https://opencarnage.net/index.php?/forum/76-halo-software-extensions-se/

Engine Extensions

(In order of priority)

• Chimera 1.0
• CEnshine
• Optic
• Vulpes
• SAPP
• Tempura
• HAC2

Agnostic Plugins

• DSOAL
• ReShade
• DXVK
• dgVoodoo

Are there any extensions or plugins we've missed? Let us know in a reply to this Issue!

As demonstrated by SBDJazz, the Halo CE velocity geometry buffer has been wacky for quite a while, but worked properly a long time ago.
Possibly fixed in Branch:hm/GBuffer_Rework.

Trial, Retail, and Custom Edition

Trial is literally just free Halo when paired with Chimera.
Retail has some rendering fixes not present in Custom Edition.
Custom Edition...it has native support for custom maps?
Well, now the other two do as well, so Custom Edition has become redundant.

The 7-zip source code releases contain four root folders. Asm, C, CPP, and DOC.

Almost all includes are resolved when linking to the C source files, but those files are lacking 7zIn.h.
That file is located in the CPP directory structure at ./CPP/7zip/Archive/7z/7zIn.h

When installed/registered and then copied into SPV3's game directory, OpenSauce will prefer loading ./D3DX9_43.dll over %WINDOWS%/SysWow6432/D3DX9_43.dll.

What if we don't install and register the module?

This will require setting up a clean VM that does not have D3DX 9 (nor the entire DirectX eXtensions package) installed and registered.
If Windows Sandbox is used, verify it does not copy the host system directories.

Note to self: Remember to use Pull Requests for formality's sake and to automate project tasks.

Small problem with this fork. One of the files is huge and takes a long time to upload/download over my 0.1mbps internet.

As implied in an Invader discussion.

Ideas:

• new file extension (.YTag? e.g. ".gbxmodel.ytag")
• move OS-specific data outside the stock structs wherever possible. Pointers may be useful in this endeavor.
• Split a tag into two parts/files:
  1. Standard HEK structs
  2. Yelo structs
  • The Standard tag could be used alone, but the Yelo tag-part will be automatically loaded into the scenario if it is found in the tags directory. Add a way to block/remove the Yelo tag from the scenario before compiling.

Remember to support legacy-OS tag structs as well.

I noticed a snippet of the post-processing backend initializing first to 4:3 ratio and then to 16:9.

1. This may be the cause of the resolution-switching crashes
2. dgVoodoo and Chimera HATE this. It breaks their resolution overrides and crashes the Halo CE.
3. 21:9 monitors are more common than they used to be. Initializing to a 16:9 ratio could cause issues.
4. I wonder if this is what screws up the mouse cursor bound in the main menu...

In 2019, Kavawuvi discovered a way to have unlimited tag space and BSP size.

There are already versions of OS_Tool floating around that support any-size map files, but that's not for tag space.

Memory Protection? The exact issue needs to be re-researched.

The current Build Solution includes v120_xp. This allows support for XP at the cost of C++ improvements. Don't need XP support when Vista and 7 are no longer officially supported by Microsoft.
Source: https://stackoverflow.com/a/32580205

"...improvements in the platform that are not available on XP"

1. Building HLSL
2. Debugging DirectX
3. Static analysis
4. Remote debugging
5. Process status API

Official support for Windows XP ended several years ago. We should move on.
It is generally recommended to not use Windows XP due to its numerous(1) security(2) flaws(3).

As suggested by Guardian2433

Lightmap Sets and Sky sets are from branch:origin/fork/experimental

VLD Homepage
Although the VS Solution can be modified to point to the path of VLD, it might be better to drop it altogether if it's unnecessary. If an alternative can be found, that would be great, too.

Some forks of VLD exist, but some fail to build, others are stale, and few forks have feature parity.
1

This is handled better by Chimera which accesses the HAC2 map repository. Said map repository was planned to be cleaned up of disfunctional maps.

This is useful in very specific situations.

As suggested by Guardian2433

os_tool lightmaps-ex levels\test\bloodgulch\bloodgulch bloodgulch 0 1 0.0000001
that will render and unwrap the BSP.
0 0 0.0000001 willl render but not unwrap the BSP.
Or should it be 1 0 0.0000001 and 0 0 0.0000001
Unwrap first, then quality, then threshhold?

The outdated, in-built motion blur effect is forced to "on" whenever the menu is opened.
Settings like this should only be changed by the user or if the settings need to be re-initialized.

Due to this branch's widespread changes, this should be the last of the HaloMods repository's branches to be merged into master.
It will require a TON of manual merging.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/build/reference/hint-files?view=vs-2019
VS is suggesting we use Hint files for storing "naked" functions (asm or memop)

I might just update both 1.0.9 and 1.0.10 targets to use Signature Scanning rather than pointers wherever possible.

This is going to be messy. Fork/Experimental already includes SOME of OSv5, but it may be out of date.

https://walbourn.github.io/directx-sdks-of-a-certain-age/
This details parts of the DirectX SDK that are no longer built into the operating system.

https://walbourn.github.io/where-is-the-directx-sdk-2021-edition/

Use Microsoft/DirectXTK until we can completely remove D3DX dependency.
Only for D3DX10 and D3DX11...

Use https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.DXSDK.D3DX for SDK and redist

You have an error in your existing version of this. This should replace it and it works.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/725865618988990475/726058522139164784/KillCxxExceptions.hpp

Fix this sooner rather than later since a change was suggested.

Clicking an entry in the wiki's sidebar will direct the user to https://github.com/yumiris/OpenSauce instead of the intended wiki page.
It's annoying that the Sidebar didn't auto update when the username was changed.

resolution, refresh rate, vsync
This may or may not be the cause of some startup issues, but it's best to create an issue for investigation.

Disable Open Sauce FOV Adjustment if Chimera is loaded. Alternatively, pass FOV adjustment via OS overlay to Chimera.
Beware of breaking Chimera's FOV formula fix!

Snapping to multiples of 5 normally wouldn't be an issue, but the default/optimal 16:9 HCE FOV is not a multiple of 5.

Alternatively, cycle snapping between (no snap), (integers), and (multiples of 5).

Known upgrades handled by Chimera:
OS vs Chimera Sheet
Planned: 64 MiB Tag Space/Data Size Limit (stock == 23MiB)

If OS upgrades other limits not handled by Chimera, enforce them.
See here for OS memory extensions:
https://github.com/yumiris/OpenSauce/blob/master/OpenSauce/shared/Include/YeloLib/Halo1/open_sauce/blam_memory_upgrades.hpp

ReShade Official Homepage
ReShade API Reference

Currently, this is more of a nice-to-have idea than a solid plan. I talked to Jazz about this a few times in the past. Nothing in-depth.

Caveats

Licensing and Redistribution

ReShade is "BSD 3-Clause" licensed. This license states the binaries can be redistributed so long as certain conditions are met.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

• Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
• Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
• Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

However, the homepage has a conflicting statement.

Do NOT share the binaries or shader files. Link users to this website instead.

Related Issues

• #51
• #50
• #44
• #33
• #32
• #19
• #4

Related Issues

• #2
• #42

zlib - 1.2.5 Copyright 1995-2010 Jean-loup Gailly and Mark Adler

https://zlib.net/

code based on "xma_parse" code written by HCS

https://hcs64.com/contact.html
Used with permission.

GameSpy Open SDK

DISCONTINUED http://www.poweredbygamespy.com 404
http://developer.poweredbygamespy.com/forum/sdk-usage-open-source-environment 404
Register with GS to gain access to their SDK for free.

Alternatives

binary references to SevenZipSharp

• ARCHIVED https://sevenzipsharp.codeplex.com
• ABANDONED https://github.com/tomap/SevenZipSharp
• https://github.com/squid-box/SevenZipSharp
  Look for NuGet alternatives.

DirectX SDK (Deprecated in 2010)

See #42

• https://walbourn.github.io/living-without-d3dx/
• https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.DXSDK.D3DX
• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=6812

'slist'

• Copyright (c) 1997 Silicon Graphics Computer Systems, Inc.

TinyXML

• DEPRECATED https://sourceforge.net/projects/tinyxml
• https://github.com/leethomason/tinyxml2

Mongoose

• https://github.com/valenok/mongoose

7-zip

• https://sourceforge.net/projects/sevenzip

GWEN-UI

• ABANDONED https://github.com/garrynewman/GWEN
• https://github.com/billyquith/GWork

Visual Leak Detector

• DISCONTINUED https://kinddragon.github.io/vld/

[source]
"These markers have to be ordered alphabetically so Halo can efficiently search for markers using binary searching."
"Such [dirty] tags aren't even possible without [bad] tag extraction or manual editing..."

As suggested by Guardian2433 via DMs

Add Open Sauce to Halo CE's import table? This method was once proposed for use in the Vulpes mod by Mia (Donut) and Shelly (SBB Michelle) to load before Open Sauce.
...There may be a better alternative at this point.
May solve some module (DLL) loading conflicts.

Memory Upgrades
Memory Upgrades Intialization
Stock Globals/Tag Data Limits

See Open Sauce vs Chimera Upgrades Sheet.

licenses
7-zip: last updated 2010
BlamLib: 2012 - website link is no longer valid.
Mongoose: 2010
Open Sauce: 2012
Xbox: 2012
GPL3: 2007
zlib: 2010

This can help with development of complex actor behaviors such as switching Drones (Yanme'e) between flying and walking behavior modes.
This may also help with climbing actors.

As suggested by Guardian2433

Or rip it out and replace it with RetroSpy

TODO
I don't know enough about GPGPU to write anything insightful.

Pros

• Only the necessary post-processing framebuffers will be enabled as part of the Geometry framebuffer. If none are needed, disable G-Buffer until needed by another map.

Cons

• This may increase the initial loading time of a map.
• If the user forces a new effect to load, they will either need to manually enable the relevant framebuffers (OS4.0) or indicate them in the effect's header (OS4.1+)

How

• Using/Include lines in header of effects scripts? 4.1+ planned support
• Pre-process the entirety of each and every effect for relevant buffers? OS 4.0 compatibility

Disable Open Sauce widescreen fix when Chimera is detected. Alternatively, allow OS WS Fix to be configured when chimera_widescreen_fix == 0

I need to figure out how to do this again; I used to have this memorized, but I forgot it and I don't have a backup in my HCE chats folder.

Note 1: There are a few pre-patched OS_Tools floating around that do this. It would be best to have some sort of source control.

Note 2: It might be best to make an Open Sauce fork of Invader for use in the present rather waiting for something better to come along.

Note 3: OS_Tool should be kept as simple as possible. It should not compete with Invader Tool. Competition in the HCE modding community is historically bad for the community (aside from competitions hosted by Open Carnage).

Missing files:
GameSpyOpen/common/win32/* (all contents)
GameSpyOpen/common/gsResultCodes.c

Required:
GameSpyOpen/common/win32/gsUtilWin32.c
GameSpyOpen/common/gsResultCodes.c

These missing files can be source from UniSpySDK or Nitrocaster's repo and its forks.

Preferable use the same compression format implemented in Invader-compress (zstandard, alternatively zlib/deflate)

Pros:

• Save space on storage drives.
• Less time to download.
• If many map files are compressed in an archive, they won't need as much C:\ drive space to be extracted.

Cons:

• Longer time to load (decompress before loading in game-engine, editor, or tag extractor).
• This feature may take significant amount of time to be supported by other community software (MEK, for instance) and gain traction in usage.

The current build props looks for the 32-bit platform paths. This won't work on 64-bit computers.
For instance,
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\Halo CE works on 32-bit systems, but
HKLM\Software\WOW6432\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\Halo CE should be used on 64-bit systems.
https://github.com/yumiris/OpenSauce/blob/master/shared/config/msbuild/OpenSauceUserConfigDefaults.props