For Doom Builder, what is the PK3 for?

Hello,

I have wondered what is a pk3 file meant
" http://zdoom.org/wiki/Using_ZIPs_as_WAD_replacement "

I was excited about everything, but confused as well with sprites. I tried to add Mr. Tormenter667's Tortured Soul, then added that to a sprite category with SS_Start, Graphics, lastly SS_End. For like an impaled Doomguy, they are also for the sprite category, that part I was super confused (@_@?).
Textures, like walls and flats, are meant for the Texture folders. Graphics are for Credits, Titlepic and some other image.

-How to organize an monster, weapon, or prop inside the Sprite category
-How to organize Flats and Textures (GZDoom Builder cannot find the flats -_-)
-Is GZDOOM Builder meant for wad files only for mapping?

Take time, no rush. I am just pretty new in level designing.

Thank you,

~JohnCook1994 [PsychoX]

JohnCook1994 said:

-Is GZDOOM Builder meant for wad files only for mapping?

Yes, exactly.

GZDoom Builder is used only for building your map architecture.
However, it also has functionality for building scripts.
To see what GZDoom Builder is used for, take a look at the feature list here
http://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=32392

For everything else you use a lump editor like Slade3, although it also has a map editor built in.
To have a look at it's feature set, take a look at
http://slade.mancubus.net/index.php?page=wiki


To answers your question "Why PK3?"

Ordinarily, every lump is merged into a wad file, using the correct namespaces.
However, if one makes a map with a great number of textures, sprites, models, sounds etc.,
then using a pk3 file structure can help when lumps, for one reason or other, are deleted or added on.

[edit]
grammar check :)

The ZIP (PK3) structure eliminates the need to use markers at all. Instead, it uses directories. Put all your sprite graphics (in PNG or lmp format) into a directory called "sprites", and nothing else. Similarly, put all your flat graphics into directory "flats". And so on. DECORATE file(s) and similar lumps should stay at base directory (=no directory). You can use "#include XYZ" to load certain text based lumps from custom directories, if you wish to define your own organization. For example, you can have file "DECORATE.txt" in base directory with a code:

#include "actors/TorturedSoul.txt"

And then have a directory "actors" containing "TorturedSoul.txt" with actual definition of said monster.

However, PK3 and WAD structures can be combined by putting a WAD file into your PK3. For example, if you've downloaded a ready-made wad with a custom monster, it might be easier to simply dump the wad into your PK3, because otherwise you would have to dissect the wad and put its contents into the proper directories, which you don't have to, because the wad already has them between the correct markers.

scifista42 said:

However, PK3 and WAD structures can be combined by putting a WAD file into your PK3. For example, if you've downloaded a ready-made wad with a custom monster, it might be easier to simply dump the wad into your PK3, because otherwise you would have to dissect the wad and put its contents into the proper directories, which you don't have to, because the wad already has them between the correct markers.

You get better performances if you dissect the wads and put all the data in folders neatly.

Okay,

Kappes Burr said:

GZDoom Builder is used only for building your map architecture.
However, it also has functionality for building scripts.
To see what GZDoom Builder is used for, take a look at the feature list here
http://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=32392

For everything else you use a lump editor like Slade3, although it also has a map editor built in.
To have a look at it's feature set, take a look at
http://slade.mancubus.net/index.php?page=wiki


To answers your question "Why PK3?"

I will take a peak on the weekend or next week. I have a new job, full time, but on the days. I may try to look and research the links you provided me with. Thank you :D.

scifista42 said:
You can use "#include XYZ" to load certain text based lumps from custom directories, if you wish to define your own organization. For example, you can have file "DECORATE.txt" in base directory with a code:

I kinda forgot some elements to Slade 3, I kinda misunderstood about the XYZ. The others, that would help alot. Thank you. Just tell me like a third grader (expression, not literal.

@Gez
Thank you, but how do I dissect the wads?

JohnCook1994 said:

how do I dissect the wads?

Use SLADE3. Open all your wads with sprites that you're using in the pk3. Export all sprites, and put them to "sprites" directory inside the pk3. If you have custom textures/patches/music/sounds/anything within the wads, then do the same: Export the contents into respective directories inside the pk3. Once you've properly exported everything from the wad, you can get rid of the wad completely, of course (delete it).

As I mentioned above, the pk3 approach is usually reserved for maps with many, many resources and
therefore are quite large.

You may have found out already that GZDoom Builder does not open pk3 maps directly. The way to do it
properly is to open the map and use the pk3 file as a resource.

For example,
if you wanted to take a look at a pk3 map such as Rex's Paranoid or Enjay's Gene-Tech: Before the Storm
with GZDoom Builder, you have to unzip the files first.

Then load the map from the MAP folder and the pk3 as a resource.



But, also as already mentioned, GZDB only lets you inspect/add/delete map elements and not the resource elements.
If you do change something in the map and save it, then everything must be zipped up again.

On the other hand, Slade3 does open pk3 files, which lets you inspect/add/delete resource elements as needed.



And, since Slade3 is also a map editor, you can also inspect/add/delete map elements, as with GZDB.
It's just that GZDB has many more useful features.

Whoa, pictures mean a thousand words, @Kappes Burr, thank you. Anything else I need to learn.?

Also, I want to know more about SNDINFO on Actor IDs. I tested a PK3 File, without textures or flats, just music and monsters. And, I get the S_Start error on the sprite folder, where all my monsters go to (Graphics). For 667's Devil (Imp), he has just Regular Doomimp sound, and for Rottweiler, he only has Wolfenstein 3D German Shepherd sound. I wonder I could have help with that as well, thank you.
~PsychoX (JohnCook1994)

JohnCook1994 said:

I get the S_Start error on the sprite folder, where all my monsters go to (Graphics).

1. Sprites should NOT be in "graphics" folder. They should be in a folder called "sprites", and this folder should NOT be inside any other folder.
2. Markers (such as S_START/S_END) should NOT be there. You can delete them. The PK3 folder structure makes them redundant.

JohnCook1994 said:

SNDINFO

You must put all SNDINFOs to the root directory (I mean no folder), NOT to "graphics" or "sprites" or "sounds" or any other folder. This is a problem, because they share the same file name (SNDINFO.txt), so one of them will overwrite the others inside the zip. You can solve it 2 ways:

1. Open all SNDINFOs as text files, copy their contents, and paste them into one single SNDINFO.txt, which you then put into root directory of the zip.
2. Put each SNDINFO to its own custom directory (can be recursive, logically structured however you want to). Then put one new SNDINFO into the root folder, and use #include "path/name" command to load the other SNDINFOs.

Finally I got those damn monsters to work, thank you Scifista42!

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

Hi guys, I decided to download one of Realm667's weaponry which is the Revolver. So speaking of Which. I recieved an error, when I fiddle around, just like my monster codes. And I used #include "actors/WPREVO". I opened GZDOOM Builder, since it came up. Now I have this crummy error which is

Load zdoom.pk3 or gzdoom.pk3 as a resource, but don't let the editor load that .pk3 when testing the map from within the editor itself. There is an option you can tick in the Add Resource box. It's at the bottom.

It still give me the error, can you give me an example for the GZDOOM.pk3. I already tabbed the gzdoom.pk3 file as a resource, and I uncheck the pk3 for testing. Still, the decoration error for the Revolver Weapon has the really horrid error. Just the Bracket? Explain it to me like a 3rd Grader, which means can you show me an example why I made an error?

Thanks,
Johncook1994

Make sure gzdoom.pk3 is loaded before your revolver resource.