dsda-doom guide [Usage, recording demos, and some extra info]

[Daerik]

dsda-doom

You'll need to grab dsda-doom, which can be found;

If you're coming from prboom+ 2.5.1.5 onwards, you'll need to convert your sensitivity following;

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/post/2274943

 

Some notable settings to look at;

Under general options;

Demos - Overwrite Existing: Change to 'no', and if you try using the same demo name twice, it'll automatically increment it.

dsda-doom settings - Use extended hud: Change to 'yes', and you'll get stats displayed in the bottom left corner of your hud.

 

Under setup;

Status Bar / Hud - Report Revealed Secrets: Change to 'yes' and you'll get a message when you enter a secret sector.

Key Bindings - Restart Current Map: This keybind will restart the map and start a new demo recording, if you die you'll want to use this instead of pressing the 'use' key to respawn.

 

You'll additionally need a copy of the iwad for what you're running (doom.wad, doom2.wad, etc) which can be found from any official release of the game.

 

Put them in the same folder, along with any pwads you'll want to be running.

Pwads are custom mapsets, such as Eviternity, Valiant, Ancient Aliens, Sunlust, etc.

 

Parameters and how to record

.bat files are an easy way to load doom and pass it the parameters required to record a demo.

 

I've wrote a script for this guide, demo script.zip, which is relatively easy to edit, and will create a subfolder for each demo name. Extract this into the same folder with everything else.

To make changes to this, right click 'demo script.bat' and select edit. When you've got everything setup, save your changes, and double click 'demo script.bat' to run it.

 

The script itself is broken up into variables to edit, that all get passed to the final line at the bottom. Anything prefaced with a :: is a comment talking about what the following block does. Should be pretty self-explanatory.

From top to bottom;

set iwad= to specify the name of the iwad

set skill= to specify the skill

set warp= to specify a map to start on

set pwad= to specify a mapset

set complevel= to specify a compatability level for what the engine should emulate

set name= to set the name of the demo

set additional= for adding any additional parameters. The script defaults to adding -nomusic to avoid crashes.

 

If you do casual playthroughs, you should also be aware of the -shorttics parameter, which changes your turning resolution to match how it works while recording a demo.

There are a lot of tricks that require specifc angles that you can only consistently achieve with -shorttics, and it's good to get into the habit of using it everywhere.

 

Demo naming and submitting

When you're ready to submit a demo, you'll want to make sure you name it appropriately.

This post by ZeroMaster010 has all the information you'll need:

The tl;dr is your filename should be (shortname for wad)(level)(category)(time).lmp. Such as evi32m2828.lmp.

 

You'll also want to take the demo file, write up a text file with the same name, and put them in a .zip file and upload them directly to the forum.

Here is a sample text file you can fill out: sampletextfile.zip

 

Virtually every mapset has a thread already created for posting demos into, so make sure you post demos in their appropriate thread instead of creating a new one.

If you're submitting a non-world record demo, there's a stickied thread for personal bests.

 

Helpful resources

https://dsdarchive.com/

https://dsdarchive.com/intro

https://dsdarchive.com/advice

https://dsdarchive.com/guides/prboom_plus

https://discord.gg/ghWqUYu - If you have questions, the speedrunning discord is a great place to ask.

Edited December 15, 2021 by Daerik
Updating to dsda-doom

[Daerik]

Extra information;

 

Vertical mouse movement toggling

Glides require vertical mouse movement to execute, but leaving it turned on all the time can be difficult for regular play.

dsda-doom has some support for toggling it on and off.

Under keybindings, assign 'no vertical mouse' to a button, this will toggle it on and off.

Under options > mouse sensitivity, move the vertical slider to atleast 1.

 

 

Viddumping

Viddumping is used to convert demo files to video files, which you can then do normal video file things to, such as uploading to youtube.

Grab this, it has a .bat file and ffmpeg.exe, and extract them both into your dsda-doom folder. Additionally make sure you have your iwad and any pwads included. Drag your demo file onto viddump.bat, and it'll play the demo back (sometimes faster, sometimes slower), and when it finishes it'll make a .mp4 file named the same as the demo name.

 

It'll use your game settings so keep that in mind if you don't want things like the extended hud showing up on the recording, or if you want the music on.

 

Some video players may also have issues playing back the output file. In my experience VLC and the latest version of MPC-HC work fine.

 

 

Fixing the midi playback

While not specific to speedrunning, information on this isn't readily available.

Put this soundfont in the same folder with dsda-doom RLNDGM.zip

Edit dsda-doom.cfg and edit # Sound settings to match;

# Sound settings
snd_pcspeaker                 0
sound_card                   -1
music_card                   -1
pitched_sounds                0
samplerate                44100
sfx_volume                    5
music_volume                  5
mus_pause_opt                 1
snd_channels                 32
snd_midiplayer            "fluidsynth"
snd_soundfont             "rlndgm.sf2"
snd_mididev               ""
mus_extend_volume             0
mus_fluidsynth_chorus         0
mus_fluidsynth_reverb         0
mus_fluidsynth_gain          50
mus_opl_gain                 50

Note the sfx_volume and music_volume #'s are the sliders ingame.

Edited April 6, 2021 by Daerik
Updating to dsda-doom

[beast]

I have a question regarding demo compatibility and walking under infinitely high things.

 

PrBoom has the option to enable "walk under solid hanging bodies" (options/general/last page). When I enable this and use the -complevel option (3 for Ultimate Doom in my case), I can still walk under bodies that would otherwise have blocked me. Does this break demo compatibility? What is the recommended value of this setting for creating valid speedrun demos?

Edited November 19, 2020 by beast

[vdgg]

Complevels have priority over compatibility options from the menu. Complevel 3 should behave exactly like Ultimate Doom (so it does not break demo compatibility). If you feel like these hanging bodies would block you, can you show it somehow? Which WAD, map, area?

 

[beast]

@vdgg No particular map in question. I created a test map out of curiosity, but now see that when recording a demo PrBoom automatically disables this option. Whereas specifying complevel (without recording) does not. So that answers my question.

[HitelbeVettBor]

It might be a silly question but what does the extended demo format do in PRBoom plus? I ask this because I disabled it when I recorded a demo which is now on DSDA.

[vdgg]

@Never_Again may kill you for disabling this option! It adds info at the end of the .lmp to allow automatic playback.

[Grazza]

On 11/18/2020 at 6:03 PM, beast said:

PrBoom has the option to enable "walk under solid hanging bodies" (options/general/last page). When I enable this and use the -complevel option (3 for Ultimate Doom in my case), I can still walk under bodies that would otherwise have blocked me.

Set the "Default Compatibility Level" to the one you want ("Ultimate Doom" in this case) in the in-game menu and and then restart the program. Using a -complevel in the command line is sufficient when recording a demo, but may not be when just playing normally.

 

And yes, using extended format for demos is completely safe, has no downsides* and is extremely convenient for yourself and anyone who watches your demos.

 

* Well, unless you have renamed your wad files, but why would anyone do that?

Edited November 27, 2020 by Grazza

[blob1024]

out of boredom I tried the latest version, and I'm quite happy of all the changes i've noticed so far.

but I cant put back the original status bar with our loved doomguy face anymore. was the hotkey changed? I switched on HUD with F5 as usual, but the default key "^" is no longer showing the basic bar anymore. how to?

I'm used to the original bar to have an idea any moment of all the ammonition I can count on. thats the only real lack in the other hud settings in my opinion

Edited December 24, 2020 by blob1024

[Starduster]

@blob1024 just use the key for changing the screen size, either + or -.

[blob1024]

28 minutes ago, Starduster said:

@blob1024 just use the key for changing the screen size, either + or -.

that was exactly what I was missing, and couldnt find

browsing all menus once more, I found the + / - but only the "minus" actualyl works for me. nonethless, that was what I was looking for, thank you

still, in v 2514 both reducing and enlarging were avaiable, so for example, to switch from HUD and normal bar I got to pass through all hud settings all over every time somehow

for how much time i got now, its enough, ill solve the headache some other time :)

 

thanks :)

[xX_Lol6_Xx]

Hi, I don't know if anyone can help me, I used viddump on my prboom-plus, it recorded my demo perfectly, but the video had no music, is that normal?

Edited January 1, 2021 by :[Lol 6]:

[Shepardus]

SDL and Portmidi do not work with viddump. Try Fluidsynth.

[blob1024]

On 1/2/2021 at 12:23 AM, Shepardus said:

SDL and Portmidi do not work with viddump. Try Fluidsynth.

will this be fixed? I like portmidi sound much more.

[Shepardus]

2 hours ago, blob1024 said:

will this be fixed? I like portmidi sound much more.

I wouldn't count on it, I'm guessing it's a limitation of how PrB+ needs to capture the audio and put it in the video file. But with the right soundfont you can get Fluidsynth to sound very similar to Portmidi (on Windows). I'm using one called "Scc1t2.sf2" that works quite well in my experience, though there are others that may work just as well or even better. There's a line in the PrB+ config file that lets you specify what soundfont to use, surrounded by some other Fluidsynth configs.

[Daerik]

I've got a write up of better midi settings in this guide. It'd be a better discussion to have in the source port subforum though.

[adamastor]

Do any of you folks know where I can get the most recent version of GLBoom plus? I can only seem to find PrBoom, and not the gl version.

[Dimon12321]

@Adamast0r, it depends on the version of PrBoom+. There is a glboom-plus.exe in the same folder as prboom-plus.exe in all elder versions, including 2.5.1.4, 2.5.1.5 and some builds of UMAPINFO 2.5.1.7, but in the recent versions of DSDA-Doom and PrBoom-Plus 2.6um, there is no glboom-plus.exe. Instead, you need to go to Settings -> General and change the option 'Video Mode' to OpenGL.

Edited February 22, 2021 by Dimon12321

[adamastor]

I see. Thanks for the speedy reply. This thread's been really helpful.

[continuum.mid]

On 2/22/2021 at 2:01 PM, Dimon12321 said:

@Adamast0r, it depends on the version of PrBoom+. There is a glboom-plus.exe in the same folder as prboom-plus.exe in all elder versions, including 2.5.1.4, 2.5.1.5 and some builds of UMAPINFO 2.5.1.7, but in the recent versions of DSDA-Doom and PrBoom-Plus 2.6um, there is no glboom-plus.exe. Instead, you need to go to Settings -> General and change the option 'Video Mode' to OpenGL.

I found this useful to me as well. Apparently, the same is true for the Linux version of PrBoom+ 2.5.1.5, which I was using.

Edited February 23, 2021 by northivanastan

[adamastor]

I'm somewhat new to PrBoom, which I've recently started to focus on, being more familiar with Chocolate or Crispy. Therefore, I have three more noob-like questions:

What is cndoom's mouse movement option exactly?
How do I enable the advanced hud with all it's features, as seen in the screenshot above as, when I cycle between screen sizes it only shows the minimalist hud?

And I'm having issues with the sound, mainly it getting cut off and not playing in full length. For example, killing a shotgunner and immediately picking up an object, such as his shotgun, will nullify the player's firing sound. I've tried to change the sound channels and midi emulation options, to no avail.
I know this is a lot but, if anyone in this thread has some pointers to give, I'd really appreciate it. 

[Andromeda]

9 hours ago, Adamast0r said:

I'm somewhat new to PrBoom, which I've recently started to focus on, being more familiar with Chocolate or Crispy. Therefore, I have three more noob-like questions:

What is cndoom's mouse movement option exactly?
How do I enable the advanced hud with all it's features, as seen in the screenshot above as, when I cycle between screen sizes it only shows the minimalist hud?

And I'm having issues with the sound, mainly it getting cut off and not playing in full length. For example, killing a shotgunner and immediately picking up an object, such as his shotgun, will nullify the player's firing sound. I've tried to change the sound channels and midi emulation options, to no avail.
I know this is a lot but, if anyone in this thread has some pointers to give, I'd really appreciate it. 

1. I think it's called "Carry fractional tics", you can find it on the third page of Options->General. Basically it makes mouse movement feel smoother, not sure on specifics.
2. Once you're at the minimalist hud, press F5 repeatedly until you get the HUD to your liking.
3. If I'm not mistaken you're describing vanilla, hence expected behaviour. No way to change that as far as I'm aware.

[adamastor]

Thanks for enlightening me Andromeda.

 

And, as for the sound, I think that has to do with complevels, so it's not a real issue. It was just me being dumb.

On another note, I have a new question. That version of Pr on the original post has that cndoom's mouse option, which is a great adiition however, it lacks a couple of options that GLBoom + has, such as a textured map display and find remaining monsters.
I was just wondering if there's a way I can either add the cndoom mouse movement to my "regular" version of GLBoom +, or if it's possible to add the few missing features to this fork of PrBoom +, as it already contains the option of running on OpenGL.

Edited March 11, 2021 by Adamast0r
New question.

[Shotfun]

Hey,

I am kinda a noob about those stuff so I have a question. My pwads does not work. I download dsda-doom, unzip it to a new folder then I put my iwad and pwad in it. When I try to open a pwad (say sunlust), it only opens doom 2. I drag the pwad onto the dsda-doom.exe to open, just as I do while using prboom+. Is there anything I am doing wrong or missing? On the former version, I couldn't even save my game so maybe this is an compatibility issue with my PC.

[adamastor]

2 hours ago, Shotfun said:

Hey,

I am kinda a noob about those stuff so I have a question. My pwads does not work. I download dsda-doom, unzip it to a new folder then I put my iwad and pwad in it. When I try to open a pwad (say sunlust), it only opens doom 2. I drag the pwad onto the dsda-doom.exe to open, just as I do while using prboom+. Is there anything I am doing wrong or missing? On the former version, I couldn't even save my game so maybe this is an compatibility issue with my PC.

Just create a textfile in that folder with this:

 

dsda-doom.exe -iwad DOOM2.wad -file sunlust.wad

 

And save it as: Sunlust.bat
After that, you should be all set.

Edited April 11, 2021 by Adamast0r

[Shotfun]

6 hours ago, Adamast0r said:

Just create a textfile in that folder with this:

 

dsda-doom.exe -iwad DOOM2.wad -file sunlust.wad

 

And save it as: Sunlust.bat
After that, you should be all set.

That did work! But unfortunately custom skies are not loading this time. I dunno man, this is ridicilous... Thank you for your help anyways!

EDIT: -complevel issues, I solved it.

Edited April 11, 2021 by Shotfun

[HitelbeVettBor]

I like the new DSDA-Doom port but I have a question about it. Does the new extended HUD with the Max Totals make an UVmax run TAS?

[Shepardus]

5 hours ago, HitelbeVettBor said:

I like the new DSDA-Doom port but I have a question about it. Does the new extended HUD with the Max Totals make an UVmax run TAS?

No. There is an advantage to using it (especially for UV Respawn runs where it's often impossible to accurately tell whether you've reached 100% without counters), but it's generally accepted as non-TAS. Quoting from https://dsdarchive.com/intro:

Quote

Advanced HUD - available in many ports, an advanced HUD is usually capable of showing things like monster counts (kills and how many are alive) and the in-game-time. For a regular speedrun this doesn't provide a huge advantage, and is more often used as a convenient way to see what the time is. For max runs (and associated categories) it can give an advantage varying from small to huge. In these cases, it is recommended to include that information in your text file ("Uses advanced HUD").

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by Shepardus

[HitelbeVettBor]

15 hours ago, Shepardus said:

No. There is an advantage to using it (especially for UV Respawn runs where it's often impossible to accurately tell whether you've reached 100% without counters), but it's generally accepted as non-TAS. Quoting from https://dsdarchive.com/intro:

 

Thank you. :) I wonder about the specifics. How big the map should be to be considered as way too much advantage?

[Shepardus]

For the sake of whether advanced HUD is allowed or isn't, there's no limit to the size of the map.