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Yes, this is my first post, but I've been going to 3D Dome for many years on and off. I'd like to know if anybody has ever tried what I've just done. It only took a day to figure out on my own. I've never modded or modified Wolf or any source port in my life.
Redux has this graphics enhancement program, apparently it enhances graphics from any Wolf 3D files, even the lost levels. What I did was for the original 6 episode version, Wolfenstein 3-D. I imported the graphics from the redux pak file into a newwolf packfile, the one labeled pac1. Of course I found out how to edit the new type of pack files and the old first. The new ones just use Winzip/Winace/Winrar. The old ones use an old program called PakExplorer (for Newwolf). I already have the high res texture pack that came out this year, just added the Redux files in the same folder as the wall textures. The source code, if you look through it (for Newwolf) tells you what the files need to be named (the Texture text file). I just renamed them accordingly. The Wolf Redux pak file already has the right numbers on them, you just rename them to sprt0000, sprt 0001, up to 600 or so (sprt0600). There's a few gaps so you don't actually need to edit 600, takes an hour tops if your quick.
Now the whole point in this modification was because after using the 3D models and the high res texture packs, the enemies in Wolf 3D are totally unbarable. I also don't like the Redux project much so far because it's options are sparse and it's buggy, another reason to do what I did. I'm sure all of you are familiar with the pixelation when moving near enemies. I think I just noticed recently after playing The Ultimate Challenge lost level set. This set did a good job in cleaning up the graphics and making them look nicer then the original. I go back to the original and all those pixels make my eyes tear up! When I fired up the game the enemies were so much smoother and lacking that pixelization they had before on close encounters. It's really nice.
The disadvantages. The redux engine only shows the purple on the edges mildly, Newwolf shows them fully. So you can do it several ways. I just moved all the files over to see how they look. If you turn on the 3D models for the weapons and objects it overwrites the sprites in the pak1 file and only the enemy graphics are modified. I left out the brown plant 3D model and kept the redux one, it looked so much nicer. On unmoving objects the purple is more noticable. On enemies, so far it looks great, but I notice the purple most often on the dogs. Even the dogs with purple, look far superior to the original textures. I quickly found out how difficult it is trying to modify the PNG files so they don't show full blocks, to get rid of the purple. I gave up for now on editing the images. It now looks just like Wolf 3D, just much better! When I play the other set of Lost Levels I'm going to modify those graphics as well (it's more important then the original since you can't really use the high definition wall pack on this without modification and more work). Hopefully with Spear of Destiny it's very similar so I don't have to do as much work.
One thing I'd like to know, because I was unsuccessful changing the one part, and that's how to get the redux images to overlay the status bar on the screen. Anybody know what the files need to be named? The hint from the source code is this: picture from VGAGRAPH
gfx/wolf/pict. There's another file about the pictures files (in the NewWolf source code) that shows what texture has what value (number). I tried an number of mutations, mostly with that path structure in the pak files to no success. My guess is they would be named something like pict0097 as an example. It's pretty much just like the images I was able to get working but redux doesn't assign then numbers and they are supposed to be in a whole different folder in the pak file from the other images (gfx/wolf/). Pict being the starting name of the file. At least that's the way I interpret it.
Sorry for the long post, but I'd appreciate anybodies help or comments, and if anybody has actually does this before!
EDIT: Today I was able to modify the images with Gimp 2, had never used it before either. I just resized the image by 3 pixels width and lengthwise. It removes most of the purple and makes it look almost identical to redux. My guess is it's because redux has a tighter clamp on the textures. Because the program that redraws all the original sprites uses purple on the edges for deinterlacing type purposes, the purple becomes even more noticable in NewWolf. That's all I had to do with the exception of the handgun. I had to pixel by pixel remove most of the purple edges, otherwise I'd have to enlarge the image too much. And because the handgun is so close it makes it even worse. Now it's not bad at all, only had to in the end increase it's size by 2 pixels each way.
I'm playing through Wolfenstein now and it looks fantastic! I resized all the images and have all 3d models turned off, quite impressive. It's more true to the original. I wouldn't mind using 3D models if they were updated, mostly on the weapons end. The other ones mostly look fair to good. But the original sprite images are pretty good animation and effects wise. I'm wondering if modifying the images in this way goes against mod rules since they are from the originals, but if that's the case the Redux project itself is almost questionable since it modifies them. They only thing the Redux project isn't doing is distributing original content. So perhaps if I were ever to distribute these images myself it would be a problem? John Carmack himself used Redux and Newwolf sourcecode to program the iPhone game and he didn't seem to have a problem with it!
Edit 2. Using Gimp again I completed the high resolution pack with the 4 images that weren't completed. I just used existing wall designs as a template!
Redux has this graphics enhancement program, apparently it enhances graphics from any Wolf 3D files, even the lost levels. What I did was for the original 6 episode version, Wolfenstein 3-D. I imported the graphics from the redux pak file into a newwolf packfile, the one labeled pac1. Of course I found out how to edit the new type of pack files and the old first. The new ones just use Winzip/Winace/Winrar. The old ones use an old program called PakExplorer (for Newwolf). I already have the high res texture pack that came out this year, just added the Redux files in the same folder as the wall textures. The source code, if you look through it (for Newwolf) tells you what the files need to be named (the Texture text file). I just renamed them accordingly. The Wolf Redux pak file already has the right numbers on them, you just rename them to sprt0000, sprt 0001, up to 600 or so (sprt0600). There's a few gaps so you don't actually need to edit 600, takes an hour tops if your quick.
Now the whole point in this modification was because after using the 3D models and the high res texture packs, the enemies in Wolf 3D are totally unbarable. I also don't like the Redux project much so far because it's options are sparse and it's buggy, another reason to do what I did. I'm sure all of you are familiar with the pixelation when moving near enemies. I think I just noticed recently after playing The Ultimate Challenge lost level set. This set did a good job in cleaning up the graphics and making them look nicer then the original. I go back to the original and all those pixels make my eyes tear up! When I fired up the game the enemies were so much smoother and lacking that pixelization they had before on close encounters. It's really nice.
The disadvantages. The redux engine only shows the purple on the edges mildly, Newwolf shows them fully. So you can do it several ways. I just moved all the files over to see how they look. If you turn on the 3D models for the weapons and objects it overwrites the sprites in the pak1 file and only the enemy graphics are modified. I left out the brown plant 3D model and kept the redux one, it looked so much nicer. On unmoving objects the purple is more noticable. On enemies, so far it looks great, but I notice the purple most often on the dogs. Even the dogs with purple, look far superior to the original textures. I quickly found out how difficult it is trying to modify the PNG files so they don't show full blocks, to get rid of the purple. I gave up for now on editing the images. It now looks just like Wolf 3D, just much better! When I play the other set of Lost Levels I'm going to modify those graphics as well (it's more important then the original since you can't really use the high definition wall pack on this without modification and more work). Hopefully with Spear of Destiny it's very similar so I don't have to do as much work.
One thing I'd like to know, because I was unsuccessful changing the one part, and that's how to get the redux images to overlay the status bar on the screen. Anybody know what the files need to be named? The hint from the source code is this: picture from VGAGRAPH
gfx/wolf/pict. There's another file about the pictures files (in the NewWolf source code) that shows what texture has what value (number). I tried an number of mutations, mostly with that path structure in the pak files to no success. My guess is they would be named something like pict0097 as an example. It's pretty much just like the images I was able to get working but redux doesn't assign then numbers and they are supposed to be in a whole different folder in the pak file from the other images (gfx/wolf/). Pict being the starting name of the file. At least that's the way I interpret it.
Sorry for the long post, but I'd appreciate anybodies help or comments, and if anybody has actually does this before!
EDIT: Today I was able to modify the images with Gimp 2, had never used it before either. I just resized the image by 3 pixels width and lengthwise. It removes most of the purple and makes it look almost identical to redux. My guess is it's because redux has a tighter clamp on the textures. Because the program that redraws all the original sprites uses purple on the edges for deinterlacing type purposes, the purple becomes even more noticable in NewWolf. That's all I had to do with the exception of the handgun. I had to pixel by pixel remove most of the purple edges, otherwise I'd have to enlarge the image too much. And because the handgun is so close it makes it even worse. Now it's not bad at all, only had to in the end increase it's size by 2 pixels each way.
I'm playing through Wolfenstein now and it looks fantastic! I resized all the images and have all 3d models turned off, quite impressive. It's more true to the original. I wouldn't mind using 3D models if they were updated, mostly on the weapons end. The other ones mostly look fair to good. But the original sprite images are pretty good animation and effects wise. I'm wondering if modifying the images in this way goes against mod rules since they are from the originals, but if that's the case the Redux project itself is almost questionable since it modifies them. They only thing the Redux project isn't doing is distributing original content. So perhaps if I were ever to distribute these images myself it would be a problem? John Carmack himself used Redux and Newwolf sourcecode to program the iPhone game and he didn't seem to have a problem with it!
Edit 2. Using Gimp again I completed the high resolution pack with the 4 images that weren't completed. I just used existing wall designs as a template!
