OS H2EK

[Kornman00]

2006

Trying to figure out why the render command is just herp-derping right now. Since these commands were never meant for public consumption it would appear that it wants to spit the files out to the install dir's tags folder, instead of the user folder, as the files don't actually get spat out (and I have UAC turned on, so tool wouldn't be able to create the tags). Going to look into using the same routines as the bitmaps command, since IIRC, that spits .bitmap tags out to the user's tag folder.

Didn't have to do much in order to get this working. All I had to do was re-save the jms files in unicode and I could import them without tool bitching (I'm guessing MS made Hired Gun rewrite the jms serializers for unicode streams, I doubt Bungie would be using them internally, especially for intermediate formats like jms).

Now I just need some poof to write a fucking 3dsmax exporter. Ghost, if you're listening, I'd pay...

E: I take that back about the files not being created. They do get created. I guess Windows somehow virtually makes user data (folders/files) in Program Files that don't actually exist at that physical location (I guess it's off in AppData somewhere :s). I can try to navigate to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Halo 2 Map Editor\tags\objects\characters\masterchief2\" in Explorer but no dice. However, I can navigate to that exact path in say H2Guerilla or Hexworkshop.

E: Yep. "C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Halo 2 Map Editor\tags\objects\characters\masterchief2\"

[ShadowSpartan]

Didn't have to do much in order to get this working. All I had to do was re-save the jms files in unicode and I could import them without tool bitching (I'm guessing MS made Hired Gun rewrite the jms serializers for unicode streams, I doubt Bungie would be using them internally, especially for intermediate formats like jms).
After reading that, I went digging for the H2Tool exe's I edited like 2 years ago. Changed an extracted jms to unicode, and it compiled a collision model just fine. Why didn't you tell me that before?!

http://shadow.modacity.net/h2tool_collision.png

[leorimolo]

Great work guys. Also windows does some gay ass fucking butt sex , where it grabs everything and puts it in this directory "C:\Users\Leo\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Halo 2 Map Editor"

I think this is because of UAC or whatever

[ShadowSpartan]

Great work guys. Also windows does some gay ass fucking butt sex , where it grabs everything and puts it in this directory "C:\Users\Leo\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Halo 2 Map Editor"

I think this is because of UAC or whatever
When I compiled, it put mine in "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo 2 Map Editor\tags\objects" where it should belong, it's weird it is putting stuff there for you guys. Maybe it has to do with the fact you guys are running on 64-bit? What kind of files is it putting there, just tags that tool creates?

[leorimolo]

Ive had the problem with non 64bit before on vista and the 360 sdk. I think it has something to do with admin program rights.

Also just a random question, now that we can compile coll, models any chance tag extraction is a step closer? I want a pelican lol.

[ShadowSpartan]

Also just a random question, now that we can compile coll, models any chance tag extraction is a step closer? I want a pelican lol.
Tag extraction has been possible for a while, my codebase has support for it but it's not complete (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXpvlLdhZ7E). Korn released Blamlib a while back, which can be used to extract tags, though I'm not sure how complete his code is.

Edit:
Well, physics model is compiling, but render model is still not playing nice.

http://shadow.modacity.net/h2tool_physics.png

[Dwood]

Can one of you post up a jms file for h2v? I'm interested in taking a peek.

[Kornman00]

jms files for coll/phmo/mode tags (http://kornnersoftware.com/yelo/halo2/vista/coll_phmo_mode.7z)

BlamLib has had full tag extraction support for a while now. However in the case of H2, tag groups like shader, shader_template, etc don't have full reconstruction support so the extracted tag will for the most part be in a runtime optimized format (ie, cache-friendly, non-tag). I've developed some possible solutions for their cases in OS H2EK so that extracted shader, etc tag definitions can be used in development (they'd be read-only basically, you couldn't tweak them). However, I've yet to properly test the solutions.

[leorimolo]

jms files for coll/phmo/mode tags (http://kornnersoftware.com/yelo/halo2/vista/coll_phmo_mode.7z)

BlamLib has had full tag extraction support for a while now. However in the case of H2, tag groups like shader, shader_template, etc don't have full reconstruction support so the extracted tag will for the most part be in a runtime optimized format (ie, cache-friendly, non-tag). I've developed some possible solutions for their cases in OS H2EK so that extracted shader, etc tag definitions can be used in development (they'd be read-only basically, you couldn't tweak them). However, I've yet to properly test the solutions.
Hmm it would really aid non-programmers a program, so we could test it. I really dont have enough time to figure out around blam lib, but id be happy testing extracted tags.

[Kornman00]

And I really don't have the time to develop a cache viewer UI in OpenSauceIDE right now :P

[Kornman00]

Well, physics model is compiling, but render model is still not playing nice.

Because:2007

Someone at HG was a butt and probably added a couple "//"s around that code...

[Resinball]

Great stuff guys, just when I thought nothing new was coming to H2V. That only leaves new animations and proper render models.


Proper collision should allow me to make a more accurate Bubble Shield, cannot wait.

[supersniper]

Because:2007

Someone at HG was a butt and probably added a couple "//"s around that code...i think you mean /* xD

are you debugging?

[Patrickssj6]

i think you mean /* xD

are you debugging?
Disassembling + Debugging. Hence the Call _tag_save. Many of us would kill for Korn's .idb

I don't even get how he gets so much done xD The whole process is very time consuming and I rarely can sit down and reverse something because my day is so clogged up.

[ShadowSpartan]

i think you mean /* xD
No he doesn't. He said he thought they added a few of them, implying that they commented out single lines of code. /* */ is used for a comment block, not really single lines of code.

Thanks for information Korn, I may try to catch you online when I get some free time.

[Kornman00]

I don't even get how he gets so much done xD
I've been doing this since day 1 for 8+ years, so like any good investment, all previous contributions (ie, learned information) pay off 10 fold in the future (ie, apply in some form or fashion to future learning).

It's why Halo 3 modding noobs will forever be noobie mc-noob-noobs.

[Kornman00]

And I really don't have the time to develop a cache viewer UI in OpenSauceIDE right now :P
I started some really basic ground work on a cache viewer in BlamLib the other day and checked in the code into the OS codebase today. Nothing actually usable by users, but shows where I'll be going with it.

[KantIZBack]

i keep trying to get the Open sauce repository but i keep getting a error that im not alowed to copy or some bullshit

[leorimolo]

i keep trying to get the Open sauce repository but i keep getting a error that im not alowed to copy or some bullshit
Same, I downloaded mercurial and used the GIT backup command provided to download the whole opensauce respiratory locally. How do I download this? and I really just need blamlib and I cant figure it out

[Kornman00]

Mercurial and GIT are two different DVCSes. There's information on how to checkout the source code on the checkout page (http://code.google.com/p/open-sauce/source/checkout).

[KantIZBack]

I tried both of those and it still did not work.

[Kornman00]

Again, Mercurial and Git are two different DVCSes. Google code doesn't even have support for Git.


Command-line access

Get a local copy of the open-sauce repository with this command:
hg clone https://open-sauce.googlecode.com/hg/ open-sauce

It becomes even easier (opening CLI isn't that hard either) when you use a GUI wrapper (which they link to on that same page that I linked to in my last post). This isn't rocket science, but some effort is required (reading/google/etc).

[Kornman00]

So I was testing some code changes I did for H2CheApe and encountered some BORK strings. Confused why the h2lang strings weren't loading correctly, I eventually figured out that MGS actually "updated" the H2EK exes in one of the game updates, so I was applying exe changes to a different version of the H2EK.

With that being said, I'm now letting everyone know that I only support the H2EK exes which come on the game disc (so v1.00). So be sure to keep the original exes handy (which I have go to rip from a disc...).

[CodeBrain]

I recall one of the updates removed a picture of a developers bare ass when you had an error compiling a .ass file.

There was a thread on this very forum talking about it (teh lag was one of the people who saw it/posted in the thread) but I can't be assed into finding it.

That's the only update for the H2EK that I can think of, I don't seem to recall other updates messing with the H2EK...

[Resinball]

Yeah Code, I think it was that same "update" which removed the Mapshot (mini picture preview of the appropriate map in the custom menu).

Considering the situation you described I always thought MSG (not a typo) removed the Mapshot feature because of one of their own employees negligence; they couldn't trust thier own employees not to include nudity in the game, well then how could they trust the paying customer right. Which is asinine, we could still include nudity in the actual map's textures. Yet how many sex-themed maps have I seen in H2V since release? None.

[Kornman00]

That shot of Chucky's ass was from when Bungie was developing Halo 2, so being that HG/Pi Studios didn't develop the tools, only made sure they worked on most computers running Vista, you can't really point a finger at anymore.

And I'll take no mapshots over someone being negligent and not making sure there was no way to recreate functionality to the HEK that was "removed" from end-user access (if it really was negligence). Been living a life without them since HaloCE anyway.

[Amit]

What's MSG? MGS is Microsoft Game Studios.

Wasn't it a picture of Jason Jones' ass and not a MGS/Hired Gun employee?

[The_Cereal_Killer]

Well a feature I'd kill for is the ability to compile solo scenarios with tool. Would that be at all doable?

[Kornman00]

With a little bit of elbow grease, it should be. However, I'm not currently actively developing the H2 edition of the OS HEK