Changing a skin used while recording a demo.

[cyber-menace]

I found out that when I recorded a demo in Zdoom, it also recorded the skin I used. This prevents most others from viewing it, unless they have the TSTuke skin... is there any way to edit a demo to change the skin back to the default?

[Grazza]

I don't know of any tools to edit Zdoom demos.

Presumably it ought to be possible for someone to make a "ZLMPC", given that when Uwe Girlich made the original LMPC he did so without knowing the details of the demo format in advance.

[myk]

Try opening the demo lump with a hex editor and seeing if the skin name shows up; if so, change it to the default name.

[cyber-menace]

I tried to edit it with Wordpad (it was too big for notepad), but when I changed the skin back to base and saved, Zdoom reported the error "Demo is mangled", because of Wordpad saving it as a binch of gibberish I suppose...

[Grazza]

You can't edit a binary file using a text editor - that's why myk mentioned a hex editor. There are plenty to choose from, but I tend to use the one by hhdsoftware.

[cyber-menace]

Oh I thought they were one and the same. Thanks for the link.

BAH! It still says "Demo is mangled"... maybe I typed something wrong...

EDIT: I don't see anything wrong with it... if you think you can fix it then you can download a working demo with the wrong skin here.

[cycloid]

it could be that the replacement skin name has to have the exact same number of characters as the one your replacing

[cyber-menace]

Well unfortunately the name Base and the name TSTuke (The custom skin) don't have the same number of characters...

[Donce]

cyber-menace said:

Well unfortunately the name Base and the name TSTuke (The custom skin) don't have the same number of characters...

Fortunately, Base is shorter so you can just add two spaces after it. The header size must remain the same, or else the demo will 'be mangled'.

Edit: however, I'm afraid Zdoom will think of the skin as some skin named 'Base__', not the default skin.

[cyber-menace]

That isn't any good... I guess there isn't some way to change it...

[Donce]

I'd try to mess around with your demo, however, Zdoom currently doesn't run on my comp (known issue, need to reinstall soundcard drivers). Why not asking Randy on Zdoom forum?

[cyber-menace]

I already have a post there. It's practically being ignored or flamed.

[Grazza]

I see what you mean. Even the idea that demos can ever be edited at all is being ridiculed.

Anyway, how big is this skin? Assuming it's not colossal, presumably the simplest solution would be to include it with the demo (or to give a link to a place where it can be downloaded).

[cyber-menace]

Well, with a little help from the channel #zdoom on IRC I have managed to find out that Zdoom demos DO NOT require the skin used, but if it is availible Zdoom will automatically switch to it. I guess this thread can be closed now...