ValveSoftware
[TF2] Allow HWM models and VCDs to be enabled
Description
Alongside its set of usual playermodels, TF2 includes a set of hardware morph (HWM) playermodels that use a more advanced set of facial flexes than their regular counterparts. Previously, the use of HWM models and their facial flexes could be controlled with the variables mp_usehwmmodels and mp_usehwmvcds respectively. However, at some point in TF2's lifetime, the code for these commands was commented out, forcibly disabling HWM on all PCs regardless of these variables' values.
As this PR's existence likely suggests, I don't know why this change was made.
This PR uncomments the code for the commands mp_usehwmmodels and mp_usehwmvcds, once again allowing players to use HWM by setting their values to 1. In order to preserve the current behavior of not using HWM by default, this PR also changes both variables' default values to -1.
This resolves https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Source-1-Games/issues/4751.
It's disabled because Valve ceased to make a separate set of VCD for HWM models to support newer taunts so it's broken anyway.
The efficient shaders for HWM are disabled in the engine as support was dropped (HasFastVertexTextures is forced off)
The HWM materials are also missing properties like to handle Jarate
I do not see any reason why you should use HWM ingame, the higher quality morphing is not noticeable. The only significant difference would be wrinklemaps but those can be made to work on non HWM too
An additional reason is that skin cosmetic items don't go well with HWM models, as demonstrated with the Burly Beast (HWM on the left, regular on the right taken from the TF Wiki):
