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View Full Version : Map Making H1 and H2 Comparison Guide/Tutorial



SuperSunny
May 29th, 2007, 04:35 PM
Halo 2 Vista's editing kit, it's many things.

At first I hated it.

Now I like it.

Why?

You can do so much more on what's available. Things to look over:


Whatever you have learned about lightmaps in Halo 1, FORGET in Halo 2. They aren't the same. Radiosity does not exist. It's Photon Mapping. It takes longer, but run on draft low and go urinate for 5 minutes.
Whatever you have learned about shaders in Halo 1, KINDA FORGET in Halo 2. The H2EK uses a default shader format. Then, you apply a shader_template, with almost fully customizable shader options. Basically, most people were lazy with shaders in Halo 1. No more of that. Now maps can actually LOOK pretty, and customizable to a higher extent.
Don't port maps, unless you have fully developed your own map. You have to learn step by step how shaders and such are handled in Halo 2, then if you wish, port one. But, prepare to get flamed unless it's your own map, and it doesn't suck.More Soon

Kalub
May 29th, 2007, 10:38 PM
:highfive:

Gj Sunny, I hope to pickup an 8600 and this game soon to see what your talking about.

samnwck
May 29th, 2007, 11:32 PM
Wait can you make custom skies?

soccerbummer1104
May 30th, 2007, 12:00 AM
@bio crock.. i discourage the 8600.. its said to be on par ow worse in performance than a 7600 GT.. it just has dx10... tomshardware.com .. look at the graphics cards section...

bleach
May 30th, 2007, 12:02 AM
good thread/advice for modding with the H2EK tool. Just wait until i get X1550 PCI and Vista Premium.

FireDragon04
May 30th, 2007, 03:32 PM
Nice info. I'm still waiting on the UK release of H2V. Then ill be busy getting use to the new EK and finally getting the map everyone wants of mine on halo 2 vista. YAY. :D

So, hows this 'Photon Mapping' anyone ran it at 'full'?

X3RO SHIF7
May 30th, 2007, 03:35 PM
@bio crock.. i discourage the 8600.. its said to be on par ow worse in performance than a 7600 GT.. it just has dx10... tomshardware.com .. look at the graphics cards section...
toms hardware guide fails, its about par with a 7900 GT but with dx10, well the gts anyways

SuperSunny
May 30th, 2007, 04:10 PM
Nice info. I'm still waiting on the UK release of H2V. Then ill be busy getting use to the new EK and finally getting the map everyone wants of mine on halo 2 vista. YAY. :D

So, hows this 'Photon Mapping' anyone ran it at 'full'?

It's amazing. Much like final gather in 3ds, if light hits a colored surface of a texture at a good scale, the color from the texture is emitted as light off whatever it needs to hit. It looks amazing.