Transparency in Doom Flats?

JoeCapricorn · Post by **JoeCapricorn** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:47

I need transparent pixels in Doom flats to create 3D "glass box" sectors.

I was able to "remap" the patch and have it show transparency as a texture, but I cannot get XWE to load transparent flats.

How do I do this?

TheDarkArchon · Post by **TheDarkArchon** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:59

Flats (as in the Doom format) can't be transparent., given they're simply 4096 bytes (64x64) of colour information. However, textures in other formats can be used in flats in GZDoom.

JoeCapricorn · Post by **JoeCapricorn** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:57

I was able to do so using a script.

Since the transparent flats are in a 3D sector, and I'm using a script to change them anyway, this works perfectly.

TheDarkArchon · Post by **TheDarkArchon** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 4:37

That's translucency. Big difference there. Think analogue (Translucency) vs. Digital (Transparency) and you should get the idea.

JoeCapricorn · Post by **JoeCapricorn** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:11

No, I'm using a script to "animate" a set of transparent flats so it looks like this floating glass box is disappearing... and the last frame of animation has a bridge item being moved to a dummy sector, then moved back.

MartinHowe · Post by **MartinHowe** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:09

It's still worth pointing out that in GZDoom you can use any doom-format (sometimes known as "PIC" and stored as columns) graphic where a flat would be expected. Any TX_START/TX_END texture of the right size can be used; not sure about loose graphics or old-skool multi-patch textures (i.e., via the TEXTUREn lumps) - probably says so somewhere in the Wiki.

Some editors, notably DoomBuilder, have support for this, too.

Post by **Graf Zahl** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 15:31

A texture is a texture is a texture. You can freely mix everything, except 'loose' graphics. They lack a decent means to be recognized so they are not supported. However,

- multipatch textures
- flats
- TX textures
- hirestex textures
- patches defined in PNAMES
- sprites

can be freely used on every wall and flat - even in ZDoom. GZDoom's only extension to the texture manager is true color handling for GL.

Post by **Gez** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 16:52

Graf Zahl wrote:- sprites

can be freely used on every wall and flat - even in ZDoom. GZDoom's only extension to the texture manager is true color handling for GL.

Really? I've tried to have a two-sided linedefs with POSS1A for its middle texture, both front and back, and it simply displayed the cyan & white checkerboard of unknown textures.

Post by **Enjay** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 20:29

Gez wrote:Really?

Yup, really.

TheDarkArchon · Post by **TheDarkArchon** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 15:33

Gez wrote:[Really? I've tried to have a two-sided linedefs with POSS1A for its middle texture, both front and back, and it simply displayed the cyan & white checkerboard of unknown textures.

That would be because you spelt it wrong.