Making better Doom 2 model skins

[D2 Mod Player]

I have several major projects going on but get bored with them and need variety so I'm working on Doom now. My goal isn't as high as my main projects (which I will post a link for once I get a website going so everyone can play them when completed) but for right now it's still to have a better looking Doom then currently on any engine. I mainly just do graphics. I've previously used GzDoom and Doomsday but have all my enhancements setup on Vavoom because a friend was using this engine. I also have a nice graphics pack I compiled from previous packs on the internet that seem to no longer be available, so the pack currently is better then anything for Vavoom currently. I'm am going to make it even better once I start (I know how from previous projects).

What I want to know is how to get Vavoom to see a PNG file with the same name as an existing PCX file. The engine keeps wanting to read the PCX when I want PNG. I need PNG because that's what gives high quality graphics beyond for instance, the current skin for the baron. I want to enhance them all but will have to use another engine if I can't figure out how to get PNG's working instead of PCX's. PCX format seems to be limited in quality and the game engine crashes if I improve the skin or replace it with a full 32 bit skin regardless of skin resolution. Error that it needs 8 BPP (something like that) when it loads the baron model. I can currently only enhance the death frames because that skin happens to be PNG. There seems to be no rhythm or reason for using one format over the other, they seem to be random. This is a major problem. Does anybody know how to get the engine to read PNG's only? Help would be greatly appreciated and of course I'll share my work when done (and have my own website). I've looked at model definitions but they don't even mention file formats or even skin names. I think I'm missing something. I can't find any configuration files anywhere else that mention model skins.

[Janis Legzdinsh]

You need to change the name of the skin in MD2 file.

[D2 Mod Player]

OK thanks.
I never really opened an MD2 before. I've only done definitions in GzDoom.

Too bad I've already switched to Doomsday. It allows you to do it without editing the models. Anyway, I like their 3D models better anyway. After an hour I had a better looking Baron Demon. Today I redid all the flats, looking pretty cool. I should get a website within a 6 month time frame and I'll post it even if it's not Vavoom.

I call my main project Wolf 3D HD. More when I'm done. Uses yet another Doom source port using a TC that already exists that used a Wolf to Doom level converter as it's base. Anyway, will have multiple level sets ready to play as well as the originals. It will look way better than any Wolf4SDL stuff. That's the engine Wolf 3D fans use now for more ambitious projects. Mine started on NewWolf but it's limited. Playing Wolf 3D on a Doom engine makes the game 10 times as fun and it emulates the original quite well. It will look twice as good as the HD pack released for NewWolf last year, I've completely replaced most of them for better textures. I'm pretty excited about it but it's taken 6 months to get this far (mainly because I didn't have a clue when I started and developed skills and ideas as I went). It has ceiling and floor textures that reach 2000x2000. Not relaly overkill since it still runs ok on an older 512MB video card and you need high texture detail to make up for a lack of geometric complexity. Wolf 3D is still pretty square.

[Firebrand]

You can use some of the Doomsday models in Vavoom, but conversion is needed, since Doomsday used DMD as their main format (which is very similar to MD2 format, with a few additions). There's a md2converte to download at the Doomsday site, we'll have most of the hexen models from Doomsday converted to Vavoom at some time. Good luck with your project.

[D2 Mod Player]

That's really cool! I've always liked Heretic.

Good information. I recall there being a really ambitious project with either Hexen or Heretic somewhere and I don't even remember what engine.

You probably know about the very long project of creating whole new models for at least the monsters, but only one guy is working on it and it's going to take along time.