-feedback/?page=74#comment-3130011)

Profile Options

-name=<string>	Profile name.
-profiles=<path>	Location of user-profile folder. Details: -profiles.

Developer Options

-noPause	Allow the game running even when its window does not have focus (i.e. running in the background)
-showScriptErrors	Introduced to show errors in scripts on-screen. In Eden Editor, script errors are always shown, even when this parameter is not used.
-filePatching	Allow the game to load unpacked data. For more info see CMA:DevelopmentSetup (since Arma 3 1.49+).
-init=<command>	Run scripting command once in the main menu. For example to start a certain SP mission of choice automatically. Example: -init=playMission["","M04Saboteur.Sara"]. See also playMission. The Mission has to reside in the "arma3\Missions" folder, NOT the user directory.
"<path>\mission.sqm"	Load a mission directly in the editor. Example: "c:\arma3\users\myUser\missions\myMission.intro\mission.sqm"
-autotest	Loads automatically a series of defined missions and on error writes to a log file. See below for details.
-beta=<string>	Loads the specified beta sub-folders. Separated by semi-colons. Absolute path and multiple stacked folders are possible. In Linux multiple folders arguments need the following separation syntax: -mod=betamod1\;betamod2\;betamod3 This allows use of beta build w/o disabling in-game mod/extension management (in UI menu).
-checkSignatures	Introduced to provide thorough test of all signatures of all loaded banks at the start game. Output is in .rpt file.
-d3dNoLock	Doesn't lock the VRAM
-d3dNoMultiCB	D3D uses Single Constant Buffers instead of Multiple Constant Buffers
-crashDiag	extra crash-logging in performance binary, added on v18 (https://forums.bistudio.com/topic/160288-arma-3-stable-server-154-performance-binary-feedback/?p=2979101)
-noFilePatching	(deprecated) Ensures that only PBOs are loaded and NO unpacked data. It was replaced in favor of -filePatching parameter.
-debugCallExtension	Logs extension calls in the rpt log like this: https://i.gyazo.com/afb3f6f89ad6bf51aad01e1c3f9c7eac.png

Misc.

-buldozer	Starts Buldozer mode.
-noLand	Starts with no world loaded. (Used for Buldozer)
-noSound	Disables sound output.
-doNothing	Engine closes immediately after detecting this option.

Modifications

-mod=<string>

Loads the specified sub-folders for different mods. Separated by semi-colons. Absolute path and multiple stacked folders are possible. In Linux multiple folders arguments need the following separation syntax: -mod=mod1\;mod2\;mod3 This setting always auto-disable in-game mod/extension management (in UI menu).

Complex example

-mod=test;x\test;c:\arma3\test2

• "test" is located in the arma3 installation folder ("Arma 3\test") (relative path)
• "x\test" is in the installation folder ("ArmA 3\x\test") (relative path; subfolder)
• "c:\arma3\test2" is in "c:\arma3\test2" (absolute path)

"Relative path" starts from, or is rooted at, the directory from where the arma3 executable has been started, and is not always the same where the executable is, like in betas.
Usually this is the same as the installation path and the same of what's written in Windows registry. But if you copy or symlink the necessary file and folders, you may have different roots. It's useful when have more dedicated server.

Client Network Options

-connect=<ip>	Server IP to connect to.
-port=<number>	Server port to connect to.
-password=<string>	Server password to connect to.
-host	Start a non-dedicated multiplayer host.

Server Options

-setupHost	Start the game in the setup server display, works with the client exe.
-server	Start a dedicated server. Not needed for the dedicated server exe.
-port=<number>	Port to have dedicated server listen on.
-pid=<filename>	File to write the server's PID (process ID) to. The file is removed automatically when the exe is stopped. Only works for dedicated servers.
-ranking=<filename>	Generates a ranking file. See below for details.
-netlog	Enables multiplayer network traffic logging. For more details see server configuration.
-cfg=<filename>	Selects the Server Basic Config file. Config file for server specific settings like network performance tuning.
-config=<filename>	Selects the Server Config File. Config file for server specific settings like admin password and mission selection.
-profiles=<path>	Path to the folder containing server profile. By default, server logs are written to server profile folder. If folder doesn't exist, it will be automatically created. Does not work on Linux, no profile will be created or used; instead, remove this parameter and the profile will be created in ~/.local/share/Arma 3 - Other Profiles.
-bepath=<path>	By default BattlEye will create BattlEye folder inside server profile folder. With -bepath param it is possible to specify a custom folder. For example: -bepath=C:\MyBattlEyeFolder, or if the path contains spaces, "-bepath=C:\Users\KK\Desktop\Some Folder With Spaces" (enclosed in quotes).
-ip=<nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn>	Command to enable support for Multihome servers. Allows server process to use defined available IP address. (b1.57.76934)
-par=<filename>	Command to read startup parameters from a file. For more details see Startup parameters config file
-client	Launch as client (console). Useful for headless clients.
-loadMissionToMemory	Server will load mission into memory on first client downloading it. Then it keeps it pre-processed pre-cached in memory for next clients, saving some server CPU cycles,
-autoInit	Automatically initialize mission just like first client does. Note: Server config file (server.cfg) must contain "Persistent=1;", if it's 0 autoInit skips. Warning: This will break the Arma_3_Mission_Parameters function, so do not use it when you work with mission parameters, only default values are returned!
-serverMod=<string>	Loads the specified sub-folders for different server-side (not broadcasted to clients) mods. Separated by semi-colons. Absolute path and multiple stacked folders are possible. In Linux multiple folders arguments need the following separation syntax: -mod=mod1\;mod2\;mod3.
-disableServerThread	Option to disable the server send messaging thread in case of random crashing (may also decrease performance of server on multicore CPUs)
-bandwidthAlg=2	Uses a new experimental networking algorithm that might be better than the default one.

Use unknown

-download	Use unknown. (Possibly set auto download of missing Mod pbo's from server.)
-generateShaders	Use unknown. (Possibly for use with Buldozer)
Template:nowrap	Use unknown. (Possibly for use with Buldozer)
-useProgramDrawing	Use unknown. (Possibly for use with Buldozer)
-gamerTag=	Use unknown.
-benchmark	Intended for automated benchmarking, but was never finished and is not working.
-noTexHeaders	Use unknown. (does seem to prevent error messages like 'Failed to load TextureHeaderManager from file "ca\provinggrounds_pmc\texheaders.bin" - failed to open the file.' on linux dedicated server)
-autoUpdate	Auto Update?
-physics=<?>	Unknown

Closer Description

Path info

There are a few basics to keep in mind when defining path as part of a parameter.

Spaces

When your path contains spaces, you need to enclose it with quotes, like

"-profiles=c:\arma 3\profiles"

Relative vs Absolute

You can define most, if not all path in both ways.

Relative

-profiles=profiles

Absolute

-profiles=c:\arma3\profiles

The relative path is normally based on the game main folder, where the exe resides in. Using beta patches does NOT change this! However when you use -profiles, some commands use this path defined there as base.

config

The option -config allows you to specify a specific server.cfg file.

profiles

-profiles is a startup option allowing you to choose an alternate location for the user profile files, such as downloaded missions and .cfg files.

The windows user account would need permissions to write to the folder of choice.

An example might be like this

"C:\arma3\arma3.exe" -profiles=C:\arma3\Profiles

or

"C:\arma3\Arma3.exe" -profiles=Profiles

would store all your profiles/configs/downloaded content into your ROOT Arma folder under the folder name "Profiles"

ranking

-ranking is a startup option allowing you to output ranking info or otherwise know as player stats.

The windows user account would need permissions to write to the folder of choice.

An example might be like this

"C:\arma3\Arma3.exe" -ranking=C:\arma3\ranking.log

Output sample:

class Player1
{
	name = "PlayerName";
	killsInfantry = 71;
	killsSoft = 3;
	killsArmor = 5;
	killsAir = 5;
	killsPlayers = 0;
	customScore = 0;
	killsTotal = 84;
	killed = 3;
};

noSplash

-noSplash is a startup option that allows you to bypass the splash screens on startup of Arma3.

Note: Real speed-up gained with this is likely to be negligible with Arma3, as the loading screens are handled in parallel with the game data being loaded, and the loading itself takes quite long thanks to the amount of data needed.

cpuCount

-cpuCount= is option which allows define number of CPUs/cores available.

The best way to simulate dual core on quad core is to use -cpuCount=2 when you run the game and then change the affinity to 2 cores to make sure additional cores can never be used when some over-scheduling happens.
It might be also possible to set the affinity in the OS before you launch the process, that would work as well.

exThreads

-exThreads= is option to define extra threads.

All file operations go through a dedicated thread. This offloads some processing from the main thread, however it adds some overhead at the same time.
The reason why threaded file ops were implemented was to serve as a basement for other threads ops.
When multiple threads are running at the same time, OS is scheduling them on different cores.
Geometry and Texture loading (both done by the same thread) are scheduled on different cores outside the main rendering loop at the same time with the main rendering loop.

Ex(tra)threads table

Number	Geometry loading	Texture loading	File operations
0	0	0	0
1	0	0	1
3	0	1	1
5	1	0	1
7	1	1	1

autotest

The parameter can be used to automatically run a series of test missions. For example FPS measurement or scripting validation.

• The game runs in special mode. It runs all missions from the given list.
• If any mission fails (ends with other than END1), it is logged into the rpt file (search: <autotest).
• In case of any fail, the game also returns an errorlevel to DOS. This can be used to issue an notification by a secondary application.

Launch Arma with

-autotest=c:\arma3\autotest\autotest.cfg

The autotest.cfg looks like:

class TestMissions
{
	class TestCase01
	{
		campaign = "";
		mission = "autotest\TestCase01.Desert_E";//relative path to the arma directory
	};
	class TestCase02
	{
		campaign = "";
		mission = "c:\arma3\autotest\TestCase02.Desert_E";//absolute path
	};
};

⚠

NOTE: If you use -profiles, the relative path is relative to your specificity path.

Rpt entry:

<AutoTest result="FAILED">
	EndMode = LOSER
	Mission = autotest\TestCase01.Desert_E
</AutoTest>

If possible use simple worlds, like Desert, to keep the loading times short. The loading screen command might be useful as well to speed up task that need no rendering.

arma3battleye.exe

Tag: Commandline; Command-line