Is it possible to use Doombuilder and convert maps to Unity format?

[mankubus]

I want to work on a fps for Unity however no way im learning how to use these weird map editors. Is it by any chance possible to make a map on Doombuilder and port it into something compatible with Unity?

[Edward850]

It's guaranteed that any process of converting Doom maps into Unity compatible geometry and tags is going to be vastly more work than it would be to just learn their tools. Doom maps simply lack so much of the information needed for modern polygon modules and anything to do with how Unity handles triggers and scripting is going to be incredibly fundamentally different. 

Edited January 17, 2021 by Edward850

[mankubus]

41 minutes ago, Edward850 said:

It's guaranteed that any process of converting Doom maps into Unity compatible geometry and tags is going to be vastly more work than it would be to just learn their tools. Doom maps simply lack so much of the information needed for modern polygon modules and anything to do with how Unity handles triggers and scripting is going to be incredibly fundamentally different. 

Which editor works similar to Doombuilder? like drawing lines and creating sectors etc. Can't create a proper retro fps map without that workflow.

Edited January 17, 2021 by mankubus

[Edward850]

15 minutes ago, mankubus said:

Which editor works similar to Doombuilder? like drawing lines and creating sectors etc. Can't create a proper retro fps map without that workflow.

Unity doesn't have a pipeline designed for that. It's meant for polygonal geometry and brushes. If you want retro tools you need a retro engine, and if you want a modern engine you need to use modern tools.

 

To put it another way; The tools that Doom and Unity have are not designed the way they are out of preference, but because that's the most optimal way the engines are designed to handle that information. Doom's map editing is designed with simple lines indicating walls, sector heights and activators because that's pretty much how the renderer and physics expected that information to be laid out, and thus was the most optimal design. Likewise with Unity, it expects full meshes and camera projected planes because that's the most optimal way to present that information to its renderer, everything it needs to draw and cull the scene is presented immediately with how the meshes and planes are organised. It just wouldn't be fit for it to have anything else.

Edited January 17, 2021 by Edward850

[mankubus]

On 1/17/2021 at 6:40 AM, Edward850 said:

Unity doesn't have a pipeline designed for that. It's meant for polygonal geometry and brushes. If you want retro tools you need a retro engine, and if you want a modern engine you need to use modern tools.

 

To put it another way; The tools that Doom and Unity have are not designed the way they are out of preference, but because that's the most optimal way the engines are designed to handle that information. Doom's map editing is designed with simple lines indicating walls, sector heights and activators because that's pretty much how the renderer and physics expected that information to be laid out, and thus was the most optimal design. Likewise with Unity, it expects full meshes and camera projected planes because that's the most optimal way to present that information to its renderer, everything it needs to draw and cull the scene is presented immediately with how the meshes and planes are organised. It just wouldn't be fit for it to have anything else.

I would use GZDoom but you can't get a "join multiplayer" thing embedded in the context menu of the Steam and I would like that for my game, I think due GPL license or something they dont allow it.

[Azuris]

On 1/17/2021 at 6:36 AM, mankubus said:

Which editor works similar to Doombuilder? like drawing lines and creating sectors etc. Can't create a proper retro fps map without that workflow.

 

The Quake 3 Editor and Doom 3 could work for you.

But i have no Idea if you can convert them to Unity ;)

[Edward850]

30 minutes ago, mankubus said:

I would use GZDoom but you can't get a "join multiplayer" thing embedded in the context menu of the Steam and I would like that for my game, I think due GPL license or something they dont allow it.

You can do whatever you like with GPL programs on Steam, launch options are very much a non-issue. What you can't do is link the code to something not compatible with the GPL license, such as the Steamworks API. 

 

20 minutes ago, Azuris said:

 

The Quake 3 Editor and Doom 3 could work for you.

But i have no Idea if you can convert them to Unity ;)

In no possible way is Quake3 or Doom3 remotely like editing for classic Doom. They are more in common with Unity and Unreal now, in fact.

Edited January 20, 2021 by Edward850

[Azuris]

1 hour ago, Edward850 said:

 

In no possible way is Quake3 or Doom3 remotely like editing for classic Doom. They are more in common with Unity and Unreal now, in fact.

 

Logic wise the Editors from Quake 3 and Doom 3 (which where really similiar) were with its Brushes more like Drawing as in Doom Builder.

 

The Unreal Editor, at least the older ones i know, are more like the Editor from Turok and based on premade Meshes.

 

Even if they look alike when opened, the Logic behind them to put a Level together is different and coming from the Doom Builder, it is easer to adopt the logic behind the other ID Games Editors.

[Edward850]

14 minutes ago, Azuris said:

The Unreal Editor, at least the older ones i know, are more like the Editor from Turok and based on premade Meshes.

Having been the one unfortunate enough to actually need to work on Turok's map format, I can safely say nothing is or should ever be like Turok. "pre made meshes" is about where it ends. Turks maps are made out of primitive tile-like meshes making up smaller parts of a complete whole, while its physical collision is a wholly separate piece of information controlled by polygonal sectors, only specifying area height and slope (not even walls) that can't even properly overlap. It's incredibly suboptimal and created a shit load of performance problems when porting the game to the Switch due to the duplicate meshes.

Doom3 also used premade meshes, fun fact. It's actually notable for causing numerous problems with its networking.

Edited January 20, 2021 by Edward850

[CivilianM91]

It’s not Unity but there is a similar tool for Godot- it’s called “God Wad” and does exactly what you’re looking for. Just for Godot lol. If you’re not against adopting a new engine it could serve your needs more easily.

https://github.com/DataPlusProgram/GodWad

[mankubus]

On 1/26/2021 at 4:41 PM, CivilianM91 said:

It’s not Unity but there is a similar tool for Godot- it’s called “God Wad” and does exactly what you’re looking for. Just for Godot lol. If you’re not against adopting a new engine it could serve your needs more easily.

https://github.com/DataPlusProgram/GodWad

Will look into it. Can you add the "Join game" etc in the Steam context menu with this one?

Edited February 8, 2021 by mankubus