Creating a Development Environment

This section explains what the editing kit contains, how to install and update Halo PC for editing, and how to install the Halo PC End User Editing Kit as well as how to set up directory structures and prepare Halo for content creation and editing.

NOTE: Many of the screenshots in this tutorial show a working directory of C:\HaloPC. However, the examples that go along with this tutorial are set up to use the default install path of Halo CE C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo Custom Edition. It is highly recommended that you use this default install path for Halo CE when first getting started.

Halo Editing Kit Contents

"Blitzkrieg" - 3DS Max exporter
"Tool" - Halo file converter
"Guerilla" - Tag file editor
"Sapien" - Level populator
Data Files- Source art
Tags - Halo game files
Tutorial - HTML file & Level

Installing and Updating Halo for the PC

To use the Halo Editing Resource and the files included in the Halo Editing Kit you must be running Halo CE, the unsupported version of Halo PC.

Information about Halo CE, the Halo HEK and where to obtain Halo CE can be found at Gearbox Software Halo Page

Halo Editing Kit Installation

To install the Blitzkrieg Exporter Plug-in for 3ds Max do the following:

1) If you are running 3ds Max, close the program
2) Copy the file Blitzkrieg.dle from the Halo CE\Blitzkrieg directory.
3) Place the Blitzkrieg.dle file into the plugins directory under 3ds Studio Max (eg. c:\3dsmax5\plugins).
4) Start 3ds Max.

If the plug in was successfully installed and loaded then you should be able to go to File->Export and see the following export options under Save as type in the pull down menu (scroll down the list) "Blitzkrieg Animation Exporter" and "Blitzkrieg Model Exporter".

Additional Tools

The Halo Editing Kit requires the installation of some additional tools that are NOT included in the editing kit installation package.

For installation of additional tools or commercial software, such as 3ds Max, follow the installation procedures and instructions included with those programs.

3ds Max 5.1 was used in the tutorial areas of this document. The Blitzkrieg exporter is available for use with 3ds Max 3.x, 4.x and 5.x.

Information on 3ds Max is available here:
http://www.discreet.com/3dsmax/.

Return to Main Page