(Doom) Custom Sky Tutorial

This video teaches you how to export then edit one of Doom's images, then import it into your very own maps for a customized experience. More specifically, in this video you'll learn how to create custom skies! This technique can be extended to create custom wall textures, import custom sounds and songs, and more.

XWE (eXtendable Wad Editor) is required to follow the steps in this video. Download XWE from one of the mirrors on this site for free:

[DirtyBoySingToGod]

Just wannna say thanks Chubz, for making this particular thing clear. Been driving me crazy, trying to swap sky textures, but thankfully, you've shown me how, nice and clearly. GREAT STUFF !

[DVPRNG]

Chubz you're a legend, not only have I learnt how to edit textures you also solved my XWE problem.

[Salebtuber]

Thanks, this helped me a lot, especially the "open as administrator" tip. I couldn't get XWE working without that. But just pulling in RSKY1 didn't work for me, I just got two RSKY1 patches! ("zdoom as doom" style wad). This is how I got it to work: after pulling in your SKY patch (like you discribed, but it may have any name like MYSKY or watever) got to the Textures tab. You will find your new patch as a new texture there. In the table you can find the PID number, note that. Now scroll to the SKY1 texture. You'll see the PID number for it's patch still is pointing to the old RSKY1 patch. So, simply change the PID number to the one of your new patch and you'll see your own Skypatch coming. Close the file and ready.
Thnaks again for the tutorial, couldn't have done it without it.

[Chubzdoomer]

@Eestlaneonvisa Mama always said, "Life's like a box of Doom WADs. You never know what you're gonna get!"

[Mailboxloser]

Great! This is the one thing I couldnt figure out how to do. I wanted to get TNT skies transferred onto D2.

[Mikrommm]

HUge thanks for this one :) Can't wait to listen to old school doom music once more.

[xSephironx]

A much better way that doesn't make you replace any files is the sky feature in a mapinfo lump. Just go on the wiki and check it out.

[Chubzdoomer]

In this video, I'd set up ZDoom so that it was using the OPL Synthesizer. The result is an oldschool sound much like what you would've heard from old Soundblaster cards back in the 90s. To do this yourself, launch ZDoom (using any IWAD), then go to OPTIONS -> SOUND OPTIONS and change MIDI DEVICE to "OPL Synth Emulation." You should now have that really raw, oldschool-ish sound for every track! It works for custom MIDIs, too, which is really cool.

[Chubzdoomer]

@xSephironx Very interesting, thanks for the heads up!

[Chubzdoomer]

I just tested both RSKY1 and RSKY2 and they replaced their respective skies like they were supposed to. Double-check just to make sure you imported RSKY2 with exactly that name, saved it in the right file format, etc.

[duLuded]

thats a lol sky. Good tutorial for people who dont have a general idea though! I already knew how to do this without any tutorial. When you sent me the zombie defense i changed the music :D

[Chubzdoomer]

@Gibbagobba The Backup mirror and Mirror 2 worked just fine for me. I just tested them.

[Chubzdoomer]

@crispyandleo I don't know of any others, but you can always rip images off the web and use those until good ol' Realm667 is back up!

[DirtyBoySingToGod]

Hey Chubz, thank you for the excellent tutorial. A question for you...
I have made my own sky now, thanks to you.
But it was odd, because I did everything that you say to do. I imported a photo over the top of the BMP. in Photoshop, by changing it to RGB from Indexed ( i couldn't drag a layer onto it in indexed mode ) edited the layer so it was endless, as it were. Then flattened, changed back to indexed and resaved it as the original named BMP. file.
Ok, When in DoomBuilder2, I cannot see any of the R_SKY textures in the textures list, but I can choose F_SKY1 - which is it's own thing at 64x64 pixels. F_SKY1 looks the exact same as it always has, yet when i go to in-game, the sky is now my modded texture, instead ( which is awesome, thank you again ). I cannot seem to find F_SKY anywhere in XWE, no matter which WAD I load in. Is it not strictly a texture ? My edited texture behaves as a full sky, not a sequence of tiled textures, which is great. ... but why can i not see it as a texture in the DoomBuilder2 texture lists ? Very odd :D

[georgep]

@Chubzdoomer lol XD nice really nice reference

[KillaCamCorte]

Can I not just make my own texture any size I like & then place it into my custom wad as a resource by its own file name? Does it have to be the name of one of the bitmaps in the original WAD?

My texture is not showing up in my custom WAD when I test it, even though in 3-D mode testing it looks as if its right there & all aligned how I want it. I used XWE just as you instructed, but instead of using RWDMON4 as my patch, I renamed it & loaded it into my custom wad as a bigger-sized patch.

[christianemmanuelf.domingo]

i use slade but i watch this tutorial idk how to make xwe work with lmp format and slade is able to work the sky box png format, the software crash when i tried to drag the image in xwe

[titanic]

Hi chubz i did everything as you did and it only appears like a wall texture its not like 3d like you'res at the end of the video i have no clue what went wrong i just wan't the Hell themed texture so i didn't go to any editor as Paint or photoshop and just loaded it in patches and nothing changed :(

[marcolujan]

Is xwe even functional nowadays? I've heard you can change textures with Slade 3 but can't seem to find any detailed tutorial

[marlboromike]

Chubz is a reincarnation of Bob Ross... Bob Ross is the Anti Christ.. He paints pretty little trees.. tho useful info, not quite what I was looking for, but will figure it out.