Using the BlamGraphics application

First off, you’re going to need your copy of Halo: Combat Evolved handy for the assets. Currently only the Gearbox version is supported by the builds here, and Xbox is supported if you rebuild it yourself with some tweaks, but Halo Master Chief Collection stores their maps differently and is not supported.

Second, you’ll want to download a version that works on your platform; in general Linux, macOS and Windows work quite well, while Android is slightly more finicky.

There’s also an online version using WebAssembly and WebGL2, with some requirements that might have to be met on your browser’s configuration, unless you want your browser to lock up…

How to Linux (AppImage)⌗

With the Linux AppImage you can run it in and drag-and-drop the map file on the running application. As simple as it gets! Or if you want to do it the hard way, you can also provide the map file or the map directory from the terminal, which will work the same.

How to Linux (Flatpak)⌗

With the Linux Flatpak you can install the file and run it with isolation. As such, the process becomes:

flatpak install --user BlamGraphics.flatpak
flatpak run dev.birchy.BlamGraphics \
    --filesystem=<path-to-your-Halo-map-directory>:ro \
    . \
    <path-to-your-Halo-map-directory>/bloodgulch.map

This grants the program access to the map directory, and only the map directory, aside from the already provided cache and config directory.

* In the future I might get around to setting up a directory chooser dialog that will automatically portal the files into the sandboxed filesystem ;)

How to macOS⌗

With macOS you can also drag-and-drop the map file on the running application and it should start.

How to Android⌗

With Android, you’ll first have to install the app using adb, copy the maps over the the device into <internal storage>/Android/data/dev.birchy.BlamGraphics/files, with the minimal set of files being bitmaps.map, sounds.map and your map(s) of choice.

adb shell mkdir -p /sdcard/Android/data/dev.birchy.BlamGraphics/files/
adb push <map-files>... /sdcard/Android/data/dev.birchy.BlamGraphics/files/
adb shell am start \
    -n dev.birchy.BlamGraphics/dev.birchy.BlamGraphics.CoffeeNativeActivity \
    --es map <map-name>.map

How to Windows⌗

On Windows to start, you can drag-and-drop the map file you want to start on the executable, and it will hopefully load up.

You also have the option of drag-and-dropping the map file on the running application window.

“User Experience”⌗

If you managed to get this far, you’ll most likely be presented with this UI

Where you can browse the world using WASD keys for movement, press the Shift key to accelerate, and use the mouse to look around.

There’s also controller support!

Also take a look at this: