| Wolfenstein 3D Texture Library |
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Introduction Poor old Wolfenstein! Restricted to 64x64 pixel in game images (the PC version, anyway), there are obvious limitations to the amount of detail that can go into any new images. Games such as Unreal and Quake 3 enjoy high resolutions coupled with 3D acceleration. But hey! That's today's technology! We're dealing with the game that started 3D gaming as we know it. And that means yesterday's technology. But, just as an old car may not have all the features a new car may have, it's the classic nature of the car that matters. Some people like the latest and greatest and won't settle for anything less. But then some people appreciate a classic. Just as Wolf fans appreciate one of the greatest game classics of all time! Let's look at some things to take into consideration when it comes to making new graphical images for Wolfenstein 3D! First, unless you just plan to import ready made images from the Texture Library (or from anywhere else for that matter) into your game, you'll need a decent Paint program to either create or manipulate the images you'll be working with. You don't need a top end high cost program such as Adobe Photoshop for this. I use and recommend Paint Shop Pro; there's a trial version of this great program available from www.jasc.com, and for the purposes of editing Wolf 3D graphics, it's more than adequate. There are no doubt other good paint programs around also; perhaps you may find something decent searching the web. So long as it can edit *.bmp (and *.gif also if possible) images, then it may do the job. Most of the images available from this Texture Library are in *.bmp or *.gif format, and there are a few "special" ones in *.psp, which is Paint Shop Pro's own particular format. You'll also need "Floedit" by Florian Stohr (visit www.wolfnode.de) to import *.bmp images into the game, or "Wolfedit" by Bill Kirby (see our "Utilities" page) to import *.gif images. And please - don't contact us asking how to use these programs (or your paint program either) - the Texture Library can provide graphics and tips, but not technical detail as to the usage of various editing programs (the best way to solve any program related issue is to read the documentation that comes with the program). OK, assuming you have the right paint program, and the right utilities to import your new graphics, you'll also have to take into consideration a few limitations you'll be encountering in relation to creating your own Wolf 3D graphics. Probably the most notable limitations are: 64x64: Yep, this is perhaps the most obvious limitation of all in relation to the "in game" (walls and sprites) images. It's no good looking at a grand Germanic image embroidered with finely detailed eagles etc. Shrink it down to 64 by 64 pixels, and all the fine detail will probably be reduced to a blocky unrecognisable mush (unless you're extremely lucky that is)! Keep to relatively simple concepts! Palette: Wolfenstein 3D uses a 256 colour palette (you'll have to read your paint program documentation to find out how to convert images to this palette, although Wolfedit automatically converts *.gif images to the Wolfenstein palette upon importation). In other words, it means you have a restriction on the type and number of colours you can use in your new graphics. This means that if you plan to convert an image for use in Wolfenstein, it may come out looking horrid once converted to the Wolf palette. For example, certain shades of brown may be converted to pinks or yellows, or certain shades of blue may be converted to shades of purple. You can work around this limitation by using only images with colours that convert "nicely" to the Wolf palette, or you can use your paint program to adjust the original image's colour so that the converted image looks OK. Alternatively, if you're really hellbent on using a particular set of colours in your game, then perhaps Darkone's Wolf 3D Palette Editor (visit http://wolfgl.narod.ru/ to download this) may be of assistance. You'll find tips etc provided with the various images available for download from the Texture Library. Although we can't help you with every graphic related problem you may encounter, hopefully the information you find may still be of assistance in other ways. Have fun! Click here to go back to the Texture Library main index page. |