Unable to run Entity / BSP Viwer

[--808--]

Hi all.

troymac1ure suggested on his Entity blog that I post my issue here, so here I am. I have read through the previous posts and have not seen this (specific) issue before. I hope someone can help me.

I am simply trying to run the 03a_oldmombasa.map in BSP Viwer. That is all (for now) that I need. I have various releases of Entity, including the most recent.

When I launch Entity all seems well. I set the 3 required map locations, and then open 03a_oldmombasa.map. At this point the map display to the right of the app is showing garbled noise, and no matter what is selected the same noise is shown, unaltered.

I now select the sbsp branch and via the + button choose 'view BSP' and normally the app falls over with 'Unhandled exception'. There is a variation on this - occasionally the BSP Viwer will open and present a blue background, but then its game over and Exception time.

I have tried 4 pc. I have tried XP, Vista and 7. I have tried with and without .NET 2 and .NET 3.5. With ATI video drivers on and off. I have tried other .map files.

Just to shed a little light on why I want this running, I am addicted to 'Outskirts'. I have some interesting stratagies to defeating the 28 Ultra Elites that spawn for the 'IWHBYD' skull and I wish for a graphical method of creating a tutorial explaining where triggers and routes are.

Sorry for the ramble, keep on fighting the good fight! I love this community, I hope I can add to it.

Bob

[JacksonCougar]

Sounds like corrupted maps.

[--808--]

Thanks for the reply JacksonCougar. What would be classed as uncorrupted maps? Basically, how do I modify what I have or locate correct maps for Entity? This sounds too fundamental a question not to be mocked over but I really do not know.

[troymac1ure]

Try loading a clean map (aka D/L it from your disc again). You can also try loading another map and see if it works. If your disc isn't handy, grab a MP map from the map backup section:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=913

If you still have issues, we'll go from there, otherwise your map is broken.

[--808--]

Thank you for your reply.

I have tried all of my own files, from my H2V install, and they fail. (Have I missed something here - should I be networking from my XBOX?)

I downloaded containment.7z from the resources you provide and had some progress. I now have a graphical representation of the map in the right hand image area of Entity. I select the 'sbsp' branch and launch BSP Viewer and I get the app and its blue screen for 5 seconds saying 'Loading' then 'Unhandled exception' in an alert box.

I hope this is not too tedious, and I very much appreciate your help.

Bob

[Prey]

You should be getting the maps from the xbox; H2V maps are structured differently so won't run in Entity.

Your issue might be from using shared/mainmenu/spshared maps from H2V in the case of containment.7z still not working. Does the error have a 'Details button on it? If so click that button and copy/paste the first 20 lines here.

[--808--]

Thank you for your reply Prey. That has brought me a little closer to understanding Entity and its correct use. Here is the report (edited):

System.IO.EndOfStreamException: Unable to read beyond the end of the stream.
at System.IO.__Error.EndOfFile()
at System.IO.BinaryReader.ReadByte()
at entity.Raw.ParsedModel.RawDataMetaChunk..ctor(Int32 offset, Int32 chunknumber, BoundingBoxContainer bb, Meta& meta)
at entity.Raw.ParsedModel.H2ParsedModel(Meta& meta, Int32 mapnumber)
at entity.Raw.ParsedModel..ctor(Meta& meta, Int32 mapnumber)
at entity.BSPViewer.LoadSpawns()
at entity.BSPViewer.InitializeGraphics()
at entity.BSPViewer.Main()
at entity.BSPViewer..ctor(BSPModel tempbsp, Int32 mapnumberx)
at entity.MapForm.viewBSPToolStripMenuItem_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.RaiseEvent(Object key, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleMouseUp(MouseEventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEventInteractive(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEvent(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripDropDown.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripDropDown.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)


I hope there is something diagnostic in this lot you can use to get me up and running.

Thanks for your time.

Bob

[troymac1ure]

With that info I know where it's having the issue (with one of the spawn object's RAW data), but it doesn't show which spawn. Have you also D/L and setup the paths for the MAINMENU.MAP, SHARED.MAP and SINGLE_PLAYER_SHARED.MAP files?
If these are H2V then I'm sure it won't work.

Also, interesting to see it doesn't check if a map is H2V instead of H2X format. I may look into a popup stating it's the wrong type of map.

[--808--]

This is very encouraging, you have a handle on the problem.

To answer your question I have to ask one or two of my own because here it gets a little confusing for me. I have downloaded the 3 needed file for Entity from your suggested location found higher up this post (MAINMENU.MAP, SHARED.MAP, SINGLE_PLAYER_SHARED.MAP). Are they the ones I need - and are they H2X sourced?

Here is the stupidest question I could ask, but in for a penny, could someone please point me to the simplest instructions that will allow me to access my Halo 2 XBOX .map files via my PC. I have no doubt this info is readily available here on the forum but I am buggered if I can find it!

I also understand I could download other peoples posted H2X .map files but I thought I had done this previously and they are the faulty files I have evidently been using.

---------
So all I need are 4 files:

MAINMENU.MAP
SHARED.MAP
SINGLE_PLAYER_SHARED.MAP
03a_oldmombasa.map

but sourced from an XBOX version of Halo 2. Once I have toughs I am, in theory, out of your hair!
---------

Thanks for all the effort put into this.

Bob

[xxpenguinxx]

Here is a site that's been around for a while now. I get most of my clean maps from hear ever since my disk cracked.
https://win-serv.net/web/Default.aspx?page=8

[--808--]

Gentlemen, I thank you. I have a working Old Mombasa model in BSP Viewer.

The issue was, as JacksonCougar pointed out, corrupt or non-compatible maps.

I used the two links in the above posts to obtain the 4 files required and all works perfectly.

Once again i thank you all for your time and expertise.

I hope to post a link in the near future to show you guys what I will have been up to with Entity. But for a preview feel free to view some of my Outskirts exploits on youtube. Search for oo808oo. My 6 warthogs and 18 Marines against the 28 Ultra Elites for the IWHBYD skull is pretty entertaining.

Bob