(Halo 1)UTILITY-TrashBash-PPF tag added maps!

RunningRiotHBO · Post by **RunningRiotHBO** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 4:16 pm

FROM THE README
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
TrashBash for Halo Xbox maps

------Preface---------

As some of you may or may or not know, when Halo decompresses maps, it writes RANDOM trash data between the end of the meta data and the end of the file.

When programs add tags, they add it to this trash data. Then, when you create the ppf, if the random trash data byte in the original corresponds to a real

byte in the tag added map, the ppf creating program doesn't pick it up as a difference.

This wouldn't be a problem if Halo wrote the same random trash data to all maps, but... its random: it differs between every map. In that gap in the ppf,

data is lost or corrupted when it is applied to another person's map.

However, there is an easy fix for this, but it requires a program (TrashBash!) to be run on both the source and target when creating the ppf and the End User

must run the program before applying the patch.

The program only takes seconds to run, and although an inconviencience, it is a must for tag-added maps to be distributed as ppf's.

--------Usage------------
1. Simply rename the map you want to null the trash on to "map.map" and place it in the same directory as the trashbash.exe.

2. Run trashbash.exe

3. You're done! map.map now has 0x00 for every byte of trash, and you can create and apply ppfs easily.

-------Thanks to---------
CLuis for FINALLY explaining exactly why tag-added maps can't(or couldn't be before now) be created into ppfs

9/9/04

-RunningRiot
MSN- [email protected]
AIM- RunningRiotHBO

jkjk · Post by **jkjk** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 4:32 pm

sweet. so this should be used with hht4 ppfs?

RunningRiotHBO · Post by **RunningRiotHBO** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 4:38 pm

Any and all maps that you ADD tags too. Which, yes, would include HHT4 tags.

Now, if you don't add the tag, just inject over existing or tweak settings, you dont' have to use this.

This only should be used (by dev and linked to in readme of mod release)

I would imagine CLuis will integrate this code into HHT next; its pretty simple.
For now, however, just download and have on hand in case of a mod that requires it.

-RunningRiot

mrhyperpenguin · Post by **mrhyperpenguin** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 4:53 pm

gj runningriot

i dont exactlly understand whats it doing but i know whats it for, thats all that really matters, haha

thinkreddie · Post by **thinkreddie** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 6:00 pm

great. sweet. perfect. now I can post my color enabled grunts!

swese44 · Post by **swese44** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 9:08 am

So create the mod, run trashbash on a clean cache, then create the ppf.

Then the end user runs trashbash on a clean cache, then patches.

Is this right?

Reddog · Post by **Reddog** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 9:30 am

RunningRiotHBO wrote:Now, if you don't add the tag, just inject over existing or tweak settings, you dont' have to use this.

I disagree with you here, RunningRiotHBO. Since your source and destination map files can contain different random characters, you can end up with a lot of unnecessary extra stuff in the ppf. I will explain...

Unless the source file you are using is exactly the same cache you started with before modding, they will have different random bytes at the end. For example, if you snag a cache of BG, wipe your cache, and then snag another cache of BG, the random stuff may differ. You can then create quite a big cache of the original BG to the new BG (which is pretty silly). This happens with mods as well. You will notice that some people's ppf files are large despite only containing small modifications. In some, 60-80% of the ppf is just changing the random part that is deleted when compressing.

I will have a tool out before too long that will alleviate some of this problem (creating optomized cache files that do not include the random stuff among other functions), but until then trashbash is a good option. I would run it on every mod until new tools are out.

These are just some thoughts to add to the mix...

Peace,
Reddog

mrhyperpenguin · Post by **mrhyperpenguin** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 9:54 am

reddog wrote:Unless the source file you are using is exactly the same cache you started with before modding, they will have different random bytes at the end. For example, if you snag a cache of BG, wipe your cache, and then snag another cache of BG, the random stuff may differ. You can then create quite a big cache of the original BG to the new BG (which is pretty silly). This happens with mods as well. You will notice that some people's ppf files are large despite only containing small modifications. In some, 60-80% of the ppf is just changing the random part that is deleted when compressing.

wow i never really thought about it that way
but for me i just keep of bloodgulch cache rared on my desktop

XboxTech · Post by **XboxTech** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 12:23 pm

This works great , it does increase the ppf size, but seems to be maybe double, but it does work fine. Yes swese44, that is exactly right, it must be done on the original and yours, just like you stated

thinkreddie · Post by **thinkreddie** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 1:01 pm

sticky...? or move it to utilities..

Martijn Gelissen · Post by **Martijn Gelissen** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 10:40 am

Well I need help here.

I'm working on a mod, and I've accidentely overwritten the collision model of the Banshees,
I used to add a banshee coll model to my map with HHTv4 and it worked except for the fact it freezes at load screen. So do you need to run this program before and after adding tags or does it only have to do with making ppfs?

Martijn

Stinger77s · Post by **Stinger77s** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 9:10 pm

Why isn't this in the utilities? This seems to be a very underated Xbox program, thanks RunningRiotHBO.

Anti-Entropy · Post by **Anti-Entropy** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 6:10 pm

Trashbash wont work for me, It just gives me an empty map file.....