area.gifPrefab Menu Options (Rectangle, Stairs, Teleports)

 

Prefab Object Creation and Insertion

 

Basic Rectangle, Polygons, Lights, Windows, Teleports and Stairs are easy to make using the interactive prefab drawing Tool. These are made using the File Object menu, pressing F9, keyboard short cuts, right double clicking or using the Tool bar buttons.

 

The F9 menu items with the words (prefab) bring up a dialog from which you select object attributes, like size and textures. These objects are normally created inside of a sector. Press OK to active the prefab tool. The default wall has only 1 SideDef with textures when drawn inside an existing Room. The other objects (see below) have 1 or 2-sides depending on the type of object.

 

The F9 menu items with the words (direct) do not bring up a dialog and immediately activate the prefab tool selected. These objects have 1 SideDef when drawn outside a sector and are 2-sided with no textures when drawn inside an existing sector.

 

The dialog allows you to select the initial parameters for the Prefabs. After the prefab tool is activated, you can alter the dimensions originally chosen by pressing PageUp/Down, Home/End, Ins/Del depending on the object. Press F1 to see a list of the interactive commands available to shape the object.

 

Press the Left Mouse button to start drawing. Pressing the right mouse button will drag the object anywhere on the map (before they are formally committed). Press the Left mouse button again to accept the object as show. Then repeat or press the Right Mouse button to stop (or press Esc, Cancel, L, S, T or V ).

 

Press and hold the Right Mouse button to drag the Tool anywhere on the Map.

 

Definitions

 

A Room is outside a Sector and always represents a new area with 1-sided Linedefs.

An Object is inside a Sector and may represent a new area with 1 or 2-sided Linedefs depending on the object.

 

Room or Object creation is determined if you are inside or outside of a sector. So moving the prefab object around will automatically change the object type.

 

Teleports and Doors must be inside a sector to work.

 

No part of the created object may cross any existing lines. After the object is made you can Drag the object (hold the right mouse button) to the correct location and release the button to place it. However, it must stay within the boundary of the original sector or else the sector references may not match and this may result in Sector not Closed messages.

 

Some unusual shapes can result in sector not closed messages or can result in incorrect sector assignments in tool drawing modes. If you visually inspect the area and find no mistake, you're OK, it's just a byproduct of using integer arithmetic.

 

ROOM - Outside A Sector

 

Rectangle

 

If you used the (prefab) type, enter the beginning width and height (length) of the rectangle. After the selection is made, you enter interactive Rectangle drawing with the default values selected.

 

You can change them. Press the Left mouse button to accept the object and DeePsea automatically inserts the Vertices, LineDefs+SideDefs, and Sector where shown.

 

This is adding a rectangular room. You can modify the sector numbers and sides by selecting the LineDefs and pressing Ins. If you add a second side, then it becomes 2-sided. You are responsible for making the Sector references match up. That is, you have to match the Sector number of Sidedef2 to the other room you have to create around it (assuming that is what you have in mind).

 

Polygon (N-sided)

 

Enter the beginning number of sides and radius of the polygon. After the selection is made, you enter interactive Polygon drawing with the default values selected.

 

You can change them. Press the Left mouse button to accept the object and DeePsea automatically inserts the Vertices, LineDefs+SideDefs, and Sector where shown.

 

You can create anything from a triangle to a 64 sided polygon.

 

OBJECT - Inside A Sector

 

The following additional options are available for both Rectangle and Polygon (Pool value). A Plain Wall makes a 1-sided object, the rest are all 2-sided objects.

 

Plain Wall A wall or column

Sunken Pool A recessed floor area

Pedestal/Box A podium or a box

Light Box A pedestal hanging from the ceiling and a pedestal on the floor.

Wall Window A wall with a window slit.

Teleport Exit

Teleport Entrance

 

Teleport Entrance is a 64x64x8 pad with the LineDef type set to Teleport. In LineDef mode, connect all the LineDefs to a destination by setting the LineDef Sector tag number to a Teleport Entrance Sector.

 

Teleport Exit

 

A 64x64x8 pad with a Teleport Thing inserted. In Sector mode, connect using the LineDef tag number to a Teleport Exit LineDef.

 

HEXEN Teleports

 

HEXEN only: The Teleport Thing type 14, etc. use Tid instead of a Sector. Make the Thing Tid (tag id) the same as the LineDef Tid number. This connect the LineDef to the teleport location. You can have 4 different kind of teleport Thing destinations:

 

1. Normal teleport

2. Teleport glow

3. Map Spot

4. Map Spot with gravity

 

In addition, anything with a matching Tid is a legitimate teleport destination. This can make for some interesting stuff! For example, you can teleport to a monster. Normally, you should use the ones listed above, but moving enemies make for interesting teleports, eh?

 

In HEXEN, teleport Thing Tids determine the destination.

 

Depth/Height

 

The Depth/Height, sets how deep a pool is and how high a pedestal is. The maximum amount you can walk over is 24 (HEXEN can jump to 64). The same value is used to set the light box size and pedestal combo.

 

Ignore the Depth/Height for a Plain Wall (0) or Teleports. Teleports always start at 8. You should not go over 24 if you want to walk on top of them. Of course you can have ones you jump into from a higher level. In addition, make sure the teleports align on a 64x64 grid, otherwise the texture may not be what you wanted.

 

We suggest you make each of these objects in a sector, see what they look like and then modify the sector heights to see what you can do.

 

One nice effect is to make a Pool (fairly large, 512,512 and then insert a Pedestal inside of it. You can also insert Pedestal on top of Pedestal and you get a nice spire!

 

Insert a Rectangle

 

Same as outside a Sector, but the first SideDefs will be set to the Sector they are contained in. Think of this as inserting a rectangular pillar.

 

NOTE: If you made a Plain Wall (0), pressing Ins after inserting the rectangle creates a new Sector inside the rectangle and changes the walls to transparent. This makes it 2-sided.

 

Use this to define a new area inside a Sector if you don't you'll get Sector not Closed!

 

Insert a Polygon (N-sided)

 

Also the same as outside a Sector, but the first SideDefs are set to the Sector they are contained in. Think of this as inserting an N-sided pillar.

 

NOTE: If you made a Plain Wall (0), pressing Ins after inserting the polygon creates a new Sector inside the polygon and changes the walls to transparent.

 

This makes it 2-sided. You are responsible for making the Sector references match up.

 

Teleporter Pad Notes

 

After you make a Teleporter pad you must connect the Teleport to the appropriate LineDef(s) or Sector.

 

For HEXEN, you connect the LineDef Tid to the a teleport Thing with the same Tid as noted above.

 

(You don't have to use the pre-made pads to teleport, any LineDef/Sector combination can teleport, this is a quick way to do it all- the Lights also look nice!)

 

Teleport Exit

 

-- DOOM, HERETIC, STRIFE only --

 

a. Give destination Sector Tag.

b. Go to the destination Sector and give it a LineDef Tag that is the same Tag number you said the Sector Tag would be.

c. Place a teleport Thing in the sector where you will materialize (done automatically for you in Teleport Entrance).

 

-- HEXEN only --

 

a. Give destination Tid Number.

b. Go to the destination Sector and insert one of the teleport Things and assign a Tid that is the same Tid number you assigned to the Linedef.

c. Place a teleport Thing in the sector where you will materialize (done automatically for you in Teleport Entrance).

 

Teleport Entrance

 

a. Give source LineDef Tag.

b. Go to the source LineDef(s) and give it a Sector Tag that is the same Tag number you said the LineDef Tag would be.

 

Adjust the Sector heights and texture to suit your design.

 

Use the Pedestal feature to custom design your own pads.

 

Make a pedestal, don't raise it more than 24 above the floor, otherwise you can't step on it! (HEXEN can jump to 64).

 

Change the floor texture to the Teleport look (or anything you like).

 

Finish using the same stuff as in 1. above.

 

Stairs are Special

 

This discusses stairs created as a separate object. Making a stair from 2 LineDefs is different from what follows.

 

Stairs can be created inside or outside a Sector. If created outside a sector, the stair sides are 1-sided, otherwise they are 2-sided. If inside a sector, you need to complete the top step edge by connecting it the Sector desired. If outside a sector, add the required outside areas for each step end.

 

You can complete the connection of a stair to another sector by dragging the stair end on top of the LineDef you want it to connect to.

 

Another way is to switch to Vertex mode and place the last 2 vertexes on the LineDef desired and reply yes to the split LineDef message.

 

Verify that the stair end sector references are correct.

 

Note: Whenever you make more than 16 steps, be on the lookout for HOM errors for stock DOOM. You are creating a large number of 2-sided lines with varying Sector heights. It depends on the surroundings.

 

Insert a Door

 

Enter the width and height (length) of the Door and DeePsea automatically inserts the Vertices, LineDefs, SideDefs, and Sector at the current pointer location. Everything is made for a Door.

 

Drag the Door over where you want it (inside the SAME sector). Rotate it as required or drag the vertices. The easiest way to connect it to a hallway is to select the door ends and drag them on top of the hallway LineDef one at a time.

 

If everything is aligned on the grid then snap to grid helps you. If not, turn snap off.

 

Fix any missing textures as appropriate. This displays on the bottom panels as missing.

 

Please review Design and Shaping of Areas for more design information.