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by **Karnizero** » 18 Jan 2009 05:28

As I told here, i will explain how to create or modify a Doom Palette (this also works for Hexen, Heretic and Strife games).

Some modern Source Port users (for example an ugly guy called F*rebrand

) think that this is not useful, since the modern Source Ports can handle true color graphics without the need of a color palette.
Well, they are correct, modern SPs are "palette-indepedents", but also, knowing how to change/create a palette, will allow us new effects, in a couple steps, without coding, and keeping lot of time, for example:

-> Changing all original textures and sprites colors, without having to edit each of them.
-> Making special effects without scripting/coding, for example fog effect
-> Making certain game colors to be more bright/dimmer/reddish/blueish, etc...
-> Change the fade effects when player dies, picks up an item, receives damage, uses radiation suit, etc.., without coding.

If you want to keep a lot of time, and dont want to code for all those effects, the the Palette Editing is your friend.

Lets start.

Basics on Editing a Palette

1.- Materials: you will need the next programs:

a) Duum. Yes, only Doom. You dont need a source port. You can even use Doom on DosBox. You will get the same results. Buy it on the nearest shop.
b) A Lump editor, such as Slumped, XWE, Wintex, or any other. Im using Slumped. The lump editor is not for Palette editing, just for WAD manipulation.
c) Inkworks. This is an important program. I will explain what this is for. You can download it here: http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?id=4890. Thats only a couple KBs. Download and uncompress it to any directory.
d) The Gimp. This is a powerfull graphic editing program. This allows to change the colors from a palette. You can do much more things, but thats not important right now. You can download it from http://www.gimp.org.es/modules/mydownloads

Well, thats all.
Once you have all programs installed, you can continue.

2.- Editing a palette with GIMP:

It's suposed you have already installed The Gimp.

A palette, for Gimp, is a list of colors, defined as RGB colors.
Each list element defines the amount of Red, Green and Blue ink, of that color.
For example, the color RGB(255, 255, 0) is Yellow. The RGB(0,255, 255) is Cyan. And so on, to a total of 256 colors.
256 colors is the number of colors on Doom Palette. Other games can use more or less amount of colors. That depends on the engine.

Now, we go to the path "C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\.gimp-2.6" (or the gimp version you have download).
You will see a lot of folders. We are interested in a folder called "Palettes". Create on that directory a new simple text document. Edit it with notepad, and call it as "Doom.txt".

Now copy into it this whole text:

Code: Select all: GIMP Palette Name: Doom Columns: 16 # 0 0 0 Untitled 31 23 11 Untitled 23 15 7 Untitled 75 75 75 Untitled 255 255 255 Untitled 27 27 27 Untitled 19 19 19 Untitled 11 11 11 Untitled 7 7 7 Untitled 47 55 31 Untitled 35 43 15 Untitled 23 31 7 Untitled 15 23 0 Untitled 79 59 43 Untitled 71 51 35 Untitled 63 43 27 Untitled 255 183 183 Untitled 247 171 171 Untitled 243 163 163 Untitled 235 151 151 Untitled 231 143 143 Untitled 223 135 135 Untitled 219 123 123 Untitled 211 115 115 Untitled 203 107 107 Untitled 199 99 99 Untitled 191 91 91 Untitled 187 87 87 Untitled 179 79 79 Untitled 175 71 71 Untitled 167 63 63 Untitled 163 59 59 Untitled 155 51 51 Untitled 151 47 47 Untitled 143 43 43 Untitled 139 35 35 Untitled 131 31 31 Untitled 127 27 27 Untitled 119 23 23 Untitled 115 19 19 Untitled 107 15 15 Untitled 103 11 11 Untitled 95 7 7 Untitled 91 7 7 Untitled 83 7 7 Untitled 79 0 0 Untitled 71 0 0 Untitled 67 0 0 Untitled 255 235 223 Untitled 255 227 211 Untitled 255 219 199 Untitled 255 211 187 Untitled 255 207 179 Untitled 255 199 167 Untitled 255 191 155 Untitled 255 187 147 Untitled 255 179 131 Untitled 247 171 123 Untitled 239 163 115 Untitled 231 155 107 Untitled 223 147 99 Untitled 215 139 91 Untitled 207 131 83 Untitled 203 127 79 Untitled 191 123 75 Untitled 179 115 71 Untitled 171 111 67 Untitled 163 107 63 Untitled 155 99 59 Untitled 143 95 55 Untitled 135 87 51 Untitled 127 83 47 Untitled 119 79 43 Untitled 107 71 39 Untitled 95 67 35 Untitled 83 63 31 Untitled 75 55 27 Untitled 63 47 23 Untitled 51 43 19 Untitled 43 35 15 Untitled 239 239 239 Untitled 231 231 231 Untitled 223 223 223 Untitled 219 219 219 Untitled 211 211 211 Untitled 203 203 203 Untitled 199 199 199 Untitled 191 191 191 Untitled 183 183 183 Untitled 179 179 179 Untitled 171 171 171 Untitled 167 167 167 Untitled 159 159 159 Untitled 151 151 151 Untitled 147 147 147 Untitled 139 139 139 Untitled 131 131 131 Untitled 127 127 127 Untitled 119 119 119 Untitled 111 111 111 Untitled 107 107 107 Untitled 99 99 99 Untitled 91 91 91 Untitled 87 87 87 Untitled 79 79 79 Untitled 71 71 71 Untitled 67 67 67 Untitled 59 59 59 Untitled 55 55 55 Untitled 47 47 47 Untitled 39 39 39 Untitled 35 35 35 Untitled 119 255 111 Untitled 111 239 103 Untitled 103 223 95 Untitled 95 207 87 Untitled 91 191 79 Untitled 83 175 71 Untitled 75 159 63 Untitled 67 147 55 Untitled 63 131 47 Untitled 55 115 43 Untitled 47 99 35 Untitled 39 83 27 Untitled 31 67 23 Untitled 23 51 15 Untitled 19 35 11 Untitled 11 23 7 Untitled 191 167 143 Untitled 183 159 135 Untitled 175 151 127 Untitled 167 143 119 Untitled 159 135 111 Untitled 155 127 107 Untitled 147 123 99 Untitled 139 115 91 Untitled 131 107 87 Untitled 123 99 79 Untitled 119 95 75 Untitled 111 87 67 Untitled 103 83 63 Untitled 95 75 55 Untitled 87 67 51 Untitled 83 63 47 Untitled 159 131 99 Untitled 143 119 83 Untitled 131 107 75 Untitled 119 95 63 Untitled 103 83 51 Untitled 91 71 43 Untitled 79 59 35 Untitled 67 51 27 Untitled 123 127 99 Untitled 111 115 87 Untitled 103 107 79 Untitled 91 99 71 Untitled 83 87 59 Untitled 71 79 51 Untitled 63 71 43 Untitled 55 63 39 Untitled 255 255 115 Untitled 235 219 87 Untitled 215 187 67 Untitled 195 155 47 Untitled 175 123 31 Untitled 155 91 19 Untitled 135 67 7 Untitled 115 43 0 Untitled 255 255 255 Untitled 255 219 219 Untitled 255 187 187 Untitled 255 155 155 Untitled 255 123 123 Untitled 255 95 95 Untitled 255 63 63 Untitled 255 31 31 Untitled 255 0 0 Untitled 239 0 0 Untitled 227 0 0 Untitled 215 0 0 Untitled 203 0 0 Untitled 191 0 0 Untitled 179 0 0 Untitled 167 0 0 Untitled 155 0 0 Untitled 139 0 0 Untitled 127 0 0 Untitled 115 0 0 Untitled 103 0 0 Untitled 91 0 0 Untitled 79 0 0 Untitled 67 0 0 Untitled 231 231 255 Untitled 199 199 255 Untitled 171 171 255 Untitled 143 143 255 Untitled 115 115 255 Untitled 83 83 255 Untitled 55 55 255 Untitled 27 27 255 Untitled 0 0 255 Untitled 0 0 227 Untitled 0 0 203 Untitled 0 0 179 Untitled 0 0 155 Untitled 0 0 131 Untitled 0 0 107 Untitled 0 0 83 Untitled 255 255 255 Untitled 255 235 219 Untitled 255 215 187 Untitled 255 199 155 Untitled 255 179 123 Untitled 255 163 91 Untitled 255 143 59 Untitled 255 127 27 Untitled 243 115 23 Untitled 235 111 15 Untitled 223 103 15 Untitled 215 95 11 Untitled 203 87 7 Untitled 195 79 0 Untitled 183 71 0 Untitled 175 67 0 Untitled 255 255 255 Untitled 255 255 215 Untitled 255 255 179 Untitled 255 255 143 Untitled 255 255 107 Untitled 255 255 71 Untitled 255 255 35 Untitled 255 255 0 Untitled 167 63 0 Untitled 159 55 0 Untitled 147 47 0 Untitled 135 35 0 Untitled 79 59 39 Untitled 67 47 27 Untitled 55 35 19 Untitled 47 27 11 Untitled 0 0 83 Untitled 0 0 71 Untitled 0 0 59 Untitled 0 0 47 Untitled 0 0 35 Untitled 0 0 23 Untitled 0 0 11 Untitled 0 255 255 Untitled 255 159 67 Untitled 255 231 75 Untitled 255 123 255 Untitled 255 0 255 Untitled 207 0 207 Untitled 159 0 155 Untitled 111 0 107 Untitled 167 107 107 Untitled

Save and close the text file.
Now rename it to "Doom.gpl".

Your Gimp Doom Palette is finished, and ready to be used and modified.

Now open The Gimp.
Dont start a new image. We dont need to do that now.

No, from the menus, go to "Windows > Dialogs > Palettes". That will open the Palettes Dialog.
Select the "Doom" item from the list, and double click over the small image.

Now you can edit each color from the palette. Use double click to edit an item.
When you finish the modifications, save the palette before close it.

Now create a new image ("File > New"). Create any size image. Thats not important.
Now draw a couple of lines on the blank canvas.
Then, go to "Image > Mode > Indexed". On the new window you will have to choose the palette. Choose "Custom Palette" and select the Doom palette you have just modified.
Now, uncheck the checkbox with the text "Delete unused colors from the final palette". This is important. If you dont do this, your palette will not work.

Finaly, save and close that image as a BMP image.

Next, we will create the palette for Doom itself, and we can preview it.
Execute Inkworks program.

Dont get scared for all those letters and MsDos like window. We are not going to use them all now.

On the menu (you can use mouse), go to "File > Import Base Palette".
You will get a dialog. On that dialog, find the BMP draw you created with The Gimp. The, press OK button.
If all is ok, then your palette should be loaded onto Inkworks.
You can preview it before importing to Doom.
You can click on any "Preview" button. Press Scape to exit preview.
If you like how your custom palette looks, then you can export it to a WAD.

Before exporting, you have to create a PWAD, so you can save it.
Dont export the palette to an IWAD, or you will overwrite the original Doom palette.

To create a PWAD, you can use any Lump editor.
You dont have to create a lump. A PWAD with a only Colormap and Palette, is valid.

Now return to Inkworks, and go menu "File > Export to Wad". On the new dialog, select the recently created PWAD.
Close Inkworks, and open the PWAD. You will see there two files: "Colormap" and "Playpal".

To test the palette in-game, simply add the PWAD to the command line parameters.

Here goes a sample on a modified palette. I made all palette colors to look brownish, the blue colors as red, and gave a bit more brightness to the original red colors, making blood and red eyes to look a bit more terrifying:

[Next Day: Modifying the fading effects]

by **Karnizero** » 18 Jan 2009 14:46

Modifying the Fade Effects

1.- Materials: you will need the same programs as before: The Gimp, Inkworks, a Lump editor and Doom.

2.- Changing the Fade Effects:

With this second Palette tutorial, we can change the game effects when we die, pick up an item, or use Invul/rad. suit.

We dont need to edit the palette with Gimp, so that is an optional step.
If you want a general custom palette, then you have to use The Gimp, and then import the palette into Inkworks, as we learn before.

Now lets open Inkworks. In this second tutorial, we will use this program to modify the palette, but not the colors, just some palette definitions, such as fading effects.

Once you open the Inkwork, you will get a MsDoS window like this next. You can see different elements. We will learn how to use some of them:

Lets start modifying the "damage fading" effect. Actually, you cannot change the color the screen flashes when you take damage or die, by usin Inkworks. You have to edit the palette itself with The Gimp.

As you see, there is a section called "Damage Fade". There you can change the feel of the screen flash when you take damage or die.
You can click on the desired effect, and then on "Preview". Press ENTER on the preview screen to test your fade effect.

Now lets change the color of the screen when you pick up the Invul. Artifact. On the section "Invulnerability Colour Range", you can set the color range of the screen when you take this object.

You can think the Range is a list of color who will tint the screen, using those both colors and the intermediate colors brightness. For example, if you pick up the colors Red and Green, your screen will change to red and green colours, with different brigt values, but not the mix of bot colors (would be yellow on this case).

An example for this: if you want the screen to feel like gold, you have to set a range of Yellow and Brown colours, going to Black.

Finally, click on "Build Range and then on "Preview" to test your first screen effect. Press SPACEBAR to activate and deactivate the Invulnerability effect. Dont forget to build the range, or you wont see your changes applied.

We will change the Radiation Suit screen effect, and the PickUp screen effect color now.

This is easier than the Invulnerability effect.
On the section "Miscelaneous" you have the "Radiation Suit and "Item Pick-up Colour" options. Click on the colors and choose your desired color.

As you probably noticed, both effects are not a color range.
This is because the whole screen will tint all textures and sprites with the choosen colour.
You can also click on "Preview" to test those both effects.

Well, i think it's enough for today.

To test your new palette effect on the game itself, go to "File > Export to WAD". Select the PWAD you want to store your palette. Dont forget to create a PWAD with your favourite lump editor.

And finally, run the game (you dont need a source port) and admire your work.

[Next Day (will be next weekend): Fog, Underwater Feeling, Hell Ambience, Dust Fog]

by **Karnizero** » 18 Jan 2009 14:47

Fog, Underwater Effect, Hell Ambience, etc...

This is the last tutorial's chapter, and here we will learn how to make some nice effects, allowing us to change drastically the game feeling.

1.- Materials: although the title of this last chapter sounds pretty hard, those effects are quite simple, and your maps will look impressive. We will need only Inkworks and a Lump Editor.

2.- Creating any king of fog effect:

First, execute Inkworks.
Nearly in the top of the window, you will see a "sub-window" called "Distance Fade". This is what we will use right now.
This is where we can change the color the game will fade to when the player is looking to the distance in a bright sector/s.

Note that this effect is only viewable when the player is looking AT bright sectors, and not when the player is AT bright/dark sectors. This is, the efect is independant of the player's position in the map. Does not matter if the player is in a dark or bright sector, because the effect will be only viewable if he is looking directly to the bright sector from the darker one.

Here is a screen showing the "Distance Fade" sub-window atop the main window:

Choose a "weak" color, not a strong one, or the player field of view will be reduced drastically.
An amount higher than 125 or 130 will make the game visualization a bit harder for medium - far distances.

Some sample of a map with different Distance Fade values:
(click images to enlarge. Arround 200 Kb per image)

Original Doom Palette:

Underwater feeling [RGB(10, 10, 80)]

Hell Ambience [RGB(80, 10, 10)]

Sandstorm [RGB(100, 80, 60)]

For general reference, the sector illumination for the map in the image was 145 Doom light units.

Thats all.
I hope you enjoy those effects much.
Cya next How-To. :-D

Note: if i have time this weekend, i will write this to the Vavoom Wikia. If not, the next weekend will be.

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