Halo 1 & 2 for PC
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Subject: The Halo PC/CE Graphical Enhancement Guide (and other tweaks).

Halo PC was ported in 2003 to the PC, and had the graphics quality and potential of Crysis for its time. Now, in 2011 they are falling behind a fair bit. I make this guide to enhance the graphics and bring more life back to our beloved Halo.

Sorry for my lack of knowledge of ATI, I don't know the ATI equivalent of any of these steps but I'm sure you'll be able to work them out anyway.

I recommended you follow and apply these tweaks in the order given.


Update your graphics card drivers

Although not a tweak, it's an absolute essential. Update yours to the latest before you begin.


Make sure you're running Halo PC/CE v1.09

Version 1.09 (at the time of writing) is the latest version of Halo PC/CE. Make sure your updated as you will have to apply most of these tweaks again if you patch the game afterwards. No previous patches are required.

Halo PC v1.09 Patch
Halo CE v1.09 Patch


Make NVIDIA Control Panel recognize Halo CE (haloce.exe)

By default, Nvidia does not recognize the EXE of halo CE, this means any custom set options in the "Manage 3D" tab will not apply to Halo CE. To enable, go to the "Manage 3D" tab, Click "Program Settings" and finaly click "Add", then find your halo CE EXE

This is needed for the Anisotropic Filtering tweak.


Active cammo fix

Halo PC and CE both do not render the "glassy cammo effect" seen in Halo Xbox properly if you are using an NVIDIA card, the fix is simple and straightforward.

Active Cammo fix for NVIDIA users

When you done with this fix, delete you old halo desktop shortcuts (don't worry about any command line parameters) and create new shortcuts (with the fix enabled) by going to DX Tweaker's directory, looking for "halo.dxtp" and "haloce.dxtp", and creating shortcuts of them to the desktop.

With the new shortcuts made, rename, right click on the shortcuts and apply the halo icon from the default halo folder.

NOTE: Cammo works properly for ATI video card users.


Force Halo to run at your native resolution

If you are using DX Tweaker(cammo fix), then:
In the "Arguments" field of DX tweaker , add this:

" -vidmode xxxx,xxxx,xx".
(i.e) " -vidmode width,height,refresh rate"

If you are not using DX Tweaker(cammo fix), then:
Right click on your Halo PC/CE shortcut. In the "target" line, add this:

" -vidmode xxxx,xxxx,xx"
(i.e.) " -vidmode width,height,refresh rate"

(Remember to add spaces where necessary).


Make sure Halo is using Pixel Shader v2.1

If you are using DX Tweaker(cammo fix), then:
In the "Arguments" field of DX tweaker, add this

" -use21"

If you are not using DX TWeaker(cammo fix), then:
Right click on your Halo PC/CE shortcut. In the "target" line, add this:

" -use21"

(Remember to add spaces where necessary).

(Thanks to Dr Syx and Btcc22 for this.)


Halo with antialiasing

It's possible, but only for certain owners of ATI cards. Here's the details

Halo AA for lucky ATI users

I also heard that it is possible to enable supersampling AA for halo on any graphics card using the DX tweaker, although I'm still to find a tutorial. If anyone knows how, tell me and I'll add it as soon as possible.


Enable Anisotropic Filtering

Anisiotropic filtering basically improves the quality of further away textures, this tweak is defiantly the most beneficial out of them all, if you have a fairly good GPU (graphics card) I strongly suggest enabling it.

01.Go to
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Halo\config.txt"
or
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo\config.txt"

02.Scroll on through and change any instances of "//UseAnisotropicFilter" to "UseAnisotropicFilter"

03.Open you graphics card control panel, NVIDIA users right click on desktop and select "NVIDIA Control Panel". Select "Manage 3D settings", select Halo or haloce.exe, and force Anisotropic Filtering to x16 for best quality.

Original thread


Set a custom FOV (Field of View).

Halo's default FOV is 70 degrees, which is 20 below the average of 90 degrees. This makes everything feel zoomed and very uncomfortable, especially for people using widescreen monitors.

Halo PC v1.09 FOV Fixer
Halo CE v1.09 FOV Fixer

When you download both of these programs, empty the folder contents into your halo PC/CE directory and run. Make sure you put the FOV refresh to 1 millisecond in the "settings" tab for instant zoom with the halo PC FOV fixer.

Place a shortcut of the FOV fixers beside your halo shortcut on the desktop, or put a shortcut in the startup folder for autorun at startup.

Run them before starting the game. And expect at least one crash (Gathering exception data).


Make sure Halo is running at 60fps (frames per second)

With 30fps enabled, halo creates a kind of "artificial lag" to improve performance (ironic eh?). To enable 60, go to Halo's video settings and make sure "Framerate" is set to "VSYNC". Simple, I know, but a common mistake!


Hope you enjoy. Remember, if you know of any other graphics tweaks that are compatible with both Halo CE and PC, please post them here.

[Edited on 10.11.2011 9:39 AM PDT]

  • 06.14.2011 3:32 PM PDT
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  • Exalted Legendary Member

Any tips for halo 2? The lack of 1600x900 in halo 2 is a pain in the ass

  • 06.14.2011 4:05 PM PDT

Added the FOV changer,

Yes, it is possible for halo 2 to use custom resolutions in windowed mode using a third party program. I'll make a Halo 2 Vista version of this tweak guide if people find this interesting enough

[Edited on 06.15.2011 2:48 AM PDT]

  • 06.15.2011 2:48 AM PDT

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It can become a step closer to Crysis using this.

  • 06.15.2011 3:53 AM PDT

I've seen that before, does it work fully? Are you using it?

  • 06.15.2011 4:09 AM PDT

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Hell yes it does!

I have bloom and motion blur on all of the time.

Bloom works fine but the motion blur only blurs the BSP (the environment). Still, it's a major improvement over the vannila Halo.

  • 06.15.2011 4:20 AM PDT

I found this guide helpful, finally managed to get Halo to run at 1920 x 1080 :), i still can't figure out how to use the FOV changer though, still, a great guide.

  • 06.15.2011 5:33 AM PDT

@Space Cadet
Man that is awesome ,i'll test it and stick it on the guide if it works.

@Wills_kid
Empty the entire contents of Widescreen Fixer, and Sky's the limit into you halo directories, then make a shortcut to your desktop. It will detect it then when you run the halos,.

If you get zoom lag with Widescreen fixer with Halo PC, make sure you put the refresh rate to 1 millisecond in the widescreen fixer

  • 06.15.2011 6:52 AM PDT
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  • Noble Heroic Member

"A life lived for others is the only life worth living" - Albert Einstein

"I have your RCON right here." - Iggwilv

"Always my pleasure to be lazy." - InvasionImminent

You should also mention putting "-use21" in the target line of the shortcut. I'm glad someone actually made a thread about this, good job.

  • 06.15.2011 7:39 AM PDT

Thanks man. Did you mean -use20? -use21 does not exist as far as I know. Halo will automatically detect the highest shader version you can support up to 2.0 anyway, so it's really worthless.

EDIT: yay, " -use21" works!

[Edited on 06.17.2011 2:04 AM PDT]

  • 06.15.2011 7:48 AM PDT
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  • Noble Legendary Member

Halo 1&2 PC forum's resident OC ReMixer. Like rockified and metalized video game music? Subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Yeah. That's right. I don't have a 50 in H3. I never got Onyx in Reach. If a game sucks too much, I won't even bother trying for such trivial "accolades". Besides, I've done way more things that take far more skill and talent than anything that can be done in a video game.

Seems like AA in Halo is actually Morphological AA, which is only ATI Radeon HD 5xxx series and up. No AA for me. :(

  • 06.15.2011 7:54 AM PDT
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  • Noble Heroic Member

"A life lived for others is the only life worth living" - Albert Einstein

"I have your RCON right here." - Iggwilv

"Always my pleasure to be lazy." - InvasionImminent


Posted by: Zetren
Thanks man. Did you mean -use20? -use21 does not exist as far as I know. Halo will automatically detect the highest shader version you can support up to 2.0 anyway, soit its really worthless.
Eh, I was always told that you could use 2.1 but you had to force it.

  • 06.15.2011 8:49 AM PDT

Something smells fishy...

This is a support article from Microsoft explaining the Halo Combat Evolved PC target line parameters: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830487

-use21 is not listed but I wouldn't doubt it could be implemented some how.



  • 06.15.2011 9:04 AM PDT

According to wikipedia, pixel shader v2.1 does not exist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_shader

  • 06.15.2011 9:13 AM PDT
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  • Noble Heroic Member

"A life lived for others is the only life worth living" - Albert Einstein

"I have your RCON right here." - Iggwilv

"Always my pleasure to be lazy." - InvasionImminent


Posted by: SpaceCade7
It can become a step closer to Crysis using this.
When I try to run this it says it's only compatible with 1.08... Is there a version out there for 1.09 or a way to trick it?

  • 06.15.2011 9:21 AM PDT

Something smells fishy...

Hey Zetren I'm using the FOV changer program you suggested in this thread.

I ran it in 1920X1080P resolution and the game works fine but the FOV seems a tad bit elongated. It's a little bit stretched.

I'm guessing that it looks a bit funny because Halo does not support my monitor's resolution. Plus My monitor is pretty wide so that could be the reason why the FOV is stretched even with using the FOV changer.

  • 06.15.2011 9:29 AM PDT


Posted by: Barnacle_Blast
Hey Zetren I'm using the FOV changer program you suggested in this thread.

I ran it in 1920X1080P resolution and the game works fine but the FOV seems a tad bit elongated. It's a little bit stretched.

I'm guessing that it looks a bit funny because Halo does not support my monitor's resolution. Plus My monitor is pretty wide so that could be the reason why the FOV is stretched even with using the FOV changer.


Are you using Skys the Limit or Widescreen fixer ?(Halo CE or Halo PC?)

all 16:9 resolutions, including 1920x1080 look best at 90 degrees, that matches the human eye's field of view. Widescreen fixer automaticaly adjusts to the best FOV for your Res.

With Skys the limit press F5 in game to adjust to 90 degrees

[Edited on 06.15.2011 10:27 AM PDT]

  • 06.15.2011 10:26 AM PDT
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  • Exalted Legendary Member
  • gamertag: Btcc22
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There is a -use21 (I was the one that told him). Wikipedia lies and in general isn't the place to go for technical knowledge.

  • 06.15.2011 11:13 AM PDT

Wow, does it make any diffrence? In the Halo CE shaders folder, there is only 1.1 1.4 and 2.0, that was what make we think otherwise

  • 06.15.2011 11:19 AM PDT

Something smells fishy...


Posted by: Zetren

Posted by: Barnacle_Blast
Hey Zetren I'm using the FOV changer program you suggested in this thread.

I ran it in 1920X1080P resolution and the game works fine but the FOV seems a tad bit elongated. It's a little bit stretched.

I'm guessing that it looks a bit funny because Halo does not support my monitor's resolution. Plus My monitor is pretty wide so that could be the reason why the FOV is stretched even with using the FOV changer.


Are you using Skys the Limit or Widescreen fixer ?(Halo CE or Halo PC?)

all 16:9 resolutions, including 1920x1080 look best at 90 degrees, that matches the human eye's field of view. Widescreen fixer automaticaly adjusts to the best FOV for your Res.

With Skys the limit press F5 in game to adjust to 90 degrees

I'm using Wiedescreen Fixer for Halo 1 PC.

Does the fixer automatically adjust the FOV to 90 degrees?

Maybe it's just me but it does look a bit stretched.

  • 06.15.2011 2:09 PM PDT

This user is unavailable at the moment. Please wait a few hours then try again.
If the problem persists, eat a pineapple and press Alt+F4 at the same time. Otherwise, scream at top of lungs and pound on keyboard.
This user logs onto Bungie.net every second fry-day of the week in the monthly hours. Try to contact him while he is not asleep or masterbating.

FREE HALO 3 PC BETA CLICK HERE

Posted by: Scary BIack Man

Posted by: SpaceCade7
It can become a step closer to Crysis using this.

O_O


How do I apply this?

First off, it's only for Halo Custom Edition.
You will need version 1.08, so grab it from here. Make sure you download Version Changer so you can play on 1.09 servers.
Then, follow the instructions in this post.

I am going to make a couple of comparison pics for you to drool over... I mean, see the difference.

  • 06.15.2011 2:10 PM PDT

Widescreen fixer will automatically set FOV to 90 for any 16:9 resolutions. That stretched look is only the HUD, halo only has a 4:3 HUD so it has no choice but to stretch it to fit your 1920x1080, The actual game is still in 16:9 if you know what I mean.

Although that motion blur look great space cadet, I'm a bit reluctant to put it up. The fact that it's only for CE and not PC will make it seem strange when I switch from either one. Plus I'm trying to stick to vanilla halo as much as possible, there are loads of fancy graphics maps/mods like FTW and CMT out there that use the features from that motion blur mod.
Thanks anyway.

  • 06.16.2011 3:48 AM PDT
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  • Noble Heroic Member

"A life lived for others is the only life worth living" - Albert Einstein

"I have your RCON right here." - Iggwilv

"Always my pleasure to be lazy." - InvasionImminent

Here's something you might be interested in. It's a fix for the shaders that were messed up in the process of porting Halo: Combat Evolved (The most noticeable being the missing shiny aspect of the Assault Rifle)

  • 06.16.2011 6:59 AM PDT

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