I FIXED "ARSENIC", The XBox Halo Map Tool

[Moses]

Holy shit it's been a long time since I've been here. HEY LLAMA JUICE WHATS UP! Anyway, I'm gonna cut to the chase, I've fixed Arsenic and here you guys go. If you want to read what I did it's in the readme.txt as well as the end of this post.


What is Arsenic?


Well not only is it a program that has almost become extinct since the original host site went offline AND broke once the site went offline, but to quote HIZLO of HaloMaps.com:


This program is pretty much all you're going to need when it comes to modding Halo.

Arsenic's hardcore power ranges from its visually stunning graphics to its built in game and tag editor. You can chose anything within a map such as scenery, weapons, vehicles, etc... and hot swap on the drop of a dime.

Duplication is now made easy with our new point and click system. Any object you wish to move in Arsenic will move and suck to the mesh or structure of your map, this will save you a lot of time when placing stuff in your environment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsYcA9SVKhk


Our built in tag editor is amazing and simple to use, for example click on a warthog then chose the tag editor. You will be able to edit a wide range of physics right on the spot, all changes will take effect when you save your map.

Arsenic has a built in Auto Update feature which will be a life savor when future updates are released. All updates will come from halomaps.com so anyone using this program will always have an up-to-date version. The updates will automatically be applied when you open up Arsenic.

As of right now the beta release will be structured around modding Xbox maps and tags. What you can expect in the near future from us...

• Built-in FTP (uploading maps to your Xbox)
• Halo CE Map Editing
• Load Compressed Xbox Maps
• Scripting, etc...

Note: Keep in mind this is a beta release!

Arsenic is a HaloMaps exclusive only, welcome back to Halo 1 modding people! This is one bad *** program, better get those old modded Xbox's out of your closet.

Whats Needed...
1. HaloCE must be installed before running Arsenic.
2. Halo Editing Kit must also be installed before running Arsenic.
3. If you need to download HaloCE or HEK please visit HaloCE Tools (http://www.halomaps.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=gate6g3gedb4eipkipdbsdug04&/topic,5806.0.html).
4. Your cached Halo Xbox Maps must be put in the "XboxMaps" folder located inside Arsenic.

Note: Some users may need to update their Microsoft .NET Framework (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=333325FD-AE52-4E35-B531-508D977D32A6&displaylang=en) or DirectX (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=886ACB56-C91A-4A8E-8BB8-9F20F1244A8E&displaylang=en) in order for Arsenic to load properly.

Tutorials to install
http://www.vimeo.com/3365466
http://www.vimeo.com/3365583


To prove I'm not bluffing here's a screencap of right when I got it working with mine and Yoko's xfire names marked out. https://imageshack.us/a/img401/241/fuckingyes.png


Download: Arsenic 2.0.0.9 (http://www.modacity.net/forums/showthread.php?25085-Arsenic-2.0.0.9)


EDIT: The below downloads are depreciated now that Blumoon94 has uploaded just about the newest version of Arsenic ever compiled.


Download: Arsenic 1.0.0.6 Updateless (http://www.putlocker.com/file/EC0361B6DA35D3C5)


Installation:

1: After extracting Arsenic you'll notice a folder called "PLACE CONTENTS IN C ROOT". Do what it says.
2: Download the SlimDX Runtime (November 2008 version) and install it.
3: Download the newest version of the SlimDX Runtime and install it. You can find these here
4: Run Arsenic
5: If it works skip to step 8
6: Download and Install the DirectXAug2008 and DirectXNov2008 packages
7: Run Arsenic
8: :-D

If you still can't get it working even after all that then I don't know what to tell you. I didn't write the software, I simply fixed a fatal error that prevented all copies from working ever again. Yoko was having trouble running it on her 64 bit Windows 7 (Mine is XP 32bit) so make sure you get the right binaries.


I, Moses, did not MAKE Arsenic, That honor goes to Luis Caicedo. I simply modified it to run without a connection to halomaps.com since it doesn't exist anymore. What was happening every time Arsenic loaded was it instantly checked halomaps.com for the update.txt file which contained the newest version number stored as x.x.x.x and compared it with the version you were running. However, if it couldn't find the file it didn't know what to do and crashed. I did some testing and figured out this was the cause and went in with a hex editor, and changed:

http://www.halomaps.com/downloads/halo/arsenic/updates/update.txt

into

file:///c:/arsenicupdate_spooffiles_dont_touch/updates/update.txt

Then created the file update.txt at c:/arsenicupdate_spooffiles_dont_touch/updates/ Finally, I used a dotnet decompiler to browse the code for arsenic, found the update function, studied it and figured out what it looked for in the update.txt, and from it found that the update file simply contained the version number. So I put the current version number of 1.0.0.6 into the text file and VOILA, Arsenic is tricked into thinking it's reading the legit update file.

I would have deleted the update function entirely if I could fully decompile Arsenic and had the libraries to recompile it. I have also included the original, unedited Arsenic as a Arsenic ORIGINAL BACKUP.rar

[YetiSnak]

quick question, will it support adding portals like sparkedit does?

[Moses]

I didn't make this program, I made that very clear. I don't know much more than it's meant to make xbox maps. I am still having a direct x issue with it that I'm gonna fix tomorrow hopefully so at present I can't even properly load a map. But I've at least got it loading up correctly.

[YetiSnak]

welp, As of right now the beta release will be structured around modding Xbox maps and tags. What you can expect in the near future from us...

• Built-in FTP (uploading maps to your Xbox)
• Halo CE Map Editing
• Load Compressed Xbox Maps
• Scripting, etc...
I was wondering if the ce feature was added yet, and if so could you add portals like sparkedit. good luck getting it woking, but seems like faking an update.txt from hex editing and making a file isn't much. No offence, if you get it woking, great. I was just wondering if it doesn't work yet why not wait till it's working before posting about it?

[Moses]

Look, I didn't develop this software, and the people that did DON'T WORK ON IT ANYMORE. Halomaps.com doesn't exist anymore. This is the only version of Arsenic I could find and as it turns out it's also the oldest version. If someone who has a betav2 of arsenic would like to share it with the rest of the world I would certainly be appreciative because from all my searching I wasn't able to find ANYTHING other than this copy, which was broken because of said update issue. I'm sure there's just something wrong with my directx setup because this tool has worked before. So the reason I'm posting about it is because I fixed a major issue with the only version I could find it and hopefully everyone can help the rest of the way.

[ThePlague]

No say hi to me or donut :C

[SirBobbington]

There are still functioning xboxes?

[Btcc22]

There are still functioning xboxes?

The original Xboxes never die. They'll be with us long after the last 360 has gone up in smoke.

[DarkHalo003]

Oh hey it's Moses. How have you been? How did that Energy Sword mod finish in Oblivion?

[Moses]

Nope darkhalo, it's still at this state:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jVIcZedmTI

During the development my computer died and my dvd burner went with it a while before that, meaning I couldn't install Photoshop CS3 from my student edition anymore. I've just within the last 2 months (yes it's that big of a time gap) gotten a new computer setup that includes a dvd burner and have installed photoshop. Yes I realize I could've pirated it but I don't do that unless there is no other way. I have SOME morals ya know >_<. That's also a big reason I only have max 8 as opposed to 2010 or anything else, I DONT NEED THEM.

Also plague, I'm on skype ALL THE TIME and talk to donut ALL THE TIME. You just need to say hi more often :P. I have you in my friends list BRANDON.

Finally, to everyone else, this doesn't really fit in with the rest of the thread, but I might as well say I'm working on a new tank for CE. I made it a LONG time ago and it sucked ass cause my skills did, but I'll let my renders speak for themselves.

The concept art was done by Paul Jeong 10 years ago and I got his permission. And in case you can't tell, this is a redesign of SOPHIA from Blaster Master for the NES. A jumping tank with missiles, a plasma cannon, and a chaingun(That part he added I guess).

http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o630/MosesofEgypt/SOPHIA/sophia1_zpsa2dbcae3.png
http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o630/MosesofEgypt/SOPHIA/RenderCorner_zpsb044f865.png
http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o630/MosesofEgypt/SOPHIA/RenderCornerJump_zpsb3121dcf.png
Here's the gallery

http://s1151.beta.photobucket.com/user/MosesofEgypt/library/SOPHIA?

I'm going to be baking normals and AO from this high poly model and will probably have a 3000-5000 triangle model with diffuse, specular, and normals when I am done. I'm almost done making the high poly model as you can see.

[DarkHalo003]

:O Nice. My only criticism is of the rendering technique, but I don't know shit really about proper rendering. People who can model vehicles have talent IMO.

And I have yet to experience computer issues of that scale. Switching computers can be a bitch enough as it is, but if I were to lose EVERYTHING from a crash/brownout/hardwarefailure/etc then I'm not sure exactly what I'd do.

Also, I'm not a fan of pirating either. Trying to be on the ambiguous moral highground too.

[Moses]

The low poly model is already becoming pretty high in the triangle count. It's currently at 8446 triangles even though, as evidenced by this screenshot, it doesn't have tons of unnecessary edges.

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/5144/8446triangles.png

I blame it on the number of circular surfaces like cylinders and just the shear number of parts in general. I'm going to do some pruning when I'm done with it. I'm also planning on putting this in other, more modern games, so the triangle count can easily be this high. I'm definitely going to step it down a lot for the LOD's so don't worry about that. I expect the super high LOD will probably end up being around 9,000 triangles, high being 6000, medium being 3000, and so on.


Also, as for rendering I simply applied colors for reference and didn't give two shits about the renders. Though I did experiment with clay rendering using mental ray for the jump animation and I was very impressed with the quality, speed, and amount of control you are given over the settings.

Here's a jump animation with the finished high poly model.

http://s1151.beta.photobucket.com/user/MosesofEgypt/media/SOPHIA/JumpTestAnimation_zps32d1791a.mp4.html?sort=3&o=0

and here's a turnaround showing the whole model on all sides.

http://s1151.beta.photobucket.com/user/MosesofEgypt/media/SOPHIA/SOPHIATurnaround_zps8e88a8a3.mp4.html?sort=3&o=1

[DarkHalo003]

Very interesting. And yeah, cylinders are a bitch to deal with, especially when you find out high-poly ones can be done in some many ways. It makes me glad I'm still on my Digital Hiatus.

I like the second aimation and the first is good until the vehicle falls to the ground. The impact and falling animations need more to them, but that's just what I see.

[Moses]

Honestly, don't judge that animation lol. It was a simple test of my animation reactor and IK setup. I was finishing it up around 3 am and was so tired that I just said eff it and hit render and went to sleep lol. It was close enough for me to not care. Once the low poly one is actually rigged with real bones, has a normal map, specular, and diffuse expect to see a real animation.

[DarkHalo003]

Honestly, don't judge that animation lol. It was a simple test of my animation reactor and IK setup. I was finishing it up around 3 am and was so tired that I just said eff it and hit render and went to sleep lol. It was close enough for me to not care. Once the low poly one is actually rigged with real bones, has a normal map, specular, and diffuse expect to see a real animation.
Ah haha I thought it seemed weird. Well best of luck to you then. My skill with 3D animation is HORRENDOUS.

[Blumoon94]

Believe it or not, I actually do have a copy of version 2.0.0.9, if you want it? :D

[Moses]

HOLY BALLS if that's true I would LOVE YOU and I'm sure once it gets around to the rest of the HCE community they will too. You might want to make a new thread saying you've found a good, up to date, copy so you can bring it back from the verge of extinction.

I have literally decompiled the older version to try and get it to work and have tracked down hizlo's AIM account (one of the creators) to try and ask him for a copy but he hasn't been on in months. I hope you're not just trolling. I will decompile it to check.

[Blumoon94]

The thread is made! lol. I've had it for a while... I used to be really big on halo 1 xbox modding. It does say Arsenic 2.0.0.9 when I go to the "about" dialog. And I have used it a lot, I hope it's what you're looking for.

[Moses]

I'l locking this thread now and redirecting to your thread.