*** The "ask a miscellaneous editing question" thread ***

[Endless]

Just now, Nine Inch Heels said:

There is no end to what you can learn when mapping, and making a good map is something that requires a relatively deep understanding of how things in doom behave. Chances are your first few small maps can take you days or weeks even, and chances are that they'll be functional, but not necessarily "good" by any stretch of the imagination. You wanna map? Bring along a lot of patience, and braise yourself for direct feedback that might hurt a little at times, because somebody is gonna find something in your first mapping attempts that isn't good at all.

 

That being said, there is no answer to your question, because nobody here knows your baseline of expertise in this game, and even if that was the case, there's still no telling how quickly you understand the builder you're working with, or how quickly you develop a proper working routine. Don't start mapping if you don't have quite a bit of time to spare here and there to get things done.

I am really grateful for your answer! Thanks a lot! :D 

[Albertoni]

26 minutes ago, Anidrex_1009 said:

This is a really newbie question, but here I go:

 

How much time does it take to learn and understan really good how to make maps or use the editor? I am interested in making them, but they look quite hard or time consuming. Thank you. 

Ensure the wad with the sky is being loaded after the CC4-tex wad, the sky position within the lumps is correct and also that there's nothing in your wads that could be overwriting more than it should (TEXTURES lump, for example).

 

If nothing works, Post-Your-WAD(TM)

[Albertoni]

Sorry for double posting, but I'd rather have a problem in a separate post so people don't skim through it.

 

Is there any way of making a script wait for a floor to stop moving? I wanted to raise a 3D floor and do something else when the floor reaches its destination.

 

I could calculate the tics needed and just delay it, but you know, lazy guy looking for the easier way out.

[Empyre]

48 minutes ago, Albertoni said:

Sorry for double posting, but I'd rather have a problem in a separate post so people don't skim through it.

 

Is there any way of making a script wait for a floor to stop moving? I wanted to raise a 3D floor and do something else when the floor reaches its destination.

 

I could calculate the tics needed and just delay it, but you know, lazy guy looking for the easier way out.

https://zdoom.org/wiki/TagWait

[Clay]

How do I use actor flags within an inherited monsters decorate.

 

I tried adding NEVERTARGET to this:

ACTOR LRGCYBER : Cyberdemon 29884
{    
    radius 70
    height 220
    scale 2
}

But When I run it I get

Script error, "BeastsAndWeapons.pk3:decorate" line 6:
"nevertarget" is an unknown actor property

I also cannot get him to Spawn/drop a key when killed.

 

I am using Slade 3 map editor and mapping doom format porting to GZDoom.

Edited September 18, 2017 by DemonusDefunctus

[Empyre]

Did you put a plus sign in front of NEVERTARGET? A plus sign turns a flag on, and a minus sign turns it off. You must have one or the other.

 

To drop an item, add to the top (before the states) DropItem "item_name". Here is a list of the actor names for the keys: https://zdoom.org/wiki/Classes:DoomKey

Here's the reference for DropItem: https://zdoom.org/wiki/Actor_properties#DropItem

[Clay]

13 minutes ago, Empyre said:

Did you put a plus sign in front of NEVERTARGET? A plus sign turns a flag on, and a minus sign turns it off. You must have one or the other.

 

To drop an item, add to the top (before the states) DropItem "item_name". Here is a list of the actor names for the keys: https://zdoom.org/wiki/Classes:DoomKey

Here's the reference for DropItem: https://zdoom.org/wiki/Actor_properties#DropItem

I Have Been TRYING with the + and - symbols and IT WOULD NOT WORK....then you ask me if I did...I try again...it works. (I feel like I am describing a dream)

 

And the drop item thing worked. I was trying that before but I was placing it after scale.

 

Thanks a million!

[Clay]

OK well dammit. Never target didnt do what I had hoped.

 

I have a boss monster^^ that you are supposed to encounter later in the map. When I get to him he is dead(12000 Health).

 

If I go to him right away it takes forever to kill him (like it should). If I don't take long to get to him he is easier to kill.

 

I WANT THIS TO STOP. I though because of monster teleporters that maybe he was being attacked by imps/zombies etc..but that was not it.

 

Any ideas? I would be happy to share the WAD if it will help me out of this mess.

[Empyre]

I am not really an expert on making monsters. Since I started using DECORATE about a year and a half ago, I have focused on making weapons. I do have an idea:

You could make the boss invulnerable, and when the player crosses a certain line in the map, execute an ACS script that takes the invulnerability away with a command like this:

SetActorproperty (<the tag you give the boss in the map editor>, APROP_Invulnerable, FALSE);

 

Another idea that doesn't involve ACS would be to have the boss all by himself in a room separate from the rest of the map, and have him teleport where you want him when the player crosses a certain line.

[Clay]

30 minutes ago, Empyre said:

I am not really an expert on making monsters. Since I started using DECORATE about a year and a half ago, I have focused on making weapons. I do have an idea:

You could make the boss invulnerable, and when the player crosses a certain line in the map, execute an ACS script that takes the invulnerability away with a command like this:

SetActorproperty (<the tag you give the boss in the map editor>, APROP_Invulnerable, FALSE);

 

Another idea that doesn't involve ACS would be to have the boss all by himself in a room separate from the rest of the map, and have him teleport where you want him when the player crosses a certain line.

Kind of difficult being that I am mapping in doom format. I can get into it tomorrow.

[Empyre]

14 hours ago, DemonusDefunctus said:

Kind of difficult being that I am mapping in doom format. I can get into it tomorrow.

The second idea is totally doable in vanilla format (and above). Have the boss in a room that is somehow connected to the main map (by a tube or by a two-piece sector) so he is awake. When the player crosses the trigger line, a barrier that was blocking his way opens up and he can then cross a teleport line.

 

Also, if you're using DECORATE, then your wad can only be played in a ZDoom-based port, so you might as well use a more-capable map format like Doom-in-Hexen or UDMF. I have used Doom format, then upgraded to Boom, then Doom-in-Hexen, and recently I finally upgraded one last time to UDMF, and I am loving it.

Edited September 18, 2017 by Empyre
corrected a wrong word

[Clay]

9 hours ago, Empyre said:

The second idea is totally doable in vanilla format (and above). Have the boss in a boss that is somehow connected to the main map (by a tube or by a two-piece sector) so he is awake. When the player crosses the trigger line, a barrier that was blocking his way opens up and he can then cross a teleport line.

 

Also, if you're using DECORATE, then your wad can only be played in a ZDoom-based port, so you might as well use a more-capable map format like Doom-in-Hexen or UDMF. I have used Doom format, then upgraded to Boom, then Doom-in-Hexen, and recently I finally upgraded one last time to UDMF, and I am loving it.

Wow I must have been REALLY tired because I didn't understand you at first. Ill try that out and if he stops dying before I get to him.

[Clay]

OK last post here. How do I get him to start active. Is there some trick? Or do I use decorate?

 

 

EDIT: Nvm, I figured out a way...its sort of convoluted but, I made a connection that worked much like a air duct but for sound. First shot in the game has him ready for me to cross the line and teleport him.

Edited September 18, 2017 by DemonusDefunctus
Figured it out.

[Empyre]

1 hour ago, DemonusDefunctus said:

I made a connection that worked much like a air duct but for sound. First shot in the game has him ready for me to cross the line and teleport him.

That's what I meant when I said "somehow connected to the main map".

 

I must have been tired, too. I meant "Have the boss in a room", not "Have the boss in a boss".

[Clay]

8 minutes ago, Empyre said:

That's what I meant when I said "somehow connected to the main map".

 

I must have been tired, too. I meant "Have the boss in a room", not "Have the boss in a boss".

lol. Well its works like a charm. Thank so much for the help!

[Jaska]

Uh.. How can I switch multiplayer tagged monsters "on"? If I put Zandronum into gzdoombuilders enginelist and run game those aren't there. Even if I go to the options and run map with offline skirmish. Or drag&drop map into zandronum.exe..

 

BTW is there commandline parameter to add those multiplayer monsters on gzdoom?

[Marlamir]

if you want use monsters which is for multiplayer you need to individually tag them for singleplayer too, tag them for skill level 3 for example.

hope it help and srry for english.

[dl_simc]

5 hours ago, Jaska said:

Or drag&drop map into zandronum.exe..

-host 1 (or -deathmatch) ?

https://zdoom.org/wiki/command_line_parameters#Multiplayer_options

 

In GZDoomBuilder go to the "Game Configurations" (F6) > Testing and create a 2nd test engine entry for your port (for example named as "zandronium (coop)" or such) Then in the "Customize parameters" section add -host 1 or -deathmatch to the commandline.
 

 

[Jaska]

2 hours ago, dl_simc said:

-host 1 (or -deathmatch) ?

https://zdoom.org/wiki/command_line_parameters#Multiplayer_options

 

In GZDoomBuilder go to the "Game Configurations" (F6) > Testing and create a 2nd test engine entry for your port (for example named as "zandronium (coop)" or such) Then in the "Customize parameters" section add -host 1 or -deathmatch to the commandline.
 

 

Thanks! That worked! (-host 1)

[Cipher]

Tossing this out there to see if there's any insight.

 

I haven't started mapping yet, but an idea hit me the other day that I kind of want to make a proof-of-concept for.

 

I know Boom allows you to place voodoo dolls on conveyor belts to trigger linedefs outside of the player's reach.

 

Has anyone attempt to sync these voodoo-doll/conveyor actions to a music track? Is there any insight on how that timing might be achieved without pure trial-and-error? (I.e. speed or map distance into seconds when playing the actual map?) If there's a kind of easy conversion for that, that'd be great.  

[Edward850]

42 minutes ago, Cipher said:

Has anyone attempt to sync these voodoo-doll/conveyor actions to a music track? Is there any insight on how that timing might be achieved without pure trial-and-error? (I.e. speed or map distance into seconds when playing the actual map?) If there's a kind of easy conversion for that, that'd be great.  

Wouldn't be much of a point. Doom's playsim does not act in sync to music to start with, and would suffer from a timing drift. DOS played music on a different chipset and modern ports play it on a different thread.

[Cipher]

1 minute ago, Edward850 said:

Wouldn't be much of a point. Doom's playsim does not act in sync to music to start with, and would suffer from a timing drift. DOS played music on a different chipset and modern ports play it on a different thread.

Dang. Well, thanks for nipping that one in the bud.

[Dragonfly]

@Cipher I have done this before, but with ZDoom & ACS. There is a few struggles to consider, a big one being 'pausing the game doesn't stop the music playing'. This can be remedied by playing the music as a sound effect.

Edited October 9, 2017 by Dragonfly

[Cipher]

57 minutes ago, Dragonfly said:

 

@Cipher I have done this before, but with ZDoom & ACS. There is a few struggles to consider, a big one being 'pausing the game doesn't stop the music playing'. This can be remedied by playing the music as a sound effect.

That's way out of my league. Thanks for the reference, though.

[Dragonfly]

1 hour ago, Cipher said:

That's way out of my league. Thanks for the reference, though.

No way! There's never a better time to learn than now.

But you could definitely create something of this sort in Boom with voodoo dolls, it'd just be far more finicky to set up and limiting in potential, as well as suffering potential de-sync issues like Edward850 outlined. :)

Edited October 9, 2017 by Dragonfly

[illuknisaa]

Hey guys do you know a way to make GZDB bugfix run faster? I'm working on a map and when I copy and paste a sector(s) the editor takes a while to actually to finish the action.  Once I pasted a bigger section and the editor probably froze for 10 minutes. Even just small stuff like editing a single vertex takes a second to finish.

 

Currently the map has 

~6000 vertices

~6000 linedefs

~12 000 sidedefs

~850 sectors

3 things

[Nine Inch Heels]

^sounds like too much "payload". If restarting your computer doesn't have an effect, then it's down to your PCs performance, I would assume.

[scifista42]

If your map has any sectors that cover enormous areas and have large numbers of adjancent linedefs, try splitting each of these sectors into multiple smaller sectors with less adjancent linedefs. Even though the total number of linedefs in the map will increase by the number of linedefs with which you split the sectors, you might get better performance, especially on simple operations like editing a single vertex.

Edited October 20, 2017 by scifista42

[Mr.Rocket]

Sounds like your computer might need more attention than your map right now.

I'd be afraid that I'd lose my work if it's that much a struggle to use a Doom map editor.

[illuknisaa]

On 20.10.2017 at 1:00 PM, scifista42 said:

If your map has any sectors that cover enormous areas and have large numbers of adjancent linedefs, try splitting each of these sectors into multiple smaller sectors with less adjancent linedefs. Even though the total number of linedefs in the map will increase by the number of linedefs with which you split the sectors, you might get better performance, especially on simple operations like editing a single vertex.

How much smaller? I have couple sectors that are really big and have many adjacent linedefs.

 

I also tried running this map on Doombuilder X and editing operations worked much faster.