Master Levels Menu Interface - Doomworld /idgames database frontend

Title:	Master Levels Menu Interface
Filename:	utils/frontends/zdmlmenu.zip
Size:	2.29 MB
Date:	08/28/10
Author:	James Lord ( Zippy )
Description:	The Master Levels Menu Interface is an ingame menu that serves to replace the old DOS program that would launch the chosen wad of the MASTER LEVELS FOR DOOM II. The Master Levels themselves ARE NOT INCLUDED in this package (they are a commercial release by id Software and must be purchased separately.) Effectively, this file serves as a new frontend for the MASTER LEVELS, allowing you to play them in one sitting without restarting ZDoom. It also gives you a few extra options (keeping inventory between levels, varying the music so more than half the levels aren't playing D_RUNNIN, ...) Detailed instructions for using this file are recorded below the upload template. Likewise, the PK3 itself contains an INSTRUCTIONS.txt file which is a duplicate of the same information. If you are not familiar with PK3's, it's just a Zip file and you can open it with any standarding archival tool that supports such (or rename it to ZDMLMENU.zip in Windows to browse it in Explorer.) The scripts use to drive the menu system are in MenuLevelScripts.txt in the PK3, if you wish to use or study that as a basis for your own. MasterLevelsLibrary.txt is the source script for the script library used in the menu interface (it is only tangentlly related to the menu scripting. It is mainly used for recording the player's progress which is why it is a script library and not level scripts.
Credits:	Logo and M_DOOM replacement by Kaze Custom font by 1001freefonts.com High res Skullflesh texture provided by John Romero (via Formspring background) Music by moonwalker More specific, detailed credits inside the PK3 in file CREDITS.txt.
Base:	New from scratch
Build time:	If it was done 8 hours per day continuously? 2 days at the most.
Editor(s) used:	Doom Builder, Doom Builder 2, XWE, Photoshop, MSPaint, Notepad
Bugs:	Will not work completely with third party add-ons that use global script variables 51 - 63 (these are used by the interface to track the players' kills, secrets, levels completed, etc.) Most third party add-ons, if they use global variables in scripts AT ALL, make use of the low numbered ones so chances are you're good with loading just about any gameplay mod.
Rating:	(55 votes)

Download mirrors:

/idgames protocol:

idgames://16188

View zdmlmenu.txt

===========================================================================
Advanced engine needed  : ZDoom 2.5.0 or later (or GZDoom 1.5.0 or later)
Primary purpose         : In-Game frontend for MASTER LEVELS (MLs not included)
===========================================================================
Title                   : Master Levels Menu Interface
Filename                : ZDMLMENU.pk3
Release date            : 8/27/2010
Author                  : James Lord ( Zippy )
Email Address           : zippyman29@gmail.com
Other Files By Author   : Nothing uploaded in a long time
Misc. Author Info       : -

Description             : The Master Levels Menu Interface is an ingame menu
			  that serves to replace the old DOS program that
			  would launch the chosen wad of the MASTER LEVELS
			  FOR DOOM II.  The Master Levels themselves ARE NOT
			  INCLUDED in this package (they are a commercial
			  release by id Software and must be purchased
			  separately.)

Effectively, this file serves as a new frontend
			  for the MASTER LEVELS, allowing you to play
			  them in one sitting without restarting ZDoom.
			  It also gives you a few extra options (keeping
			  inventory between levels, varying the music
			  so more than half the levels aren't playing
			  D_RUNNIN, ...)

Detailed instructions for using this file are
			  recorded below the upload template.  Likewise,
			  the PK3 itself contains an INSTRUCTIONS.txt file
			  which is a duplicate of the same information.  If
			  you are not familiar with PK3's, it's just a Zip
			  file and you can open it with any standarding
			  archival tool that supports such (or rename it
			  to ZDMLMENU.zip in Windows to browse it in
			  Explorer.)

The scripts use to drive the menu system are
			  in MenuLevelScripts.txt in the PK3, if you wish
			  to use or study that as a basis for your own.

MasterLevelsLibrary.txt is the source script
			  for the script library used in the menu
			  interface (it is only tangentlly related to
			  the menu scripting.  It is mainly used for
			  recording the player's progress which is why
			  it is a script library and not level scripts.

Additional Credits to   : Logo and M_DOOM replacement by Kaze
			  Custom font by 1001freefonts.com
			  High res Skullflesh texture provided by John
			    Romero (via Formspring background)
			  Music by moonwalker
			  More specific, detailed credits inside the PK3
			    in file CREDITS.txt.
===========================================================================
* What is included *

New levels              : 1 (Menu "level")
Sounds                  : No
Music                   : Yes
Graphics                : Yes
Dehacked/BEX Patch      : No
Demos                   : No
Other                   : No
Other files required    : THE MASTER LEVELS FOR DOOM II, all 20 WAD files

* Play Information *

Game                    : DOOM2
Map #                   : N/A (map lump is "MENU")
Single Player           : Designed for
Cooperative 2-4 Player  : Designed for
Deathmatch 2-4 Player   : Designed for
Difficulty Settings     : Yes

* Construction *

Base                    : New from scratch
Build Time              : If it was done 8 hours per day continuously?  2 days at the most.
Editor(s) used          : Doom Builder, Doom Builder 2, XWE, Photoshop, MSPaint, Notepad
Known Bugs              : Will not work completely with third party add-ons that use
			    global script variables 51 - 63 (these are used by the interface
			    to track the players' kills, secrets, levels completed, etc.)
			    Most third party add-ons, if they use global variables in scripts
			    AT ALL, make use of the low numbered ones so chances are you're
			    good with loading just about any gameplay mod.
May Not Run With        : Versions of ZDoom older than 2.5.0 (GZDoom older than 1.5.0)
Tested With             : ZDoom 2.5.0

* Copyright / Permissions *

Authors MAY use the contents of this file as a base for
modification or reuse.  Permissions have been obtained from original 
authors for any of their resources modified or included in this file.

You MAY distribute this file, provided you include this text file, with
no modifications.  You may distribute this file in any electronic
format (BBS, Diskette, CD, etc) as long as you include this file 
intact.  I have received permission from the original authors of any
modified or included content in this file to allow further distribution.

* Where to get the file that this text file describes *

The Usual: ftp://archives.3dgamers.com/pub/idgames/ and mirrors

-copy of INSTRUCTIONS.TXT from the PK3 file-
=======================
 INSTRUCTIONS/REMINDER
=======================

== SO HOW DO I PLAY THIS? ==
This doesn't come with any playable levels besides the menu.
If you want to play this with the Master Levels you need to
load them alongside this Zip or pack them into the Zip
yourself.

Also, reminder, this needs ZDoom 2.5.0 or later.  Or GZDoom
1.5.0 or later.

ZDoom	- http://zdoom.org
GZDoom	- http://grafzahl.drdteam.org

== WHERE CAN I GET THE MASTER LEVELS? ==

The MASTER LEVELS FOR DOOM II is a commerically released package
of wads by id Software.  If you don't already own the Master
Levels, the package is currently availabe most easily from
Steam.  id Software's official store notably DOES NOT carry it
at this time.  You MAY be able to find it at other online stores,
but I make no guarantees to availablity or quality of service.
It's not my product and they're not my retailers.

Steam store page:  http://store.steampowered.com/app/9160/

== GOT'EM.  HOW DO I LOAD THEM WITH THE MASTER LEVELS MENU? ==

First, PLEASE NOTE that the default Master Levels files have
conflicting maps.  That is, for example, several of the wads
have "MAP01" as their map lump.  By default, multiple wads
loaded with the same lump name will overwrite each other, so
only one of the "MAP01"'s would work.

This came about because the original Master Levels were released
with a DOS program which would serve as a front-end program and
load the Doom II engine separately with each wad for each level.
You played them one level at a time with a fresh pistol start.
It was effectively a collection of 20 one-map wads instead
of a single collection of 20 maps.

ZDoom supports solving this conflict most easily through its
PK3/Zip "maps" folder feature.  Individual map wads placed in
the maps folder of a PK3/Zip will assume the map name of their
wad file, rather than the map name in the lump.  So ATTACK.WAD
may contain MAP01 as the start of its map lumps, but when placed
inside the maps folder of PK3/Zip it will use ATTACK (the name
of the wad file) instead, giving each Master Level its own
distinct name and resolving the conflicts.

Almost.

TEETH.WAD is a special case.  If you're not aware, TEETH.WAD
contains two levels (POORLY PLACED SPOILER: One is a secret!)
and won't work correctly through the maps folder without some
minor tweaking.  To get it to work, make two copies of
TEETH.WAD (assuming that your keeping a backup of the original
wad).  You can leave one of the files named TEETH.WAD but change
the other to TEETH2.WAD.  Open TEETH.WAD in the lump editor
of your choice (XWE, SLumpEd, SLADE3, etc.).  For TEETH.WAD,
delete the MAP32 lump and all the lumps associated with it.
Those lumps are MAP32 and the 10 lumps below it: THINGS,
LINEDEFS, SIDEDEFS, VERTEXES, SEGS, SSECTORS, NODES, SECTORS,
REJECT, and BLOCKMAP.  After that, open TEETH2.WAD.  In this
wad, delete MAP31 and its 10 lumps.  Now the two TEETH maps
resemble the others and can be placed into the maps folder
like the others.

Once all the wads are set up, all you need to play is load them
alongside the Master Levels menu.  This can be accomplished by
placing them into the Master Levels Menu Zip inside the MAPS
folder.  It is VERY IMPORTANT you place them in the MAPS folder
where MENU.WAD and TITLEMAP.WAD are.  You should be able to use
whatever archival tool you are comfortable with provided that
the tool supports zip files (and most do.)  If you aren't very
comfortable with archival tools for any reason, Windows should
be capable of handling it via Explorer, actually.  It does
support just selecting all the wads, ctrl+c'ing to copy them,
then navigating into the PK3/Zip and paste them into the maps
folder.  If you don't want to place them into the Master Levels
Menu Zip you can put them in their own PK3/Zip and load that
separately.  Just remember they have to be in a MAPS folder in
your zip.

If you've set it up right, when you select a map from the menu it
will change to that map.  If the map change fails your setup
is wrong.

Remember, the directory structure should look like this:
	- ZDMLMENU.pk3 (or whatever.pk3/zip if self contained)
		- maps
			- ATTACK.WAD
			- BLACKTWR.WAD
			... etc ...

INSTRUCTIONS LIST VERSION
1) Make a copy of the Master Level wad files (for backup purposes)
2) Create a folder named "maps"
3) Move all Master Levels files into that folder EXCEPT for
    TEETH.WAD
4) Create another copy of TEETH.WAD and name it TEETH2.WAD.
5) Using a lump editor (XWE, SLADE3, SLump3D), open TEETH.WAD
6) Delete the MAP32 lump and the 10 lumps that follow it.  They
    are: THINGS, LINEDEFS, SIDEDEFS< VERTEXES, SEGS, SSECTORS,
    NODES, SECTORS, REJECT, and BLOCKMAP.
7) Save the changes to TEETH.WAD and open TEETH2.WAD in the lump
    editor.
8) Delete the MAP31 lump and the 10 lumps that follow it.  They
    are the same names as the last time.
9) Save the changes to TEETH2.WAD.
10) Move the edited TEETH.WAD and TEETH2.WAD files into the maps
   folder.
// TWO CHOICES NOW
11a) Use an archive tool which can handle ZIP files to place all
   the .WADs in the maps folder into the Master Level menu zip's
   maps folder (where MENU.WAD and TITLEMAP.WAD are located).
11b) Use an archive tool to zip up the maps folder with all the
   wad files.  The zip needs to have the maps folder within it.
   It can't just be a zip of all the wad files.  It must be
   whatever.zip/maps/*.WAD.  Once the archive is created you can
   load it simultaneously with the Master Levels Menu Zip file.

== ZDOOM'S MAGIC FRIGHTENS ME.  ARE THERE ANY OTHER METHODS? ==
If for some reason you don't like the previous method or don't
want to use it, there is an alternate method.  Though it is
more invasive to the WAD files and requires more work.  Basically
it means going into each WAD file and changing the MAPxx lump
to match the wad file name so they have the appropriate lump
names.  So, in ATTACK.WAD rename the map lump from MAP01 to
ATTACK.  Do that for EVERY wad file (in the special case of
TEETH.WAD, MAP31 becomes TEETH and MAP32 becomes TEETH2).  Then
you can place all the wad files in the highest level of the
PK3/Zip (or their own PK3/Zip and load them alongside the menu.)
Remember that in this case THEY DO NOT go in the MAPS folder.
The structure here would be:
	whatever.zip
		- ATTACK.WAD
		- BLACKTWR.WAD
		... etc ...

INSTRUCTIONAL VERSION:
1) Make a copy of the Master Levels wad files.
2) Open the copies one at a time and change the "MAPxx" lump
  name to match the file name (e.g. ATTACK.wad MAP01 -> ATTACK)
3) TEETH.wad has two maps.  Change MAP31 to TEETH and MAP32 to
  TEETH2
4) Pack the changed copies into Master Levels menu pk3/zip file's
  highest directory level or in their own pk3/zip in the same
  spot and load it alongside the Master Levels menu pk3/zip.

== AND THAT'S ALL? ==
Once you got the Master Levels wad files in the appropriate place,
you just load them like you would normally with ZDoom.

If they're in the ZDMLMENU.pk3 themselves, just drag and drop that
file onto ZDoom.exe or use the -file command line parameter.

If you placed the wads in a separate PK3/Zip, drag both that PK3/Zip
and ZDMLMENU.pk3 onto ZDoom.exe or use the -file command line
parameter to specify them both.

If everything is correct, when you select a level to play you'll
be taken to that level.  If anything is wrong, you'll be dropped
to the console.

mong