Invader
Invader is an open source toolkit for creating maps and assets for Halo: Combat Evolved.
Our Discord server is https://discord.gg/RCX3nvw
The official source code repository is https://github.com/SnowyMouse/invader
License
Invader is licensed under version 3.0 of the GNU General Public License. Note that Invader is NOT licensed under any later or previous version of the GNU GPL.
See COPYING for a copy of version 3 of the GNU General Public License.
The ADPCM encoder and MosesofEgypt's Xbox ADPCM modifications are BSD and MIT,
respectively. Licenses can be found at src/sound/adpcm_xq/license.txt and
src/sound/reclaimer-license.txt.
Roboto Mono is from Google Fonts under Apache License, Version 2.0.
Getting started
This readme addresses a few topics:
Staying up-to-date
To check if you are on an up-to-date version, run one of the tools (e.g.
invader-info) with the -i parameter. On the top of the output is the version
number that corresponds to the installation of Invader (e.g.
Invader 0.26.1.r1776.9db4cc5). This is the project name (Invader), version
(0.26.1), commit number (r1776), and commit hash (9db4cc5).
Next, go to the commits and check the commit hash against the topmost commit. If it is the same, then you are using the latest version of Invader.
Invader is not finished, so it is important to stay up-to-date to obtain the latest features and fixes. Staying on an old version means staying on unfinished software that likely has known issues.
Contributing
See CONTRIBUTING.md.
Getting Invader
Invader can be obtained by either downloading pre-compiled binaries or compiling from source.
Nightly builds (Windows)
You can download precompiled Nightly Builds. These will usually be up-to-date unless commits were made very recently.
Note that these builds are Windows-only. So, if you are not on Windows, you should not use these builds.
Building Invader
If you got this readme from an archive containing pre-compiled Invader binaries, this section probably doesn't apply to you, but you are welcome to compile Invader if you want to. Regardless, you can browse and download the source code for free on GitHub.
If you use Arch Linux, the Arch Linux AUR has a package you can use to build Invader. This will pull from the main repo on GitHub, so you only have to rebuild the package when you want to update.
Dependencies
Invader depends on software in order for it to build and work properly. This section lists the dependencies required to fully utilize Invader. Note that some of these dependencies may have their own dependencies (and so on), but if you use a package manager to get them, then it should take care of that for you.
Required dependencies
- C++17 compiler with support for
filesystem - C99 compiler
- CMake 3.12 or newer
- Python 3.7 or newer
- Zstandard 1.3 or newer
- LibTIFF 3.6 or newer
- libvorbis 1.3.6 or newer
- libsamplerate 0.1.9 or newer
- Qt5
- zlib
Optional dependencies
- LibArchive (invader-archive)
- freetype (invader-font)
- git (git commit hash in version - build only)
Compiling (POSIX)
First, you will need to download the Invader repository onto your computer. You can do this using the command:
git clone https://github.com/SnowyMouse/invader
Everything in this section, from this point on, assumes the Invader repository was cloned in a directory called "invader" in the current directory.
Next, you will need to create an out-of-source build directory. You can use this command to make the build directory and CD into it upon success:
mkdir invader-build && cd invader-build
Next, use the cmake command to set up your build directory, optionally
specifying the build type to Release:
cmake ../invader -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
Lastly, you can compile this using the make command.
make
Programs
To remove the reliance of one huge executable, something that has caused issues with Halo Custom Edition's tool.exe, as well as make things easier to develop, this project is split into different programs.
- invader-archive
- invader-bitmap
- invader-bludgeon
- invader-build
- invader-compare
- invader-compress
- invader-convert
- invader-dependency
- invader-edit
- invader-edit-qt
- invader-extract
- invader-font
- invader-index
- invader-info
- invader-refactor
- invader-resource
- invader-sound
- invader-string
- invader-strip
invader-archive
This program generates a .tar.xz archive containing all of the tags used to build a map.
Usage: invader-archive [options] <scenario | -s tag.class>
Generate .tar.xz archives of the tags required to build a cache file.
Options:
-C --copy Copy instead of making an archive.
-e --exclude <dir> Exclude copying any tags that share a path with
a tag in specified directory. Use multiple times
to exclude multiple directories.
-E --exclude-matched <dir> Exclude copying any tags that are also located
in the specified directory and are functionally
the same. Use multiple times to exclude multiple
directories.
-g --game-engine <id> Specify the game engine. This option is required
if -s is not specified. Valid engines are:
custom, demo, retail, xbox, native
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show credits, source info, and other info.
-o --output <file> Output to a specific file. Extension must be
.tar.xz unless using --copy which then it's a
directory.
-P --fs-path Use a filesystem path for the tag.
-s --single-tag Archive a tag tree instead of a cache file.
-t --tags <dir> Use the specified tags directory. Use multiple
times to add more directories, ordered by
precedence.
invader-bitmap
This program generates bitmap tags from images. For source images, .tif, .tiff, .png, .tga, and .bmp extensions are supported.
Note that image sharpening and blurring, while supported, are not recommended, and output may not exactly match the Halo Editing Kit's output.
Usage: invader-bitmap [options] <bitmap-tag>
Create or modify a bitmap tag.
Options:
-B --budget <length> Set max length of sprite sheet. Can be 32, 64,
128, 256, or 512. Default (new tag): 32
-C --budget-count <count> Set maximum number of sprite sheets. Setting
this to 0 disables budgeting. Default (new tag):
0
-d --data <dir> Use the specified data directory.
-D --dithering <channels> Apply dithering to 16-bit or p8 bitmaps. This
does not save in .bitmap tags. Can be: a, rgb,
or argb. Default: none
-f --detail-fade <factor> Set detail fade factor. Default (new tag): 0.0
-F --format <type> Pixel format. Can be: 32-bit, 16-bit,
monochrome, dxt5, dxt3, or dxt1. Default (new
tag): 32-bit
-h --help Show this list of options.
-H --bump-height <height> Set the apparent bumpmap height from 0 to 1.
Default (new tag): 0.026
-i --info Show license and credits.
-I --ignore-tag Ignore the tag data if the tag exists.
-M --mipmap-count <count> Set maximum mipmaps. Default (new tag): 32767
-p --bump-palettize <val> Set the bumpmap palettization setting. Can be:
off or on. Default (new tag): off
-P --fs-path Use a filesystem path for the data.
-R --regenerate Use the bitmap tag's compressed color plate data
as data.
-s --mipmap-scale <type> Mipmap scale type. This does not save in .bitmap
tags. Can be: linear, nearest_alpha, nearest.
Default (new tag): linear
-t --tags <dir> Use the specified tags directory.
-T --type <type> Set the type of bitmap. Can be: 2d_textures,
3d_textures, cube_maps, interface_bitmaps, or
sprites. Default (new tag): 2d
-u --usage <usage> Set the bitmap usage. Can be: alpha_blend,
default, height_map, detail_map, light_map,
vector_map. Default: default
Refer to Creating a bitmap for information on how to create bitmap tags.
invader-bludgeon
This program convinces tags to work with Invader.
Usage: invader-bludgeon [options] <-a | tag.class>
Convinces tags to work with Invader.
Options:
-a --all Bludgeon all tags in the tags directory.
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show license and credits.
-j --threads Set the number of threads to use for parallel
bludgeoning when using --all. Default: CPU
thread count
-P --fs-path Use a filesystem path for the tag path if
specifying a tag.
-t --tags <dir> Use the specified tags directory.
-T --type Type of bludgeoning. Can be: invalid-enums,
out-of-range, invalid-strings,
invalid-reference-classes,
invalid-model-markers, missing-script-source,
incorrect-sound-buffer, missing-vertices,
nonnormal-vectors, invalid-uppercase-references,
excessive-script-nodes, none, everything
(default: none)
invader-build
This program builds cache files.
Usage: invader-build [options] -g <target> <scenario>
Build a cache file for a version of Halo: Combat Evolved.
Options:
-a --always-index-tags Always index tags when possible. This can speed
up build time, but stock tags can't be modified.
-b --stock-resource-bounds Only index tags if the tag's index is within
stock Custom Edition's resource map bounds.
(Custom Edition only)
-B --build-version Set the build version. This is used on the Xbox
version of the game (by default it's
01.10.12.2276 on Xbox and the Invader version on
other engines)
-c --compress Compress the cache file.
-C --forge-crc <crc> Forge the CRC32 value of the map after building
it.
-E --extend-file-limits Extend file size limits beyond what is allowed
by the target engine to its theoretical maximum
size. This may create a map that will not work
without a mod.
-g --game-engine <id> Specify the game engine. This option is
required. Valid engines are: custom, demo,
native, retail, xbox, xbox-tw, xbox-jp,
mcc-custom, mcc-retail
-h --help Show this list of options.
-H --hide-pedantic-warnings Don't show minor warnings.
-i --info Show credits, source info, and other info.
-l --level <level> Set the compression level. Must be between 0 and
19. If compressing an Xbox or MCC map, this will
be clamped from 0 to 9. Default: 19
-m --maps <dir> Use the specified maps directory.
-n --no-external-tags Do not use external tags. This can speed up
build time at a cost of a much larger file size.
-N --rename-scenario <name> Rename the scenario.
-o --output <file> Output to a specific file.
-O --optimize Optimize tag space. This will drastically
increase the amount of time required to build
the cache file.
-P --fs-path Use a filesystem path for the tag.
-q --quiet Only output error messages.
-t --tags <dir> Use the specified tags directory. Use multiple
times to add more directories, ordered by
precedence.
-u --uncompressed Do not compress the cache file. This is default
for demo, retail, and custom engines.
-w --with-index <file> Use an index file for the tags, ensuring the
map's tags are ordered in the same way.
Tag patches
In some instances, specific tags will be modified. Some of these are a holdover from tool.exe, or they are done to account for different versions of the game. Admittedly, this is poor design, but that's ultimately on Gearbox and Bungie for changing the tags in the first place rather than creating new tags.
Invader will silently modify a few tags for single player:
weapons\pistol\pistol.weapon- Minimum error: 0.2°
- Error angle: 0.2° to 0.4°
weapons\pistol\bullet.damage_effect- Elite energy shield modifier: 0.8
weapons\plasma rifle\plasma rifle.weapon- Error angle: 0.25° to 2.5°
This is a holdover from tool.exe, and it is done in Invader to prevent the core single player experience from being affected. If you do not want it to do this, copy these respective tags to a different path.
Invader will also silently modify the ting sound effect for multiplayer to have a gain of 1.0 if Custom Edition and 0.2 if not. This is so the sound is not too loud or too quiet when played on their respective versions.
Invader will modify a few tags when building a stock multiplayer map:
vehicles\ghost\ghost bolt.damage_effect,vehicles\banshee\banshee bolt.damage_effect- Stun: 0.0 if Custom Edition, else 1.0
- Maximum stun: 0.0 if Custom Edition, else 1.0
- Stun time: 0.0 if Custom Edition, else 0.15
vehicles\rwarthog\rwarthog_gun.weapon- Autoaim angle: 6.0° if Custom Edition, else 1.0°
- Deviation angle: 12.0° if Custom Edition, else 1.0°
This is done to prevent desyncing caused by using tag sets from different versions of the game. If you do not want it to do this, copy these respective tags to a different path. Custom maps (i.e. maps that don't use stock scenario tag names) are not affected by this. Also, if any changes are applied, a minor warning will be emitted.
invader-compare
This program compares tags against maps, maps against maps, and tags against tags.
Usage: invader-compare [options] <-I <opts>> <-I <opts>> [<-I <opts>> ...]
Compare tags against other tags.
Options:
-a --all Only match if tags are in all inputs
-B --by-path <path-type> Set what tags get compared against other tags.
By default, only tags with the same relative
path are checked. Using "any" ignores paths
completely (useful for finding duplicates when
both inputs are different) while "different"
only checks tags with different paths (useful
for finding duplicates when both inputs are the
same). Can be: any, different, or same (default)
-c --class Add a tag class to check. If no tag classes are
specified, all tag classes will be checked.
-f --functional Precompile the tags before comparison to check
for only functional differences.
-G --ignore-resources Ignore resource maps for the current map input.
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show credits, source info, and other info.
-I --input Add an input directory
-m --maps Add a maps directory to the input to specify
where to find resource files for a map.
-M --map Add a map to the input. Only one map can be
specified per input. If a maps directory isn't
specified, then the map's directory will be
used.
-p --precision Allow for slight differences in floats to
account for precision loss.
-s --show Can be: all, matched, or mismatched. Default:
all
-t --tags Add a tags directory to the input. Specify
multiple tag directories in order of precedence
for the input.
-v --verbose Output more information on the differences
between tags to standard output. This will not
work with -f
invader-compress
This program compresses cache files.
Usage: invader-compress [options] <map>
Compress cache files.
Options:
-d --decompress Decompress instead of compress.
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show credits, source info, and other info.
-l --level <level> Set the compression level. Must be between 0 and
19. If compressing an MCC map, this will be
clamped from 0 to 9. Default: 19
-M --mcc Use MCC-style (de)compression
-o --output <file> Emit the resulting map at the given path. By
default, this is the map path (overwrite).
invader-convert
This program converts tags from one type to another. This is especially useful in conjunction with invader-refactor for porting maps between different versions of the game.
Usage: invader-convert [options] <--all | -s <tag>>
Convert from one tag type to another.
Options:
-a --all Convert all tags. This cannot be used with -s.
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show credits, source info, and other info.
-o --output-tags <dir> Set the output tags directory.
-O --overwrite Overwrite any output tags if they exist.
-P --fs-path Use a filesystem path for the tag path if
specifying a tag.
-s --single-tag Convert a specific tag. This can be specified
multiple times for multiple tags, but cannot be
used with -a.
-t --tags <dir> Set the input tags directory.
-T --type <type> Type of conversion. Can be: gbxmodel-to-model
(g2m), model-to-gbxmodel (m2g),
chicago-extended-to-chicago (x2c)
invader-dependency
This program finds tags that directly depend on a given tag.
Usage: invader-dependency [options] <tag.class>
Check dependencies for a tag.
Options:
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show credits, source info, and other info.
-P --fs-path Use a filesystem path for the tag.
-r --recursive Recursively get all depended tags.
-R --reverse Find all tags that depend on the tag, instead.
-t --tags <dir> Use the specified tags directory. Use multiple
times to add more directories, ordered by
precedence.
invader-edit
This program edits tags in a command-line interface. This is primarily used for scripting. If you want to edit tags in a graphical user interface, use invader-edit-qt.
Usage: invader-edit [options] <tag.class>
Edit tags via command-line.
Options:
-c --copy <key> <pos> Copy the selected struct(s) to the given index
or "end" if the end of the array.
-C --count <key> Get the number of elements in the array at the
given key.
-E --erase <key> Delete the selected struct(s).
-G --get <key> Get the value with the given key.
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show license and credits.
-I --insert <key> <#> <pos> Add # structs to the given index or "end" if the
end of the array.
-l --list List all elements in a tag.
-L --list-values List all elements and values in a tag. This may
be slow on large tags.
-M --move <key> <pos> Swap the selected structs with the structs at
the given index or "end" if the end of the
array. The regions must not intersect.
-N --new Create a new tag
-o --output <file> Output the tag to a different path rather than
overwriting it.
-O --save-as <tag> Output the tag to a different path relative to
the tags directory rather than overwriting it.
-P --fs-path Use a filesystem path for the font data or tag
file.
-S --set <key> <val> Set the value at the given key to the given
value.
-t --tags <dir> Use the specified tags directory.
invader-edit-qt
This program edits tags in a Qt-based GUI.
Usage: invader-edit-qt [options] [<tag1> [tag2] [...]]
Edit tag files.
Options:
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show credits, source info, and other info.
-n --no-safeguards Allow all tag data to be edited (proceed at your
own risk)
-P --fs-path Use a filesystem path for the tag path if
specifying a tag.
-t --tags <dir> Use the specified tags directory. Use multiple
times to add more directories, ordered by
precedence.
invader-extract
This program extracts tags from cache files.
Usage: invader-extract [options] <map>
Extract data from cache files.
Options:
-G --ignore-resources Ignore resource maps.
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show credits, source info, and other info
-m --maps <dir> Use the specified maps directory.
-n --non-mp-globals Enable extraction of non-multiplayer .globals
-O --overwrite Overwrite tags if they already exist
-r --recursive Extract tag dependencies
-s --search <expr> Search for tags (* and ? are wildcards); use
multiple times for multiple queries
-t --tags <dir> Use the specified tags directory.
invader-font
This program generates font tags.
Usage: invader-font [options] <font-tag>
Create font tags from OTF/TTF files.
Options:
-d --data <dir> Set the data directory.
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show credits, source info, and other info.
-P --fs-path Use a filesystem path for the font file.
-s --font-size <px> Set the font size in pixels.
-t --tags <dir> Set the tags directory.
invader-index
This program builds index files for usage with --with-index with
invader-build.
Usage: invader-index [options] <input-map> <output-txt>
Create a file listing the tags of a map.
Options:
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show credits, source info, and other info.
invader-info
This program displays metadata of a cache file.
Usage: invader-info [option] <map>
Display map metadata.
Options:
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show credits, source info, and other info.
-T --type <type> Set the type of data to show. Can be overview
(default), build, compressed, compression_ratio,
crc32, crc32_mismatched, dirty, engine,
external_bitmap_indices, external_bitmaps,
external_indices, external_loc_indices,
external_pointers, external_sound_indices,
external_sounds, external_tags, languages,
map_type, protection, scenario, scenario_path,
tag_count, stub_count, tags,
tags_external_bitmap_indices,
tags_external_loc_indices,
tags_external_pointers,
tags_external_sound_indices,
tags_external_indices, uncompressed_size
invader-refactor
This program renames and moves tag references.
Usage: invader-refactor <-M <mode>> [options]
Find and replace tag references.
Options:
-c --class <f> <t> Refactor all tags of a given class to another
class. All tags in the destination class must
exist. This can be specified multiple times but
cannot be used with --recursive or -M move.
-D --dry-run Do not actually make any changes. This is useful
for checking for errors before committing
anything, although filesystem errors may not be
caught.
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show license and credits.
-M --mode <mode> Specify what to do with the file if it exists.
If using move, then the tag is moved (the tag
must exist on the filesystem) while also
changing all references to the tag to the new
path. If using no-move, then the tag is not
moved (the destination tag must exist on the
filesystem unless you use --unsafe) while also
changing all references to the tag to the new
path. If using copy, then the tag is copied (the
tag must exist on the filesystem) and references
to the tag are not changed except for other tags
copied by this command. Can be: copy, move,
no-move
-r --recursive <f> <t> Recursively move all tags in a directory. This
will fail if a tag is present in both the old
and new directories, it cannot be used with
no-move. This can only be specified once per
operation and cannot be used with --tag.
-s --single-tag <path> Make changes to a single tag, only, rather than
the whole tags directory.
-t --tags <dir> Use the specified tags directory. Use multiple
times to add more directories, ordered by
precedence.
-T --tag <f> <t> Refactor an individual tag. This can be
specified multiple times but cannot be used with
--recursive.
-U --unsafe Do not require the destination tags to exist if
using no-move
invader-resource
This program builds resource maps. Only maps with stock tags can be built. These files are not guaranteed to work with existing cache files.
Usage: invader-resource [options] -T <type>
Create resource maps.
Options:
-c --concatenate <file> Concatenate against the resource map at a path.
-g --game-engine <id> Specify the game engine. This option is
required. Demo and retail maps also require
either -w or -M to be specified at least once.
Valid engines are: custom, demo, retail
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show credits, source info, and other info.
-m --maps <dir> Set the maps directory.
-M --with-map <file> Use a map file for the tags. This can be
specified multiple times.
-n --no-prefix Don't use the "custom_" prefix when building a
Custom Edition resource map.
-t --tags <dir> Use the specified tags directory. Use multiple
times to add more directories, ordered by
precedence.
-T --type <type> Set the resource map. This option is required.
Can be: bitmaps, sounds, or loc.
-w --with-index <file> Use an index file for the tags, ensuring tags
are ordered in the same way (barring
duplicates).
invader-sound
This program generates sound tags. Sound tag data is stored in the data directory as a directory containing .wav and/or .flac files. Each file is one permutation, and only 16-bit and 24-bit PCM with either one or two channels are supported as input.
You cannot have two permutations with the same name (i.e. mypermutation.wav and mypermutation.flac). Also, unless you are modifying an existing sound tag, you will need to supply a sound class.
You can, however, supply permutations with differing bit depths and sample rates and channel count. By default, the highest sample rate will be used for the entire tag, and if that is not 22050 Hz or 44100 Hz, then it will automatically be resampled.
Usage: invader-sound [options] <sound-tag>
Create or modify a sound tag.
Options:
-b --bitrate <br> Set the bitrate in kilobits per second. This
only applies to vorbis.
-c --class <class> Set the class. This is required when generating
new sounds. Can be: ambient_computers,
ambient_machinery, ambient_nature,
device_computers, device_door,
device_force_field, device_machinery,
device_nature, first_person_damage, game_event,
music, object_impacts, particle_impacts,
projectile_impact, projectile_detonation,
scripted_dialog_force_unspatialized,
scripted_dialog_other, scripted_dialog_player,
scripted_effect, slow_particle_impacts,
unit_dialog, unit_footsteps, vehicle_collision,
vehicle_engine, weapon_charge, weapon_empty,
weapon_fire, weapon_idle, weapon_overheat,
weapon_ready, weapon_reload
-C --channel-count <#> Set the channel count. Can be: mono, stereo. By
default, this is determined based on the input
audio.
-d --data <dir> Use the specified data directory.
-F --format <fmt> Set the format. Can be: 16-bit_pcm, ogg_vorbis,
or xbox_adpcm.
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show credits, source info, and other info.
-j --threads Set the number of threads to use for parallel
resampling and encoding. Default: CPU thread
count
-l --compress-level <lvl> Set the compression level. This can be between
0.0 and 1.0. For Ogg Vorbis, higher levels
result in better quality but worse sizes. For
FLAC, higher levels result in better sizes but
longer compression time, clamping from 0.0 to
0.8 (FLAC 0 to FLAC 8). Default: 1.0
-P --fs-path Use a filesystem path for the data or tag.
-r --sample-rate <Hz> Set the sample rate in Hz. Halo supports 22050
and 44100. By default, this is determined based
on the input audio.
-s --split Split permutations into 227.5 KiB chunks. This
is necessary for longer sounds (e.g. music) when
being played in the original Halo engine.
-S --no-split Do not split permutations.
-t --tags <dir> Use the specified tags directory. Use multiple
times to add more directories, ordered by
precedence.
Refer to Creating a sound for a guide on how to create sound tags.
invader-string
This program generates string tags. If building a unicode or latin-1 tag,
strings are stored in a .txt file, with each string ending with a line,
###END-STRING###.
Usage: invader-string [options] <tag>
Generate string list tags.
Options:
-d --data <dir> Use the specified data directory.
-f --format Set string list format. Can be unicode or
latin-1. Must be specified if a string tag is not
present.
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show license and credits.
-P --fs-path Use a filesystem path for the text file.
-t --tags <dir> Use the specified tags directory.
invader-strip
This program strips hidden data from tags and recalculates their CRC32 values.
Usage: invader-strip [options] <-a | tag.class>
Strips extra hidden data from tags.
Options:
-a --all Strip all tags in the tags directory.
-h --help Show this list of options.
-i --info Show license and credits.
-P --fs-path Use a filesystem path for the tag path if
specifying a tag.
-t --tags <dir> Use the specified tags directory.
Frequently asked questions
These are a selection of questions that have been asked over the course of Invader's development.
- I get errors when building HEK tags or tags extracted with invader-extract
- What operating systems are supported?
- Who owns my map when I build it?
- Why GPL and not MIT or BSD?
- How can I get Invader under a different license?
- Are there any GUI tools?
- Are 32-bit Windows builds available?
- Can invader-build create .yelo maps?
- Can invader-build create Xbox maps?
- The HEK says my bitmap tag is "too large" when opening.
- How close to completion is Invader?
- Should I use invader-build for my map right now?
I get errors when building HEK tags or tags extracted with invader-extract
The stock Halo Editing Kit tags as well as a number of extracted tags have a number of issues such as invalid enumerators, indices, and references. In many cases, this can result in undefined, unexpected behavior or crashing. Obviously, the stock Halo Editing Kit doesn't crash, but this data is still invalid nevertheless.
The most common issues can be fixed by running the following command:
invader-bludgeon --all -T invalid-indices -T invalid-enums -T out-of-range
The stock Halo Editing Kit also comes with a number of tags that reference model tags instead of gbxmodel. The Halo Editing Kit automatically changes these on tag load, likely because Gearbox developers felt it would be better to just do this than fix their tags (since their engine only supports gbxmodel tags).
Invader supports multiple engines INCLUDING the Xbox version, so we cannot just do this. Fortunately, there is a command you can run that will actually fix the tags for you:
invader-refactor -M no-move -c model gbxmodel
Lastly, invader-build checks the CRC32 checksums of each tag. This is done to ensure that the tags have been modified correctly, giving you a warning in the case they have not. However, some HEK tags do not have this set for some reason. You can fix this by running this command:
invader-strip --all
Note that the above commands take -t <path-to-tags-directory> just like
invader-build, so if you use a tags directory that isn't "tags" on the current
directory, simply append that. And, of course, if Invader isn't installed
system-wide, you will need to replace the program names with paths to their
respective executables.
What operating systems are supported?
Invader does not support any one operating system, but Invader is developed on Arch Linux, and 64-bit Windows builds are available via Nightly Builds.
Who owns my map when I build it?
There is a commonly-spread myth that, once you build a map with tool.exe, your map belongs to Microsoft. Likewise, people may assume that, if you build a map with Invader, your map belongs to us. However, this is like saying that, once you print a document with an HP printer, your document belongs to HP. That's not how it works.
The only "ownership" that applies to your map is to the tags and assets in the map, as a map is effectively an archive of a tag directory intended to be loaded by the game. You own your BSP, Microsoft owns the assault rifle, etc. Not one person owns your map unless you made all of the tags to your map, in which case you would certainly own it.
Note, however, that you may be subjected to additional license(s) if you choose to use assets you don't own (assuming you even have permission to use them), including the assets that came with the Halo Editing Kit. Using Invader does not give you permission to use any of these assets. Consult a legal expert if you need assurance on your rights.
Why GPL and not MIT or BSD?
Invader uses version 3 of the GNU GPL because we feel that Invader and all derivatives and modifications of Invader should stay free and open.
The Halo CE modding community has a habit of obfuscating knowledge that could be used to help other people. This is often done through these means:
- Map protection
- Writing closed source software
- Obfuscating software
- Keeping helpful information locked behind secret forums and groups
Many great accomplishments have been lost to time, as most of the people who made them are no longer there to support what they have made.
Often times, people will say they will release the source code in the future, or they will at least consider releasing the source code. In nearly all cases of this, the source code was never released. The GNU GPL solves this problem by requiring everyone to have access to the source code when binary code is released.
As time goes on, unmaintained, closed-source software becomes more seemingly broken, incomplete, or even incompatible. For example, the Halo Editing Kit has numerous issues that prevent people from making the content they want to make, yet it is still the only way to fully create maps. The worst part about this is that, in many cases, people do not make any sort of effort to replace this software with working software, as they do not feel it is worth the time or effort. Therefore, the broken, unmaintained software continues being used. This is where Invader comes in.
In our opinion, we feel that modding tools should be open for all to use, share, change, and learn from. At the same time, we also feel that a requirement for people give back to the community the source code to any derivatives of our tools they have chosen to share is not too much to ask for, as this ensures that modding stays free and open instead of left to stagnation behind closed groups and obfuscation as modding this game has been in the past.
Also, a weak license like MIT has proven to not be helpful. A common argument is that more people will be willing to use and contribute to it. However, a number of open source mods, which were released as MIT and BSD, have been used in closed source projects, or they have been converted to closed source with the original open source versions receiving zero contributions.
That is why Invader uses version 3 of the GNU GPL.
How can I get Invader under a different license?
Officially, the only way to obtain Invader is through version 3.0 of the GNU General Public License. We will not provide exception to anyone - not even Bungie, Microsoft, or our own mothers.
In order to get Invader under a different license, you will need to write to both Snowy Mouse and Vaporeon, and you will need unanimous approval.
Are there any GUI tools?
Officially, only one of these tools has a graphical user interface, invader-edit-qt. However, there is a program you can optionally download called six-shooter which provides a graphical interface for some of Invader's other tools.
Are 32-bit Windows builds available?
Only 64-bit builds are uploaded to Nightly Builds. You can compile Invader for 32-bit x86 Windows.
The reason 32-bit builds are not provided is because 32-bit builds are slower and more limited than x86_64 due to architectural differences (e.g. fewer registers to hold temporary data). People who are unsure may also download a 32-bit build even though a 64-build will work better. Nearly all desktop PCs made today come with a 64-bit operating system.
Can invader-build create .yelo maps?
Officially, invader-build only creates maps for officially-released versions of the game. The .yelo file format is specific to Open Sauce, a mod of Halo Custom Edition. Therefore, the Invader project does not support it. However, this does not mean that you can't make a fork of Invader that supports it, and there are people who have said they were willing to do this.
Can invader-build create Xbox maps?
Yes. Pass -g xbox into invader-build. A guide for making Xbox maps is planned.
The HEK says my bitmap tag is "too large" when opening.
The HEK has a 16 MiB limitation for bitmap tags. Invader does not have this limitation, and you can use invader-edit-qt to view bitmap tags that exceed 16 MiB. Halo PC also does not have any problems loading bitmaps that exceed 16 MiB. That said, some DirectX 9 GPUs and/or implementations won't support textures larger than 2048x2048 (2D textures) or 256x256x256 (3D textures).
It is worth noting that invader-build and various other tools let you specify multiple tag directories. If you need to use Sapien, you can put a lower quality, compressed version of your bitmap in your main tags folder, and you can put the higher quality version in a tags directory that takes priority. Sapien will use the lower quality bitmap and load happily, and invader-build will use the higher quality bitmap when building.
How close to completion is Invader?
There is still a lot to do in Invader. Check the Issues page for more information.
Should I use invader-bitmap or tool.exe?
In this case, invader-bitmap is either mostly or completely feature-complete, and it has a number of features tool.exe does not have, such as support for the .tga format (goes well with Refinery's data extraction) as well as dithering. Therefore, invader-bitmap is the superior choice.
Should I use invader-build for my map right now?
It depends.
Most multiplayer maps will work without issue, particularly those without scripts, but singleplayer maps may have issues. Because tool.exe has a number of bugs and invader-build does quite a few things tool.exe doesn't do (such as better error checking), there are a few reasons to use invader-build over tool.exe for multiplayer maps.
However, invader-build isn't finished and has a number of issues that need ironed out before this FAQ can confidently recommend it for every use case, while tool.exe is basically the reference when it comes to building cache files.
However, we do ask that you consider testing invader-build so we can improve it to a point where it can be a solid replacement to tool.exe.
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