Experimental BBS Explossion 3/Experimental BBS Explossion III.iso/games/dmaped21.zip/DMAPEDIT.DOC

Text File | 1994-04-05 | 37KB | 846 lines

                DMapEdit v2.1 - a doom map editor!

-------------

DMapEdit is my trademark
Doom is a trademark of id Software Inc.
Vesa.bgi is copyright (C) 1991 Jordan Hargraphix
UniVesa - Universal VESA TSR is copyright (C) 1993 Kendall Bennett.
Ms-window is a trademark of Microsoft

Copyright (C) 1994 Jason Hoffoss.  All rights reserved.

You may freely distribute this program, as long as it is distributed
intact (all 8 original files) and unmodified.  You may not sell this
program, for profit or any other purpose.

This Editor is not a product of id Software and id Software cannot and
will not provide support it, nor for maps created with it, nor for DOOM
itself if you modify the DOOM.WAD (IWAD) file.

-------------

Welcome to DMapEdit.  DMapEdit is a true, full-featured map editor, and
not just a thing editor.  DMapEdit can now generate Nodes, Sectors and
Blockmaps.

I've decided to make this product shareware.  Therefore, this is the
shareware 'demo' version.  The registered version can be obtained from
me by sending a $5 check, money order or whatever to my address.

My address is:

        Jason Hoffoss
        10321 110th st. N.
        Stillwater, MN  55082

When later versions become available, I will distribute patch files
electronically through the Internet and Bulletin Board systems.  If you
can't get the patches through these methods, you can register for $10
and I will send you the next 2 upgrades by postal mail.  If you want me
to send it by some special method (Express Overnight or whatever), then
make sure you send me enough money to cover such mailing methods.  I
will send it to your e-mail account, if you wish.  Be sure to tell me so
if that what you want, since I will assume normal postal mail.  And
hey, send me a letter if you want.  Tell me you love/hate this editor,
or whatever.  I don't have unlimited ideas, and many improvements and
idea for DMapEdit come from the users.  Tell me how to make it better
for you!  E-Mail can be send to me on these BBSs:

        The Death Cookie: [phone] (In wildcat part)
        The Express Lane: [phone] or 422-1585

At the moment, I beleive I have an Internet account, but I don't yet
know what the password for my account is (it's being sent to me in the
(postal) mail).  The account is actually set up, though, so you should
all be able to send me mail there.  The address is [e-mail]
and I'll read it as soon as I get the password. (should have it next
week, April 4-8).

--------------------
New stuff since v2.0
--------------------

* Shareware version will allow you to save maps of limited size now.  A
   map such as E1M1 is too big.  In fact, all the original maps are too
   big.  This has been done so that people can test it out and verify
   that it does actually work (with the distrust of current node
   generations lately, I needed to provide this save ability)

* Bug fixes.  Ok, so I guess I didn't get all the bugs.  I planned to,
   but forgot to do so with everything else on my mind.  Sorry.  Got
   them now, though.  I'm sure this time, because unlike last time, I
   fixed them before I am writting this. :)

* Ability to flip lines now, (and flip line & sidedefs).  Because of
   dooms pickyness with a sidedef on the right side, you can do this.  I
   really don't think it will be needed anymore, though.  DMapEdit will
   automatically handle these problems for you, but in case I'm wrong (I
   didn't write Doom, so I can't be sure what will and will not cause
   problems), this options is here.

Note: Be sure to line error-check any map from other editors or previous
      versions of DMapEdit.  Can't hurt anything, and it will fix any
      minor problems a map may have.  (such as a map causing doom to
      hang or reboot when it loads the map, which happened to me, and
      thus I was able to fix DMapEdit to repair them)

--------------------
New stuff since v1.1
--------------------

* Fix of all know bugs!  If there's still any around, then let me know,
   since I can only fix bugs I know about, and if there still are any
   in there, I don't know about them.

* Sector edit mode has been improved.  You can add/delete sectors with
   the proper add/delete mouse buttons (or ins/del keys).  There is also
   a sector blend/copy function now (requested by Rod McCabe, in the
   first postal letter I have received of 2 total to date :)  For
   information about this function, see below under 'sector editing'.

* A new misc/advanced functions menu (F9 key), with several options:

  * Error checking options:  Use these to check over a new map to
     identify any errors that might exist (and fix some of them).  If
     you get a new PWAD from somewhere, you should error check it before
     you start messing around with it in DMapEdit.  Strange thing might
     happen if you start editing a map with errors.

  * Line Fixer:  This option will correct any errors or inconsistancies
     it detects with the lines/sidedefs.  It may change things that
     are meant to be the way they are (the less common special effect
     type things), so it should probably be used mainly for a major
     overhaul, or to setup sidedefs for a new map that you have laid out
     the lines for (easier than doing it by hand!)

  * Sector generator:  This options will reconstruct, from scratch, all
     the sectors.  This should really only be used for a major overhaul,
     or on a new map without any sectors yet, since any existing sector
     information will be lost, replaced with a standard sector definition.

  * Fix sectors:  Not yet available, this will attempt to correct any
     problems with existing sectors, and create new sectors in any
     empty polygons.  The result will be pretty much the same as with
     the sector generator, except the current sector info will not be
     trashed, but incorperated.

  * Node generator:  Before a new or line changed map can be played, a
     node structure must be generated.  That is what this option will
     do.  I have fixed all the bugs in it, and tested it out on several
     maps, and it has worked fine on them all.

  * Blockmap generator: When you complete a new map, or finish changing
     an existing map around, the last two steps are to create a Node BSP
     tree, and a blockmap, before you can play it.  The blockmap
     generator works flawlessly, but the node generator..you know..

* Working PWAD/datafile name and editing mode is now displayed at the
   bottom of the screen.

* Picklist now is scrollable in 2 directions.  The old selection is also
   in the middle of the displayed list now, instead of the top. (for
   example, the current thing is an ammo clip, and you select picklist,
   then the ammo clip will be in the center of the displayed list).

----------------
Future expansion
----------------

What can you expect from future versions of DMapEdit?  I plan to add in
the rest of the routines that are currently not available in the
advanced/misc options menu.

I plan to add texture picklists, to help you decide what textures to use
where.  It should be much faster than DEU's texture displaying routines,
too.  I'm not sure how he got it to be as slow as he did..

I plan to add template support, so you can add standardized wall
formations (doors, columns, staircase, etc.) easily, without having to
make them all yourself.

I plan to add help information to explain whatever you are dealing with
at any perticular time.  Thus, if you come across something you don't
understand, you can request help about it.

I plan to add 'ini' file support (a file that lists your default setting
for DMapEdit to use whenever you edit a map)

I plan to add the ability to mark items (an item being a thing, line,
sidedef, vertex or sector) and delete them as a group, change them all
as a group (for example, make all the sidedefs middle texture 'startan3'),
etc.  Because of the strong relation this has with templates, both will
be available at once.  Another way of thinking about this is the
cut/copy/paste options of a clipboard in ms-windows.  You will be able
to such things with marking.

And if anyone has any other great ideas for anything to put in, go ahead
and send me your ideas.  Just make sure you explain it good.  Try to be
specific.  Sometimes I just can't figure out what you mean when you
explain something to me.

------------
Introduction
------------

So, what all can you do with this editor?  Well, you can edit Things,
vertexes, lines and sectors.  You can also generate the internal
structures that doom needs to operate (Nodes, Sub Sectors, Segments and
a Blockmap).  You can edit (or just examine) existing maps (from doom,
or from PWADs created by other people), or make a new map from scratch
to play with doom.

Map making is rather a complex task.  There is a lot that goes into
making a map, and being able to just 'slap a few lines down, make the
nodes and run' really isn't possible.  All any editor really does is
make the task of creating maps easier, by doing a lot of the stuff for
you.  This can cut down on what the user is required to know, but there
will still be much that he/she will still need to know.  Furthermore,
the more you know about making maps, the better your maps will tend to
be.  My goal in writting DMapEdit is to make map generation as simple as
possible, while still having the potential to do everything you could
possible want to do.  Having the ability to do exactly what you want is
the main goal.  If you think you can't do something, you probably can,
but just don't know exactly how to go about it.  In such a case, read
through this file, and if you can't find it here, contact me and I will
help you.  Please check this file first, though.  If it's not in here,
and you need to contact me, I will add it to this file (correcting the
oversite).  At present, I feel that this editor is easier to use than
any other out there, while still being nearly equally powerful.  If you
disagree, and have ideas on how I can make it better (or can just point
out what some other editor does better), please let me know.

So, just what do all these technical terms mean?

Things:

   Things are all objects in the game, such as barrels, dead bodies,
guns, ammo, monsters, player starting points, etc.  Walls, doors,
elevators, windows, etc are not objects.  They are lines..

Lines:

   Lines are straight line segments from one point to another.  They are
usually walls, or semi-walls, but not always.  Sometimes they represent
the edge of a lighted area, or a trigger to activate something elsewhere
when crossed by a player.  A line is always present where ceiling or
floor heights change, such as stairs, windows, etc.

Vertexes:

   All lines run between 2 vertexes.  A vertexes is simply a point.

Sidedefs:

   All lines have 2 sides to them, a left and a right side (even though
they have no width).  A sidedef determines what you will see when you
look at the line from that side.   It also tells the sector it's facing.

Sectors:

   A sector is the open area between the (lines).  You can think
of this as a room, too.  Sectors describe the floor and ceiling
heights and textures, and the lighting conditions of the space.  Anytime
any of these characteristics changes, a new sector must be created
for it to describe it.  All sectors must form a closed polygon, and the
"outside" area of a map can't be a sector.

Blockmap:

   This is an internal structure that Doom uses to detect wall
collisions.  Once you make a new map, a blockmap must be generated
before it can be played.

Nodes:

   This is another internal structure (a Binary Space Partition tree) used
by Doom to figure out what walls are behind what walls, so it knows it
doesn't have to draw them.  I have no idea how anyone could use such a
structure for this purpose, but Doom does seem to work.. :)

Segments:

   A segment is simply a piece of a line (because nodelines often cut a
line).  This is also internal, and something you don't need to worry about.

Sub Sectors:

   Again, an internal structure of a piece of a sector, in the shape of
a convex polygon (less then or equal to 180 degrees bend between all lines,
measured on the inside of the shape).

PWAD:

   A PWAD (also known as a 'working wad file'), is a collection of data
files all combined into one file, with extention WAD.  The file DOOM.WAD
is an IWAD file, however.  IWAD probably stands for Initial WAD, while
PWAD stands for Patched WAD.  The first 4 bytes of a WAD file will be
IWAD or PWAD, thus identifying it's WAD type.  Basically, when you play
doom with a PWAD file, it will try to get any data it need from the
PWAD, and if it can't find it, it will then load it from the IWAD.

E1M1:

   This is just map notation for the episode and mission numbers.
(episode 1, mission 1 in this case).  This happens to be the way a
header looks in the wad file, and is just an abbriviation, really.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, running this program is pretty easy.  All the files that DMapEdit
comes with should all be in the same place.  You can run it without it
being in the current directory, if you wish.  If Doom.wad or Doom1.wad
isn't in the current directory, you will need to tell DMapEdit where it
can find this file.  This is done by giving the path to it as the first
command line parameter, like so:

dmapedit \doom

  or

c:\wherever\it\is\dmapedit c:\and\doom\is\here\

Dmapedit defaults to VESA SVGA 640x480x256 colors.  If you don't have a
VESA card but you do have SVGA, run univesa to create a VESA interface
for your card.  If you don't even have SVGA, why not?  A 386+ without a
SVGA card?  If you want to use a different graphics interface, or
resolution, read about the -v switch at the end of this file.

Once the program is up and running, you should see a map of episode 1,
mission 1.  The program defaults to thing edit mode at startup.  At this
point, you can move things around by pressing the left mouse button on a
thing and dragging it to it's new location.  Pressing the left mouse
button while not on a thing will add a new thing (using the defaults)
and placing it when you releast the button.  The right mouse button is
used to delete a thing.  The middle button (if you have one) is used to
change the information about a thing, or the default thing if you are
not on a thing at the time you press the button.  This is the standard
mouse interface I use for this program, and editing vertexes and lines
works the same way.

---------------------------
How do I play a map I made?
---------------------------

Once you have made a map, you must save it to a PWAD file.  Then you
start doom from dos like so:

doom -file pwad1.wad [pwad2.wad] [pwad3.wad] [...]

In this example, you would have saved your PWAD with the name 'pwad1'.
If you used the name 'new', you would type:

doom -file new.wad

Another thing to note about the first example, you can use more than one
PWAD file at once.  This would be done for files that have different
information in them.  If they both use the same information (like both
having E1M1 in them), you probably shouldn't do it this way, and really
don't have any reason to.  You would use this for something like pwad1
having E1M1, pwad2 having E1M2, and pwad3 having new sound effects.  (by
the way, files is [] are optional, if you havn't figure this out yet.
You wouldn't actually type the '[' or ']')

----------------

These are all the keyboard commands:

(global commands - available in all edit modes)

         ?: display key commands

Arrow keys,
 home, end,
   page up,
 page down: These keys will scroll the map around..

         +: zoom in

         -: zoom out

     alt-q,
     alt-x,
       esc: quit and exit editor

       ins: add (same as left mouse)

       del: delete (same as right mouse button)

     space: change/edit (same as middle mouse button)

     1 - 5: change displayed vertex point size

         0: turn off vertex point display

         t: change displayed things icon size: big, small, off (see note1)

         \: change displayed lines size (thickness)

        F1: select thing edit mode

        F2: select vertex edit mode

        F3: select line edit mode

        F4: select sector edit mode

        F9: misc/advanced options (build nodes, error check, etc)

         s: save map to a data file

         l: load map from a data file

     alt-s: save map to a working WAD file (PWAD)

     alt-l: load map from a working WAD file (PWAD)

     alt-w: write map to original Doom WAD file

     alt-r: reload map from original Doom WAD file

         c: change episode and mission

         m: change thing display filter (see below)

         r: change roundoff level: 1, 8, 16 (default), 32. (see note2)

         g: change grid display intensity level

         n: start a new map from scratch (erase currently displayed map)

         z: show current statistics (totals, and memory usage)

Note1: Thing icons can't be turned off while in thing edit mode.

Note2: This is used to round off all map coordinates, so things can be
       placed with a more symetrical feel.

(Thing edit mode)

     enter: Copy selected Thing to default Thing

(Line edit mode)

         f: flip line (swap left and right sides.  see note3)

     alt-f: flip line and sidedefs (see note3)

Note3: In actuality, the sidedefs are swapped too, so that they seem to
       be where they were before.  In other words, since the left side
       of the line is now the right side, (and the sidedef hasn't been
       swapped yet) it will look like, from the users perspective, that
       the sidedef switched sides, though it didn't really.  Thus, alt-f
       will not swap the sidedefs, but only the vertexes it runs between.

(Inside of a window)

     enter: same as clicking big button (if only one.  see note4)

     alt-q,
     alt-x,
       esc: exit out of window (same as clicking outside window.  see note5)

   page-up,
 page-down: in windows with 2-way scroll buttons, scrolls list

Note4: A big button is one with a work inside of it.  The smaller round
       buttons are called 'radio buttons'

Note5: Escaping out of a window really isn't a 'cancel' operation, but
       rather just an 'exit the window' operation, like an 'ok' button
       to proceed on a mac or in ms-window (tm).  It will not cancel
       changes you have made in the window.

--------------------
Thing display filter
--------------------

Things are not always on every difficulty level.  Generally, harder
difficulty levels tend to have more monsters running around.  The thing
display filter is to allow you to display only what you want to display,
such as only level 1 things.  Using this filter is a little tricky,
however.

There are 5 different flags used by all things in doom:

        flag 1: skill level 1 & 2
        flag 2: skill level 3
        flag 3: skill level 4 & 5
        flag 4: deathmatch mode
        flag 5: deaf monster

Skill level 1 being "don't hurt me" and 5 being "Nightmare".  If a skill
level flag is set, then this thing will appear to a player playing on
that skill level.  If the deathmatch mode flag is set, then this thing
will only appear when playing a deathmatch mode game.  Note that this
flag is in addition to the skill level flag.  If you just set the
deathmatch mode flag and leave all three skill level flags cleared, then
the thing will never appear in any deathmatch mode game.

The deaf monster flag is only useful with monsters.  If it is set, then
monster will only "activate" (come alive) upon spoting a player or being
attacked.  If the monster isn't deaf, then it will also "activate" whenever
it hears a players weapon being used (even punching air will do it).

There are 2 switches for each of these flags in the filter.  There are a
total of 4 possible combinations for these 2 switches.  The first switch
is used as a matching state.  The second switch is set if you want to
force the first switch to match a flag exactly.  This may be confusing,
so I will detail the 4 possible switch combinations..

Combination 1: both switches off (O O)

With this combination, the flag is ignored and not displayed.  If all 4
flags have this combination, nothing will be displayed.

Combination 2: first switch on, second off (* O)

This will display the thing if the flag is set.  If the flag isn't
set, the thing may still be displayed if another flag with this
combination is set.  This is a basic OR situation between flags.

Combination 3: first switch off, second on (O *)

For a thing to be displayed with this combination, the flag must be
off.  If the flag is on, the thing will not be displayed, regardless of
the other flag settings.  This is used to hide what you don't want
displayed.

combination 4: both switches on (* *)

With this combination, similar to combination 3, the flag must be on to
display this thing.  Unlike combination 2, a thing will not be displayed
if the flag is off, period.  Other flags have no effect on it.

Common filter settings:

        O = off, * = on


Display level 1 & 2 things:

Skill level 1 & 2: * O
    Skill level 3: O O
    Skill level 4: O O
  Deathmatch mode: O O


Display only level 4 things, non-deathmatch mode:

Skill level 1 & 2: O O
    Skill level 3: O O
    Skill level 4: * O
  Deathmatch mode: O *


Display all things:

Skill level 1 & 2: * O
    Skill level 3: * O
    Skill level 4: * O
  Deathmatch mode: * O


Display only Deathmatch mode things:

Skill level 1 & 2: O *
    Skill level 3: O *
    Skill level 4: O *
  Deathmatch mode: * O

Display only things unique to level 4:

Skill level 1 & 2: O *
    Skill level 3: O *
    Skill level 4: * O
  Deathmatch mode: O O

Personal note: I think it would be an excellent idea for id to have made
another flag for 'respawn'.  This way you could make certain monsters
respawn (appearing at their original starting location), instead of
either all monster respawn or none.  It would also avoid such things
as a second cyber-demon appearing, which really ruins the whole idea
behind having respawn in the first place.  You could also have different
amounts of monsters respawn at different difficulty levels. (for
example, 5 at ultra-violence and 15 at nightmare).  I can't beleive that
adding this would be very hard programming-wise.  You have a bunch of
empty flags, you have already written the respawn routines..  Wish I
knew how to get this idea to id <sigh>.

-------------
Thing editing
-------------

Editing things is very easy.  If you want to move a thing to somewhere
else on the map, just click on it with the left mouse button, and drag
it to it's new location while holding the button down.  To delete
something from the map, click on it with the right mouse button.  And,
to add a new thing to the map, click the left mouse button while the
mouse isn't on a thing.  (it will be placed when you release the button,
so you can drag it around too.)  You can tell if you are on a thing by a
box around the thing.  If you see this box around it, then that is the
thing currently selected.  Information about this currently selected
thing is displayed at the top of the screen.

To change the currently selected thing, press the middle button (or the
spacebar).  This will bring up all information about the thing.  To
change any of this information, simply select the proper button.  If you
press the middle button (or the spacebar) while a thing isn't selected,
then you can change the default thing's information.  The default thing
is used whenever you add a new thing to the map.  Lastly, pressing the
Enter key will scan the selected thing's information into the default
thing.

------------
Line editing
------------

I have tried to make the line editing mode as useful and intuative as
possible.  I have also tried to put as many abilities in this one mode
as I could.  As a result, you shouldn't need to use vertex edit mode
very much, if at all.  To use this mode effectively, however, you need
to know how to use it properly.  So, here goes..

When you move the mouse cursor around the screen, it will lock onto the
closest line, and the closest vertex, if it's not too far away.  If you
have a line selected, you can use the spacebar (middle mouse button) to
edit that line's characteristics, and it's sidedefs.  Also, when a line
is selected, information about it is displayed at the top of the screen.
Sidedef info is also displayed.  Each line has 2 sidedefs (or possible
sidedefs, anyway), a left sidedef and a right sidedef.  Whichever side
of the line the mouse cursor is on is the sidedef that is displayed.
When editing the selected line, a small dot will mark this sidedef as
well.

Note: When a linedef that triggers an event is hilighted, the effected
      sector(s) are also hilighted, using a dotted lines.

Adding a line (left mouse button):

A line is added by pressing the left mouse button at the starting point,
and releasing the button at the ending point.  Pressing the button when a
vertex is selected (hilighted) will start the line at this vertex.  If a
vertex is not selected, a new vertex is added, and becomes the starting
point for the line.  Releasing the button when a second vertex is
selected will make that vertex the ending point.  Otherwise, a vertex is
added and is used for the ending point.

One last possible situation is having a line selected, but not a
vertex.  When you press the left mouse button here, a vertex is added,
spliting the line into two parts.

Deleting a line (right mouse button):

Simply select the line you wish to delete, and press the button.  Doing
this will leave a gap where the line was.  If you use the vertex edit
mode to delete a vertex, it will reroute all the line that went to that
vertex to the closest vertex along that vertexes lines (deleting a line
in the process).

Please note that lines may switch sides from time to time.  This is
because Doom is very picky about having the 'important sidedef' on the
right side.  This means that if you only have one sidedef, it must be on
the right side, so DMapEdit will flip the line around if needed to make
it so.  Also, if a line has two sidedefs, and only one sidedef has any
textures, it must be on the right side.  Again, DMapEdit will make this
so.  You don't have to worry about these details, just edit your map
however you want to, and DMapEdit will make these changes as needed.

--------------
Sector editing
--------------

Once you have all your lines in place, all forming closed polygon
shapes, you need to make sectors.  Any location (polygon) a player or
monster is allowed to be in needs to be a sector.  A sector definition
tells doom what heights the floor and ceiling is at for the polygon, as
well as how much light there is there.  If you are making a new map, and
have put in all the lines, but have done nothing with the sectors yet,
select "generate sectors" from the advanced options menu.  This will
examine your map and automatically assign a sector to every polygon that
needs one. (be sure your lines are set up correctly, however.  Use "fix
lines" or "error check lines" first)  Then, you can simply edit the
various sectors to your liking.

Sector edit mode is selected with the F4 key.  In this mode, the mouse
will hilight whatever sector the mouse is in (if the sectors aren't
damaged).  Information about the sector is displayed at the top of the
screen.  The spacebar or middle mouse button will let you edit this
sector information.

Note: When you hilight a sector that is triggered with a linedef(s), the
      linedef(s) will be hilighted too, using a dotted line.

If you want to make a new sector where there currently isn't one
(no lines hilight), or want to fix a damaged sector (only some lines
hilight), simply press the left mouse button (or insert key) to create a
new sector there.  It will remove whatever sector(s) were there, if
any.  The sector will have the characteristics of whatever sector most
of the lines seemed to be linked to.  If it was totally empty, it will
assume the standard sector definition.

If you want to remove a sector (making a pillar solid, for example, so a
player can't be inside it) simply press the left mouse button (or delete
key) while the sector is hilighted.  If a sector is damaged for some
reason, you should remake it first (left mouse button) and then remove it.

In order for a player or monster to fit inside the sector, there must be
a different of 7 between the floor and the ceiling.  This is the
minimum.  A difference of 6 will make it impossable to enter the sector.
Also, a floor height difference of 3 can be climbed, but a difference of
4 is too high a step to climb.  The player can fall down a step of any
height.

Another option available in sector edit mode is the blend/copy
function.  You press "B" while in sector edit mode to get the blend/copy
setup screen.  Information from the hilighted sector is used to fill in
information on this screen.  You can change the initial sector
information to be used, though, on this screen.  You will also see
adjustment factors to the right.  This is how much it will change the
initial values by each time.  For example, having a floor height of 4,
and an adjustment factor of +2 will make the first sector floor height
4, the next 6, the next 8, etc..  Using an adjustment factor of zero
will basically perform a copy operation (the initial value never
changes).  This can be useful to set a bunch of sectors to one light
value, or ceiling height, or whatever.  If you select the button that's
already on, you will turn it off, so that no adjustment factor is
selected.  When you do this, this Sector characteristic is ignored, and
thus not changed when you blend/copy.  This can let you change only the
floor heights, for example, and not the light or ceiling levels.  Or,
you can simple change the ceiling to the sky texture for a group of
sectors without changing anything else about the sectors.  As you can
see, this can be quite handy.

Once you have the setup set properly, select the Engage button.  You
will now be in blend mode.  The top line will display what values you
are currently at.  To set a sector to these values, simply click on the
sector, and the sector will be updated.  This will also adjust each
value by it's adjustment factor, and you are now ready to update the
next sector.  This is very useful for making stairs.  Simply click on
each stair, in order, until you are done.  To get out of blend mode,
simply press escape, or the right mouse button (or delete key).  To get
back to the blend mode setup screen, press "B" again, or the middle
mouse button (or spacebar).

--------------
Map generation
--------------

Map generation starts with putting vertexes and lines where you want
them.  This lays the foundation for everything else.  Once all the lines
are in place, you need to make sidedefs for these lines (unless you do
so along the way while you are creating the lines).  The easiest way to
do this is to select the "Fix Lines" options from the advanced options
menu (F9).  If you already have sidedefs setup, then you should at least
error check the lines, just to make sure it's all ok.  Once this is
done, you need to make all the Sectors.  If you have all the sidedefs
where you need them, you can use the "Generate Sectors" option from the
advanced options menu.  This will put make sectors for every polygon on
the map.  Another method you can use is to simply enter sector edit mode
and add sectors manually to each polygon.  One advantage to this method
is that you don't need to have the sidedefs in place.  It will create
the sidedefs if it needs to for lines as it goes along.

At this point, you have the vertexes, lines, sidedefs, and sectors all
created.  However, they are all most likely set to standard values
(walls are all brown1 texture, sectors are all the same heights and
textures, etc), so you will need to go in and set them to the values
you want them to be at.  By the way, Things can be added at any time
along the process of making a new map.  It's usually better to do so
after the lines are drawn, though, so you know where to put them, but
you are the boss.

When you have everything set the way you want it, it's time to generate
Nodes, and a Blockmap.  Making a Blockmap is fairly quick, so you might
want to do this first.  I also recommend you save your map before you
generate these two structure.  In fact, I recomment you save your map
often!  Anyway, once you have made your Blockmap and Nodes, save your
map, and enjoy playing your new map!

Notes:

Maps must have all areas enclosed by lines, forming a polygon.  A map with
only 3 lines, for example, in an open ended box shape, isn't complete.
Keep in mind that a line doesn't have to be a wall.  Lines are required
anywhere you wish to:

        change floor or ceiling height
        change lines angle
        change wall, floor, or ceiling patterns
        change lighting
        change floor hurt-player damage

Also, every map should have a starting point for all four possible
players.  You should also have, minimum, 4 deathmatch mode starting
points.  And, of course, you should have an exit.

-----------
Misc. notes
-----------

Changing a map's episode and mission number:

   Suppose you want to change a map from E1M1 to E2M2.  How does one do
this?  Simple.  Just press 'C' to 'change map'.  Now, select the
episode/mission you want it to be.  Once you do this, just click outside
the window (or press Esc) and now your map has a new episode/mission
value.  At this point you can save it to a PWAD or whatever.  This can
be useful for taking several one-map PWADs and putting them all into one
big PWAD.

---------------------
Alternate video modes
---------------------

DMapEdit defaults to 640x480x256 colors, vesa svga.  If this is a
problem, you can try setting up another video mode and/or driver.  This
is all done with the -v switch.

dmapedit -v[driver,]mode

Driver: This data is optional.  With it, you can tell DMapEdit you want
to use another bgi driver, if you have one.  Be sure to use only a 256
color mode driver, as this program will not work with any other amount
of colors.  Also, 640x480 is the recommended minimum resolution.  Though
you can use lower resolutions (such as 320x200), doing so will have the
side effect of everything not fitting on the screen, and it will look
very stupid indeed.  If you can live with that, however, then knock
yourself out.

Mode: This is a number, from 0 to however many modes the driver selected
has.  With vesa.bgi, the following modes are available:

        0: 320x200 (VGA/MCGA)
        1: 640x400
        2: 640x480 (default)
        3: 800x600
        4: 1024x768

All modes are in 256 colors, since this is required for DMapEdit to work.

* vesa.bgi is copyright (c) 1991 Jordan Hargraphix.

------
Thanks
------

I'd just like to say thanx to the following people:

Paul Hagstrom: for being my internet contact for this product.  Now go
     try it out and see what it's like!

James Sterrett: For the first and so far only check I have received.
     Too bad more people haven't followed your example.

Alistair Brown: For finding that insanity-causing bug in the node
     generator.  I'm recovering quite nicely now..

Rod McCabe: For his letter and ideas.

Pierre Fournier: For tracking down that intermittent bug in the picklist
     so well for me.  I'd see it from time to time, but couldn't figure
     out how to re-create it, until Pierre came along.

id: For creating Doom in the first place.  Great game guys. :)