Copyright: Copyright ® 1994 by Geoff Allan


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Table of Contents

Using Platforms


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Using Platforms

Platforms are the key to the dynamic nature of the Doom environment. By making a sector into a platform, you can cause it to become a crushing ceiling, or a door, or even an elevator. This tutorial will take you through the steps neccessary to make a pillar in the middle of a room that lowers when you flip a switch. After a few seconds, it rises again.

We start with a relatively simple 3-sector map:

Now, we break one of the lines, so that we can place the switch here:

Now, we create a new sector. This will be inside the room to the right, and is placed by right-clicking the mouse while the pointer is at the center of the new sector. Note that the Sectors tool is the active tool:

Here is the result:

Now, change the floor and ceiling height of the new sector. By placing the floor only 56 below the ceiling, we are ensuring that the player will be able to stand there, since 56 is the minimum height that the player fits into.

Now, click on the Add button in the Platform section. You will get a platform information as below. Here, we have already filled in the Name, and Comments for the new platform.

After creating a new platform, select that platform on the sector editing dialog. The sector has now been defined as BLOCK1.

Now that the sector is a platform, we need to select the action which will trigger it. Our intention is to have a switch operate this platform, so we will choose the linedef now: (Remember, we broke this line up earlier)

Now, we define the action of the line: it is a switch that lowers the floor of its platform for 3 seconds. The platform that it acts on is BLOCK1.

Now, when we select the line, you can see the sector that it is associated with. We will change the texture of the line to one of the switch textures, which all start with SW1. Some switches only happen once, some repeat indefinitely, and some stay on once they have been switched. See the Action list to make your choice:

This platform is now complete. By walking up to the switch, and operating it, you will lower the platform to the ground. You may now walk onto the platform. After a few seconds, it will rise, carrying you up to its maximum height.

Some platforms are operated by merely crossing a line. In these cases, you may have doors open or platforms drop as you move around. This is how the platform with the Imps in the zig-zag room on E1M1 works... after you walk through the door to the end, you cross a line which lowers that platform. Once it is open, you can run back and through it into the hidden area.

More:

To build a teleporter, you need a line to cross which will send the player, and a platform defined where he will be sent. Somewhere in the platform, you will have to place a THING called Teleport Destination. This will be the players exit point.

In this case, you can have a small sector-within-a-sector, and you will need to define the sending action for all four lines of this sector. Line up this sector with the + grid, and the floor tile will be exactly where you want it to be.

Not all of the definitions are tested, but most are. To the best of my knowledge of this writing, there is at most one or two in error...