GlyphFX

HLSL shaders for Halo Combat Evolved, converted to .fx format for use with the DirectX Shader material in Autodesk 3ds Max.

GlyphFX aims to bring Halo CE's original shading system into 3ds Max as faithfully as possible - giving artists and modders a real-time viewport representation that closely matches what the game actually renders.

Note

This project is built as a submodule of HaloCE Max Toolkit, which automatically assigns and configures these shaders when importing .gbxmodel and scenario_structure_bsp tags, also create materials based on Halo CE Shaders. However, you can also use the .fx files directly in your own 3ds Max projects if you want to set up materials manually.

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Supported Shaders

Shader Type	Status
shader_environment	In progress
shader_model	Done
shader_transparent_chicago	Done
shader_transparent_chicago_extended	In progress
shader_transparent_generic	In progress
shader_transparent_glass	In progress
shader_transparent_meter	Done
shader_transparent_plasma	In progress
shader_transparent_water	In progress

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Requirements

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Getting Started

Manual use

1. Clone or download this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/markmcfuzz/GlyphFX

2. In 3ds Max, open the Material Editor or Slate Material Editor and create a new DirectX Shader material.

3. Click the .fx file slot and browse to the shader you want, for example:

   GlyphFX/src/fx/shader_model.fx
   

4. The material parameters will appear in the UI - assign your textures and tweak values as needed.

As a submodule (HaloCE Max Toolkit)

If you're using HaloCE Max Toolkit, GlyphFX is included automatically. Clone the Toolkit with:

git clone --recursive https://github.com/markmcfuzz/HaloCE-Max-Toolkit

Or download the zip (for beta pre-releases) and .exe installer versions from releases.

When importing a .gbxmodel tag, the Toolkit will detect the shader type and assign the corresponding .fx from GlyphFX, pre-configured with the values from the tag.

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Preview

This comparison shows the cyborg model rendered in 3ds Max.

• On the left side we have applied standard materials (only base map).
• On the right side we have a DirectX Shader with GlyphFX using the shader_model.fx and shader_transparent_chicago.fx - the shading is very similar to the game, giving modders a much better preview of how their models will look in-game.
  

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References & Credits

• Halo CE Editing Kit - Shader source provided by 343 Industries
• Censhine - Decrypted shader reference, instrumental for the initial shader_model proof of concept
• Halo CE community - For keeping this game alive all these years

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Contributing

Contributions, corrections, and feedback are welcome! If you know HLSL or have experience with Halo's rendering, feel free to open an issue or a pull request.

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Donate

Love the project? Please consider donating to help it improve!

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Copyright © 2026 Mark McFuzz