Does anyone know how to make a custom loading screen for custom maps. I have seen it on a few maps before, but I can't figure out how they did it.

Thanks.

replace the loading bitmap in the ui/shell folder or whatever, I don't remember.

When you've done that you have to hex edit bitmaps.map (Backup your original) and find the reference to the loading bitmap, and break it, so that when you compile your map it doesn't replace it with the original from that file.

Compile your map, and then restore the original bitmaps.map

this part... I have never once switched back to my original bitmaps.map, yet it has never had an issue with it lol. I believe those names are only used by tool to find which things to link, and it then sets a value for where to load it ingame instead of a name or something (or else I should be exceptioning when loading maps without their own lol)

Anyways, moral of the story, halo doesn't seem to care if you leave the edited bitmaps.map there forever and ever.

What they said. I released and edited blimps.map for this a while back, it should be on Halomaps.

It has always claimed it's corrupt and refused to load halo if I leave the altered one in there.

If I recall correctly bitmaps.map is used to store common files that will be in every single map (ui elements, stock bitmaps, etc) to reduce the filesize of map files by not making them need to have to compile common files into the map.

Yes, that's exactly what it is, but I only think tool uses the name portions of it as I have never had to switch back.. what all did you change? I just swap a single character out.

That's all I usually do.

here is an edited bitmaps.map

http://hce.halomaps.org/index.cfm?fid=1478

I went to the UI/shell folder, but what bitmaps is it that I need to replace?