DOOM 32X IWAD Converter

LATEST VERSION: v1.10

As an experiment, I wrote a tool to convert the IWAD data from the 32X version of DOOM over to the PC format. The sprites and patches were in a slightly different format, and the IWAD pointers were big-endian, so there was a lot of converting that had to take place.

http://www.4shared.com/file/198175058/d230...wad32x_110.html

This tool successfully converts the sprites, floors, patches, and brings over the other data included. Although the wall patches show up just fine, you won't be able to view the data in the TEXTURE1 file properly since the patches that show up link to the main DOOM IWAD file used by XWE (if you use another tool to view the data, this may not even be a problem), but the data is correct. Also, maps haven't been converted, so although the data is there, it's not viewable in any way.

Maybe with some time, I can convert PC data over to the 32X format so people could change the 32X game. It's just a thought, though the game is very dated, and the 32X version certainly isn't the most popular of versions.

Anyway, if you're curious to try it out, go ahead. Your ROM or 32X IWAD filename will have to be DOOM.BIN, DOOM.32X, DOOM.WAD, DOOM32X.BIN, DOOM32X.32X, or DOOM32X.WAD. The tool converts everything automatically.



EDIT: 24 level version of DOOM 32X -- http://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?s=&...st&p=390142

 

For those interested to know, I have discovered that the data files used by each map (BLOCKMAP, THINGS, LINEDEFS, etc) that were renamed just happen to have a different format from the PC data files. The data file names that weren't changed use the same formatting, but with big-endian data as opposed to little-endian. I don't think any of this is by accidental. I thought this was a bit interesting. I've figured out the format, I just haven't written any code to convert them into the PC format yet. That's coming up next.

I'd also like to put out there that for some reason when you use the "patches" filter in XWE, it doesn't show all the patches. I have no clue why since they're all clearly between the "P_START" and "P_END" markers. I suppose it's a bug in XWE, because I tried another WAD utility which detected ALL the patches. Anyway, if you want to see all the patches, do NOT filter anything. *sigh* I miss WinTex! =(

As for the question about the weapon frames, the 32X port uses a screen size of 160x180. Essentially what that means is interlacing is used. That's why the width of the weapon frames are cut in half.

On a side note: contrary to popular belief, the 32X actually can handle DOOM a little better than most people think, and you can see this proof in one of the later beta versions of the port, but with a 30 fps timing used, everything ran a tad bit on the "fast" side, so the final version of the game uses some timing mechanism to make things run at the equivalent of 35 fps (the rate used in the PC version.) THAT is what made the 32X port so darn choppy. I think with a bit more time, they may have been able to improve it a bit.

On yet another side note: the 32X version is based on the Jaguar port. The Jaguar DOOM source code actually has C preprocessor stuff in the code to compile the 32X version of the game. I haven't even attempted to compile it, but with this technical discussion of the 32X version, I thought I'd point that out.

 

I might. I haven't really thought about it. I usually don't like releasing source code to my stuff until it's in a state of completion. This tool could do way more than it does right now.

 

New version of my conversion tool -- http://www.4shared.com/file/175540942/bb9d...32X_121709.html

This version writes the PNAMES file to make textures properly viewable, and it converts all the maps over to the PC format. I looked at them through DeePsea with the R3DEdit add-on, and here are some snapshots I took:









I was also able to successfully play the maps in R3D. So everything is definitely there and working. Of course, my weapons were half their normal size, but that's okay =)



Note: you have to delete the COLORMAP file out of the WAD if you wish to view the level properly. The 32X COLORMAP file has some extra information in it that isn't compatible with the PC version.

Also, you may or may not have known that the Jaguar version supported multiplayer. The 32X maps still have the deathmatch items and starts, as well as a player 2 co-op start. I guess they just didn't worry about them or didn't get around to removing them. Clearly some maps were heavily sized down to make room in the ROM.



The next step is to port things back to the 32X format.

 

Exact same engine. In fact, the DOOM2.EXE file will run the original game just fine. If DOOM2.WAD isn't found, then it searches for DOOM.WAD. The same deal applies to Final Doom -- that EXE searches for the two Final Doom WAD files, then the DOOM II WAD, then the original. Everything is backwards compatible.

I'll see about porting a DOOM II level over to the 32X game (after it's modified to get rid of PC and DOOM II specific stuff.)

 

You can find the WAD file at 0xBB000 in the finalized ROM. It starts with "IWAD", followed by the number of "lumps" (data files in DOOM terminology), and then the address to the file lookup table which contains the size, address, and name of each file. It's funny to think of a single ROM image having files inside, but if you think about it, a single CD image is made up of files, as is anything. It's all in how you think about it and how you define what a file is and isn't.



And just a quick update, I am part way into coding the PC-2-32X part of my utility. I had to take a break from it to think about how I wanted to do it, because the TEXTURE1 file is ONLY used to identify the name of a specific patch (one only -- the 32X game ignores all other patches), as well as the size of the patch (the size information is taken out of the patches in the 32X version), despite the rest of the information taken from from the PC version still being part of it.

For those not quite familliar with how the DOOM engine does things, there are wall patches that are used collectively to make up wall textures. There's a texture file, called TEXTURE1 (and also TEXTURE2 for the registered version of the first DOOM game) that is used to create wall textures. You can apply multiple patches, and can locate them anywhere on the wall texture. I suppose this cuts down on space, but the 32X version of DOOM ignores all but one patch for each texture. In fact, the patch who's name matches a texture is used for that texture, regardless of the patch number indicated in the TEXTURE1 file. I guess they didn't feel like reformatting the TEXTURE1 file and just applied some quick and dirty changes to the engine to handle a single patch to make things simplified.

This complicates things because typically in a DOOM WAD file, patch names do NOT match the texture names using those patches. I decided that the easiest thing to do is ignore the TEXTURE1 file and create a new one based on the patches found in the WAD. Textures in map files will have to be reassigned, but that's a heck of a lot easier than doing what I'm doing right now. Still, you could probably port a map in 10 minutes with my tool and a DOOM map editor. And the good news is the DOOM 32X port doesn't crash when it can't find a texture being used (unlike the PC version.) Several maps use nonexistent textures which are remains from the PC maps.

Basically the end result of all of this is this: porting maps won't be automatic, but with a little patience, you shouldn't find it difficult to do either. My first task is putting Entryway (MAP01) from DOOM II into the DOOM 32X ROM. I'll have a utility update with snapshots to show it off when I finish. Look for it soon =)