The "How do I..." Thread

[ChronoSeth]

It amazes me that you missed the same question on the previous page:

Translation

[Project_Hellbane]

Sorry, forgot to look back a page.

[NickPerrin]

Using KEYCONF, it's easy enough to add and default bind new actions to letter keys. However, I'm looking for a list (if it exists) that shows how to bind to all types of keys, like tab, caps lock, f#, and the MOUSE BUTTONS!

Any help with this appreciated - found some of it in old forum topics but not much.

EDIT: testing now using the same names as keys in the zdoom INI file. Will report back.
EDIT 2: not really working.

[deathstalker666]

I have started trying to monster frames, and am a beginner at this, so this may be a basic question, but...

I started by taking resources to practice with before trying to create my own (that will take some practice, I am learning just to code with slade to begin with). I have a character sprite that I took from a 1994 WAD and then converted all frames to a transparent background made from IrfanView. The enemy replaces the Demon in the original BAT, I am trying to convert it to Decorate. A-D are walking frames as far as I have seen (some idle at A?, I see a similar look in different wads that change the demon sprite). The sprite name is KNIG, then the last 2 numbers representing frame and rotation (is there a special way to designate rotation?).

I went to the demon states and used this bit of code -

Spawn:
SARG AB 10 A_Look
Loop

I assume AB means it is using the entire category, so I simply changed the sprite name as the frame numbers should be set up the same. -

Spawn:
KNIG AB 10 A_LOOK
Loop

Upon trying to start my game however, I get this error - R_INSTALLSPRITE: SPRITE KNIG frame 1 is missing rotations. As I have the 5 files to create 8 different rotations, I don't understand what they mean by missing rotations. Am I supposed to specify something more, or is there something to be added to the resources that is missing?

[jpalomo]

Using KEYCONF, it's easy enough to add and default bind new actions to letter keys. However, I'm looking for a list (if it exists) that shows how to bind to all types of keys, like tab, caps lock, f#, and the MOUSE BUTTONS!

Any help with this appreciated - found some of it in old forum topics but not much.

EDIT: testing now using the same names as keys in the zdoom INI file. Will report back.
EDIT 2: not really working.

I know that the mouse buttons are mouse1 (left click), mouse2 (right click), mouse3 (middle click), etc. Additional mouse keys will need some trial and error.

The space bar is space, caps lock is capslock, the function keys are f#, semicolon is ";" (with the quotes). Most of the other keys are exactly what they say on your keyboard.

[NickPerrin]

I know that the mouse buttons are mouse1 (left click), mouse2 (right click), mouse3 (middle click), etc. Additional mouse keys will need some trial and error.

As I said in my last post I had already tried those by using the ini file as a guide, but I thought I simply got their names wrong. Thanks to you confirming I didn't get them wrong though, I realized what the issue was. Unlike the action of binding keys yourself in-game, where you can bind two things to one key or replace a bound key to another action, using "bind (key)" in KEYCONF does not work if the key you choose is already bound to something else. It's "not as powerful" as binding something in-game.

So the mouse keys are usually off-limits only because everyone has already bound them to fire modes 1 & 2.

[Blue Shadow]

@deathstalker666: ZDoom Wiki is your friend.

[insightguy]

How do I make a block actor (For, ya know, blocking) that:

Can't deflect hit scans
Completely blocks any melee attacks and projectiles OR
(Preferably, but non necessarily due to possible limitations on the zdoom engine)
lessens the damage of melee attacks and projectiles

Anyone?

[Blox]

Best guess would be somehow making Master/Child work, and then spawn the actor quite frequently, and have it die when it enters the pain state.
In the pain state, make it do A_DamageMaster((WhateverMaxHealthItHas)-Health,"DamageType"), and you could probably emulate damage types by having it do different damage using custom pain states.

Problem is, however - that it'd damage you way more than it should if it gets hit by multiple things on the same tic.
And even then, this is the "best guess" I have.

[NickPerrin]

Can't deflect hit scans
Completely blocks any melee attacks and projectiles OR
(Preferably, but non necessarily due to possible limitations on the zdoom engine)
lessens the damage of melee attacks and projectiles

Give all your hitscan, melee, and projectiles unique Custom Damage Types

Make the melee and projectile damagetypes do very little or (less preferably you say) no damage to the blocking actor

Give the blocking actor a unique pain state for the melee and projectile damagetypes (if you require an animation that shows the attack being blocked)

You're done!

[Zombieguy]

How do I tell ZDoom where to spawn casings/shells? For example, if the shells spawned in the middle of the screen for the Super Shotgun, instead of spawning where they're supposed to, how would I go about telling ZDoom where to spawn the shells? NOTE: This is an example code, the code for these shells should work fine for the most part.

Spoiler:

Code: Select all • Expand view

ACTOR SHELLS
{
+MISSILE
-NOGRAVITY
-NOBLOCKMAP
-NOTELEPORT
+BOUNCEONACTORS
   
BOUNCETYPE "DOOM"
RADIUS 2
BOUNCESOUND "SND1090"
SPEED 5
MASS 5
SCALE 0.2
GRAVITY 1
BOUNCEFACTOR 0.6
   
STATES
{
SPAWN:
1034 AAAA 1 A_SpawnItemEx("bulletcasesmoke",0,0,0,random(0,0),random(0,0),0)
1034 BBBB 1 A_SpawnItemEx("bulletcasesmoke",0,0,0,random(0,0),random(0,0),0)
1034 CCCC 1 A_SpawnItemEx("bulletcasesmoke",0,0,0,random(0,0),random(0,0),0)
1034 DDDD 1 A_SpawnItemEx("bulletcasesmoke",0,0,0,random(0,0),random(0,0),0)       
1034 EEEE 1 A_SpawnItemEx("bulletcasesmoke",0,0,0,random(0,0),random(0,0),0)
1034 FFFF 1 A_SpawnItemEx("bulletcasesmoke",0,0,0,random(0,0),random(0,0),0)
1034 GGGG 1 A_SpawnItemEx("bulletcasesmoke",0,0,0,random(0,0),random(0,0),0)
1034 HHHH 1 A_SpawnItemEx("bulletcasesmoke",0,0,0,random(0,0),random(0,0),0)
LOOP
       
Death:
NULL A 0 A_Jump(250,2)
1034 A -1
1034 I -1
STOP
}}

Actor DOOMSSGSHELLS
{
Speed 10
PROJECTILE

+NOGRAVITY
+THRUACTORS
   
States
{
Spawn:
NULL A 0
Goto Death
       
Death:
NULL A 0 A_SpawnItemEx("shells",0,0,0,random(-1,-2),random(-1,-3),5)
Stop
}
}



[Enjay]

See those three parameters that you have set to 0,0,0 in the A_SpawnItemEx line for the DOOMSSGSHELLS actor? Those tell ZDoom where to spawn the new actor relative to the calling actor. So, mess with the numbers there. They relate to xoffset, yoffset and zoffset respectively.

[NickPerrin]

See those three parameters that you have set to 0,0,0 in the A_SpawnItemEx line for the DOOMSSGSHELLS actor? Those tell ZDoom where to spawn the new actor relative to the calling actor. So, mess with the numbers there. They relate to xoffset, yoffset and zoffset respectively.

And use the wiki entry for A_SpawnItemEx to get the full list of variables and the order they're supposed to appear in.

[deathstalker666]

@deathstalker666: ZDoom Wiki is your friend.

That just restated what I already did, maybe I should have been clearer in my designation of rotation question. I have named the files according to what those websites and others said - KNIGA1, KNIGA2A8, KNIGA3A7, KNIGA4A6, KNIGA5; same naming process for the B frame.

I am curious how to designate it in SLADE to say that have 8 frames, but the 3 middle ones are mirrored. The websites just say simply name it like I did, but the error still stands, even though I have the rotations in the style specified - R_INSTALLSPRITE: SPRITE KNIG frame 1 is missing rotations.

Spawn:
KNIG AB 10 A_LOOK
Loop

So it should take the A frames and the B frames and use it for spawning the enemy, but I am somehow missing rotations that I believe I have. All the frames are saved in a pk3 file under the sprites directory, and all are listed that I have mentioned.

[NickPerrin]

the error still stands, even though I have the rotations in the style specified - R_INSTALLSPRITE: SPRITE KNIG frame 1 is missing rotations.

Often these things are just simple spelling errors. Check that your eyes didn't trick you and you named all the rotations correctly.
Otherwise, it might help to post your pk3.