INFORMATION

This archive contains a set of tags that will change the default Halo Heads-Up Display (HUD) into a replica of Halo 2's SPARTAN-II HUD. These tags will only work with the Halo: Custom Edition game, and are not indended for Halo XBox, Halo PC, or Halo 2 (which would be rather pointless). Please note that this will only affect maps YOU create; the HUD on existing maps will remain unchanged.

This HUD is OPEN SOURCE. I have included my source image files so you may freely modify and learn from them. The .TIF files are files ready to be compiled by Tool into .bitmap tags, and the .PNG files are Macromedia Fireworks files. I have also included a .PSD file that makes making new weapon icons easier.

Changes:

Halo 2 HUD Replica; tagged to not interfere with the stock tagset.
Customized HUD item message strings.
Flag cloth physics are less elastic; flag doesn't stretch out as far when moving quickly.
New font for player list, game rules, and postgame carnage report.
Flag makes pickup sound like in Halo 2.
HUD counts flamethrower canisters instead of fuel units; to match this, the flamethrower wastes whatever rounds are left in the canister when reloaded. To counteract this, you may now carry 10 fuel canisters instead of 8.
Flag and oddball removed from cheat weapon spawn.
New scope zoom for the sniper.

INSTALLATION

This installer will drop a set of tags into your Halo CE tags directory, into the correct folders to make them work. First and foremost, BACK UP YOUR TAGS FOLDER. Then simply extract the contents of the tags directory in the archive to your tags folder, and overwrite anything it asks.

SETUP AND USE

Go into your tags\globals folder, change the name of "globals.globals" to something like "h1 globals.globals," and rename the file "h2 globals.globals" to "globals.globals."

When populating a multiplayer map, be sure to use the item_collection tags in the folders suffixed with "-h2 hud."
If populating a single player map, be sure to use the weapons prefixed with "h2."
In any map, be sure to use the vehicles prefixed with "h2."

UNINSTALLATION

To stop using this HUD, simply rename the globals tag containing the H2 HUD info back to "h2 globals.globals," and restore your original globals tag. In your .scenario tag, be sure that all of your item_collection tags, vehicles, and weapons are not the "h2" tags.

To uninstall the HUD in its entirety, go though your tag folders and delete the following tags:
tags\characters\cyborg\h2 cyborg.biped tags\characters\cyborg_mp\h2 cyborg_mp.biped tags\globals\h2 globals.globals tags\item collections\powerups-h2 hud\h2 group all powerups.item_collection tags\item collections\powerups-h2 hud\h2 powerup health pack.item_collection tags\item collections\powerups-h2 hud\h2 powerup invisibility.item_collection tags\item collections\powerups-h2 hud\h2 powerup super shield.item_collection tags\item collections\powerups-h2 hud\h2 shield-invisibility.item_collection tags\item collections\single weapons-h2 hud\h2 assault rifle.item_collection tags\item collections\single weapons-h2 hud\h2 flame thrower.item_collection tags\item collections\single weapons-h2 hud\h2 frag grenades.item_collection tags\item collections\single weapons-h2 hud\h2 needler.item_collection tags\item collections\single weapons-h2 hud\h2 pistol.item_collection tags\item collections\single weapons-h2 hud\h2 plasma grenades.item_collection tags\item collections\single weapons-h2 hud\h2 plasma pistol.item_collection tags\item collections\single weapons-h2 hud\h2 plasma rifle.item_collection tags\item collections\single weapons-h2 hud\h2 plasma_cannon.item_collection tags\item collections\single weapons-h2 hud\h2 rocket launcher.item_collection tags\item collections\single weapons-h2 hud\h2 shotgun.item_collection tags\item collections\single weapons-h2 hud\h2 sniper rifle.item_collection tags\ui\hud\h2 banshee.weapon_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 chaingun gunner.weapon_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 empty.weapon_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 ghost.weapon_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 master fuel.weapon_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 master numberless.weapon_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 master plasma.weapon_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 master rounds.weapon_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 master.weapon_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 rocket gunner.weapon_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 scorp front left.unit_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 scorp front right.unit_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 scorp rear left.unit_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 scorp rear right.unit_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 scorpion.weapon_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 shade turret.weapon_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 warthog gunner.unit_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2 warthog passenger.unit_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2_counter.hud_number tags\ui\hud\h2_cyborg.unit_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2_damageable_driver.unit_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2_frag.grenade_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\h2_hud_item_messages.unicode_string_list tags\ui\hud\h2_plas_flare.grenade_hud_interface tags\ui\hud\halo_2.hud_globals tags\ui\hud\bitmaps\combined\h2_hud_ammo_meters_public.bitmap tags\ui\hud\bitmaps\combined\h2_hud_counter_numbers.bitmap tags\ui\hud\bitmaps\combined\h2_hud_grenade_icons.bitmap tags\ui\hud\bitmaps\combined\h2_hud_passenger_labels.bitmap tags\ui\hud\bitmaps\combined\h2_hud_reticle_warnings.bitmap tags\ui\hud\bitmaps\combined\h2_hud_unit_backgrounds_hires.bitmap tags\ui\hud\bitmaps\combined\h2_hud_unit_meters_hires.bitmap tags\ui\hud\bitmaps\combined\h2_hud_weapon_backgrounds.bitmap tags\ui\hud\bitmaps\combined\h2_hud_weapon_icons.bitmap tags\ui\hud\bitmaps\combined\h2_hud_weapon_outlines.bitmap tags\ui\hud\bitmaps\sniper\h2_sniper_reticles.bitmap tags\ui\hud\bitmaps\vehicles\h2_vehicle_weapon_icons.bitmap tags\vehicles\banshee\h2 banshee gun.weapon tags\vehicles\banshee\h2 banshee.vehicle tags\vehicles\banshee\h2 banshee_mp.vehicle tags\vehicles\banshee\h2 mp_banshee gun.weapon tags\vehicles\c gun turret\h2 c gun turret gun.weapon tags\vehicles\c gun turret\h2 c gun turret.vehicle tags\vehicles\c gun turret\h2 c gun turret_mp.vehicle tags\vehicles\c gun turret\h2 mp gun turret gun.weapon tags\vehicles\ghost\h2 ghost gun.weapon tags\vehicles\ghost\h2 ghost.vehicle tags\vehicles\ghost\h2 ghost_mp.vehicle tags\vehicles\ghost\h2 mp_ghost gun.weapon tags\vehicles\rwarthog\h2 rwarthog.vehicle tags\vehicles\rwarthog\h2 rwarthog_gun.weapon tags\vehicles\scorpion\h2 scorpion cannon.weapon tags\vehicles\scorpion\h2 scorpion.vehicle tags\vehicles\scorpion\h2 scorpion_mp.vehicle tags\vehicles\warthog\h2 mp_warthog.vehicle tags\vehicles\warthog\h2 warthog gun.weapon tags\vehicles\warthog\h2 warthog.vehicle tags\weapons\assault rifle\h2 assault rifle.weapon tags\weapons\assault rifle\h2 assault rifle.weapon_hud_interface tags\weapons\ball\h2 ball.weapon tags\weapons\flag\h2 flag.flag tags\weapons\flag\h2 flag.point_physics tags\weapons\flag\h2 flag.weapon tags\weapons\flamethrower\h2 flamethrower.weapon tags\weapons\flamethrower\h2 flamethrower.weapon_hud_interface tags\weapons\frag grenade\frag grenade.weapon tags\weapons\needler\h2 mp_needler.weapon tags\weapons\needler\h2 needler.weapon tags\weapons\needler\h2 needler.weapon_hud_interface tags\weapons\pistol\h2 pistol.weapon tags\weapons\pistol\h2 pistol.weapon_hud_interface tags\weapons\plasma grenade\plasmagrenade.weapon tags\weapons\plasma pistol\h2 plasma pistol.weapon tags\weapons\plasma pistol\h2 plasma pistol.weapon_hud_interface tags\weapons\plasma rifle\h2 plasma rifle.weapon tags\weapons\plasma rifle\h2 plasma rifle.weapon_hud_interface tags\weapons\plasma_cannon\h2 plasma_cannon.weapon tags\weapons\plasma_cannon\h2 plasma_cannon.weapon_hud_interface tags\weapons\rocket launcher\h2 rocket launcher.weapon tags\weapons\rocket launcher\h2 rocket.weapon_hud_interface tags\weapons\shotgun\h2 shotgun.weapon tags\weapons\shotgun\h2 shotgun.weapon_hud_interface tags\weapons\sniper rifle\h2 sniper rifle.weapon tags\weapons\sniper rifle\h2 sniper.weapon_hud_interface

This installer will also overwrite the tags that make the gametype icon, shown next to the shield meter on the default HUD, making them blank. I have provided backups of the original bitmaps; if you want the gametype icon back, delete the following files:
tags\ui\shell\bitmaps\team_background.bitmap tags\ui\shell\bitmaps\team_icon_ctf.bitmap tags\ui\shell\bitmaps\team_icon_king.bitmap tags\ui\shell\bitmaps\team_icon_oddball.bitmap tags\ui\shell\bitmaps\team_icon_race.bitmap tags\ui\shell\bitmaps\team_icon_slayer.bitmap

Then locate these files and remove the "bkup-" prefix:
tags\ui\shell\bitmaps\bkup-team_background.bitmap tags\ui\shell\bitmaps\bkup-team_icon_ctf.bitmap tags\ui\shell\bitmaps\bkup-team_icon_king.bitmap tags\ui\shell\bitmaps\bkup-team_icon_oddball.bitmap tags\ui\shell\bitmaps\bkup-team_icon_race.bitmap tags\ui\shell\bitmaps\bkup-team_icon_slayer.bitmap

SPECIAL THANKS

LIGHTNING - A super-duper-special thanks to Lightning for getting me started on this project. Also thanks for modding Coagulation's lightmaps to make the Halo 2 HUD easier to trace and imitate.
MASTERZ1337 - Thanks for seeing this project through to its initial "release" in CMT's campaign, as well as helping me understand how the various hud_interface tags worked.
L33T - Thanks for offering some pointers on hud_interface modification.
My testers, who were listed above, as well as:
- The CMT Team, all past and present members
- Timo
- M808B
- Storm
- My uncle

Also thanks to anyone that helped me with this; it's been a long time since I started this, and quite a few people had helped me out. I apologize if I forgot to list you. :)

LEGAL

Halo, Halo: Custom Edition, the Halo Editing Kit (HEK), and Halo 2 are all copyrighted trademarks of Bungie Studios, Inc. All bitmap files in this archive were created, but not copyright, by p0lar_bear (Chris Burdick). All rights reserved.

This archive and its contents may be freely distributed, but not sold at any price for profit, personal gain or any other reason, as per the Halo Editing Kit (HEK)'s End User License Agreement (EULA).