Jackle's Guide to Basic Halo: Combat Evolved Modding (Using HMT)
Version: 2.0.0
New in 2.0.0:
-Added FAQ
-Fixed Spelling Errors
-Fixed Sentences
-Easier to Understand
-Tips before getting started
I. The Programs
II. Getting Started
III. The Metas and Swaping
IV. Skins and Inserting them
V. Misc. Stuff
VI. FAQs
VII. Contact Stuff
VIII. Thanks to and Credits
XI. Legal Stuff
A few tips Before you get started:
-Keep a folder with different versions of your mod, that way, if one crashes, you can just go to an older version with out starting from scratch.
-Back up your map!
-Make sure your PC is stable before attempting to mod!
-Record any Metas on Microsoft word or any other word editing program.
I. The Programs
The first thing to modding is getting the programs.
The 2 main programs are HMT and SparkEdit. A Good place to dowload them would be here: http://halo2.filefront.com/file/Halo_Tool_Kit;55870. If you want to download the Plug-
ins, go here (This is needed later in the Guide): http://halo2.filefront.com/file/HMT_35_Plugins_Pack;65046
HMT will allow you to make all the weapon swaps and all the cool little effects like high jumping,
invisble players, or swaping projectiles, etc. SparkEdit is pretty cool, but a little harder to use. What
it can do is move around itmes on the map and add teleporters. Ever wonder how there's alot more
weapons or some new teleporters? SparkEdit makes it all! In this Guide we will be using HMT, not
SparkEdit.
II. Getting Started
Okay, in this guide we will be using the map, "Blood Gulch" but you could have probably guessed
that by now. :P You may use another map as long as it's got Vehicles in it, we will be modding a Warthog.
Okay, so open up HMT from where ever you saved the file. MAKE SURE TO BACK UP THE ORIGINAL
BLOODGULCH.MAP FILE BEFORE BEGINNING TO MOD THE FILE! You may want to make a shortcut from your desktop to HMT. When
HMT is open, go File > Open and Go to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo\Maps
and find bloodgulch.map and open it up. So let's start out with something easy, we'll make you taller.
Find the Biped Tag and either click on the "+" sign or double click on it. That will open up the tag.
Look at the right and find the "Height" area. There adjust it to about 0.70 or 0.75. You could test
it out now but it won't be any fun. You will be taller whenever you play next time in Blood Gulch.
There! Done. You can also adjust the Crouching size and the Height of the Jump. Plus you can make it
so that you can walk on walls and take no damage from falls! Next up, I'll teach you how to swap
projectiles and add effects using Metas!
III. The Metas and Swaping
Okay, assuming that you are still in HMT, we are going to swap the projectiles of two weapons.
Open up word or any other word editing program and leave it blank (This is to make it easier) and then find the Projectile [proj] tag.
Open it up and look for, in this case, we will replace a pistol bullet with a rocket. Click on the Rocket
and in the upper right corner you will find the "Meta", a sequence of numbers and letters. An
example of a meta might be: 1R23DJ4 or something like that. Surprisingly, the Meta is one of the most important
things of modding. Okay, copy the Meta and Paste it in word (This is so you can remember the
meta of the projectile so that you can change it back). Now go to the Pistol and do the exact same.
Now, Copy the Rocket Meta and paste it into the Pistol's Meta Box and hit save. There! Weapon swapped! Another
cool thing to do is do the same with the Plasma Grenade or Frag Grenade, copy there meta, paste it into
word, then paste the rocket meta into the Plasme/Frag Grenade meta box and click save. You can
actually throw rockets! They go straight and the Explode! Now we will move onto adding effects.
Find the "Effects" tag and open it up. Search it now for the Flame Thrower "Flame Char" and copy
that meta. Then go up to where it says Vehicle Effects Slip ____ (Meaning whatever the surface is)
and paste it the meta into the surfaces suitable. There! Guess what that does? Drive a warthog and find out!
The warthogs leave trails of flame! Now let's move onto skins!
IV. Skins and Inserting them
Okay, this is kind of tricky. To insert a skin make sure the folder you are using has the "Bitmaps.map"
file in it. Okay, for this you will need either The GIMP or Photoshop. Get GIMP for free here:
http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/stable.html. Okay, in HMT, open up the "Bitmap" [bmp] Tag and then
down untill you find the skin you want to edit. Click on that and then find, "Save Skin" and save it
where ever you'd like. Now, download the BMP to DXT converter here: . Once you have it, open up the
file you saved and then go File > Save As > BMP and open it up in GIMP or Photoshop. (Photoshop users,
just download the program the allows you to use DXT files) Once there, mess around with it however
you see fit, then go back to the Converter, then turn it back to DXT and save it. Back in HMT, click
"Inject Texture" and find the modified skin. Note, this will not appear in for other people unless they
have your Bitmap.map. Once it is injected, you can open up your game and there it is!
VI. Misc. Stuff
Making Nukes:
Go into the Damage [ipt!] tag and find the Frag/Plasma Grenade and adjust the radius and damage. Also
I recommend replacing the Banshee Bomb with this. The nuke can be very deadly. :P
Flying Wartys:
Find the Vehicle tag and then scroll down to the warthog_r or warthog_mp. Click on either and then
find the "ID". Change either's ID to Pelican. Adjust the speed a little and then there! Your done! Also,
warthog_r is the Rocket Hog and the warhog_mp is the Turret Hog.
Firing from the Driver Seat of the Warthog:
Find the Vehicle tag and then either warthog_r or warthog_mp. Inside find the "Seats" area and choose 0.
Then check of the box that says, "Fire Weapon" of and there! Done.
Skipping Shields:
Make sure you have the Plugins pack (Look at the readme for installation intructions) and find
the Damage [ipt!] tag. Look for any weapon and click on it's bullet. (It must be the bullet!) Find
the "Skip Shields" flag and check it off. Done! Now the bullet you changed ignores sheilds and
goes directly to the health.
Adding Zoom:
Find the Weapon Tag and inside find some weapon. Where it says, "Zoom Levels" Change it
to 1 or 2 and then the zoom to whatever you'd like. Done!
Hitch Hiker Hog:
Make sure you you have the plug-ins for this.
Find the vehicles tag and choose a seat (1), now
find the "Invisible" flag or something like that
and check it off. There! You are completely invisible!
(Besides your gun)
VI. FAQs
Q. I keep on getting a window popping up that says "Gathering Exception Error" every time I try to open up my mod. Why does this keep happening?
A. The mod has obviously corrupt. You have likely done something to the mod to screw it up. Some reasons could be:
-You messed around with the Model [mod2]
-You tried to remove a feature such as making everything on a Projectile 0
-An Unsupported tag was messed with
-You messed with the sound
-The game just could not handle it
-It was just way to screwed around with
Q. I can get past Loading the Game, but when I load the map, it gives me an Exception error.
A. Same goes for the the first one, just see what you've done wrong.
Q. I can't insert my skin? Why won't it let me?
A. Likely because it isn't the same format (File Type) of the original file. Check the format of the original file and revert it to that file type. That should work. If that does not work, it is likely because it just is way too big or flawed.
Anything Else can be answered by eMail. I will then put onto the FAQ.
VII. Contact Stuff
I can be emailed at: moguera@gmail.com and for more tips you can visit my
website at: moguera.googlepages.com/home (NO WWW.) for more tips and other stuff
including forums where you can give me ideas for future mods! Any errors found in the guide I would love to know. If you want to know anything exact, eMail me.
VIII. Thanks to
Sir, for teaching me how to skin and the process.
dammahom59, for teaching me how to make warthogs fire from the drivers seat.
Whom ever created HMT.
Bungie, for even making Halo and letting us mod it.
Also, anyone I missed! Thank you!
The whole thing created by: Me! :P
XI. Legal Stuff
Please don't use my Guide on any other site unless you have my permisssion
or put it onto discs! Any unofficial edits I find in my Guide will not be tolerated also.
This guide is for personal use only, no public use is permitted with out permission!
Thanks!
I hope this helps!
-Jackle