Jump to content
Search In
  • More options...
Find results that contain...
Find results in...
Sign in to follow this  
Guest fragg

build Boom support into WadAuthor

Recommended Posts

Guest fragg

NIGHTMARE said in his 'OVERVIEW OF THE PORTS' (www.doomworld.com/forums/general/messages/11746.shtml)
"BOOM ... this is the "I want everyone to play my Wad" port."
"Levels made for BOOM work in almost every port except original Doom.Exe. and JDOOM".
"Id has announced BOOM to be Doom.Exe.'s true successor."

Suggestion:
Have new WadAuthor released with "built-in support" for BOOM (and hopefully entire BOOM family: PRBOOM, MBF, etc.).
So a newby can easily/immediately use the new Boom ports. Thanks.
fragg

Share this post


Link to post
fragg said:

Suggestion:When the new WadAuthor is released, let it have "full, seamless" support for BOOM (and hopefully entire BOOM family: PRBOOM, MBF, etc.).

WadAuthor already has this capability. You simply need to edit the wcf file and add any missing items. I have a tutorial on the ZDoom Tech page that explains the wcf file format in depth and how to make changes.

Share this post


Link to post
Guest fragg

Thank you W/M. I'll check it out, study the docs.
However, my suggestion referred to "built right into new Wauthor" (not added by user).
I've edited orig. post, to make that clearer.
fragg

Share this post


Link to post
Wildman said:

WadAuthor already has this capability. You simply need to edit the wcf file and add any missing items. I have a tutorial on the ZDoom Tech page that explains the wcf file format in depth and how to make changes.

Can you tell me where the "ZDoom Tech page" is? If it's a simple thing for me to add an "official" Boom.wcf file to the WadAuthor distribution, I would surely like to do so. Thanks!

Share this post


Link to post
Guest fragg

Phileosophos:
The page you want is at Wildman's http://zdoom.notgod.com/zdhtech/
BTW, you can find "TeamTNT"(creators of BOOM and PRBOOM) at....
e-mail: boom@teamtnt.com
Web: http://teamtnt.com

I hope your "wcf" file not only adds W/A support to "plain-vanilla" BOOM, but also its new flavor, called "PRBOOM ver2.1.2" (runs Doom wads in resolutions up to 1600x1200).
Its why I and others hope new WA is released with built-in PRBOOM support. Thanks.

Share this post


Link to post
Phileosophos said:

Can you tell me where the "ZDoom Tech page" is? If it's a simple thing for me to add an "official" Boom.wcf file to the WadAuthor distribution, I would surely like to do so. Thanks!

The Tech page can be found here:

http://zdoom.notgod.com/zdhtech/

Share this post


Link to post
fragg said:

Thank you W/M. I'll check it out, study the docs.
However, my suggestion referred to "built right into new Wauthor" (not added by user).
I've edited orig. post, to make that clearer.
fragg

Unlike other editors, the game parameters are not built in to the editor, even Doom2. Everything comes from the wcf file. The only thing hard-coded into WA is the dialog formats of which there are two: Doom mode and Hexen mode. ZDoom uses the Hexen mode.

It would be a mistake to hard code any of the data items into the editor. The reason WA and DeepSea are such powerful editors is the ability to add new items as they appear.

What is needed, I think, is to create a seperate (or maybe in WA itself) a WCF editor. That would make things much easier to deal with.

Share this post


Link to post
Guest fragg

W/M, please bear with me (I'm learning here)....
I asked Phileosophos to release his new WA with "built-in Boom support" (hopefully also for PRBoom2.1.2).

You replied....
"It would be a mistake to hard code any of the data items into the editor. The reason WA and DeepSea are such powerful editors is the ability to add new items as they appear."

Comment: Didn't know that. thanx.

You then added.....
"What is needed, I think, is to create a seperate (or maybe in WA itself) a WCF editor. That would make things much easier to deal with."

Comment: If I understand correctly, you meant a tiny editor should be added to WA -- that can "configure WA" to run in ANY of the different Boom ports (i.e. one WA-user might have PRBoom, another have plain-vanilla Boom, etc).
If so, sounds great.

What's your personal opinion of this alternate method? .....

It would be easier/simpler (for newbys) if new WA is released with a wcf file for EACH flavor of Boom.
(One wcf file for vanilla Boom, one for PRBoom, one for MBF etc).
The newby simply loads the wcf file written for his Boom version -- and he's off and running. No fuss, no muss, NO mistakes.
Just an idea (probably stinks).
fragg

Share this post


Link to post
fragg said:

Comment: If I understand correctly, you meant a tiny editor should be added to WA -- that can "configure WA" to run in ANY of the different Boom ports (i.e. one WA-user might have PRBoom, another hav

Yes, exactly. I think if a wcf editor was provided it would be a lot easier to create custom configuration files. Since all of these ports are contually changing, it is quite easy for a configuration file to go out of date. An editor would help keep them up to date.

Which also brings up another idea. It would be nice to have a central location to download WA config files. For example, I have created config files for both Immoral Conduct and Covert Operations. I would be happoy to contribute them to a central wcf repository so that other people could use them.

Share this post


Link to post
Guest fragg

W/M, re. your two "Wauthor suggestions"....

(1) a "wcf editor" could quickly "update WA" to latest changes in "constantly-changing" Boom ports.

Comment: Hmmm, just what I feared; my "multiple wcf files" idea sucks.
(Oh well, back to the drawin' board. :).

(2) WA "wcf files" should be stored in "one" location.

Comment: Never thot of that. Great idea. Hope Phileosophos reads it.
fragg

Share this post


Link to post
Wildman said:

Yes, exactly. I think if a wcf editor was provided it would be a lot easier to create custom configuration files. Since all of these ports are contually changing, it is quite easy for a configuration file to go out of date. An editor would help keep them up to date.

Which also brings up another idea. It would be nice to have a central location to download WA config files. For example, I have created config files for both Immoral Conduct and Covert Operations. I would be happoy to contribute them to a central wcf repository so that other people could use them.

A WCF editor, eh? I can't help but laugh when I read that. I could have made the wadgame configuration files in a proprietary, binary format, and it would have been a heck of a lot simpler to do than writing all that bullet-proof (or at least bullet-resistant) code to parse the text. Instead, I opted for an easily extensible ASCII format that anyone could edit with notepad.

Of course, I wasn't counting upon the general sloth of the public (grin). Note carefully: I'm not trying to piss anyone off with that statement; it's a joke. If your blood pressure just shot up, please wait a few moments until the humor sinks in. Actually, a WCF editor is something that *never* even crossed my mind. I guess that goes to show what a programming geek I am as notepad *is* my WCF editor! (laughing) Anyway, I'll take that under advisement as it isn't a bad idea at all.

Regarding a centralized repository for WCF files, I would be happy to provide one on the Williston Consulting home page. Simply send me your WCF files along with a description of what they're for (e.g., "this file is for PRBOOM vX.Y when used with the such-and-such mod"). I'll see to it that they are posted on my web site. I shall also include them in the next distribution of WadAuthor.

Share this post


Link to post
Wildman said:

Yes, exactly. I think if a wcf editor was provided it would be a lot easier to create custom configuration files. Since all of these ports are contually changing, it is quite easy for a configuration file to go out of date. An editor would help keep them up to date.

Which also brings up another idea. It would be nice to have a central location to download WA config files. For example, I have created config files for both Immoral Conduct and Covert Operations. I would be happoy to contribute them to a central wcf repository so that other people could use them.

The hard work is finding out what's different in a port and then just adding it to a respective editor's text files (as you noted).

A "custom edit" feature built into an editor means everyone has to learn how to learn -that- feature (I have a hard enough time getting people just up to speed on the basics - even something as basic as being able to add new things themself<g>)

Here's the real issue/solution:

What the various ports need to do is clearly identify what items are NEW (vs stock DOOM, BOOM or ZDOOM). Then it becomes a trivial task to use Notepad and add the new stuff.

Since various ports can "create" at will, it would appear advantageous for them to create complete support sets for the few editors there are - yet that's only done for whatever one they use.

At the base level, there is no difference in DeePsea or WadAuthor in how many different "games" one can predefine.

When I finally get the TEXTUREx/PNAMES merging done in a few days, I'll spend some time in that area and see what I can russle up. Which brings up an interesting discovery.

It amazed me that with all the Wintex usage, nobody ever commented about Wintex not really working correctly? At least I've never seen this mentioned. Merge a TEXTURE1/2/PNAMES from DOOM and a TEXTURE1/PNAMES from DOOM2 and the end result is not correct. Besides duplicate texture names, the PNAMES are not correct (too few) and the internal references are not updated correctly. Could be he decided some lumps were identical and could be discarded, but that is an odd thing to do - since they don't have to be identical in content.

I verified my work with MER (by Jim Flynn) and he gets exactly the same -correct- results I do. Plus I built a tool into DeePsea that check for TEXTUREx/PNAMES integrity instantly showing the mistakes - so you can see for yourself.

Quite interesting.

Share this post


Link to post
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
Sign in to follow this  
×