pencil04.gifGRAPHICS Editor

 

Drawing Graphics

 

ADD (Awesome Direct Drawing) lets you quickly modify any graphic AND import BMP or PCX files! See Graphics tutor for a step-by-step example of how to start drawing.

 

Please see the commands in Graphics Editor Keys for operation.

 

ADD is convenient, quick and easy. The drawing tool is especially designed to edit DOOM/HERETIC/HEXEN/ STRIFE game graphics.

 

You can do anything you like to any pixel data, from signing your name to making new transparent areas!

 

Both the mouse AND the keyboard keys can be used for precise drawing. Some of you may want to slow down your mouse speed using F5 + mouse menu. Set your speed below 50 to make it easier to draw.

 

You can draw on top of any existing graphic that resides in another file. This protects you from accidentally modifying the IWAD file.

 

The following options are available:

 

1. DRAWing Mode

2. Convert Textures see Graphics - Convert Textures / Flats

3. Convert Flats see same as above

4. Open Texture/Flat see PWAD - Opening a PWAD, how it works

5. Export Lump see Export Dialog Lump

6. Export All Textures see Graphics - Export All Textures

7. Export All Flats see Graphics - Create FLAT file

8. Export All Sprites similar to textures, but for all the sprites.

 

How to start Drawing

 

The first step to drawing on an existing graphic is to Open a PWAD with graphics. You need at least one file containing the type of graphics you want to modify or create. Think of this as seeding the graphics editor. For sprites or textures you can create a dummy texture by entering the Graphics Editor, select Drawing Mode, then select New Blank Texture and enter the dimensions desired. You can also create a Blank FLAT, but in that case you have to add FF_START and FF_END to the file created. We did not add this automatically, since that could interfere with your existing control information. More information is follows below.

 

You Open a graphic file the same as you do a PWAD level. Use Open PWAD in the File menu or in the Graphics editor. You can open up to 5 graphic PWADS in the shareware and up to 99 in the registered version. Of course, one file can have more than one graphic Lump. For example, if you export all textures, 1 file has ALL the texture graphics.

 

There are five ways you can have graphics in a separate file:

 

1. Someone already did this for you, that is, they have some modified graphics already. Just read their PWAD file and edit the textures shown.

 

2. Use DeeP's convenient Export all Textures to save ALL textures. Read in this file to edit textures.

3. Use the Export all Sprites command to save only the Sprite graphics to a file. Read in this file to edit sprites.

4. Use the Export all Flats command to save only the floor and ceiling graphics to a file. Read in this file to edit Flats.

5. Use the Export Lump to a PWAD to save any graphic by itself. Read in this file and then modify only that graphic.

 

Sprites and Textures are stored in the same internal format. This means that you can copy and paste sprites on a wall texture.

 

Flats are not stored the same way as textures. You should work on one or the other and not have both types loaded at the same time to avoid confusion.

 

FLAT note : In HEXEN we noticed 2 flats that are twice as large as they should be: X_0001 through X_0011. This is probably a mistake, but we didn't have time to test all combinations. It looks like changes work OK and the excess is ignored.

 

DRAWing Mode

 

DeePsea automatically presents you with a list of all the LUMP names that were found in external PWAD files. If there are no names loaded, use Open Texture/Flat and load one. If you have no external PWAD files with graphics, select one of the Export options and make one.

 

There are 6 functions available:

 

1. Edit (Draw on a Graphic described in detail below)

2. Zoom In / Out Provides preview Zoom control before you select Edit.

3. BMP/PCX to PWAD Directly convert a BMP or PCX to a PWAD. The maximum image size is 1024 x 255.

4. New Blank Texture Create an empty texture of the size desired and then use cut/paste, import and draw to create new textures. You can also make a blank FLAT, however, if you want to use this as a blank model, you need to add FF_START in front of the FLAT and FF_END after the FLAT name.

5. Change Size This is a powerful command to instantly resize any texture patch lump. If you resize a patch, please you may have to change the TEXTURE name patch definition(s) to match your new patch size. You can tell right away if you need to do this, since DOOM will give R_GenerateLookUp error if the patch no longer covers the area. If the patch size in increased, you may not see all of the patch if the texture size has not been expanded.

 

 

Edit (How to Draw on a Graphic)

Scroll to the texture/flat desired and select Edit. This is the drawing mode.

 

You should be careful and select only graphic LUMPS. DeePsea will attempt to determine if the graphic is legitimate, but it's possible that it is wrong! Note : To find the actual Lump names of textures, select the Texture Composite Viewer.

 

You can change the zoom while you are drawing a texture by pressing the + key to increase the magnification and the - key to decrease.

 

The browsing mode also lets you zoom the graphics. The maximum zoom is 10, however, the image zoom size varies in different screen resolutions.

 

You may want to experiment which resolution works best for your monitor and eyes.

 

If the graphic is not a type supported, DeePsea issues a message stating that it is not a graphic. Keep going till you get to a real graphic.

 

If the LUMP is really not a graphic, but DeePsea thinks it is, you will probably hang the program. You may get an error message, but don't be surprised if you crash.

 

Select a graphic to edit by pressing Enter or Left click on the name in the top box.

 

The four tool modes

 

There are four tool modes selected by pressing the buttons on the left side of the screen.

 

1. Paste Select mode draws a rectangle select box around a graphic area you want to copy. Press the left mouse button and move the mouse to size it correctly.

 

When you release the Left mouse button, the graphic is placed in the drawing clipboard.

 

Move the mouse to position the clipboard image. Left click again to make it permanent.

 

To cancel Press the Right mouse button or press any key.

 

See the command list Graphics Editor Keys for the list of keyboard commands.

 

Use Ctrl+V to repeat and paste the clipboard graphic again. Repeat the earlier steps.

 

The image remains in the clipboard until you exit graphic drawing mode or clip a new image.

 

Shrink notes

 

The \ shrink command reduces the size of the paste buffer. This works best if you set the working magnification of the destination image one (1) before you finish the paste. To do this, just quit the paste command, reduce the size and then press Ctrl+V to pick up the current paste buffer again. Real simple.

 

The shrink \ key reduces the existing paste image by 1/2 in each direction. If you read the image in at 3X, then the resulting image is 3/2 the size (or 1.5). Reduce the main image back to 1 and then paste for best results. If you paste at the current resolution, let's say 3, then you will loose pixels, since the paste buffer has more precision than the main image.

 

Paste Transparency notes

 

See the discussion below for exactly what transparency is. This note is to discuss how the paste command works with transparent colors.

 

If you have the transparent color selected as your drawing color, the complete image is always pasted on top of any existing data.

 

If your drawing color is not transparent, then any areas of the image that contain your current transparent color are NOT pasted (

 

However, if your whole paste image is made up of the transparent color, then the image is pasted on top of any data as before. This makes is easy to create transparent lines or holes.

 

 

The next 3 commands are toggles using the Tool Window.

 

2. Freehand mode (Free) draws continuous lines from the time you press the Left mouse button till the time you release the Left mouse button, filling in all gaps in-between.

 

3. Dot mode (Dots) draw a dot at a time and if you move the cursor fast, you will get gaps in-between. This is best for selectively changing a pixel here and there.

 

4. Line mode (Line) draws a straight line from one left click to the next left click. This is best for drawing a line from one point to another.

 

Select the mode suited to what type of work you are doing.

 

Importing a BMP or PCX Graphic

 

Note: Use BMP/PCX to PWAD to convert directly to a usable format.

 

You can place an image into the paste buffer by pressing the Import button (or pressing the I key).

 

This image can be pasted on top of the graphic displayed in the same manner as described for paste above.

 

All PCX files are translated to match the current palette. If the palette does not match the current game, the colors sometimes do not display exactly as in the original. This is a byproduct of color matching.

 

Note : Please see ColorMatching for controlling the palette matching process.

 

Press T or press the AutoCVT button to toggle palette translation. This lets you view the texture in the palette it was designed with. Use the Export BMP or PCX command to create a graphic a paint program will match exactly.

 

NOTE: The current magnification used to display the graphic is also used to scale the imported graphic. If you switch to a new graphic, make sure the magnification matches the setting when the graphic was imported. (Same comments apply as were discussed under the shrink command.)

 

Pixel transparency guidelines

 

Pixels can be draw on any area of the graphic. Areas of a graphic that do not contain any data may or may not contain data! Let me explain. Areas that show up as magenta are normally transparent. The metal grates are a common example. Sometimes, a magenta color is actually data. DeePsea warns you when the current transparent color matches a color you selected for drawing.

 

The transparent color is for your information only. DOOM does not actually have a transparent color, DeePsea just uses the color to show you where the holes are. -AND- this is the color chosen to put transparent areas in the texture when DeePsea converts it to the DOOM format. In other words, in all the places where the transparent color is displayed, you will be able to see through the texture at that location when viewed in the game.

 

Once you draw over a transparent area or create a transparent area by drawing with the transparent color, you can no longer save the texture back into the file. This is because the texture no longer has the same internal structure. DeePsea recalculates the texture when you saves it in a new file using SaveAs.

 

You can recombine a SaveAs texture back into a grouped texture PWAD by reading in the original grouped texture PWAD first and then all replacement textures. Then use the Save and Group command in the File menu to make it one complete texture PWAD again, now containing your new textures also.

 

How to quickly make an area transparent

 

When you import BMP or PCX images, you need a transparent color to denote the see-through area. One easy way to accomplish this is select New Blank Texture from the prior menu. Then select this texture as the texture to Edit. Now make your changes to this texture. Any areas you do not put anything on top off are transparent.

 

After you get done pasting/importing and drawing, when you save the image, DeePsea will request a new file name since the image is recalculated for the DOOM conventions.

 

Pixel undo limit

 

You can Undo up to 20,000 pixels at a time. When the limit is reached, the first 4000 pixel changes are lost.

Save your work to reset the undo buffer.

 

Some more drawing tidbits

 

You can take sprites and paste them onto any wall or make a wall comprised of all sprites. Imagine a wall full of CacoDemons coming at you!

 

This is all very easy to do. Remember, DeeP's graphic tool works with any graphic that is stored in the same format as textures. Sprites (as well as a number of other graphics-see view all graphics) are the stored the same as textures.

 

On top of that, you can make your own BMP/PCX graphics, just be sure to match the palette as noted.

 

1. Go to Graphics Drawing in the Edit menu (this of course)

2. Select Export Lump and select a big graphic to use as a framework of your favorite monster(s).

2. Save this texture lump in a PWAD (see note).

3. Now choose your monster.

4. Save this sprite lump in a PWAD (see note).

5. Now Open both files.

7. Now select DRAWing select the wall texture and enter Edit and zoom up a bit (press +).

8. Select Import Direct.

9. Move the monster graphic into position. Left click to paste the monster.

10. Repeat moving and left clicking to make more copies on the same texture.

11. Save (or SaveAs) to save your modified Wall!

 

Note : See earlier discussion about other options.

 

If you change Zoom sizes from the size of the image in the graphic buffer, you can change the scaling of the image on the wall. Experiment to see what happens!

 

Note : Sometimes the colors mess up, most likely this is due to video driver glitches, since one machine may do it and not the next (with a different video card). This is especially true running some other programs (like Word with graphics or ZDOOM 1.2x). You may have to reboot to fix it, although selecting the display settings and switching it back and forth fixes it. The help system or dragging dialogs around may also cause display glitches. If anyone has further information on the cause(s), please forward it to deep@sbsoftware.com.