Building Cache Files

Halo 2 Tool's build-cache-file command packages together the various files of a multiplayer Halo 2 level into a single .map file that can be loaded by the game. Halo 2 will only load levels that have been compiled into .map files. This command will need to be run whenever a level has changed between playtesting sessions.

Like the lightmaps command, build-cache-file operates on Halo 2 files from a \tags directory rather than source files from a \data directory.

Syntax for Halo 2 Tool Cache File

C:\<Halo2ArchitectDirectory>\H2Tool build-cache-file <scenario-path>

<scenario-path>: The name and location of the .scenario file for the level that Halo 2 Tool will package up into a .map file. This parameter can be relative ("scenarios\multi\...") instead of absolute (C:\...") as long as Halo 2 Tool is run from a valid Halo 2 directory structure.

This example compiles all the resources used by gladiator.scenario into gladiator.map and places it in the C:\Halo 2 Work\maps directory.

C:\<Halo2ArchitectDirectory>\H2Tool build-cache-file "C:\Halo 2 Work\tags\scenarios\multi\gladiator\gladiator"

Results

If successful, Halo 2 Tool will create a .map file named after the level's .scenario file and placed in the \maps\ folder off of the .scenario file's base directory.