Download the ZDoom Laucher

In a moment of absolute irrational frustration with Zdoom's Command line launcher arguments I cracked and decided to write a small, trivial application that will Launch ZDoom for you and remove the need to memorise (too) many arguements and parameters. If you're like me and want a window interface for launching Zdoom then here it is.

Features:
The Majority of ZDoom's basic launching arguments have been reduced to checkboxes and drop down menus.

Importing Wads, Dehs, and PK3s could not be easier.

Users can save a particular configuration for launching ZDoom and simply select it from a drop-down menu.

The entire Launcher uses only 3 files, An EXE, a DLL and a configuration file (generated on first use). No additional files are required to save Profiles, etc.

So here it is:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=T50UIG50

Also, give this level a try. It was built for GZDoom.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=D6KOG0U0

I would love to hear what you think about this application and Level. If you have any feedback just email to me at:

deviljam@gmail.com

Hmmm.

Seems a bit dodgy to me. It asks for your IWAD on startup, no extra command line option choice, and when I tested it for Doom1 compatibility (making the Warp field map 12 for E1M2), I got this:

Execution could not continue.

Could not find map E1M<

Overall, I think I'll stick with ZDL.

It was made on the quick. Entirely for myself, so I can't say with any honesty that it covers all cases. Odd that simply typing the warp level didn't work.

But there's a product already out that does the same thing? In that case is it worth continuing this software, are there any short comings on the current software that you'd like to see fixed? Or are completely satisfied? Let me know.

BirdKing said:

But there's a product already out that does the same thing?

http://zdoom.org/wiki/Frontend

Of those, the best is this one IMO.

http://twicerisen.ath.cx/zdl/

Ah, seems like quite the finished product. Oh well, at least I've got my own laucher I suppose. I can make changes and add features to it as I go along.

Still, give my Doom Level a spin (in ZDOOM). It's a labour of length and of love.







I worked hard to create areas that are visually distinct from one another, paced out combat and provide a challenge for the player.

If my software sucks, at least you can nurse my wounds by trying my level out and telling me what you think!

BirdKing said:

But there's a product already out that does the same thing?

http://www.akinomori.com/stuff/programs/CDL.zip
(requires .NET 2.0)

Jodwin said:

http://www.akinomori.com/stuff/programs/CDL.zip
(requires .NET 2.0)

I've never seen or heard of this before now, and I kind of like it, actually. I've got one question, though. Would it be possible to add a recursive directory search when specifying a data directory? Or, for that matter, a directory style listing of all the wads?

Ideally, I'd love a front-end similar to D-Fend Reloaded for dosbox. The ability to have multiple categories and a searchable database of wads be the great.

I liked that level. Classic monster killing, until I got to the kind of dull Baron shooting.

Some would complain about the low detail level, but I don't mind. I liked the gameplay.

Though there was a problem I had with this map and a few other maps:

Something about the fog messes up bright sprights. Nothing is bright when it should be; every projectile and shooting monster sprite was dark and dull.

This MAPINFO line is the culprit: EDIT: Wrong

fade "0A 00 00"

Is that supposed to darken all bright sprites? In the GL and software renderers, all bright sprites aren't bright.

EDIT: No that's not the problem, I removed it and the problem persists, but the problem doesn't appear in certain areas.

Thanks very much, I appricated the play through!

I know exactly what you mean about the dull baron killing. I put them in at first to create an obvious difficulty curve. But I realised after several plays that they're not hard, they're just tiresome. So sorry about that, it's my first level.

I think I know what you mean about the fog effect screwing around with lighting. It's very frustrating considering I deliberately made some areas of the map large so the player could see projectiles come at them from a distant part of the map.

But I'm glad you got a lot of fun out of it. I would consider making another map, but I don't know how to advertise my maps.

BirdKing said:

I would consider making another map, but I don't know how to advertise my maps.

Create a thread for them in Wads & Mods and include a few screenshots for each map.

alien8 said:

I've never seen or heard of this before now, and I kind of like it, actually. I've got one question, though. Would it be possible to add a recursive directory search when specifying a data directory? Or, for that matter, a directory style listing of all the wads?

Ideally, I'd love a front-end similar to D-Fend Reloaded for dosbox. The ability to have multiple categories and a searchable database of wads be the great.

Recursive search shouldn't be too bad to do, actually, I might just do it. Directory style listing or categories are out of question though; not because they would be too much work but because the launcher is meant to be quick and simple to use rather than being a huge frontend with a ton of different features.


(in b4 ".NET for 'quick and simple' is an oxymoron")

Jodwin said:

Recursive search shouldn't be too bad to do, actually, I might just do it. Directory style listing or categories are out of question though; not because they would be too much work but because the launcher is meant to be quick and simple to use rather than being a huge frontend with a ton of different features.


(in b4 ".NET for 'quick and simple' is an oxymoron")

Hey, that's great! And as for .NET - I've used C# in the past for putting together a couple programs at work to simplify my job, and it's awesome. As far as I'm concerned, 'quick and simple' is exactly what it is. I'm not a programmer, but with the help of the MSDN library, I managed to pull it off.

Alien8, Don't be fooled by the dogmatic purist. C# is a perfectly valid way to program and if you can Program in it then you are a programmer!

In general OO stuff always finds a way to drive me nuts but when it comes to C# it certainly worked better with me than, say, Java.