for the objectives you want to save the text document as a .hmt in the unicode format, then place it in the data folder of your scenario, after that in tool type:

tool.exe hud-messages levels\yourmapfolder scenarioname

Really? Everyone who I find important has MSN, and I use MSN to chat with them more frequently than I use xfire.

@ OP

What you have is correct. To compile it, do what d4rfnader said. Be sure to put it right OUTSIDE of the scripts folder, so the scripts folder and hud messages.hmt are in the same folder. If you have problems with typing the command correctly, post back.

Okay, I sort of get the idea but it is not working right. Here are my exact steps:

1) I open up notepad and type in:
obj1=>>Fight your way through the canyon.
obj2=>>Take out covenant armor.
obj3=>>Get to the covenant base.
obj4=>>Kill the elite commander.
obj5=>>Escape the flood.

2) I save it in Halo Custom Edition\data\levels\test\mapname

3) I save it as hud-messages.hmt and as unicode format

4) I type in this command: tool.exe hud-messages levels\mapfolder scenarioname

5) tool gives me this
10.12.10 15:30:10 tool pc 01.00.00.0609 ----------------------------------------------
10.12.10 15:30:10 reference function: _write_to_error_file
10.12.10 15:30:10 reference address: 42ca20
10.12.10 15:30:10 Couldn't read map file './toolbeta.map'

6) I compile the senario with: tool build-cache-file levels\test\mapfolder\senarioname

7) I test it out in Halo Ce and nothing happens.

I am also looking for an explanation on how this works. How does the game know when to display the objectives and for how long? I'm also running into trouble with nav points. Here are those exact steps:

1) In sapien I make a trigger volume and call it triggervolume

2) Then I place a Ai and call the encounter object1

3) Then I open up notepad and script:
(sleep_until (volume_test_objects triggervolume (players)) 15)
(activate_team_nav_point_object default player object1 0.6)

4) I save it in the scripts folder as navpoint.hsc

5) I try to compile the scripts in sapien and get this message:
10.12.10 15:52:16 sapien pc 01.00.00.0609 ----------------------------------------------
10.12.10 15:52:16 reference function: _write_to_error_file
10.12.10 15:52:16 reference address: 401b13
10.12.10 15:52:16 Couldn't read map file './sapienbeta.map'
10.12.10 15:52:16 *found 2 adapters...
10.12.10 15:52:17 CreateDevice succeeded with refresh rate = 0
10.12.10 15:52:17 Increasing sound decompression buffer size to 1048576 bytes
10.12.10 15:52:18 WARNING: 6 clusters in structure_bsp levels\test\map\map have no background sound or sound environment.
10.12.10 15:52:19 local player 0, weapon (0x0), deleted unexpectedly
10.12.10 15:52:21 [navpoint line 1] i expected "script" or "global".: sleep_until (volume_test_objects triggervolume (players)) 15)

10.12.10 15:52:21 recompiling scripts after scenarios were merged.
10.12.10 15:52:21 i expected "script" or "global".: sleep_until (volume_test_objects triggervolume (players)) 15)

Anyway. Thats all the trouble I have for now. On the bright side I was able to make a cutscene at the begging of the level! Now I have to figure out how to make one in the middle and end....
Edited by pepzee on Oct 12, 2010 at 07:02 PM

Oh, lol. Don't take what we're saying too literally. We probably didn't make this clear before, but you need to replace mapfolder with the name of your map's folder, and scenarioname with the name of the scenario.

First things first: Save your .txt as hud messages.hmt, with a space, not a dash.

Also, be sure to save the file in the opposite of the tags folder. For instance, if your .scenario was located in tags\levels\test\bloodgulch\bloodgulch.scenario, you'd put it into data\levels\test\bloodgulch\hud messages.hmt. If you need help, tell us where you saved your .scenario.

My scenario is saved in tags\levels\test\attack\attack (attack is the actual name of my map)

Anyway Tool still gave me the same error:

10.12.10 17:05:39 tool pc 01.00.00.0609 ----------------------------------------------
10.12.10 17:05:39 reference function: _write_to_error_file
10.12.10 17:05:39 reference address: 42ca20
10.12.10 17:05:39 Couldn't read map file './toolbeta.map'

Am I typing in the right command? It is:

tool.exe hud-messages levels\attack attack

I double checked all of the files and there names. And made sure I replaced 'mapfolder' with my maps actual name. I also saved the hud messages with a space but got the error above.

If your scenario's in tags\levels\test\attack\attack, you would type:

tool hud-messages levels\test\attack attack

Note that I used tool instead of tool.exe. Both work, but tool is shorter to type.

Okay. I feel like I'm making some progress. I'm really confused, what tool did didn't show up in the debug.txt. What tool did is listed the command I wrote in the file, but the objectives didn't appear in game. This is what it told me:

couldn't read map file ' ./toolbeta.map'
### hud messages.hmt
obj1
>>Fight your way through the canyon.
>>Fight your way through the canyon.
obj2
>>Take out covenant armor.
>>Take out covenant armor.
obj3
>>Get to the covenant base.
>>Get to the covenant base.
obj4
>>Kill the elite commander.
>>Kill the elite commander.
obj5
>>Escape the flood.
>>Escape the flood.
#5 hud messaging strings

And that's it, when I test it out in game nothing happens. Do I have to walk through a trigger volume for this to work?

What tool did was compile the hud messages into your scenario. However, you still need to use a script to DISPLAY the hud message.

Oh...okay, I looked up the script from the scripting bible and got this (hud_set_objective_text). I set the hud message as my first objective. However when I tried it in game it didn't work. I hardly know anything about scripting or whats involved in it. However I'm pretty sure I'm missing something. Can you tell me if I'm using the correct script? Maybe I'm using the wrong script entirely... I don't know. I have five trigger volumes on the map, so I think I would like each message to be displayed when you walk through each trigger volume. I diffidently need help scripting all of that. Oh well... I'm making a lot of progress thanks to you, so thank you!
Edited by pepzee on Oct 13, 2010 at 12:48 AM

In your script after the trigger volume you want to start or change objectives. You should write the following insted of just (hud_set_objective_text):
(show_hud_help_text true) this make the objective help apear on the hud.
(hud_set_objective_text obj1) this makes it disply objective 1
(hud_set_help_text obj1) this makes the objective no.1 appear on the Hud.
(sleep 150) set this enough so that the player can read it.
(show_hud_help_text false) this gets rid of the text on the hud.
Just change to obj2 etc. when need to change objectives after a triggervolume.

Be sure to replace INDEX with the obj1, obj2, or whatever's in front of the text you want displayed.
Edited by Gamma927 on Oct 13, 2010 at 11:45 AM

Okay I replaced the index with the obj1. When I compiled the scripts sapien gave me this:
10.13.10 14:32:42 sapien pc 01.00.00.0609 ----------------------------------------------
10.13.10 14:32:42 reference function: _write_to_error_file
10.13.10 14:32:42 reference address: 401b13
10.13.10 14:32:42 Couldn't read map file './sapienbeta.map'
10.13.10 14:32:42 *found 2 adapters...
10.13.10 14:32:43 CreateDevice succeeded with refresh rate = 0
10.13.10 14:32:44 Increasing sound decompression buffer size to 1048576 bytes
10.13.10 14:33:36 WARNING: 6 clusters in structure_bsp levels\test\attack\attack have no background sound or sound environment.
10.13.10 14:33:36 local player 0, weapon (0x0), deleted unexpectedly
10.13.10 14:33:40 [objectives line 1] i expected "script" or "global".: show_hud_help_text true)
10.13.10 14:33:40 recompiling scripts after scenarios were merged.
10.13.10 14:33:40 i expected "script" or "global".: show_hud_help_text true)

I typed the script exactly how you told me too. I named the file objectives and saved it as .hsc.

It should be:

(script startup scriptname
(sleep_until (volume_test_objects triggername (players)) 15)
(show_hud_help_text true)
etc..etc...

When I tried that I got a different error:

10.13.10 14:52:57 sapien pc 01.00.00.0609 ----------------------------------------------
10.13.10 14:52:57 reference function: _write_to_error_file
10.13.10 14:52:57 reference address: 401b13
10.13.10 14:52:57 Couldn't read map file './sapienbeta.map'
10.13.10 14:52:57 *found 2 adapters...
10.13.10 14:52:57 CreateDevice succeeded with refresh rate = 0
10.13.10 14:52:57 Increasing sound decompression buffer size to 1048576 bytes
10.13.10 14:52:59 WARNING: 6 clusters in structure_bsp levels\test\wtgrove\wtgrove have no background sound or sound environment.
10.13.10 14:52:59 local player 0, weapon (0x0), deleted unexpectedly
10.13.10 14:53:01 [objectives line 1] i expected (script ): (script startup scriptname)
10.13.10 14:53:01 recompiling scripts after scenarios were merged.
10.13.10 14:53:01 i expected (script ): (script startup scriptname)

lol, it needs to look like (script startup scriptname

you dont match the parentheses until the end of the script.

Yes! It worked! Now on to the trouble with nav points... This is what I script:

(script startup scriptname
(sleep_until (volume_test_objects objective1 (players)) 15)
(activate_team_nav_point_object default player commander 0.6))

I placed a trigger volume named objective1. I placed an AI encounter named commander. and sapien gave me this:

10.13.10 16:29:48 sapien pc 01.00.00.0609 ----------------------------------------------
10.13.10 16:29:48 reference function: _write_to_error_file
10.13.10 16:29:48 reference address: 401b13
10.13.10 16:29:48 Couldn't read map file './sapienbeta.map'
10.13.10 16:29:48 *found 2 adapters...
10.13.10 16:29:48 CreateDevice succeeded with refresh rate = 0
10.13.10 16:29:48 Increasing sound decompression buffer size to 1048576 bytes
10.13.10 16:29:50 WARNING: 6 clusters in structure_bsp levels\test\wtgrove\wtgrove have no background sound or sound environment.
10.13.10 16:29:50 local player 0, weapon (0x0), deleted unexpectedly
10.13.10 16:29:53 [navpoint line 3] this is not a valid object name.: commander 0.6))
10.13.10 16:29:53 recompiling scripts after scenarios were merged.
10.13.10 16:29:53 this is not a valid object name.: commander 0.6))

The problem is, commander is an AI encounter, and not an object. Replace commander with:

(unit (list_get (ai_actors commander) 0))

What this does, is get the first AI from the AI encounter commander, and turn him into a unit. The whole line will now look like:

(activate_team_nav_point_object default player (unit (list_get (ai_actors commander) 0)) 0.6)

Okay I tried the script:
(script startup scriptname
(sleep_until (volume_test_objects objective1 (players)) 15)
(activate_team_nav_point_object default player (unit (list_get (ai_actors commander) 0)) 0.6))

and I got:

10.13.10 18:15:29 sapien pc 01.00.00.0609 ----------------------------------------------
10.13.10 18:15:29 reference function: _write_to_error_file
10.13.10 18:15:29 reference address: 401b13
10.13.10 18:15:29 Couldn't read map file './sapienbeta.map'
10.13.10 18:15:29 *found 2 adapters...
10.13.10 18:15:29 CreateDevice succeeded with refresh rate = 0
10.13.10 18:15:30 Increasing sound decompression buffer size to 1048576 bytes
10.13.10 18:15:31 WARNING: 6 clusters in structure_bsp levels\test\wtgrove\wtgrove have no background sound or sound environment.
10.13.10 18:15:31 local player 0, weapon (0x0), deleted unexpectedly
10.13.10 18:15:35 [objective1 line 1] only static scripts of the same type can override stub scripts.: (script startup scriptname
10.13.10 18:15:35 recompiling scripts after scenarios were merged.
10.13.10 18:15:35 this left parenthesis is unmatched.: (script startup scriptname

Then I tried the script:
(script startup scriptname
(sleep_until (volume_test_objects objective1 (players)) 15)
(activate_team_nav_point_object default player (unit (list_get (ai_actors commander) 0)) 0.6)
and got:

10.13.10 18:11:52 sapien pc 01.00.00.0609 ----------------------------------------------
10.13.10 18:11:52 reference function: _write_to_error_file
10.13.10 18:11:52 reference address: 401b13
10.13.10 18:11:52 Couldn't read map file './sapienbeta.map'
10.13.10 18:11:52 *found 2 adapters...
10.13.10 18:11:53 CreateDevice succeeded with refresh rate = 0
10.13.10 18:11:53 Increasing sound decompression buffer size to 1048576 bytes
10.13.10 18:11:55 WARNING: 6 clusters in structure_bsp levels\test\wtgrove\wtgrove have no background sound or sound environment.
10.13.10 18:11:55 local player 0, weapon (0x0), deleted unexpectedly
10.13.10 18:11:58 the value of this expression (in a slot) can never be used.: activate_team_nav_point_object default player (unit (list_get (ai_actors commander) 0)) 0.6)--- slot) can never be used.: activate_team_nav_point_object default player (unit (list_get (ai_actors commander) 0)) 0.6)---<

Which script am I supposed to use? The one with out the end parenthesis or the one with it?
Edited by pepzee on Oct 13, 2010 at 09:35 PM

The first one. However, the error says you already have a script called "scriptname". This means, that both of the scripts you have both are titled:

(script startup scriptname

See the scriptname part? Change one of them to something else, like:

(script startup scriptname2

That way, there won't be any duplicates.

YES! It worked! I think I have most of the basics down now. :D I only have a few more questions. Music, one nice thing to have, it not needed but it's nice. I'm not sure how to go around getting it into my map, and having different music play trigger volume to trigger volume.
Does it even require scripting. I did look through the scripting bible but didn't find anything about music. Is there any script to get certain music to play trigger volume to trigger volume?

The command for that would be (sound_looping_start "SOUND LOOPING TAG" none 1)

I filled in the last two components for you as to not confuse you. Replace "SOUND LOOPING TAG" with the directory of your .sound_looping music tag.

Okay, this is sort of a dumb question, but I can't find the sound looping tags. Where do I find them? I have looked through out the tags folder, but can't find them. :\
Also do I use (script startup scriptname) on every script I write? So this script would look like:

(script startup scriptname3
(sleep_until (volume_test_objects objective1 (players)) 15)
(sound_looping_start "SOUND LOOPING TAG" none 1))

And that's it? I added the (sleep_until (volume_test_objects objective1 (players)) 15) because I wanted the music to play when the player walks through the trigger volume. But will the music stop on its own, or do I have to script that too?

1. You will find music in the music tag not sounds.

2. If there isn't any use HEK+ and extract campaign levels.

You can name the "scriptname" whatever you want... I would call this one:
script startup play_soundloop

For a sleep_until command, it will wait until the player is in that volume. If you want it to stop when they exit, add this line:
(sleep_until (volume_test_objects_not_inside objective1 (players)) 15)
(sound_looping_stop "SOUND LOOPING TAG" none 1))

Don't quote me on this, because I'm not sure if that is the correct name for the command of not being inside a volume.
Edited by MoooseGuy on Oct 14, 2010 at 02:42 AM

If u havn't fixed the error that i expected global or script: sleep_until blah blah

U forgot the ( before the sleep_until
:

(sleep_until (volume_test_objects muscl3r_is_sexy (players)) 10)

PS Headnob, I have tought u well.......

Okay, I think I found the music in: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo Custom Edition\tags\levels\b40\music.
So I have pieced together what all of you have said and came up with this script:


(script startup scriptname3
(sleep_until (volume_test_objects objective1 (players)) 15)
(sound_looping_start b40_61 none 1)
(sleep_until (volume_test_objects_not_inside objective1 (players)) 15)
(sound_looping_stop b40_61 none 1))

b40_61 is the name of the sound tag I'm using.

Is this correct?

replace b40_61 with this:

"levels\b40\music\b40_61"

So I scripted this:
(script startup scriptname3
(sleep_until (volume_test_objects objective1 (players)) 15)
(sound_looping_start levels\b40\music\b40_61 none 1))

and sapien gave me this:

10.14.10 12:24:55 sapien pc 01.00.00.0609 ----------------------------------------------
10.14.10 12:24:55 reference function: _write_to_error_file
10.14.10 12:24:55 reference address: 401b13
10.14.10 12:24:55 Couldn't read map file './sapienbeta.map'
10.14.10 12:24:55 *found 2 adapters...
10.14.10 12:24:56 CreateDevice succeeded with refresh rate = 0
10.14.10 12:24:56 Increasing sound decompression buffer size to 1048576 bytes
10.14.10 12:24:57 WARNING: 6 clusters in structure_bsp levels\test\wtgrove\wtgrove have no background sound or sound environment.
10.14.10 12:24:58 local player 0, weapon (0x0), deleted unexpectedly
10.14.10 12:25:00 this is not a reference to a looping_sound tag.: levels\b40\music\b40_61 none 1))---<
10.14.10 12:25:00 recompiling scripts after scenarios were merged.
10.14.10 12:25:00 this is not a reference to a looping_sound tag.: levels\b40\music\b40_61 none 1))---<

it's b40_061

Oh wow, I can't believe I left that out. Oh well it it worked! Now I was testing out my objectives when I ran into a small problem. When I killed the elite commander the objective was still to kill the elite commander. Is there a script that fixes this?

You need to change the objective after the elite commander is killed.

So something like:

(script startup scriptname
(sleep_until (?????????????????(players)) 15)
(show_hud_help_text true)
(hud_set_objective_text obj1)
(hud_set_help_text obj1)
(sleep 150)
(show_hud_help_text false)

I'm still looking for a script that fills in the ?'s. I'm guessing it's something like (AI_health elite commander 0).

for that sleep_until portion use this:

(sleep_until (= (ai_living_count commander) 0) 15)

Yep, that worked. Now I know how to make cutscenes at the begging of the level however I'm having trouble making one in the middle of the level. I take it's something like:

(script startup scriptname
(sleep_until (volume_test_objects triggername (players)) 15)
(camera_control 1)
(camera_set cut1 100)
(sleep 50)
(camera_set cut2 100)
(sleep 50)
(camera_set cut3 100)
(sleep 100)
(camera_control 0)

you need one more parentheses at the end and you also want to change scriptname to a different name.