How do I create a Window'd shortcut from steam?

[QuiteFranklyMyMaN 1]

This is alpha related, how do I create a shortcut directly to the game exe myself, that doesn't need to run through steam.

Or if that is not possible how do I create a steam shortcut on the desktop that will run in windowed mode?

When I check the properties of the link steam has made it is simply rungame:id///// or something, putting -w at the end does nothing.

This is a head ache I do not wish to open steam each time to launch the game.

[tortuosit 486]

The exe is modified and runs steam. You have to rightclick Arma III in Steam and visit the properties. There is a field for command line parameters. I thiink it is "-windowed". Watch out for arma2 command line parameters, according to a developer most of them work.

[KeyCat 131]

Or just find your arma3.exe in X:<Your_path_to_Steam>\Steam\SteamApps\common\Arma 3 and drag a shortcut to the desktop (hold down LCTRL and LSHFT in Win 7) then right click on the shortcut and add command line parameters as you did for A2:OA...

/KC

[QuiteFranklyMyMaN 1]

Or just find your arma3.exe in X:<Your_path_to_Steam>\Steam\SteamApps\common\Arma 3 and drag a shortcut to the desktop (hold down LCTRL and LSHFT in Win 7) then right click on the shortcut and add command line parameters as you did for A2:OA...

/KC

No, I did that, wont launch.

---------- Post added at 18:40 ---------- Previous post was at 18:37 ----------

The exe is modified and runs steam. You have to rightclick Arma III in Steam and visit the properties. There is a field for command line parameters. I thiink it is "-windowed". Watch out for arma2 command line parameters, according to a developer most of them work.

I did this, then after doing this created a new desk top shortcut through steam, and it did not work.

This is pissing me off, why is steam the only one in control of my .exe? I WANT TO WINDOW MY GAME I JUST BOUGHT.

[dancanman 10]

No, I did that, wont launch.

---------- Post added at 18:40 ---------- Previous post was at 18:37 ----------

I did this, then after doing this created a new desk top shortcut through steam, and it did not work.

This is pissing me off, why is steam the only one in control of my .exe? I WANT TO WINDOW MY GAME I JUST BOUGHT.

-Window is what your looking for

[chrisb 196]

Steam will want to be in the background.

If you start your shortcut whilst your online, it should start the game windowed. That’s because Steam obviously have a presence online. If however you want the game to start offline, you will have to change the setting in Steam to ‘offline’.

But doing that will still mean Steam will want to open, even though your game will be windowed, provided you put ‘-windowed’ in the target line of course, but Steam will also be open.

Steam will want to be on your bottom line in the background if your offline playing, just the way it works I think. Starting the game windowed is no problem, I have a ‘preset’ shortcut that does just that, but Steam will always ‘butt in’:j: prior to the game running, doesn't really matter though, there is no hit to performance noticed..

[old_painless 182]

I helped someone who used Steam with A2 with this a while back: IIRC, you launch the game through a shortcut to a .cmd file. Within that file are the CMD commands, including the .exe call itself. I remember removing -window parameter because he wanted to use full screen

[k3lt 3]

Right click Arma 3 alpha on Steam list and click "Launch in windowed mode"...

[Gunter Severloh 4052]

Go to your library locate Arma3 Alpha right click it and in the list it says "create desktop shortcut"

[QuiteFranklyMyMaN 1]

-Window is what your looking for

yeah weird, -w doesnt work, -windowed doesnt work, only -window

[KeyCat 131]

No, I did that, wont launch.

Did you spell the command correctly?

This is pissing me off, why is steam the only one in control of my .exe? I WANT TO WINDOW MY GAME I JUST BOUGHT.

It's not, as I said making a shortcut to the desktop and add correct startup parameters like we do in A2:OA works!

/KC

[tortuosit 486]

I helped someone who used Steam with A2 with this a while back: IIRC, you launch the game through a shortcut to a .cmd file. Within that file are the CMD commands, including the .exe call itself. I remember removing -window parameter because he wanted to use full screen

That's what I do. A2 Beta delivers a startup cmd file, this one is used (and copied) pretty often depending on how you wish to start Arma 2 (with DayZ, ACE, which maps, mods, etc...). So you keep some cmd files (make shortcuts to them etc.) and start the Arma config of your choice.

I think they have a steam wrapper around arma3.exe and if it transports the command line correctly, cmd's will also work. Though I wish A3 ll be running without Steam as it does with A2 beta, simply because of less complexity.