I never add picture couse im lazy, and now its late...for me
This is my personal tutorial.....
0) use HMT
1) open an original halo map
(for example Infinity.map..... must be an unmodded one, or probably you'er map will crash when you try it in game)
2) MENU TOOLS ---> EXTRACT ---> BACH EXTRACT
2a) click browse
2b) Make a folder on C:\ named "PMI" into PMI folder Make a Subfolder called "Extract"
2c) select "Extract" and click ok
2d) select only "extract metadata"
2e) click "Start Batch Extraction"
2f) on question "Extract BSP click YES.
2g) on box "complete!" click "OK"
2h) close extraction tool
3) MENU TOOLS ---> Extract -----> BSP/Model section
3a) Browse into PMI folder
3b) create a folder named "VIB" inside PMI folder
3c) select it and click "ok"
3e) on "file saved msg" click ok
*** SUGGESTION ***
The red cubes spark problem:
When you PMI scenary objecst, very often at the end of your modding work,
when you go on spark edit to import your tags inside the map,
you get your pmi pieces.... yes, but you can't see them !
Spark edit displays on you'er screen only little red cubes that substitute your object.
This dont mean you have PMI wrong, in fact if you insert some of the red cubes inside the map
and you'll try it in game, the object are visible with their regular form and propreties.
Somewhere there's a bug that ruin your *****capability ****** to manage well your PMI work.
When you have this final result, you can do nothing, only try to rebuild again the map,
and pray to be more lucky.
But after tons of tring i have seen that you can skip this problem in an easy way.
I donno why, but if you never close the donator map from this step untill the end of the PMI process,
your chances of having your tags with their regular form, increases by 80% or more.
( BYE BYE RED CUBES ....looool )
SO FROM NOW TILL THE END, NEVER CLOSE YOUR DONATOR MAP AND ALSO YOUR HMT INTERFACE WILL BE THE SAME
(IN CASE YOU USE DIFFERENT DONATOR MAP NEVER CLOSE THE LAST ONE YOU USE, BUT THE PROBABILITY TO GET CUBES INCREASE)
******************
4) Open the map where you want to get the scenary pieces from...for example "D40.map" (The Maw)
4a) select [Scen] Scenery Tags (click plus)
4b) select the scenary object (or objects) you want to get
4c) go up to "Tag Information Box"
4d) with the scenery obj highlighted click on check box "Recursive"(must be selected to work) and select Save meta
1) go to PMI folder
2) create in this folder another one called "OBJ"
3) Select it
4) click "OK"
5) On finish Extracting box click ok.
4e) repeat step "4d" for each object you want to PMI (but use always the folder "OBJ" don't do it again all the time...lol)
4f) when you have all the pieces you need you can go to next step
*** SUGGESTION ***
Q; CAN I INJECT ONLY SCENARY OBJECT?
A: ABSOLUTELY NOT YOU CAN INJECT MORE than THIS.
A HALO MODDER (TY SALAMANDER) HAs SHOWn ME THE WAY TO INJECT AND MAKE SUITABLE "FOR ALL"
ALSO THE MACHINE TAGS ("DEVICE"), Much OF THESE ARE BIG OBJECTS AND YOU CAN FIND UNDER [MACH] TAGS.
FOR THE MOMENT TRY TO INJECT ALSO 1 OR 2 OF THIS SECTION, AT THE END I'LL EXPLAIN HOW TO USE.
SO AGAIN:
4a) select [MACH] MACHINE Tags (click plus)
4b) select the device object (or objects) you wanT TO get
4c) go up to "Tag Information Box"
4d) with the scenery obj highlighted click on check box "Recursive"(must be selected to work) and select Save meta
1) go to PMI folder
2) create in this folder another one called "OBJ"
3) Select it
4) click "OK"
5) On finish Extracting box click ok.
WARNING ------> I HAVE TO WARNED YOU ABOUT A STRANGE EFFECT I GET ON THE END OF MORE OF MY PMI WORK,
WHEN YOU GET 2 DIFFERENT TYPE OF TAGS INSIDE YOUR PMI WORK LIKE
[SCEN] AND [MACH] OF THIS EXAMPLE, AT THE END OF REBUILD, WHEN YOU WILL GO ON SPARK
FOR INJECT THE TAGS, YOU WILL HAVE TOTALLY VISIBLE THE TAGS OF 1 TYPE,
4 EX. [MACH] TAGS AND TOTALLY RED CUBES THE OTHER TAG CLASS, OR VICEVERSA.
WHY IT HAPPEN?
EMH... FOR NOW I NEVER SOLVE THIS, SO CONSIDER IT BEFORE GET 2 CLASS TAGS.
*******************
5) TOOLS ---> Generate Raw Model Offset list
5a) go into PMI/VIB folder and click "save"
5b) on check box "done" click ok.
**Now it becomeS a little difficult....dont use wrong link to file or it will not work!
6) TOOLS ---> Extract ----->Raw Model
6a) select "Load CSV File"
6b) go to C:\PMI\VIB folder and select Offsets.csv file, click open
6c) it will fill the previous folder with all object of the map
6d) now locate 1 by 1 all the "[scen] scenery" object you have extracted in step "4" example
1) select voice "levels\a10\devices\doors\door_blast_collision\door_blast_collision"
2) click "Extract"
3) Go into the folder C:\PMI\OBJ and select the exact subfolder that the same link calls:
"levels\a10\devices\doors\door_blast_collision\door_blast_collision" and click "ok"
4) on box "done" click OK.....
5) remember... only 1 step wrong and you probably get the exception error at the end.
6e) Repeat the step "6d" for each object you have select on step "4"
"If you dont find the link to the Object....it probably cant be PMI'd!" jump to next...and prey it will work.
And write somewhere that this tag isn't good for pmi so next attempt you will try, you never get it again.
7) TOOLS ----> Model Decrapper/BSP Builder
7a) on the big white box, right mouse click, select "add"
7b) go into PMI/OBJ folder and locate agen all the file you have extracted the raw model in step 6
7c) example: C:\PMI\OBJ\levels\a10\devices\doors\door_blast_collision\door_blast_collision and select
the file "door_blast_collision.mod2.meta"
7d) repeat step 7c for all the pieces.
7e) After that you need to fill also the 3 box under:
1) Vertex area.....click browse go to C:\PMI\VIB and select "mapname".vertices
2) Index area.....click browse go to C:\PMI\VIB and select "mapname".indices
3) BSP Block.....click browse go to C:\PMI\VIB and select "mapname".sbsp
7f) when all is done click the Big black button "De-Crap....."
7g) on finish process msg select ok and close this window.
7h) go into the PMI\VIB folder with a file manager
7i) get the file "mapname".sbsp.meta example....infinity.sbsp.meta, right click and select copy.
7l) go into C:\PMI\Extract\levels\test\"mapname" example C:\PMI\Extract\levels\test\infinity
and paste the file "mapname.sbsp",if you do all well you will get an overwrite msg, select yes.
REBUILD TIME !!!!!!8a) with a file manager go into flder c:\PMI\OBJ, select all the files into and select "copy"
8b) go into the folder C:\PMI\Extract and select "paste", on overwrite msg select yes.
8c) with the file manager locate again the original map you have extracted at the start (point "2")
copy this map file (for this example "infinity.map") and paste it into C:\PMI\Extract
8c) HMT -----> REBUILD MAP
1) For "original map" click Browse, goto C:\PMI\Extract and select "mapname.map" (infinity.map in this case)
2) click ok, an automatical fill msg will prompt, select "yes",
3) In "additional files" , on white box right click and select "add"
4) now you have to lacate again all the meta files you have select at steps "4" and "6"
but this time you must locate them into the C:\PMI\Extract folder.... example
"C:\_PMI\Extract\levels\a10\devices\doors\door_blast_collision" and select all the meta file for this object
(3 in this case)
door_blast_collision.coll.meta
door_blast_collision.mod2.meta
door_blast_collision.scen.meta
5) Repeat steps for all the pieces you have select for PMI
*** SUGGESTION ***
Texture bugs inside your final work:
Sometimes when you have finish and you inject tags inside map with spark,
you can have heavy graphics bugs like object steatch or texture that point to infinite way,
or object rainbow color....etc.
This probably happen (im wonder about now ok?) becouse you have injected 2 time the same dependancy,
or 2 time the same texture (or forgot to), or you have pmi an object just existance inside the map.
what you can do so you dont want to make a mistake
Ok its a long way but i'll show you a little glich;
Go back to point 8 REBUILD TIME and now,
8a) with the file manager locate agen the original map you have extract at the start (point "2")
copy this map file (for this example "infinity.map") and paste it into C:\PMI\Extract
8b) HMT -----> REBUILD MAP
1) For "original map" click Browse, goto C:\PMI\Extract and select "mapname.map" (infinity.map in this case)
2) click ok, an automatical fill msg will prompt, select "yes", if you have done all well it fill all the box under.
8c) Now with your filemanager, create a new folder inside PMI folder and call it "TempMove" for example.
Then select all the files you have inside the Extract folder, cut them and paste inside Tempmove folder.
8d) Now with a file manager go into folder c:\PMI\OBJ, select all the files into and select "copy"
and paste them inside "Extract" folder.
BUT WHY I HAVE MOVED ALL 2 TIMES?
Easy, HMT have link all tags in automatic way, and i need to add all the pmi tags object manually.
If i have visibly inside extract folder only the lasts ones, i cant make a mistake.
8c) Now go on HMT and on box "additional files", on white box right click and select "add"
YOU WILL SEE INSIDE THE EXTRACT FOLDER ONLY THE OBJECT YOU NEED TO ADD.
Go through folder by folder and add all the files inside them ( BUT NOT THE FOLDER )
Repeat the add button action untill you have get them all.
8d) Now go again with a filemanager inside your previous "TempMove" folder, select all, right click and cut,
than paste inside "extract" folder..... overwrite msg?....Answer Yes... all done.
***** remember ..... if you choose this long way, dont click build button untill you have done the point 8d,
or HMT will give an error and quit.... YOU LOOSE ALL!!!!!!
8e) Now click on "BUILD" button
8f) when it prompts verticies to add, click Yes and goto C:\PMI\VIB folder than select
"mapname".verticies.new (infinity.verticies.new in this case) and click OK
8g) when it prompts indicies to add, click Yes and goto C:\PMI\VIB folder than select
"mapname".indicies.new (infinity.indicies.new in this case) and click OK
8h) on next box of modify offset select "yes"
8i) DIN DON DAN....... map rebuild is finish, select ok, and close HMT!
9) NOW you can find your rebuild map in the folder C:\PMI\Extract, its name will be
["mapname".map.rebuild.map] in this case infinity.map.rebuild.map
***** MACHINE TAGS CHAPTER *******
DO THIS ABSOLUTELY BEFORE INSERT TAGS INTO SCENARIO WITH SPARK EDIT!
In one of the previous suggestions, i was asking you to insert inside your PMI work some [mach] device tags.
Now its time to get it out.
Like you know the machine tags have motion property, and when you're in game they usually do something.
This is a big problem for a modder, because if you make them move, you couse an exception error to all the guys
that try to enter your server without your map (be sure of that!).
What you have to do to fix this problem?
Easy, you have to be sure the machine tags cant move!
So open your HMT prog, open your rebuild(better if you use a copy of this map you did), and go to [mach] tags.
Now select one by one all the tags on the left, and on the right set all value to zero "0", after this uncheck all squared box
(machine, elevator etc.) they must be white! And leave like they are the rounded checkbox.
Ok now you have totally blocked this device (CREDIT AND THANKS A LOT TO "(DT)DSalimander" for the trick ),
and its time to swap it to [Scen] tags.
Go up inside Tag information panel, select only the first pull down menu voice (where "mach" is write), change it to "scen" and click
the "save" button on the right of "revert" button.
Your tag will change category and it will go to Scenary object one.
Do the same for all the Device you have injected.
(note that not all the devices are good for pmi, with some of them i got an exception error without did anything wrong)
(so locate and found your favourite ones)
When you have finish the [mach] work you can proceed to step 10.
************************************
10) Now Open Sparkedit, locate the last copy of the map you modify with HMT and open it.
11) Now DO MENU ------> TOOLS ----> Import tag into scenario
1) a box will open
2) select "object" Scenary and click ok for each object you have PMI.
3) Repeat until you dont see any object active into this box.
4) when you have finish to Import click "save" and close the map.
12) Now your pieces are suitable, Re-Open the map, go to scenary object,
select any scenary object of the map, copy it, move where you want and swap into the new ones.
Good luck!
CONSIDER:
1) Sometimes you get only red cubes from the object PMI into sparkedit,
but with the first suggestion of this tut, i have reduced them maybe to 10%.
Consider that this is not an error from this PMI tutorial, it work and also good, i did tons of working pmi with it.
2) Its possible you get an exception error at the end,
i repeat, this is not an error from this PMI tutorial, it work, i do in this way, and my PMI are stable,
probably you have done one wrong way during the PMI process, or you have get one bad pieces for PMI.
3) PMI object are only SERVER side!
All players without your PMI map, cannot see the PMI pieces, if they walk in front of a PMI wall, they feel lagged,
if you walk on PMI pieces, they see you floating.
Generally is better if you "DONT block" any original map way, with PMI pieces.
CREDIT:
Thanks a lot to the Halomod.com modders comunity that have teach me how to pmi,
here im only writing what i learn from them, adding my personal tips.
CREDIT AND THANKS A LOT TO "(DT)DSalimander" for the [mach] tags trick, i got mad about...lol
CREDIT To my friend Michael, for the grammar correction.... (damn my english...)
Any other CREDIT of this sheet is for me that i "rebuild" it from zero, based on my experience.
I hope you try it intersting and useful.
Best regards
FUN~Antares from FUN~clan.
N.B.
The author (me) of this tut, doesn't taket any responsability for any type of damage you can cause at your
or any other computer and/or hardware, using it.
If you wanna use it, you do at your risk, remember, if you use it, you agree at this point.