What is a WAX?
A WAX file is a character file used in DF, but even more. Any animated or destructable objects in the game are also WAXes. 95% of all custom made DF components are WAXes. WAXs are often called Sprites by both Wedit and DF sometimes.
What program(s) do I need?
To edit a WAX, you'll be using Wedit 3.20 and Microsoft Paint (or any bitmap editor).
How do I get started?
Open up Wedit and click 'File' then 'New'. Once the new window has opened, click the 'GOB' button in the taskbar. Now click 'Open' and find 'Sprites.gob' either in your DF directory (c:/dark) or on the CD itself (d:/). After you double-click and open Sprites.gob, you should see a list of all the files compiled into that directory.
Now click once on each file to find the WAX you want to edit. The example I'm going to use is Stormfin.wax (the stormtrooper enemy).
If you've found your WAX, click once on it and then hit 'Save As' and save it to your 'c:/dark' folder. Now close that window and click the 'AUX' button on the taskbar. Hit 'Open' and find your WAX in the 'c:/dark' directory and double-click it.
You should now see your character appear in the 'sneak-peek' window on the right. Now click on the file at the very top of the list shown on the left and hit the 'Export' button and save it. Next I'm going to give you some info on how Wedit treats component files.
After you Export your component in Wedit, the file (WAX in this case) is separated into all the single bitmaps used in animating the character. All those bitmaps are saved in a folder in the 'c:/dark' directory that's named after whatever your file was named (stormfin in this case). Wedit also creates a blank template bitmap file named after the original file name (stormfin.bmp in this case). I'll explain that file when we're ready to put our finished WAX together.
How do I edit the bitmaps?
Go open your WAX folder (ex: stormfin) and open up the first bitmap in your bitmap editor. Each bitmap is named in numerical order as they appear in the Auxiliary Item Editor window (cell0000.bmp, cell0001.bmp, cell0002.bmp and so on). Open up 'cell0000.bmp' and start crackin'. From here on it's really up to your artistic abilities to design a successful and good-looking bitmap.
Each WAX contains on average about 32-53 bitmaps. The table (table.wax) has the fewest bitmaps (2) and the Phase 3 Dark Trooper (phase3x.wax) has the most I believe (53). Don't take my word for it, as I'm no expert, but I do edit a LOT of WAXes.
Some things to remember while creating your WAX are:
Adjusting or changing the bitmap size will cause the WAX to be compiled oddly and the character will 'float on air' in those frames. You should not adjust the size unless you know what you are doing, or else the WAX will be off-centered and just plain crap. Once you finish editing all your bitmaps, proceed to this next question...
How do I compile my bitmaps into a WAX?
Pay close attention now:
Finally! Now go back to Wedit and open that Auxiliary Item Editor again. But this time, click 'Import' before anything else. Now find and double-click that template bitmap again (stormfin.bmp). Now you should see the bitmaps you edited and saved in the 'sneak-peek' window on the right. Click once on that top file in the list at left again and then hit the 'Save' button once it becomes available.
One other thing that Wedit does with only WAXes is that it puts a 'schema.map' file into the folder along with the bitmaps. After you hit 'Save' on that Auxiliary Item Editor, it should prompt you to find that 'schema.map' file.
After you double-click 'schema.map', the window should close and your WAX will be saved and all done in the 'c:/dark' directory. Congratulations! Your WAX is now complete. Keep in mind that the first WAX is never the best, though. Experiment and fool around more before you release anything on the internet. As they say, practice makes perfect.
The best WAX creator I've known is Al MacDonald. If you want examples of high quality stuff, download some of his WAX packages at www.df-21.net and I guarantee he's the best. My WAX packages are available for download there also, and on my website too: www.angelfire.com/biz3/TJ13.
Why is my WAX this way?
If you have any problems with your WAX, there can be a huge number of possibilities and reasons. My suggestion is to go back and start over again untill it comes out right like you wanted. Sometimes weird things go wrong when compiling WAXes, so you should just keep trying.
For questions, help, or comments simply e-mail me at: tj13x@yahoo.com.
It may take several days or weeks for me to reply to you. If I don't answer you within a month, mail me again. Questions, no matter how stupid or ignorant, will not be turned down by me. Good luck and may editing the Force be with you!