PSX Doom modding tools

[Biz!]

Now this is something I really need.

Is there a texture editor? Audio editor? Mapping tools? I am planning on making PSX delta (if possible and if I can figure out how to run the .ISO )

Explain how to mod those 3 things, please.

[Chip]

This one you might be able to refer to @Dark Pulse. If I remember correctly a while back he was telling me about hacking the File somehow into being able to edit it. 

[Dark Pulse]

At work right now, so I'll keep this message brief until I get the time to reply more in-depth in a few hours, but in short, the answers are, in order, "not yet," no, and "yes but limited."

 

There isn't a technical limitation against any of the three, though, it's just that they're old tools from before the game was reverse-engineered, and better support would essentially amount to needing rewritten tools, and the minds behind that are occupied a little elsewhere for the time being.

[Dark Pulse]

Okay, home now, so now I've got time for the more detailed explanation.

 

The GEC Playstation Master Edition is using a customized build of GZDoom Builder Bugfix (see the "Files to be Downloaded" section in that post) that can read/write the PSX map format. However, the current toolchain we are using comes with some limitations:

• While texture replacement is technically possible, it is beyond the scope of the project, so the current toolchain does not support it.
• Sound replacement is also beyond the scope of the project, so while (again) it is technically possible (IIRC all that's in the SFX files are headerless, Playstation-standard VAG audio), it too is beyond the scope of the project, and so the toolchain does not support it.
• The ISO the current toolchain builds will only work for saving (and running) a map in the MAP01 slot. You can make as many maps as you want, but since the goal of the toolchain is to produce maps for the project, and we're to hand our maps in to Erick, no other map slots are supported by the current toolchain, and the ISO is basically stripped down of anything it does not need (like the CD Audio, for example) for testing purposes.

A lot of the current tools were made while Erick was still reverse-engineering the engines, and the current Beta 3 uses hacks that won't be needed in the future (for example, loading up multiple EXEs to get around the limit of 64 maps per EXE - with it reversed, we can now change that easily). I believe Erick has also said he will move all maps to the Final Doom version of the engine, as it's slightly more optimized, has extra support (i.e; PlayStation Mouse), and the map limits are a bit higher in one or two areas.

 

He has said, however, that when the project is completed (or possibly before then), there will be an updated toolchain that should cover most of these points, if not all of them.

[Biz!]

3 minutes ago, Dark Pulse said:

Okay, home now, so now I've got time for the more detailed explanation.

 

The GEC Playstation Master Edition is using a customized build of GZDoom Builder Bugfix that can read/write the PSX map format. However, the current toolchain we are using comes with some limitations:

• While texture replacement is technically possible, it is beyond the scope of the project, so the current toolchain does not support it.
• Sound replacement is also beyond the scope of the project, so while (again) it is technically possible (IIRC all that's in the SFX files are headerless, Playstation-standard VAG audio), it too is beyond the scope of the project, and so the toolchain does not support it.
• The ISO the current toolchain builds will only work for saving (and running) a map in the MAP01 slot. You can make as many maps as you want, but since the goal of the toolchain is to produce maps for the project, and we're to hand our maps in to Erick, no other map slots are supported by the current toolchain, and the ISO is basically stripped down of anything it does not need (like the CD Audio, for example) for testing purposes.

A lot of the current tools were made while Erick was still reverse-engineering the engines, and the current Beta 3 uses hacks that won't be needed in the future (for example, loading up multiple EXEs to get around the limit of 64 maps per EXE - with it reversed, we can now change that easily). I believe Erick has also said he will move all maps to the Final Doom version of the engine, as it's slightly more optimized, has extra support (i.e; PlayStation Mouse), and the map limits are a bit higher in one or two areas.

 

He has said, however, that when the project is completed (or possibly before then), there will be an updated toolchain that should cover most of these points, if not all of them.

Time to wait, hopefully not long because I want to explore PSX doom modding

[HyperCynic]

Is this different from the PSX DOOM that exists currently? There is a full TC of the DOOM PSX version for ZDoom, but not sure if that's what you mean. If you get that PSXDOOM.WAD and slap it into SLADE3 you can check out all its funkiness and copy whatever you'd like. PSX DOOM is a little trickier because it uses a different format for the textures and uses an animated fiery sky for a bunch of the levels (not that it's hard to add, you can literally copy the first part of the ANIMDEFS lump from the PSX DOOM WAD).

 

I have actually been messing with the whole PSX thing today and yesterday so I might be able to answer some questions; there isn't too much scripting involved with it, but texture manipulation and getting the proper lighting can be a task. I'll try to answer any specific questions if I can though. I really just wanted the PSX specific levels to be added into my megawad of Doom content, so I had to add them and figure out how to not screw with the original textures :P 

[Dark Pulse]

27 minutes ago, Redoom said:

Time to wait, hopefully not long because I want to explore PSX doom modding

If you'd like to make a map anyway, basically what you need are:

• Tools and Projects V4
• GZDoom Custom Builder by GEC V3
• PSX PK3s

From there, map by doing the following:

1. Launch the custom Builder (do NOT update it, you will break everything!)
2. Make sure you select to map in PSXDoom format.
3. Level name MUST be MAP01, or it will not work when you build the ISO.
4. Depending on if you're mapping for Doom or Final Doom, add a resource from PK3/PK7, and select either the PSXDOOM.pk3 or PSXFINALDOOM.pk3 (depending on which one you're mapping for)
5. Create your level. Keep in mind there are some intensely strict limitations for PSX Doom, which we can get into in further detail if necessary, but in a nutshell, you have a finite amount of memory for wall textures and flats, as well as monster variety. Most of this is pretty much standard Doom mapping, but do note there are some quirks that will cause issues on PSX (for example, no texture can be above 256 units without stretching, there's various cases that will cause them to flip and render incorrectly, obviously the colored sectors are a new addition to set up, etc.)
6. Once your WAD is saved, take it, copy it into the WIP Maps folder inside the Tools and Projects folder, and depending on which engine you're building for, into the Doom or Final folder.
7. Place your MAP01.WAD inside this folder, and first run Build_Find_Side_No_Monsters.bat. This removes all monsters from the map and lets you peacefully test to make sure you don't have geometry that will crash your map (PSX Doom is more strict here too). This will create a BIN/CUE inside the Projects CD/DOOMPSX (or FINALPSX) folder, which is what you'd want to load into a PS1 emulator (or actual PS1 if you got one and have it modded).
8. Play through your level. Make sure you try to get good views of everywhere from every direction. If it crashes with errors like FrontEdgeClip, RightEdgeClip, etc. your geometry is too complex, and you will need to simplify it in the editor, then rebuild again from Step 6.
9. Assuming it doesn't, now run build it with Build_Find_Side.bat, and then Music_Hack.bat (this lets you set what track you play during the level, along with letting you know if you're using too much sound RAM). This will restore the monsters and various Things in the level. If upon attempting to load the level you get a Z_Malloc error, you've run out of RAM - reduce your monster/decoration variety (not count, variety - the game doesn't care about how many Revenants you use, just if you've used one or not) and try again from Step 6.
10. If it doesn't crash now, congrats! You've built a level for PSX Doom. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The tools will probably be made a little bit easier in the future, but right now it's definitely more on the rougher side of things. If that doesn't scare you off, though, that's how you do it. :)

 

18 minutes ago, HyperCynic said:

Is this different from the PSX DOOM that exists currently? There is a full TC of the DOOM PSX version for ZDoom, but not sure if that's what you mean. If you get that PSXDOOM.WAD and slap it into SLADE3 you can check out all its funkiness and copy whatever you'd like. PSX DOOM is a little trickier because it uses a different format for the textures and uses an animated fiery sky for a bunch of the levels (not that it's hard to add, you can literally copy the first part of the ANIMDEFS lump from the PSX DOOM WAD).

 

I have actually been messing with the whole PSX thing today and yesterday so I might be able to answer some questions; there isn't too much scripting involved with it, but texture manipulation and getting the proper lighting can be a task. I'll try to answer any specific questions if I can though. I really just wanted the PSX specific levels to be added into my megawad of Doom content, so I had to add them and figure out how to not screw with the original textures :P 

PSXDoom TC is different, yes. Not 100% accurate in some behaviors, and this runs on actual Playstation hardware. This is basically doing the reverse of PSXDoom TC - rather than taking the PSX maps and making them run on the normal Doom engine, we're taking the maps and making them run on the PSX Doom engine.

Edited May 20, 2021 by Dark Pulse

[HyperCynic]

6 minutes ago, Dark Pulse said:

PSXDoom TC is different, yes. Not 100% accurate in some behaviors, and this runs on actual Playstation hardware. This is basically doing the reverse of PSXDoom TC - rather than taking the PSX maps and making them run on the normal Doom engine, we're taking the maps and making them run on the PSX Doom engine.

 

Ah very cool! Not sure why I didn't even think of it going the opposite direction. Thanks for the clarification.

[intacowetrust]

2 hours ago, Dark Pulse said:

• While texture replacement is technically possible, it is beyond the scope of the project, so the current toolchain does not support it.

 

Just to add on this subject, I have submitted changes to Slade which will add support for converting to the PlayStation texture format in future releases. If you need those changes now you can build the latest code from the 'master' branch of Slade. For PsyDoom this can be sufficient to add new textures, as you only need to worry about adding them to the main IWAD (PSXDOOM.WAD) or an 'extension' IWAD (likely called 'PSXDOOM_EXT.WAD') that PsyDoom will support in future. Here's a test scene with some new textures (from OTEX) running in PsyDoom:

 

 

If you are targeting the real hardware however it's slightly more complex because you need to generate a 'MAPTEX__.IMG' file for each map, where the '__' contains the 0 padded map number. That file essentially just contains a duplicated list of texture lumps used for the map, in sequential order - to reduce CD-ROM seek/read times. A similar file 'MAPSPR__.IMG' is also generated for sprites in the level (enemies, props etc.). The GEC tools will generate those files for you for new maps you create, but I don't think they support new adding textures yet. PsyDoom ignores these files completely to make modding easier.

 

2 hours ago, Dark Pulse said:

•  Sound replacement is also beyond the scope of the project, so while (again) it is technically possible (IIRC all that's in the SFX files are headerless, Playstation-standard VAG audio), it too is beyond the scope of the project, and so the toolchain does not support it.

 

Replacing sounds is also a slightly complex subject but the PsyDoom repository also contains some command-line tools that can (optionally) be built to edit or generate new .LCD files that contain sounds, to convert from .WAV to .VAG and visa versa. I put up some Windows binaries of those tools with a past release (see the audio tools zip):

https://github.com/BodbDearg/PsyDoom/releases/tag/releases%2F0.6.0

 

The same tools can also be used to get new music in the game, though that is much more advanced topic:

 

[Dark Pulse]

17 minutes ago, intacowetrust said:

Replacing sounds is also a slightly complex subject but the PsyDoom repository also contains some command-line tools that can (optionally) be built to edit or generate new .LCD files that contain sounds, to convert from .WAV to .VAG and visa versa. I put up some Windows binaries of those tools with a past release (see the audio tools zip):

https://github.com/BodbDearg/PsyDoom/releases/tag/releases%2F0.6.0

 

The same tools can also be used to get new music in the game, though that is much more advanced topic:

 

This is my reminder that I'd really like to take a crack at figuring out how to do new music over the summer during my ten weeks off from work.

[Muusi]

18 hours ago, Redoom said:

I am planning on making PSX delta (if possible and if I can figure out how to run the .ISO )

Consider me very interested in this project. More PSX Doom makes the world a better place.