Graphics mod question

I wish to change the death animations of all the Doom2 creatures. How exactly do I do that? That is to say, I want this mod to replace only the death animation graphics. Nothing more, nothing less. I know I need to get WinTex and modify the graphics -- that much is clear. But then what? I'd appreciate the help.

umm... all you would need is to copy all monster death frames from the doom2 iwad into the pwad. Edit them and use a modern port... by modern port I mean ZDooM.

There is no need to use zdoom for that. All boom based ports allow custom sprites without modyfing the iwad/exe. You can also do it for vanilla doom, but that requires the user to run deutex to append the iwad sprites to the pwad.

Erik said:

There is no need to use zdoom for that. All boom based ports allow custom sprites without modyfing the iwad/exe. You can also do it for vanilla doom, but that requires the user to run deutex to append the iwad sprites to the pwad.

Because of Scuba's suggestion, I downloaded Zeth and ZDoom...but can you explain more in-depth how it may be done for vanilla Doom2 (which I assume can then be applied to any source thereafter) using WinTex?

Make new bitmaps and import them into a new WAD using the correct names to overwrite the death animations in the IWAD.

Erik said:

There is no need to use zdoom for that. All boom based ports allow custom sprites without modyfing the iwad/exe. You can also do it for vanilla doom, but that requires the user to run deutex to append the iwad sprites to the pwad.

wait, why would you need to use deutex to do that?

When I try to either edit the bmps or introduce the ones that I extracted, edited and put in a wad (grafix.wad), it says that it cannot append it to the main wad. How can I fix this?

Job said:

When I try to either edit the bmps or introduce the ones that I extracted, edited and put in a wad (grafix.wad), it says that it cannot append it to the main wad. How can I fix this?

I would download Wintex (easier to use) as this has a merging function (Add all Sprites/Flats) for when you want to play your wad (assuming all the new graphics are in the wad, replacing all the correct entries) and a restore function for afterwards.

Job said:

How can I fix this?

Try XWE, a free multi-function utility available for free. To insert your sprite graphics do the following:

1. Do as Ling said (i.e. "Make new bitmaps .... using the correct names to overwrite the death animations in the IWAD.") In other words, name each new frame with the name of the corresponding frame in the original DooM/2 wad (the IWAD).
2. Open your file in XWE.
3. Create a new entry -- (Entry > New) and name it SS_START.
4. Load your sprite frames -- (Entry > Load) You may make multiple selections, using the Shift key.
5. Create another new entry after all your sprite frames -- (Entry > New) and name it SS_END. Thereafter, make sure you insert all sprite graphics between the SS_START and SS_END markers.

That's it for loading your sprites. As people have pointed out, you won't be able to run your wad in its modified form with vanilla DooM/2. You can either use a BooM-compatible source port, or use DeuTex to append the sprites.

I told him to get Zdoom or else with vanilla he'd have to add all sprites to the wad or merge them into the iwad.

Scuba Steve said:

I told him to get Zdoom or else with vanilla he'd have to add all sprites to the wad or merge them into the iwad.

umm.. isn't he just trying to add sprites? i'm confused. even back in 1997 i didn't have any trouble just copying the sprite entries into a wad and modifying them with wintex...

ReX said:

Try XWE, a free multi-function utility available for free. To insert your sprite graphics do the following:

1. Do as Ling said (i.e. "Make new bitmaps .... using the correct names to overwrite the death animations in the IWAD.") In other words, name each new frame with the name of the corresponding frame in the original DooM/2 wad (the IWAD).
2. Open your file in XWE.
3. Create a new entry -- (Entry > New) and name it SS_START.
4. Load your sprite frames -- (Entry > Load) You may make multiple selections, using the Shift key.
5. Create another new entry after all your sprite frames -- (Entry > New) and name it SS_END. Thereafter, make sure you insert all sprite graphics between the SS_START and SS_END markers.

That's it for loading your sprites. As people have pointed out, you won't be able to run your wad in its modified form with vanilla DooM/2. You can either use a BooM-compatible source port, or use DeuTex to append the sprites.

Okay. What I did was opened the appropriate death frames from Wintex, saved them in a "bmp" folder and then modified them as I liked and made a new wad called "grafix.wad". Then what I did, realizing I could save time, was transferred all sprites from the Doom2 Iwad into my grafix.wad. This automatically gives it an SS-END and SS_Start...what I want to do is, if it won't work as easily with vanilla Doom2, is how do I get it to work with Boom or any other source port? Also, once I have my grafix.wad with all the completed death animations, how do I have it so that when a person downloads it, they can use an execute or .bat or something that will make my deathframes overwrite the ones in their Doom2 IWad? That's my ultimate goal.

Job said:

what I want to do is, if it won't work as easily with vanilla Doom2, is how do I get it to work with Boom or any other source port? Also, once I have my grafix.wad with all the completed death animations, how do I have it so that when a person downloads it, they can use an execute or .bat or something that will make my deathframes overwrite the ones in their Doom2 IWad? That's my ultimate goal.

Just stick the new sprites in your wad (with the correct names) and it'll work fine with any source port (no messing required). You won't need an exe or bat to make the death frames overwrite the iwad ones if you use a source port, as the sprites will work similar to other graphics then.

Okay -- but is there anything I specifically have to do to make it source port compatible? Or do source ports just automatically work with the mod?

*EDIT* All I have to do is make the grafix.wad available and that'll be enough for someone to use with a source port to get the new enemy deaths?

Job said:

...is there anything I specifically have to do to make it source port compatible? Or do source ports just automatically work with the mod?

You do not need to do anything beyond making sure your new sprite frames have the same names as those in the DooM/2 IWAD, and having the SS_START and SS_END markers.

All I have to do is make the grafix.wad available and that'll be enough for someone to use with a source port to get the new enemy deaths?

Yes.

Then what I did, realizing I could save time, was transferred all sprites from the Doom2 Iwad into my grafix.wad

Take note of the following:

1. It is considered illegal to distribute id Software's original graphics and other resources, all of which are protected under a copyright. (I doubt you'll be served an injuction or restraining order from a court if you distribute copyrighted material, so this is probably not a big issue. However, see 2, below.)
2. The 3D Gamer's archive, which is your best bet for mass distribution of your work, will not accept wads that contain any of id Software's copyrighted material.
3. Including resources from the IWAD that you have replaced, not to mention all the other sprite frames that you've not touched, will unnecessarily bloat your file, and create a huge waste of space.

Therefore, if you haven't already done so, delete all but your modified sprite frames from your grafix.wad. (Perhaps you were planning to do it, but your post did not provide any indication in this regard. Consider this a friendly suggestion.)

Job said:

Okay -- but is there anything I specifically have to do to make it source port compatible? Or do source ports just automatically work with the mod?

They work automatically, just like textures and flats do in vanilla.

this belongs in editing...

Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions and help!

Job said:

Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions and help!

Well did it work?

Yup, basically. Now all I have to do is alter about 14 more monsters death animations.

Since you know how.It shoundnt be that hard.

I've finished the actual wad and I just want to be sure whether or not the graphics wad does or doesn't need any additional files to be used in Doom2 or any Doom2 port. I can't understand how the wad would work in and of itself without a .bat or .exe file or something to replace the death animation sprites in Doom2.

Job said:

I can't understand how the wad would work in and of itself without a .bat or .exe file or something to replace the death animation sprites in Doom2.

Most source ports replace DooM/2 sprites with custom sprites without any other files being required. If you need to use the custom sprites with vanilla DooM/2, run DeuTex to append the sprites.

I'm talking with someone who wants to use the graphics wad with JDoom or ZDoom, but they don't know how. What should I tell that person to do?

Job said:

What should I tell that person to do?

Add-on wads can be run with ZDooM in one of several ways:

1. Use the command line (or MSDOS prompt, depending on your OS) and, from your ZDooM directory type ZDooM -file wadname. Wadname is the name of your graphics mod. If you wish you can load other files (e.g., DeHacked, other wads, etc.) by adding their names to your command line. You can add other parameters too, such as warping to a given level, starting from a skill level, etc.
2. Put your command line in a batch file, and run it from your desktop or anywhere else. To do this, open up MS Notepad, type in your command line, save as a text file, close file, rename the file by changing its extension from .txt to .bat.
3. Use a ZDooM launcher. You can find a list of them at the official ZDooM site.
4. Create a shortcut for ZDooM, and drag your wad file onto the shortcut.