Updated:
02.16.13JD's Guide to HALO: CUSTOM EDITION
What is Halo: Custom Edition?
Quote:The Halo Custom Edition game (Halo CE) is a free unsupported upgrade and standalone program that will install alongside of your Halo PC game. Unlike Halo PC, The Halo CE game allows you to play and/or create custom maps. You must own a licensed copy of Halo PC, and have the license key in order to install this game.
- [Source:
http://hce.halomaps.org/]
This guide is meant to help introduce newcomers to some of the basic features that Halo: Custom Edition offers. For those who want a more complete guide please visit the
Official Resource.
Installing Halo: Custom Edition
1)
Download and install "Halo: Custom Edition". Be sure to have your Halo PC product key handy during installation.
Note 1: You may also download versions of HCE in
other languages.
2)
Download and run the latest patch for the game.
Note 2: The latest patch for the game is -
HCE v1.093) You should now be able to run Halo: Custom Edition on your PC.
Playing custom content
1) Visit
http://hce.halomaps.org/ and download any custom content such as maps for both single-player and/or multiplayer.
2) Open Halo: Custom Edition's directory (C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo Custom Edition) and locate the folder named "maps".
Note 1: Some PCs may have a directory more similar to this (C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Halo Custom Edition)
3) Place the "
.map" or "
.yelo" file from your download into the "maps" folder.
What is the difference between "
.map" and "
.yelo"?
OpenSauce is required in order to play a ".yelo" file as it takes advantage of the extension's various features. A ".map" file can be played without having OpenSauce installed.
Note 2: Make sure there isn't already a file with the same name in that folder. Even if they are a "
.map" and "
.yelo" file.
You should now be able to play the map through Halo: Custom Edition.
Note 3: Some custom content requires the console or a custom UI in order to play such as certain single-player maps.
4) To enable the console right-click on your desktop shortcut, select properties, and type
-console -devmode at the end of the target line and apply your new settings.
Note 4: Make sure there is a spaces between the end of the target line and
-console, and that its outside of the quotations. Your new target line should now appear similar to this:
Quote:"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo Custom Edition\haloce.exe" -console -devmode
5) To play that file through the console go to the multiplayer menu where you select your map, find the name of the single-player map, and press the tilde (`) key usually located below the escape key. This will bring up the console. Type the following and press the enter key to execute the command:
Quote:map_name (insert map name here)
Note 5: Do NOT include the () in your console command. Other
console commands can be found in the official resource.
Note 6: Another alternative to playing single-player levels without using the console is a custom user-interface.
6) Visit halomaps'
Custom UI page and download any custom UI with the Campaign menu option available such as the
Ryno or
Universal UI.
Note 7: You will notice that a UI is also a "
.map" file like all other custom content.
7) Place that "
ui.map" file in the same "maps" folder as you would for other custom content.
Note 8: There MUST be no more or less than 1 UI file in the "maps" folder at all times.
Optimizing with OpenSauce
What is OpenSauce?
"OpenSauce" is a collection of projects (both C++ and .NET based) produced by Kornner Studios that have been used in development of Project "Yelo".
OS for Halo: Custom Edition extends the functionality and the graphic capabilities of the decade-old engine such as introducing phong-based specular highlighting on dynamic objects and post-processing systems.
OS targets three types of end users: developers, modders, and gamers.
1) Developers have access to the project's source code, enabling them to come up with new engine features or to add to the custom tool set.
2) Modders use the HEK extensions to create new custom tags, as well as make use of new upgrades and settings. Modders supply Gamers with new content.
3) Gamers have access to settings which are specific to them (eg, in the Halo1 edition they can change their in-game weapon views). Gamers feed Developers with new goals.
- [Source:
http://code.google.com/p/open-sauce/]
1)
Download and install the latest version of OpenSauce.
Note 1: The latest version of OpenSauce is
Halo1_CE - v3.1.02) Check to see if OpenSauce installed correctly by opening Halo: Custom Edition. On the main menu you should see the version number of OpenSauce in the lower-left corner of your screen.
3) With the latest OpenSauce now installed go to the settings menu, video setup, and you may now set Halo: Custom Edition to play with your native screen resolution.
4) Use the console to enable/disable various
OpenSauce features listed.
Note 2: It is recommended that you read OpenSauce's
Getting Started guide.
The Universal UI & OpenSauce v3.1
1) OpenSauce v3.1 introduces the ability to download custom content through the in-game menus and XFire support.
Tutorial2) The Universal UI is a project collecting the best custom content for HCE into 1 easy-to-use user-interface. Combined with the new features of OpenSauce v3.1, you will never need to leave the game to download any of the best mods.
TutorialThe latest version of the UI is
v1.0
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