Something New?

DeadHamster · Post by **DeadHamster** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 7:04 am

I think I'm onto something.

I need somebody who knows a good deal about XML editing, editing the batch extracted tags. I know a very good deal myself, But i'm having some trouble with this idea I have. Im closer than I've been before, very close, but I can't quite get it just right.

If I get this to work I'm sure it would be a pretty big thing, considering you could only do this previously with CE, and it's something that I know a lot of people would enjoy being able to use.

If you know a decent amount about it, please send me a PM, I'm not going to post what it is here, because I don't want somebody else to rob me of the idea. I could really use the help. Thank you.

bcnipod · Post by **bcnipod** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:11 am

what exactly do you need doing? give some more information.

DeadHamster · Post by **DeadHamster** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:33 pm

Ok, through some XML editing, copy/pasting and dependancy swaps, I've managed to add a secondary trigger to the Assault Rifle, without using CE. It's not that huge of a deal, but It's pretty big for me.

It's still buggy, I have it worked out it's just not done pretty. I'm planning on fixing the other problems with it before I explain exactly how I did it. I would also ask the few that I mentioned this to to not explain what it is that I did to make this work, it would be appreciated.

alfaalex101 · Post by **alfaalex101** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:37 pm

Sounds cool if you ask me. If you spend a lot of time on this then you can really revolutionize the games gameplay! Good Luck!

Cryticfarm · Post by **Cryticfarm** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:05 pm

Conure has already released full halo weapon plugins, with everything possible.

Altimit01 · Post by **Altimit01** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:10 pm

Except for adding chunks. Which isn't plugin related at all and is very important for doing something like...adding a second trigger. I'll be very interested in how you did it. Especially if it didn't involve hex.

DeadHamster · Post by **DeadHamster** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:25 pm

It didn't involve hex at all, It was actually incredibly easy to do once I understood how the XML files work.

Basically, the XML files "call on" other XML files, for example, the assault rifle.weap.xml has things like "weapons\assault rifle\bullet" as a proj, etc. etc. etc., and those list other things, and then the .metas are the actual values.

And I didn't really add any chunks either, if I did I didnt realise it.

I'll tell exactly how I did it in a moment, just wait until then

Oh and cryticfarm, where can I find these plugins, and what program are they for?

Cryticfarm · Post by **Cryticfarm** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:27 pm

HMT, halopc.net

Altimit01 · Post by **Altimit01** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:42 pm

I'm pretty familiar with the xml output of modding programs. They detail three things with the meta file which would crash the map if ignored. Dependencies and LoneIDs have to be listed by name and type so that when injected the program knows to change the ID value used in those locations otherwise they'll be dependent on either nonsensical or nonexistant tags. Reflexives need to record the translation since the value in hex is dependent on magic which would have problems if injected into other maps. It's not really necessary for the xmls to record the chunk count but I guess it's helpful.

It's just that I see some problems with it if the chunk counts aren't altered. Since that's how many sets of data are related to a given reflexive. And one of those reflexives is the trigger one. So even if the data's added it would have problems knowing the data's there.

DeadHamster · Post by **DeadHamster** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:01 pm

I hit a slight bump, but understood why and am fixing it as we speak.

Ok, all good, it has two triggers, and two seperate projectiles. I can't explain how i did this yet because I need to get going soon, but it still isn't working in game anyway, the assault rifle has two triggers and two projectiles in both HMT and HHT, but the AR doesnt spawn in the game.

I'll be thinking on how to fix this, but for now, I gotta go.

UntalkativeBunny · Post by **UntalkativeBunny** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:46 pm

mm...i know
Open HMT

extract the meta from weapons\banshee\mp_banshee gun
inject it into weapons\assault rifle\assault rifle

Open HHT

go to weapons\assault rifle\assault rifle and fill in the Nulled Out witht he required dependancies. (To see what's required for the bulk of it, open another map and look back and forth...it may take a while but its worth it)

By changing the projectiles/weap dependancies, (there are 2 in the banshee gun meta u injected), u can (in theory) create an assault rifle with a secondary trigger

DeadHamster · Post by **DeadHamster** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 5:49 pm

Bravo.

Like I said, it wasn't difficult to do, really basic. But now I have the problem of fixing the not-pickupable-ness of it.

UntalkativeBunny · Post by **UntalkativeBunny** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 6:37 pm

ah thats easy,

go into hmt, and go the assault rifle tag, then under weapon/user ability, change it to Sentinal/Gravity Rifle/AR

DeadHamster · Post by **DeadHamster** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 6:39 pm

It's like you read my mind, but like, a little after I did the stuff.

I actually already tried that, and it doesn't work, because its not that I cant pick it up, its that it's not there, at all

UntalkativeBunny · Post by **UntalkativeBunny** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 4:43 am

what you could do...is it might be something in the banshee gun's meta xml..

Extract a fresh, banshee gun meta
Extract a freah, untouched assault rifle meta

Open the assault rifle xml in notepad
Right click, select all, then copy

close the assault rifle xml
open the banshee gun xml
delete everything
and paste the assault rifle xml inside
save the banshee gun xml
inject the banshee gun meta into the assault rifle
do all the nessecary changes including tag editor and dependancies

by doing this there should still be 2 triggers, and a secondary weapon that the banshee gun meta has given you, and the assault rifle xml should keep the original dependancie structure intact...it might merge a bit with banshee dependanies and assault rifles...but that easy to change.

DeadHamster · Post by **DeadHamster** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 6:34 am

I wasn't exactly saving/injecting, I batch extracted, moved stuff around, fixed what dependancies I could in just XML editing, created a new projectile tag (bullet2) with it's own damage, effe, etc. etc., applied the second projectile to the bullet2, and then rebuilt the map, then did what I didn't get before in HHT.

The only problem with what you said is that it won't have the tag for the extra projectile, in the XML of the banshee theres the proj. for the banshee bolt and for the big green bomb thing, I could always just add another projectile dependancy into the XML, but I'm not sure if it'd work or not.

---Goes to check---