How can I replace monster sprites with new ones and make it work?

[hardcore_gamer]

I was wandering, is it possible to "create" new monsters simply by replacing the original sprites with new ones so that the monster behaves in the same way as usual but looks like a new monster?

I have attempted to replace sprites in the past but I just get some error when running Zdoom/Skulltag.

Can someone give me some simple instructions on how to do this? And what I must make sure of so that I don't get errors when loading the new WAD that has the new sprites in it?

[RestlessRodent]

What is this "some error"?

[Karnizero]

1.- Make sure the sprite(s) are in BMP format, with a 256 Colour Depth.
2.- Import them between "SS_START" and "SS_END" markers, unless your WAD Editor do it for you.

If that doesn't works, you better write here the error you got.

[Gez]

Karnizero said:

1.- Make sure the sprite(s) are in BMP format

Make sure they aren't.

[hardcore_gamer]

Gez said:

Make sure they aren't.

Does the same thing apply to weapon spites?

[Gez]

It applies to everything, as far as ZDoom, GZDoom and Skulltag are concerned.

[hardcore_gamer]

Gez said:

It applies to everything, as far as ZDoom, GZDoom and Skulltag are concerned.

Ok.

Anyways.....

It worked the sprite now appears inside the game. But there is a problem, the white box surrounding the sprite also appears in the game and I don't want that. Here is the sprite (its just a test sprite by the way):

[Gez]

hardcore_gamer said:

It worked the sprite now appears inside the game. But there is a problem, the white box surrounding the sprite also appears in the game and I don't want that.

How is the game supposed to know that you don't want that? Imagine if it made everything white transparent, the stripes on that guy's shirt would be transparent too!

You've got to make the image transparent itself. It's a PNG, it can be made transparent. MSPaint doesn't know what transparency is, but you can use something like The Gimp.

[Karnizero]

Gez said:

Make sure they aren't.

He didn't specified if he wanted zDoom. Only said that he tested with that source port. Anyway, BMP images are more compatible since they can be "readed" by any port and the original .exe.

[hardcore_gamer]

Gez said:

How is the game supposed to know that you don't want that? Imagine if it made everything white transparent, the stripes on that guy's shirt would be transparent too!

You've got to make the image transparent itself. It's a PNG, it can be made transparent. MSPaint doesn't know what transparency is, but you can use something like The Gimp.

Yea that Is what I was afraid of :(

Gimp you say?

You mean this:

http://www.gimp.org/

How does that program help me do what I want?

Nevermind, I figured this out. Hopefully this will also work with weapons.

[Gez]

Karnizero said:

He didn't specified if he wanted zDoom.

Yes he did.

hardcore_gamer said:

I have attempted to replace sprites in the past but I just get some error when running Zdoom/Skulltag.

Karnizero said:

Anyway, BMP images are more compatible since they can be "readed" by any port and the original .exe.

Wrong, false, erroneous, untrue, inaccurate and misleading. The original exe cannot read BMP. Most ports cannot read BMP.

[Cat God25]

just make the background color cyan.
doom makes that color transparant

[TomoAlien]

Cat God25 said:

just make the background color cyan.
doom makes that color transparant

No, utilities to import graphics make it transparent, and also change it from BMP or whatever format you use into Doom image format.

[GreyGhost]

<waiting for Gez's return to explain that the Doom palette doesn't have a "transparent" colour> :-)

[Gez]

TomoAlien succinctly covered that already. ;)