How can I pack multiple maps into one .WAD file?

[0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0]

Hi, sorry if my question is dumb, I've been buildings Doom maps for 2 or 3 weeks, mostly just learning the basics though, and I have created 3 maps so far, only 1 of them finished, it's a small one but it has working enemies, doors and a working exit. When I finish the level and I press the exit button, the game just continues to throw me into regular Doom 2 levels and I didn't see an option in Doom Builder where I can stick multiple WAD's together into one bigger WAD so I have multiple level. My plan is to take my first finished little map as the first level of the WAD and to add more levels to it as soon as they're finished.

[snapshot]

You can use Slade3 if you know what you're doing, open all of your map files there, then copy their content to a new wad, you can also rename them there, just make sure you don't mess up the lump order of your maps

 

[ViolentBeetle]

I found "save map into" really clunky, so I would advise you to learn to use SLADE and copy and paste your maps through it.

If you are using normal Doom/Boom format each map is a series of entries starting with MAP[XX] header and ending with BLOCKMAP, you can move them together. You'd have to replace music anyway too at some point.

[snapshot]

Use the "Save Map Into" in the File menu and select your first wad and it will put the second (third...etc) map with the first map in the same file, do this with all your maps.

[0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0]

My current map is named "MAP01", do I have to rename the second map name to "MAP02"? Or will it automatically rename them for me, or will MAP01 in my first WAD simply be overwritten if I don't rename them properly?

[snapshot]

Tbh I don't know, rename it from Map Options just in case.

[0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0]

Okay, thank you! I will just rename the internal map names.

[0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0]

Right now, I'm using ZDoom in Hexen Format because the tutorial I watched just said it's so much better than regular Doom 2 format. I don't know why, though, but since he seems to be the expert and I'm the beginner, I just proceeded to follow his instructions. Also, I have SLADE installed right now, but I haven't used it for anything yet. I have bookmarked a Doom modding tutorial for later, though, which required to have a few programs including SLADE to be installed on my PC, so I just downloaded them.

[0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0]

That screenshot looks so confusing. And I have no idea how I would have to copy the content of the WAD's into another WAD using Slade, honestly...

[snapshot]

It's as simple as copying and pasting, open your second map, select its content then CTRL+C then open your first map and paste there with CTRL+V

Edited December 13, 2020 by sluggard

[0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0]

Ah, okay... Once my second map is finished, I'll try that out.

[Doomkid]

Slade is easy, don’t be overwhelmed by the list of lumps. As ViolentBeetle said, you’ll need slade to have custom MIDI and sky textures for your map, so it’s best to learn it early on.

[0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0]

Ah, okay, thanks. That's making me feel a whole lot more confident about it. I hope there are some tutorials about how to properly use SLADE, though, I know guides in the form of text and screenshots exist, but they always confuse a bit so I hope there will be some YouTube tutorials for me, just like Doom Builder and stuff. Your nick name is really freaking cool, by the way... it's kind of making me jealous that I wasn't the first one to have this idea. But I'm rambling again... sorry.

 

Also, sorry for the late reply, I just got kind of lost in Doom Builder again and completely forgot about everything else around me since my last post...

[Gez]

3 hours ago, 0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0 said:

Right now, I'm using ZDoom in Hexen Format because the tutorial I watched just said it's so much better than regular Doom 2 format. I don't know why, though, but since he seems to be the expert and I'm the beginner, I just proceeded to follow his instructions.

I really wouldn't recommend the Hexen format except for making Hexen maps, nowadays... Though I suppose it can be seen as a middle point between the rigidity of Doom format and the exuberance of UDMF.

 

The main difference between Doom format and Hexen format or UDMF is that in Doom format, line effects are entirely preset. In Hexen format you have parameters for every function, so that for example "open door" you have to set at what speed it opens, how long it stays open before closing, and how it is activated. In Doom format, you just have a list of functions with predetermined parameters. So there's one function for opening a normal door by activating it directly, one function for opening a normal door by activating remotely from a switch, one function to for opening a normal door remotely by shooting a switch, one function for opening a normal door by activating it remotely from crossing a line, and then again more functions for opening fast doors, for opening doors that won't close, etc. Locked doors? Different functions for red key, blue key, yellow key... And sometimes you want a combination of function, parameters, and activation that just doesn't exist, so you have to change your plans and do without.

 

On the other hand, the advantage is that it's simpler and faster: you just have to choose a line type and you don't need to set parameters. It also ensures that movement speeds for doors, lifts, crushers, etc. are standard and therefore predictable to the player.

 

UDMF is like Hexen format but on steroids: there are so many additional options everywhere it can be easy to be overwhelmed. It's still the recommended format for mapping for GZDoom nowadays.

[0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0]

So since I'm still a beginner you recommend me to use the regular Doom 2 format in Doom Builder, right? I just don't know if I will have to redo everything when I change the format from Hexen to Doom 2. Or maybe I should just learn Hexen format from the beginning so I will be able to do all the advanced stuff right from the beginning? Hard question for me...

[Doomkid]

maybe I’ll have to make a basic Slade tutorial at some point. I have a video tutorial for making MAPINFO lumps (in the older-but-easier format) which has a lot of incidental Slade usage, it might be helpful for compiling maps and setting custom music/skies:

 

https://youtu.be/vROfzz1M8Jg
 

On the topic of Hexen format VS udmf, keep in mind that Hexen maps will also run in ZDaemon, Odamex and other older or more obscure ports derived from ZDoom, whereas with UDMF you’ll be making a wad strictly for GZDoom (or, if by sheer luck you don’t use newer functions, it will run in Zandronum as well).
 

For most people, the decision of which one to use comes down to how many ports you want your wad to be compatible with. (In my personal opinion, more port choices is a great thing, but you have to weigh that against the limits of the format. Since you’re new, for the time being, I’d say just stick with what you’re currently doing.

 

EDIT: the old Doom / Doom 2 format has universal compatibility which means it will run in any source port, but the drawback is that it’s very limited compared to Hexen and UDMF. If you’ve started with Hexen, I’d say just stick with that for now, it strikes a decent balance between port compatibility and ease of understanding.

Edited December 13, 2020 by Doomkid

[Gez]

18 minutes ago, 0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0 said:

So since I'm still a beginner you recommend me to use the regular Doom 2 format in Doom Builder, right? I just don't know if I will have to redo everything when I change the format from Hexen to Doom 2. Or maybe I should just learn Hexen format from the beginning so I will be able to do all the advanced stuff right from the beginning? Hard question for me...

By all means, finish your map in the format you started it in! Converting a map between formats is complication you don't need at this stage.

 

I suppose after this map, it depends what you want to do. It might make sense to make a few simple Doom maps to learn the ropes, so to speak: get feedback on your layouts, texturing, combat staging, this kind of things. You don't need advanced effects for this kind of things, just the basics. After that, you can try making some maps that use advanced features with some confidence in your understanding of the basics.

[PeterMoro]

Maybe this can help?:

 

 

[0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0]

On 12/13/2020 at 11:21 PM, Doomkid said:

maybe I’ll have to make a basic Slade tutorial at some point. I have a video tutorial for making MAPINFO lumps (in the older-but-easier format) which has a lot of incidental Slade usage, it might be helpful for compiling maps and setting custom music/skies:

 

https://youtu.be/vROfzz1M8Jg
 

On the topic of Hexen format VS udmf, keep in mind that Hexen maps will also run in ZDaemon, Odamex and other older or more obscure ports derived from ZDoom, whereas with UDMF you’ll be making a wad strictly for GZDoom (or, if by sheer luck you don’t use newer functions, it will run in Zandronum as well).
 

For most people, the decision of which one to use comes down to how many ports you want your wad to be compatible with. (In my personal opinion, more port choices is a great thing, but you have to weigh that against the limits of the format. Since you’re new, for the time being, I’d say just stick with what you’re currently doing. 

 

EDIT: the old Doom / Doom 2 format has universal compatibility which means it will run in any source port, but the drawback is that it’s very limited compared to Hexen and UDMF. If you’ve started with Hexen, I’d say just stick with that for now, it strikes a decent balance between port compatibility and ease of understanding.

Okay, thank you a lot for the advice, and as someone else said, I should definitely keep making the current map in Hexen format which I'm going to do, and yeah, I also think that Port choice is a very important thing since I enjoy playing Vanilla... And yeah, please make a SLADE Tutorial if you feel like it. I'm sure that many people will thank you, like I would, also, PeterMoro has posted a YouTube video about how to merge levels but still, another video about everything else that SLADE can do would be just as cool and I would actually watch as soon as I need SLADE for anything else.

[lubba127]

On 12/13/2020 at 1:13 PM, 0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0 said:

Hi, sorry if my question is dumb, I've been buildings Doom maps for 2 or 3 weeks, mostly just learning the basics though, and I have created 3 maps so far, only 1 of them finished, it's a small one but it has working enemies, doors and a working exit. When I finish the level and I press the exit button, the game just continues to throw me into regular Doom 2 levels and I didn't see an option in Doom Builder where I can stick multiple WAD's together into one bigger WAD so I have multiple level. My plan is to take my first finished little map as the first level of the WAD and to add more levels to it as soon as they're finished.

there is no such thing as a dumb question! when youre in doom builder, click "file", "save map INTO" and choose what map to save it into. hope this helps dude.

[0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0]

29 minutes ago, lubba127 said:

there is no such thing as a dumb question! when youre in doom builder, click "file", "save map INTO" and choose what map to save it into. hope this helps dude.

Yeah, maybe you're right, I just said that because I wanted to avoid other people thinking I'm a troll or something like that. And thank you for the help! : )

[lubba127]

3 minutes ago, 0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0 said:

Yeah, maybe you're right, I just said that because I wanted to avoid other people thinking I'm a troll or something like that. And thank you for the help! : )

no problem my guy :D

[0o0[ULTIM4TE]L1FE[F0RM]0o0]

5 hours ago, lubba127 said:

no problem my guy :D 

I'm just not mapping much at the moment because I've just been playing Minecraft all day recently but for the day I start mapping again, I'll conveniently have it bookmarked in my browser!