HexStartup++ v2.0 (startup,notch,netnotch tool)

[ibm5155]

Download HexStartup++ v2.0 (Windows xp up to 10 32/64 bits), + source code + step by step screenshots.

With this program you can take the full potential of Hexen loading screen instead of that sad brown color.

-Uhh, but slade3 can convert this type of files, well, yeah, but take a look into the spoiler and you'll know why I did this software.
[spoiler]SLADE 3 generated file (LEFT) vss HexStartup++ (Right)
[/spoiler]

Making a startup,notch and netnotch files are now as easy as making a cake :D

NOTE: This isn't a image editor software, this software only converts a group of .ppm images into the correct lumps that hexen likes, for editing the images and creating the image files, you'll need GIMP for converting/creating the images.

README

Code: Select all

HexStartup++ v1.0, created by: ibm5155

Before you run this software:
-You need the GIMP software to convert your image files to .ppm or .png (https://www.gimp.org/) 
   (others softwares may do the same but I have only tested with gimp)

BASIC NOTES:

-This software only support .ppm and .png image files with indexed 16 colors.
-You can create a Hexen compatible STARTUP,NOTCH and NETNOTCH files as long as you maintain the proper image size (https://zdoom.org/wiki/Startup_lumps)
-For creating a notch and a netnotch file you must before load a startup image for creating a default palette.
-netnotch and notch just need to be using indexed 16 colors and it should also be using the same RGB colors that the startup file is using.

HOW TO USE:
-you need at least a keyboard to interact with it (input text and enter operations)
-you can run step by step if you open the the HexStartup++ software or you can just drag and drop all the image files on it (if you do that for 
notch or netnotch, you must include your startup file in order to create the right palette)
-Step by step information about how to create a startup lump is included in "Step by Step" Folder (notch and netnotch should be the same way).

WHERE CAN I RUN THIS SOFTWARE:
-For now, only on windows xp up to 10 (32/64bits).

SLADE3 shows the right image for STARTUP BUT NOT FOR NOTCH/NETNOTCH, WHY?
-Slade shows the STARTUP using the startup palette included in the startup file, while for notch/netnotch it just uses the default hexen palette.
but the file is ok.

WHAT SOURCE PORTS CAN THIS TOOL BE USED:
-Gzdoom,Zandronum,Qzdoom and also Zdoom.
-It may work with other ports (including vanilla Hexen) but I didn't test with those ports.

SOURCE CODE:
-Use the source code the way you want, as long as you add a credit information about me :).
Example: "code Based on HexStartup++ from ibm5155"
-I can be compiled on ms-dos and linux (if using SDL), but I'm lazzy and for now the windows build is fine.
-If you really want to compile this project, you need to include this project in the include director (https://github.com/ibm5155/MT2D)

THIS SOFTWARE HAS A VIRUS!!!:
-Nah, I only know how to make meme virus :p.
Jokes aside, this is a software that almost no one ran, so it'll not be in the antivirus database and they are gonna keep an eye opened in this file.
-If you are still afraid about this file, check the source code and compile yourself.

I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS!!!:
-ASK IN THIS THREAD!!!

[ibm5155]

Since my english isn't that great for making long text, if someone want to fix some typos I'll be glad :D

TUTORIAL
Before you start
-You need to have the Gimp Software installed and HexStartup downloaded.
-You may also want to use this example files: http://www.mediafire.com/file/5fipfffx5 ... efiles.zip
-OR the Spooky House example files: http://www.mediafire.com/file/ldgy7yn2t ... +Files.zip

Part 1, creating a Startup graphics file

phpBB [media]

1) For creating a startup graphics file you need a 640x480 image file (it can be all the types of supported files to Gimp).
2) With that in your hands, you just need to open that image file on gimp and transform it in a indexed Picture (for that you go into Image->Mode->Indexed).
3) Now you see a window with some options, first you need to mark that max number of colors to 16.
4) After that, go to the Dithering options (on the same window), change from "None" to any of those options, later press the "Convert" Button.
5) In case you didn't like at all what you see, do a ctrl-z and try another dithering method.
6) If you still didn't like any of those dithering image files, well, that's all you can get with 16 colors :-?
7) With all that done, go to "FIle"->"Export As...", go to the "Name" and name the way you want, but the file type MUST be .ppm (like startup.ppm).
8) Now press the "Export" button, a window will show to you, just mark "Raw and press the "Export" button from that window.
9) Tadah, you now have a .ppm file that HexStartup++ can read :D

Part 2, creating a Notch graphics file

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-The process is the same as creating a startup ppm file, but we need to do some extra steps to use the same palette from the startup ppm file.
-I sugest you to let that startup file opened becasue we'll need it for this part.

1) For creating a startup graphics file you need a 16×23 image file (it can be all the types of supported files to Gimp).
2) With that in your hands, you just need to open that image file on gimp and transform it in a indexed Picture (for that you go into Image->Mode->Indexed).
3)Now, we'll see a difference, you can use 16 colors for making the NOTCH, but be aware that you'll use the 16 colors that the startup lump uses and not the ones that you're going to create, you could go in your startup file and check the colors that you want, later set that amount of colors under the "Maximum number of colors" input box. (on the example files I set the notch with 5 types of colors because there were no red and just a short amount of yellow/brown tones).
4) After that, go to the Dithering options (on the same window), change from "None" to any of those options, later press the "Convert" Button.
5) In case you didn't like at all what you see, do a ctrl-z and try another dithering method.
OK now the "boring" part.
6)Now we'll need a window called "colormap", to view this Windows goto "Windows" -> "Dockable Dialogs" -> "Colormap".
7)You'll now see a Window (or over the gimp gui ui) a blank box with some colored boxes, those are the palette that the image is going to use.
8)Now go to the startup file that I hope you still have opened in gimp and note that in the colormap área, the colors has changed.
9)the next step will be just a repeatable action, just do in order:
-on the startup image, double click a color block from the colormap window, it'll show a window like this:
[spoiler][/spoiler]
-copy the HTML notation string and close that window.
-goto the notch image (on gimp) and on the colormap window, double click the color block that you want to apply that color that you have copied.
-Now replace the value inside of HTML notation by the one that you copied.
Tadah, one palette replaced, now do repeate thie process for the other colors that you didn't have replaced in the colormap Windows from NOTCH.

10) With all that done, go to "FIle"->"Export As...", go to the "Name" and name the way you want, but the file type MUST be .ppm (like notch.ppm).
11) Now press the "Export" button, a window will show to you, just mark "Raw and press the "Export" button from that window.
12) Tadah, you now have a NOTCH .ppm file that HexStartup++ can read :D

NOTE: You should do the same that you did in part 2 for netnotch (BUT the image size in netnotch must be 4x16)

(FINAL) Part 3, converting the

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this is the easiest part (if everything before worked :p )
Ok there're two ways of using HexStartup, I'll show it one way in 1.x and the other one in 2.x
1.1)select the files .ppm files that you have created and drop it into the HexStartup.exe file.
2.1)Launch the HexStartup file, if the files are in the same folder as HexStartup, you just need to type the filenames and the file type (name.type) on it, else you'll need to give the full path of your file + his full name (c:\my doom stuff\test\startup.ppm).
2.2)First you need to load the startup ppm file, later if everything goes ok, press the number "1" to load another file and type the notch or netnotch file on it.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
3)If it shows OK in all the 4 parts then your images are ready to be tested with gzdoom :D


Part 4: HOW DO I TEST IT???????????
1)Open your favorite wad editor, create an empty text called GAMEINFO and write the below text on it

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STARTUPTYPE = "Hexen"
STARTUPTITLE = "The name of my mod or game "
STARTUPCOLORS = "c30d0d0", "2b2424"

2)Drag and drop the files that HexStartup has created (STARTUP.dat, NOTCH.dat [if you loaded a notch file] and NETNOTCH [if you loaded a netnotch file])
3)Save
4)Test.

if you are using the example wads that are on the top of this post, you should see something like this:

[ibm5155]

Project update:
-the Project has now a GitHub page (https://github.com/ibm5155/HexStartup-)
-Fixed random crashes that happened when you used the drag and drop method to run HexStartup++
-Fixed the crash that happens whe we are denied to create a file.
-Fixed the crash when loaded a notch without the startup palette being loaded.

Download link for v1.01: http://www.mediafire.com/file/en7yppaie ... +v1.01.zip

[Fused]

Really well done. Hopefully people have a much easier time making Planarr graphics with this, instead of using the poor support Slade 3 currently has.

[ibm5155]

Who requested PNG support? :D

HexStartup++ v2.0 just got out of the box with png support: Download link

What's new:
-Added PNG support.
-Created a generic image struct so I'll not need to edit the main logic code if I add some extra image format support.

And here's another startup lump generated with a png file with the help of Gimp for making the image better with a low palette :D

[Jenoclip]

My notch has only 2 colors and it's 4 bit, but when I convert it, it turns into a total mess.


https://github.com/lucas-zimerman/HexStartup-/issues/4

[Ænima]

Awesome.

Now I can finally turn the bone cracking sounds into farts.