page 1 || page 2 || page 3 || page 4 
 Textures:

 Textures: flipping textures  < f >
Flipping textures is done by pressing the f key on a painted surface in 3D mode. Whether you're painting a floor, ceiling, wall, a door or a simple box, you can always use the f key to flip the texture so that it sits appropriately. Let's say that you've just made a Star Trek type door, lotag 25, and have painted the door on the left using tile # 156. The texture will sit appropriately on that door, such that, all you would have to do is scale it (pan it). The right door panel will sit backwards on its surface.
By pressing the f key on the door on the right, you can flip the texture so that the left side meets the right side in the middle. Most of you probably know this already but for the new comers, it is news. Flipping the sprites is accomplished in the same fashion as flipping textures: By pressing the f key on the sprite.


 Textures:  orientation  < o >

There are a couple of reasons for using the o key (the letter O, not a zero). The first and most popular is for the painting of the door panels, those slide bars, door tracks, what ever you want to call them. The tile number is 161. One of the first things that most Builders learn is how to use this key. When you make slide doors of the lotag 20 or 21 type, usually to make this effect effective, one places the cursor on the door tracks (the wall) in 3D mode and presses the o key on them. This actually paints the texture from the floor-up instead of the ceiling-down but the effect of this procedure (as it relates to these side bars or slide doors) is that when the door slides up or down in the game, that these tiles are static, they won't move.

The next reason for using the o key is for making wall blow outs more believable. Wall explosions are one of the most exciting effects to incorporate in to one of your maps but can also be quite disappointing if you have failed to paint the textures properly. You may have become a master of these cool effects but if you don't know how to properly paint textures on surfaces, your effects will flop, period.

Using the o key isn't for just wall explosions. It's for simple things like doors with a header, windows, and vents. When ever the architecture of what you are building incorporates a two sided wall for a hole, those walls will need to have their textures painted bottom-up and you do this is by using the o key.

 Sprites:  orientation  < o >

Using the o key on sprites has a different effect on sprites, in that, it does not paint them differently like textures. This function is only done in 3D mode and what it does to a sprite is push or paste the sprite against the nearest wall. Big deal? Well, it's actually a nice deal. Ever try to put a switch, button or some sprite against a wall in such a way that it sits just right? Pressing the o key does just that.

You might find this option most useful when you are trying to apply a sprite on a double sided wall like above a door or where the player can see over or under a wall. Another situation where you might use the o key on sprite is on a one sided wall that is not parallel North/South or East/West. Walls that are not perpendicular to these usual directions can sometime prove difficult for the application of sprites but if you drag the sprite slightly in front of the wall in 2D mode, you can then slip in to 3D mode and press the o key on that sprite.
This will paste the sprite directly to the wall's surface and alter it's orientation so that it properly sits on that surface. This method speeds up the process. The alternative way would be to try and alter the position of the sprites tail in 2D mode but this can be quite time consuming.

 Textures:  palette  < Alt >  +  < p >  +  < number >  =  palette

Changing the palette is very useful for several reasons and I'm not sure that I can cover them all in one post.
I will tell you about the ones that are used for the basic effects in Duke3D. I will also tell you about the ones that I have found most useful for the levels that I design and why I use them. You will find your favourites as you experiment with them. I'll start with what every new Builder is interested in knowing and then move on.

First of all, it definitely makes a difference to what you are changing the palette. Palette effects walls differently than ceilings and effects sprites differently than walls and some palettes give some sprites a property they did not have before the altered palette. To change the palette of a surface or sprite, you press and hold the <Alt> key, press <p> and then enter a number for the palette you wish to use. see palette list

When applying a palette to a wall, it will either change the entire look/colour as when one applies a palette of <1> or  <2> or change the foreground colour like when one applies a palette of <15> or  <18>. I'm starting with the palettes <1> and  <2> because not only do they alter the entire colour of whatever you apply them to, they also change the properties of some of the sprites. Applying a palette of <1> or  <2> changes the colour to either blue or red but also changes the properties of sprites. For instance, applying these palettes to buttons or switches makes them so that they only appear in Duke Match or Co Op play. They are also the most obvious changes one can make to a ceiling or floor tile. If you apply these palettes (as well as most other palettes) to a floor or ceiling, it effects the player and other sprites, as well, in that, anything on or in this area will appear a different colour. For instance, applying a palette of <1> to a ceiling, the player and his weapon will appear blue when standing in this sector. This is what I mean by the palette effecting walls differently than floors or walls. Applying these palettes to a wall will not effect the sprites (player) as you walk through this area but the palette on the ceiling, will.

Changing the palette of the Trooper to <21> will give Trooper teleporting capabilities. Giving BOSS1 a palette of <21> will make it a "mini boss". Giving the NUKEBUTTON a palette of <14> will change it's foreground colour to green instead of red and also makes it a secret level exit button.

The effect really depends on the texture, the sprite, and/or their properties hard coded in to them.
For example like the special DOORTILE sprites: they will behave as switches when given a wall lotag.
A better example, when talking about textures and palette, would be the palette <14> NUKEBUTTON.

My favourite palettes are 4, 5, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 22, and 24. I like the foreground colour changes of these palettes and the palette of 4 because it's great for blacking out things that need to be hidden or dark to point of black. Just keep in mind that most palettes, if applied to a ceiling or floor will change the colour of Duke or the sprites under this ceiling. Applying any palettes to the buttons/switches, besides the ACCESSSWITCH sprites and keycards, will have them appear in Death Match or Co Op play, only.

Most times, when I'm thinking about changing the palette of a sprite or texture, I go through the whole list trying each one in turn deciding which one, if any, look best for what effect I'm trying to achieve. You'll have to do the same, too. All the textures behave differently. There are some similarities but for the most part, you'll just have to try them. For instance, some textures, only one palette will change its colour; you'll have to try them all to find the one that works. see palette list