Greetings! Converting CE Maps

[>Shadow<]

Thought I'd just come round and see how everyone is doing. Not very well, from the looks of things... Must everyone rage and flame so much? Anyways, I don't know if I'm going to rejoin the community quite yet. I may, I may not. I haven't really decided yet. For now I'll just leave you with a fun little tutorial on how to convert CE maps to Halo Full by hand. Don't ask me why on earth why, I just feel like it. o_o

Maybe to make everyone realize the amount of work apps like Harbinger or Pearl have to through to convert your CE maps for you? D: IDK, you decide. So, again, hello everyone! It's good to see you.



Converting CE Maps V3:

CE -> Mac Conversion Tutorial
Original tutorial by bobindashadows.
Rewritten by >Shadow<

Tools Needed:
-C#MT (Non-public version)
-Console (Found in the utilities folder on your mac.)
-HEX of some kind
-Text editor that makes .txt files


1. Open your textedit and set your preferences to plain text format. We want this file to save as a .txt.

2. You will need the console open for most of this, so open it now. Make sure it is showing "console.log"

3. Open up the converted map "Portent" in C#MT and batch it. Once that is done, go to the UI folder and get the multiplayer tagc from it, both the meta and xml. Put those somewhere for now. The files should be called "ui_tags_loaded_multiplayer_scenario_type.tagc.meta" and "ui_tags_loaded_multiplayer_scenario_type.tagc.xml".
Back these up in order to skip this step in other CE converions.

After setting up, follow these instructions.

1. Change the second four #'s in the header to 07 00 00 00 just like you do to convert tags.

1.2. Batch extract the CE map to a blank folder. Once the batch extract has completed you can quit C#MT. Be sure to make note of the levels that are in the "levels" folder if you want to shave off a ton of time. (That was just to cut time. Delete the folder you batched in after you type a list of maps that was in the folder MP and SP. Type in UI as well.) Then make a folder called conversion (This is preperation for later steps so it cuts time a little for impatient people. This step is NOT necessary.)

2. Open the CE map in the new version of C#MT. Open the SBSP tag to determine if the map has more than one BSP or if it's protected. If it's got more than one BSP, or is protected, don't even try converting it. If it only has one, click the "Find Ones" button.

3. Scroll up in the console until you find a big list of tag names. Select all the tags there, copy them into a text file, and save it somewhere.

4. Clear the console (Always clear the console before opening a new map!)and then open one of the Halo Maps that appeared in the "levels" folder from the batch you did at the beginning and then type "still" into the filter in console. Now click the "add from list" button in C#MT. The console will fill with "Still add this! " lines plus tag names and the folder you chose will fill with stuff.

4.5. What the add from list button does is recursively extract tags you need extracted into a folder. to use it, when you first click the button, it will ask for a folder to extract to. This should be a new empty folder.

NOTE: If only SP maps appeared in the batch from step 1.2, then you only need to select ONE MP map (Like BG, or something.) and that's it UNLESS other stuff came up other than var_kill_penalty. (You do need to do the UI.map as well too though.) Also, in case you do not know already, C#MT will freeze for a bit and give you the beach ball/pinwheel while everything extracts to the folder you selected. So don't think your computer is broken and start banging fists on keyboard and/or force quitting C#MT. Just let it sit for about a minuter while it extracts everything. If you find this to hard and feel an urge to bang your fists on the keyboard, then take some chill pills/strips before doing this step. Put it on your tongue, it dissolves, chill... *wink*

Then it will ask for the .txt file containing the list of tag names. The tag names also have the tag class at the end, just ignore it. For now, just select the .txt file.

5. At any rate, after the console prints all those lines, copy them all and replace the text in your .txt file with what was just printed.

6. Do a find and replace, remove the "Still add this! " (Make sure to include that space. It's not a typo.) from everything. Just to be safe, make sure there are no spaces in front of the tag names.

6.5 The reason you do step six is to update the list of whats needed in the map. Use the updated list on all maps it will keep updating until only one tag remains in the console. This is all explained in Step 7.

7. You will repeat this process on each Halo map from the list you made in step 1.5 until only the "var_kill_penalty" tag remains in the console. This tag doesn't exist in halo pc, and it doesn't matter. Be sure to clear the console every time you load a new map!
As I said before, you should also do this process on UI.map as well as the maps from the list you made in step 1.5, as it contains about 50 of the tags you will need.

8. When this is all done, batch extract your CE map into the conversion folder you've been working with.

9. Now, replace the multiplayer tagc xml and meta in the ui folder from the CE map you are converting with Portent's multiplayer tagc xml and meta. (The multiplayer tagc meta and xml for the CE map you are converting are found in the batch extract you just did of the CE map you are converting. ;) )

10. Now, pull up the map rebuild window, choose the CE map which should be in the root of your batch extracted folder.

11. Now, locate the sbsp and scnr tags in the batch extracted stuff. Make sure the path to these files is the same as the path in the appropriate text boxes in the map rebuild window. Fix the paths in the window if necessary. Capitalization counts. (Do not edit tag names just correct mistakes in the rebuild window and correct the path. Do NOT, I repeat do NOT rename or move anything in the conversion folder.)

12. Now, map rebuild. The progress of the map rebuild can be monitored in the console. If the console says something about a dependency not being found, determine which dependency it is, and select the corresponding tags in the "new tags" window of the map rebuild window.

13. Change the rebuilt map's filename and name (in hex) to the name of an original map.

14. Now, enjoy your conversion. This tutorial probably makes no sense reading it through without trying it. But while you are doing it, the directions shall become clear. (Hopefully! ;) )

**BUGS AND ISSUES**

• Intel only: Certain maps are Intel Mac and Windows only conversions. If you are running a PPC Mac, then sometimes a map you convert will crash when the loading screen gets to: "Network server started. Loading map (Map name here.) There is no known solution.

• Black screen: This one is a rare one, but occasionally when you load a map, the screen will just turn black. One solution to fix this would be to make the CE conversion into Gephyrophobia instead of the map you made it. The reason it gets a black screen is because of something to do with the name. You need a map with a longer name then the one you are currently using if you get a black screen. Should you get a black screen, Gephyrophobia is the best rename choice since it has the longest name of any other map.

• Find ones does not work: Very, very rarely, uppon hitting "Find ones" nothing shall appear in the console. This is because there are no Retail Halo tags in that map. There is no known solution.



Enjoy the "lulz" of reading it. >_>

[Slapzy]

I sure "lulz'd"
Semi-Welcome back.

[>Shadow<]

"Semi-welcome back"? You mean I don't get a full welcome back? How rude! >:O

J/K mate. ;)

[Slapzy]

Nah bra, you get the full welcome. I'm just half the modder I once was, that hardly any of you guys actually knew about. >.>

Anyways, what I meant was, welcome back, whenever you're actually ready to come back. ^_^

& GODDAMN CONFIRMATION CODES!!! D:

[P!ckoff]

Nice to see some other old blood on here... been feeling a bit lonely since I myself came back. Still modding halo, wow... I've moved on to graphics and modding Fallout 3...

[>Shadow<]

Good to see you guys too.

I just love this pic, so I feel like posting it again. ;)

The ghost wanted to be bigger so...

...I granted it it's wish. :D

[AusoJ]

O_O massive!
(how u do?)

[Hostbot]

Thanks for the tut shadow ^_^

Welcomes backhair...

[Fonzeh]

AH, if only CMT worked on anything past 10.2...

Welcome Back Shadow. We miss you in the Machinima Realm.

[Dirk Gently]

AH, if only CMT worked on anything past 10.2...

Welcome Back Shadow. We miss you in the Machinima Realm.

Wrong. It works on 10.4 before the update that happened in august of 07.

Also welcome back shadow, I think I remember you from the good old days of CE converting, not sure if you remember me though.

[Zappo 93]

HI! welcome back!

[Fuel]

Hai thar shah dow

[Devious]

Good to see you.

[Modzy]

Not too hard a process when it's all automated.