How do I add sprites to a Zdoom wad?

I've learned how to put my own wall and floor graphics into Zdoom, but how do I do sprites? I want to add some decorative 'things' - is there a way I can do them from scratch and introduce new items into doom?

Also, how Do I add sprites for enemies? Is it easy to create new enemies from scratch in Zdoom?

And now for a big question:



I have all the frames for this guy, but as you can see he's something like 200 pixles high; I heard I can put this into Zdoom and it would scale it down, like the BUILD engine, and not lose the detail - is this true? If so, how do I do that?

1.Putting the sprites
Load your *.BMPs between SS_START and SS_END markers in WADfile. Remember to chech their offsets - if the picture is placed the way you want it. For monsters you need the "crosshair" visible in offset window to aim right between their feet.

2.DECORATE files
Visit ZDoom wikipedia and search for DECORATE. A lot of stuff to learn.

Please don't use these sprites! Please avoid them because they look so damn ugly! I'd suggest using Wolfenstein3D sprites, alterations, maybe WolfenDoom sprites or sprites from MODs for Wolf3D but please not these!

ellmo said:

1.Putting the sprites
Load your *.BMPs between SS_START and SS_END markers in WADfile. Remember to chech their offsets - if the picture is placed the way you want it. For monsters you need the "crosshair" visible in offset window to aim right between their feet.

2.DECORATE files
Visit ZDoom wikipedia and search for DECORATE. A lot of stuff to learn.

Ok - but how do I actually set the zombie guy to have new sprites? If I just load my bmps into SS_start and ss_end wont they just be on the wad file, but not actually doing anything?

If you just want to replace the Zombie, then name your sprites as per the names of the original zombie sprites and yours will replace them. However, yours are bigger, so you'll need to scale them using Dehacked.

However, I would recommend putting your own ones in and using DECORATE to define the monster that uses them (as per ellmo's suggestion). It will take a bit of learning, but it will be more useful to you in the long run.

If you want to know the basics of the Doom sprite naming conventions, this page might help.

http://www.btinternet.com/~Enjay001/

Click the "Doom General" button then the "Naming conventions for Doom sprites" link.

Oh, and I'm not sure why Tormentor has a problem with your sprite - I think it looks much better than the cartoony Wolfenstein ones. I think, properly scaled and in game it will look very good.

Enjay said:

Oh, and I'm not sure why Tormentor has a problem with your sprite - I think it looks much better than the cartoony Wolfenstein ones. I think, properly scaled and in game it will look very good.

I don't know but these sprites look like photo edits of action figures you can buy in shops, and don't feel scary neither realistic to me, that's why I don't like them... but... okay, you are right, maybe it depends also on what textures he is using and how the weapons will turn out in the end

Thanks for the information Enjay, and the kind comments with regards to the enemies;

I don't suppose I could convince anyone here to help me out with this? I've never had any experience with this level of doom editing, and would really appriciate the help; I'm trying to stick to a schedule to get this TC sorted within a set limit, and I may be held back by a month at this rate.

Enjay said:

If you just want to replace the Zombie, then name your sprites as per the names of the original zombie sprites and yours will replace them. However, yours are bigger, so you'll need to scale them using Dehacked.

Dehacked can scale images?

Could you elaborate?

Messenger said:

Dehacked can scale images?

Could you elaborate?

OK, DEHACKED itself can't but you can add scale information to your dehacked patch in Zdoom. eg this

Patch File for DeHackEd v3.0

# Note: Use the pound sign ('#') to start comment lines.

Doom version = 19
Patch format = 6


Thing 2 (Trooper)
Scale = 0.5

Tormentor667 said:

these sprites look like photo edits of action figures you can buy in shops, and don't feel scary neither realistic to me, that's why I don't like them...

I think the face makes it look a bit like an action figure. The body is fine. The face is possibly suffering from being forced into the Doom palette. They don't look any less scary than the cartoony Wolfenstein sprites though surely?

Frederick the Great said:

I don't suppose I could convince anyone here to help me out with this?...

Finding people with the time to give you actual physical help is always a hard thing to do - people tend to be very busy. However, I'd recommend that you also start visiting the Zdoom forum. That place is (obviously) Zdoom specific and you'll find a lot of Zdoom-minded people there. To be fair, most of them are here too and I'm not trying to discourage you from posting here, but if you also visit the Zdoom forum, you'll might find some advice and targetted Zdoom specific information a bit easier to come by.

http://forum.zdoom.org/

I'm not in a position to provide much in the way of time-consuming help (nor will many other people I suspect) but if you are looking for people to do simple things like stick resources in a WAD for you, or track down sound effects, or playtest a WAD, or maybe even fix up some areas of a level you might be able to get people on side for those kind of little tasks.

Tormentor667 said:

Please avoid them because they look so damn ugly! I'd suggest using Wolfenstein3D sprites(...)

Now you've managed to surprise me...

Frederick the Great said:

I don't suppose I could convince anyone here to help me out with this? I've never had any experience with this level of doom editing

I take it you didn't visit the ZDoom's Wikipedia. searching for DECORATE will get you where you need to be. Just find the properties and flags you need the most.

Other thing - download a WADfile with DECORATE definitions. Look, read, try in the game.