In this tutorial we will see how to import / export the texture of Halo Combat Evolved PC version, using a software called Eschaton.
requirements:
Halo Combat Evolved
eschaton 0.8.1
PhotoShop or Gimp
First we download the application from here. But for Mac OS, you can download this version.
Now we just have to get us a graphics program such as Photoshop or The Gimp.
Next, extract the Eschaton in a directory of our choice, it's good enough on the desktop.
Open the folder you just extracted, and we start Eschaton.exe.
Let's go to File
Open
Now let's open the map of where we want to export the texture, located in the directory C: \ Program Files \ Microsoft Games \ Halo \ MAPS
We have chosen for this tutorial map Dangercanyon, but you can open a map of your choice.
We're going under [] Maps (Read / Write only) by clicking []
Click on [] Dangercanyon
Same as above, but under BITM: Bitmap []
We select a bitmap file which we want to export the texture, for example: vehicles \ ghost \ bitmaps \ ghost
Generates a preview of the selected texture.
We click in the "Export" to export the selected texture.
Now choose where to save the texture along with the extension of the image.
Bootstrap your image manipulation program, then open the texture to start editing it to our liking.
We kick off our creativity, adding nuances, shades and everything that comes into your head.
While in the tutorial we'll just do a simple gradient with shades of blue, just to give you an example.
Save the texture with the extension. Jpg and go to import nell'Eschaton, going under "Import".
Finally, just a simple click in the "load".
Finally, click on "Import" (the final one!)
You can view your result by starting Halo Combat Evolved.
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irst make a backup!
Go to My Computer, then "C:Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo\MAPS"
Press "ctrl" + "a".
Go back up to the Halo folder, and create a new folder. Title the folder "BACKUPS".
Go into this folder, and hit "ctrl" + "v".
Wait a few moments for the copy operation to complete. On Windows XP platforms, this should only take about one minute max, depending slightly on your HD rotating speed and sometimes processor speed (which would only influence the write speed if it were a slow processor, like say, 700 and below).
Else If ("you selected your own directory" = 1)
Follow the tut as above, except use the directory you used to install Halo in.
To install a mod, you must affect a map in your "MAPS" folder. This is done in a different number of ways, depending on what file types you receive:
If it's a .map file
Right-click the mod you want installed and hit copy.
Go to "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo\MAPS" again, and select paste. If it doesn't overwrite another file, you have a problem and have rights to ask about your problem in the thread you found the mod...
If it's a .ppf file
You will need PPF-O-Matic for this.
Open up ppf-o-matic ( Download PPF-O-Matic here).
Where it says "ISO file", click the little disk next to it.
click on the "ISO" box, and select "all files" instead.
browse to your "MAPS" folder.
select the appropriate map to apply the ppf to (the filename should tell you this), and click "open".
Hit "apply". If it says "file sizes are not the same!", or something like that, you have either applied the ppf to the wrong file, or the ppf is **** (a rare occurrence, don't immediately go for this explanation).
If you receive a ".rar" file:
A rar is a compressed file, much like a ".zip" file. it can be extracted by WinRAR, found at rarlab.com (note: be sure to get WinRAR, and not anything relating to ".tar", which is a very old file type designed only to bunch files together in one file uncompressed.
Double click on the file; it should open in WinRAR. Simply find the "extract all" (or whatever it's called) button, and why not check the "open in explorer" button in the bottom left corner to save us the trouble of finding the decompressed folder by ourselves?
There should be files in your new folder, either (magically!) .ppf's or .map's! miracle, no? Follow the above steps to apply them.
Installing Skins
You need HMT for this. Get it at HMTv3.5.
Unzip the file your skins came in using WinRAR and place the skins in a folder.
Start up HMT.
In HMT, open up the map Bloodgulch. It's in mycomputer/C: localdisk/programfiles/microsoftgames/halo/maps.
Once you've opened Bloodgulch, go to "bitmaps". It's near the top of the list of stuff that showed up when you opened Bloodgulch. Duh.
Find which thing the skins are for and install them. i.e. If it's for the chaingun on a warthog, go the "Vehicles/warthog/bitmaps/warthog chaingun.
Click "inject texture".
Browse for the skin you want to install and hit ok.
Finish.
