Portals for multiple floors/Several stacked rooms

[LavaWave]

Now I know how to makes stacked rooms but only 2 stacked rooms together but all of the tutorials I've read about portals it only stacks 2 rooms and not more then 2, let's say I want to make a large shaft with rail platforms (like 4 rail platforms not just 2) and make rooms stacked over and over to make a large shaft, how to do that?

 

Should I just use 3D Floors for that?

 

I use GZDoom and Ultimate Doom Builder and use UDMF map format to build my maps.

[Dragonfly]

I wrote a tutorial for stacked sectors here - https://www.dfdoom.com/gzdoom-portal-tutorial/

 

Just repeat the process again, but treat the sector which was your upper portal as the lower portal, with a new set of control lines.

[Dragonfly]

Double posting to provide a link with a wad showing this technique off for you.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gdhzfw8tiaql8d7/double-stacked-sector-portal.wad?dl=1

[LavaWave]

Thanks

[Kappes Buur]

Stacked sectors is quite reasonable to use for a low count of stacked floors.

Over 4 floors this becomes quite tedious.

 

For more floors it is easier to use 3D floors.

[Dragonfly]

1 hour ago, DOOM mapping enthusiast said:

Stacked sectors is quite reasonable to use for a low count of stacked floors.

Over 4 floors this becomes quite tedious.

 

For more floors it is easier to use 3D floors.

 

That's definitely a debatable statement. The tedium element is almost purely determined by how much detail one is using, and with more detail comes more benefits for a portal workflow over a 3d floor one. 

[Kappes Buur]

14 hours ago, Dragonfly said:

 

That's definitely a debatable statement. The tedium element is almost purely determined by how much detail one is using, and with more detail comes more benefits for a portal workflow over a 3d floor one. 

 

Since you seem to be open for a debate, let's extent your example pwad to 5 or more floors.

According to your statement the stacked sectors approach should garner benefits with less

tedium over the 3D approach.

 

So I made a pwad for stacked sectors with 16 floors.

 

Spoiler

Calculating the heights for the shaft sectors and interstitial floors is not done in a trivial amount of time.

Plus then getting the line specials straight, again, takes quite some time, and the whole construct takes

up quite a sizeable map space. The whole map took me about 45 minutes to figure out and finalize.

Some may be able to do it in slightly less time.

 

Then I made a pwad incorporating 16 3D floors

 

Spoiler

Constructing the map with the 3D floors and specifying their heights took me about 4 minutes, thanks to

the 3D floor plugin. Plus other 3D floors, items like crates, could be placed on each floor with specifying

more ID tags, for even more versatility. And the area for the control sectors is minimal.

 

So, it seems to me, that for a larger floor count the 3D floor method offers a substantial benefit over stacked

sectors. But, if you find the stacked sector method to be of more benefit, I would like to see your take on this.

 

After all, the question was raised by someone new to mapping and offering different viewpoints can always help. 

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by DOOM mapping enthusiast

[esselfortium]

Building a bunch of floors with 3D floors is easy, sure, until you want to make them all different overlapping shapes and detail them. Heartland is a good example that's full of maps that would be a complete nightmare to build with 3D floors.

[Kappes Buur]

3 hours ago, esselfortium said:

Building a bunch of floors with 3D floors is easy, sure, until you want to make them all different overlapping shapes and detail them. Heartland is a good example that's full of maps that would be a complete nightmare to build with 3D floors.

 

Heartland is not playable with GZDoom/LZDoom

 

 

I realize that Eternity is a sourceport which is optimized for the building of stacked sectors,

but the question by LavaWave was to do this for GZDoom in UDMF.

 

Although the scenario given by LavaWave to build multiple rail platforms on top of each other

could be easier with Eternity.

 

 

 

On 8/7/2021 at 4:11 AM, Dragonfly said:

Double posting to provide a link with a wad showing this technique off for you.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gdhzfw8tiaql8d7/double-stacked-sector-portal.wad?dl=1

 

Like I mentioned before, stacked sectors for a low number of floors is simple enough but equally

simple with 3D floors, but I still would give 3D floors an edge. With a floor count above 3 floors

it is simpler and speedier with 3D floors.

Edited August 8, 2021 by DOOM mapping enthusiast

[Dragonfly]

16 minutes ago, DOOM mapping enthusiast said:

Like I mentioned before, stacked sectors for a low number of floors is simple enough but equally

simple with 3D floors, also I still would give 3D floors an edge. With a floor count above 3 floors

 it is simpler and speedier with 3D floors.

 

All you're highlighting here is a personal preference; it's literally a matter of fact that a portal workflow is better when you're working in a complex setup, be it one or several layers of stacked portals.

 

4 hours ago, DOOM mapping enthusiast said:

So I made a pwad for stacked sectors with 16 floors. (etc)

 

 

Your point here only validates what I said - 3D floors are better in a simpler situation that is low-detail, yes. Absolutely not true for a much more complicated map. I wouldn't dream of using a portal where just one or two 3D floors would suffice, but if I was going to map out a large exterior area or wanted an entire cave system underneath the map, or hell, both (as I've been working on here), then I would use portals and hope for anyone's sanity's sake, they would too.

 

Since we're hellbent on examples that aren't Heartland, take a look at Order of the Odonata and explain to me how that would be easier with 3D floors. Disclaimer - it's definitely not. And that's only one layer of stacked portals.

 

17 minutes ago, DOOM mapping enthusiast said:

but the question by LavaWave was to do this for GZDoom in UDMF.

 

If you can identify this then stick to this. They asked for advice about portals. Not 3D Floors.

 

 

[Kappes Buur]

@LavaWave

Hopefully some of what has been written in this thread is of help to you.

But remember, you do not need to necessarily have the actual rail platform sectors on top of

each other. You can make the rail platform elsewhere and simply provide a way, similar to a

Metro system with stairs leading here and there, to them from the stacked sector or 3D platform.

 

In any case, give it a try and let us know how you fared with your map.

[Gez]

The whole thing about portals or 3D floors is kinda moot in GZDoom mapping since both are supported.

 

3D floors are better for simple platforms or like some Doomcute furniture such as tables or chairs. Portals are better for layering separate areas. It's even perfectly possible to have 3D floors in each layered area!

[LavaWave]

I see, so from what I've gathered 3D floors are better for building bridges or simple structures while for a room portals are the better option, thanks for answering everybody.