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Lutz

Editor Question: Copy & Paste

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I've never, ever heard of a WadAuthor size limit, shareware or not. When you register it, you are not given a new executable or a patch, only a registration file I think. Where is this size limit documented or explained?

There are several reasons a wad might not open. WadAuthor needs the correct configuration file to be selected, depending on the structure of the wad. If you are trying to open a zdoom-hexen wad (not for Hexen, just a wad with the structure which allows use of scripts) and are using the doom2.wcf for example, you'll get a message about the wad needing a different configuration file.

I remember seeing a wad once which would not open with WA, and I think it had something to do with a variation in the wad directory structure. I don't recall any error message in that case. Do you get any error message?

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Well, I don't get ANY message -- I double-click on the file, and nothing happens; no (new) editing window pops up. Essentially, it's a NO-OP, so I have no idea what is going on. Every other thing I have tried to open works -- the only thing different about the level I'm to which I am pasting (that I can think of offhand) is the size.

I suppose it's possible that there is a crazy, MBF/BOOM-specific thing that is causing WA to act strangely, but I don't know what it would be -- again, I get no error message.

---- EDIT ----
Okay, so I was trying to paste a bunch of sectors into an already sizeable .WAD, and the program just died trying to access blocked memory. Pasting a smaller subset of the sectors worked, but the program died again while pasting another subset. Thus, I am led to believe that WA can only hand so many [X], where [X} is some attribute directly related to the size of the level.

If it helps anyone diagnose my problem: I am trying to paste a region containing ~5,500 verts into another level containing ~12,100 verts; there's a bunch of line/sidedefs but only about 1,300 sectors all told. I also have over 230 triggers -- maybe that's a problem?

If nothing else works...any way to get a free, non-size-limited copy of DeepSea on a temporary basis? (Just FYI, I am NOT asking for warez or anything unGodly like that, but I really can't afford 30 bucks for a program I may not fall in love with. Of course, if I liked it beyond the C&P operations, who knows...)
---- END EDIT ----

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Lutz said:

Okay, so I was trying to paste a bunch of sectors into an already sizeable .WAD, and the program just died trying to access blocked memory. Pasting a smaller subset of the sectors worked, but the program died again while pasting another subset.


Make sure you're not pasting any free vertices, as this always causes a crash. (best way to avoid it is use the object filter)

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I'm sure you folks are probably getting sick of this, but I still cannot get it to work. This is what I have done:

- Pasted a few sectors from NEW.wad into OLD.wad with no problem;
- Pasted a lot of sectors from NEW.wad into EMPTY.wad with no problem;
- Pasted a lot of sectors from NEW.wad into OLD.wad and watched WA detonate;
- Cursed a lot.

Dammit Dammit Dammit (see?)

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How about 1) check old.wad for errors, 2) check the empty.wad for errors (after pasting from new), 3) copy from empty.wad into old.wad.

I'm willing to give the wads a look to see if the problem can be spotted....if you wish, zip and email old.wad and empty.wad and I'll look. mjblakely@earthlink.net

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Lutz said:

but I am running into another problem: namely, WA won't open some of my .WADs. Does WA have a level size limit? Can levels only have so many vertices or sidedefs? (Remember, this level is ENORMOUS -- over 12,000 verts).

WA just flat out won't handle extremely large levels -registered or shareware (actually there is no difference here). IOW, it's not a shareware issue. MAP24 of Millenium (if that's ever going to be released) is another example.

This came up quite some time ago when I pointed this out. John Williston asked me what level and finally acknowledged this fact. Search the forum under his name and you'll find it.

Lutz: been gone for a few days will reply to your question later.

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OK - here's the scoop on pasting extremely large levels with DeePsea (using the CURRENT version 11.66):

One can't just past anywhere. Why? Because the offsets (vertex coordinates) will exceed 32k, hence you get a mess. Here's an example to give you the basic problem:

Assume you paste in a level (use the Edit, open ClipBoard PWAD for this) and the "paste" level's size has the rightmost coordinate at 12000. You position the cursor at x=26000 and paste. Now the rightmost coordinate of the pasted level is 38000 - that WILL NOT work since you just overflowed the DOOM limits.

What you do is shift the existing level over to make room for anything big you are going to paste. It's not hard, but one has to understand the basics.

I've pasted in Lut's 12,500 vertex level twice and it worked fine using the current version 11.66. Can't paste again since it would overflow all the DOOM limits:)

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Okay, so I managed to cull away a lot of detail I could copy and paste (from the same .WAD), and thus finally joined the sections in one large file (14,110+ verts). Now I have a different problem -- namely, Doom crashes with a Seg. Fault when I try to run it. I have used BSP 5.0 and the latest version of Zennode to build nodes, both of which complete...except the level can't be run. I know Vrack has a lot of vertices -- what was used to edit/compile that level?

EDIT: Never mind, I just looked it up (Zennode).

At this point, I may just declare this level dead and gone, which sucks, because it would be really, really sweet (and very pretty). So, anybody wanna create level 6 of P:AR?

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It's not just vertices. The largest level one can play is about 13,000 vertices and about 16,000 linedefs (depends on how many angled lines). I have such a level. As I noted, it's Lut's map24 (3880 sectors). This is approximately the largest that DOOM can play without coding mods.

There are often many "trivial" editing mistakes made that accidently cause the SEGS limit to be exceeded. Lut's was one of those I messed with and fixed. So make sure ALL lines are straight that were meant to be straight - and do not deviate by "accident". Non-straight lines are a very common problem. There is a special DeePsea command just for this purpose - shift+A (for align).

IOW - with a few minor tweaks the level will play. Just pay attention to the SEGS created:) DeePsea F10 shows these stats.

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Lutz said:

Okay, so I managed to cull away a lot of detail I could copy and paste (from the same .WAD), and thus finally joined the sections in one large file (14,110+ verts). Now I have a different problem -- namely, Doom crashes with a Seg. Fault when I try to run it. I have used BSP 5.0 and the latest version of Zennode to build nodes, both of which complete...except the level can't be run. I know Vrack has a lot of vertices -- what was used to edit/compile that level?

EDIT: Never mind, I just looked it up (Zennode).

At this point, I may just declare this level dead and gone, which sucks, because it would be really, really sweet (and very pretty). So, anybody wanna create level 6 of P:AR?

If I were you, I would turn P:AR into a hub for ZDoom or something before throwing away all that great editing work. Or split level 6 into 2 levels. Or just find a way to trim off some stuff to make level 6 a managable size that will run.

Making tough choices and willingness to sacrifice some parts of your work so other parts can survive is part of editing.

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Ebola, you're right: P:AR was created for MBF, although it will work with ZDoom. stphrz, I also tossed around the idea of trying to turn it into a hub, but I don't think that is going to work either -- it would just seem weird (not to mention that it would throw off the level count).

I'm in the process of finding a workable solution, and no, I haven't thrown anything away -- I may just toss in a freebie half-level and say "Hey, do something with this if you can!" -- or, better yet, maybe I'll try to make it a deathmatch level. Can you imagine P:AR deathmatch? Four people stalking each other in a 11,000-vertex structure? Sounds exciting, huh:
- "Dammit, where the hell ARE you?"
- "I'm by the giant crane thing -- come get some!"
- "Well, how to you get there?"
- "Uh...I think you go through the green door, hit the switch to lower the nukage, then return to the blue door and cross the beam over to the teleport that takes you to the fuel tanks, and then..."

So I'll think about it.

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Lutz said:

Sounds exciting, huh:
- "Dammit, where the hell ARE you?"
- "I'm by the giant crane thing -- come get some!"
- "Well, how to you get there?"
- "Uh...I think you go through the green door, hit the switch to lower the nukage, then return to the blue door and cross the beam over to the teleport that takes you to the fuel tanks, and then..."


LOL. That has to be the best tongue in cheek comment about Lutz's maps, and it comes from the man himself. Nice!

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It's now out of topic... but I used to run Zeth when i had to copy/paste big sections from the now defunct securitron E3 into a single level, my p3-500 crawled, but i was able to do it.

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pagb said:

It's now out of topic... but I used to run Zeth when i had to copy/paste big sections from the now defunct securitron E3 into a single level, my p3-500 crawled, but i was able to do it.


Heh, I have a Securitron 3 demo burned somewhere... I tried to look at it the other day but the animdefs lump wasn't compatible with the latest ZDoom... what happened to zsignal? Did he get sucked into CS?

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Lutz said:

Ebola, you're right: P:AR was created for MBF, although it will work with ZDoom.

Oh, that´s all I needed to know. (I was going to write to you about that, Lutz!)

/me now gonna start playing P:AR using ZDoom

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Afterglow: I mailed him a few years back. (2) and asked about SE3, he said he was gonna update the homepage and find someone to take it over for him. But he never did.

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Well, ZSignal dissappeared, I mailed him a couple of times (during 2k1) asking him about the project and also offering myself to finish all the stuff if he could send me all the project resources ('cos he had told me during 2k that he was about to send me the project resources and the webpage login/pass etc...)...still no reply from him.
Same goes for Chrozoron's E3 maps... and HR2...

I hate when it happens...

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