I'm quite new to making maps, but right now, I'm only interested in making custom UI. I've downloaded 2 tuts from the site, but theyve only confused me. Is anyone willing to help me start? :\ I think I'm missing a lot of info on how to work HEK, etc.

Right. Do you know how to create scripts?

If you have an xfire, I could help you. I've succeeded in completing my first UI, of Battle Creek, and I've been using it ever since. The only problem I have is not being able to set the custom music, but I fixed that with a script. However, it glitches a little, so I don't know whether you want my help on that or not.

My xfire username is kakashi12309. I want to try to make a UI from a part of the original campaign levels, like c40_a. What I think I have to do is extract tags from a CE version of c40 (not PC version?) using HEK Plus, then I don't know what I use to create the tags, since all I get is a .txt file.

It automatically extracts. That txt file is just a list of tags that you extracted. Delete it, as you don't need it. In fact, uncheck the save extracted tags list.

Where do I find the actual tags?
EDIT: I found them in Halo Custom Edition\tags\levels\c40 I think this is the right folder?
Edited by kakashi12309 on Jan 19, 2009 at 12:53 PM

Yep. It will automatically sort them into your tags folder.

So, then I want to use c40_a as the bsp for the ui
When I try to open the scenario tag up with sapien, it just closes after a while :\
Edited by kakashi12309 on Jan 19, 2009 at 01:37 PM

Yea. You are missing a lot of tags / having a lot of corrupted tags. Don't open up the scenario in Sapien. Instead, create a new scenario file, and at the very bottom, for BSPs, add, and browse to c40a. Then, save, and open that up in Sapien.

okay, that works. Now I want to add some scenery, do I use Guerilla for this?

Nope. In Sapien, in the Hierarchy view, click edit types, select scenery, and browse to the kind of scenery you like. Then, click add. Once done adding all that you want, close the adding window, and back in Hierarchy view, select Mission>Objects>Scenery. Then right click in the Game View to place a beacon, and in the Properties Pane, select the kind you would like. You could do it in Guerilla, but Sapien is more of a graphical interface.

Okay, but now I want to add in more types, since all I have so far is NONE
EDIT: I actually decided to do c40_a3, so now I'm looking for a pulse generator, a door, and that flashing arrow on the ground. Maybe this http://hce.halomaps.org/index.cfm?fid=1397 has them?
Edited by kakashi12309 on Jan 19, 2009 at 05:22 PM

It will say none until you add them. Even if you download, they won't appear UNTIL you load them. Load them through the procedure above.

OH! Sorry about the misread :\. Anyways, I have the scenery set up, and I wondering about a few things:
In sapien, the doorblinker arrow does not show the flashing effect. Is it supposed to be like that?
After I place the pulse generator correctly, it shows a red circle with slash icon. Is this a problem?

I don't know if generators work in UIs. Try to delete everything except for scenery. I think anything else will cause an exception.

Okay, I went ahead and added the camera points, but now I have to make a script.
Also, do I have to setup the menus such as campaign, multiplayer, settings etc.?

Those are widgets. The multiplayer and other stuff is automatically provided. If it doesn't show up, then use HEK+ to rip the map called ui.map. For campaign however, you would have to do something else. I'm not sure. What I did to get it working, was that I downloaded one with campaign, extracted most of the stuff, overriding my previous tags.

I see, but now I should be making a script to make the camera move through the camera points?

Mmhmm. To make it, do something like this:

(script continuous ring_loop
		(camera_set uicam 200)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set point_2 200)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set point_3 200)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set point_4 200)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set point_5 200)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set point_6 200)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set point_7 200)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set point_8 200)
		(sleep 50)
)

Assuming you have points 1 - 8. My actual script has 77, but I'm not sure that you want to see it all. Just replace the points / uicam with the name of your camera points.

(script continuous ring_loop
		(camera_set cut1 100)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set cut2 100)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set cut3 100)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set cut4 100)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set cut5 100)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set cut6 100)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set cut7 100)
		(sleep 50)
		(camera_set cut8 100)
		(sleep 50)
)

Is that okay so far? I have 26 points total so I'll add those in later.
Btw, the script is a .hsc file, right?
Edited by kakashi12309 on Jan 20, 2009 at 02:05 AM

EDIT: I successfully created the map, but so far, theres no music and it lacks the menu buttons.
Edited by kakashi12309 on Jan 20, 2009 at 05:52 PM

Yep. I used to have that problem. Use HEK+ to rip all the tags from the map file called UI.map .

Ah! Cool, I got it working :D
It didn't work at first, but I deleted extra stuff from /tags/levels/ui and tried again, and the ui works. Thx for the help :]