Beginers guide to making Movies with Halo CE
Here is the list of software I used to make my first movie:


FRAPS: I downloaded the free trial version of Fraps from www.fraps.com

Windows Movie Maker: Comes with Windows XP but you can get it for free from Microsoft.

Windows Sound Recorder: Comes with all versions of windows.

I had never used the debug mode in Halo CE before but within 10 minutes searching the forum and Google I found the commands to control the camera. Here is what I did:

I created a copy of the HaloCE Icon on my desktop then modified the target properties to be: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo Custom Edition\haloce.exe" -devmode –console - Then I started Halo CE with that Icon and selected a map.

I found that I could access the console using the tilde [~] key and using the following commands I could control the camera:

debug_camera_save : This saves camera to the position that you are in
debug_camera_load : This loads the camera to the saved position and lets you move it
Camera_control 0 : This returns the camera back to first person view

To move the camera I found that you need to press down on the scroll wheel or middle-button of the mouse then while holding it down use these keys to move it:

W – moves forward
S – moves backward
D – moves right
A – moves left
R – moves up
F – moves down
G – rotates the angle of the camera

You can change the speed of the camera by moving the scroll wheel of the mouse while holding it depressed: Back ward = faster, Forward=Slower.

You can also use the mouse (with the center wheel depressed) to point and angle the camera while moving.

So with all that information I set out to make a movie.

First I tested FRAPS to see how it works. I found that for this purpose it was best if I set it to capture at half size. The files were smaller, had good enough quality and were easier to use. Also on the FPS tab I disabled the Overlay function and left the frame rate at default (60).

Then I switched back to Halo CE and first practiced moving the camera and setup some scenes. It took me a while to get the hang of it but with a little practice I was able to record what I wanted. I made a bunch of small clips to tell the story I wanted and when I was done I closed Fraps and Halo CE and opened windows Movie maker to piece them together. I picked a MP3 file with the music I wanted and just dragged and dropped the pieces into the movie project. You can even shorten the clips you made using the movie maker and do the same for the music. I recorded some voice-over dropped them in then added some titles and made my first movie.

Remember I had never used Halo CE in devmode before and had never used Fraps and never used the Windows Movie Maker and it only took me 3 hours to produce a 90 second movie, most of that time learning how to use the software.

So here it is my first movie: It was so easy I couldn’t believe it. It was so easy…