Gamers.Org - Frans P. de Vries

Welcome to the humble homepage of:

Frans P. de Vries

"Being able to see The Right Thing, then program it into existence out of thin air is still the core wonder of programming for me." — John Carmack

Contributor since January 2016.
Analyzed map view image generation and improved the Omgifol script drawmaps.py (10.9 KB).
Created DMMPST, the DooM MaP StaTistics tool, which generates statistics (map data, things, thing appearances) of Doom, Heretic, Hexen and Strife levels, including tables directly suitable for use in Doom Wiki map pages. Download here (328 KB).
Created DMINFO, the DooM INFO.c processors: five utilities (DMINFO, 64INFO, HTINFO, HXINFO and SFINFO) compiled against the original source code's INFO.c to directly extract information from the mobjinfo, state, sprite and sound tables, suitable for filling thing Data tables and various one-off tables on Doom Wiki. Download here (1458 KB).
Operate a bot account since October 2016 to (semi-)automatically check consistency of some content and submit a wide variety of new and updated content.
Built a small site to illustrate the Growth of the Doom Wiki over its lifetime (December 2021).
For these contributions, and those in the 1990s, I was honored by the Doom community with the Espi Award for lifetime achievement. Thank you! (December 10, 2022)

System administrator, programmer, web developer, and proofreader (since Fall 1999).
Rebuilding the site, with Kxmode, to responsive design (March 2019 through May 2020).
News editor and filemeister (October 1999 through August 2002).

Design, develop, and maintain Dutch/English site for the playlists of the Dutch radio programme Symfo Mania (since 2018).

Design, develop, and co-maintain Dutch site for the coordination of judges and officials to athletics competitions (since 2019).

Co-author of Wikimate, a MediaWiki API wrapper for PHP based wikibots (since September 2016).
Developed LmpStats, a PHP library to collect statistics from LMP files, i.e. Doom-engine demos (February-March 2021)
Various Doom and Doom Wiki related scripts on Gist.
Contributor to PHP: The Right Way (since August 2022).

Developed the XASECO server controller for TMF/TMN/TMS/TMO and its XASOCO2 counterpart for TM² (2007-2013).
Hosting and maintaining the XAseco.org website with extensive information on the above server controllers as well as many related topics, tools and links (since 2010).
Hosting and managing the Mania Tech Wiki to document technical aspects of, and technology in, the Mania games (since 2017).
Providing hub pages for TMN, TMF, TM², and SMS information (since 2007).
Managing Dedimania data and the TMF global blacklist (since 2009). Formerly also Dedimania2 data and the TM² global blacklist.
Used to host the TMN rounds server Smooooth Tracks and the TMNF time-attack server StadiuMania (2007-2017).
Participated in Nadeo's beta tests from TMF through MP4.0.

Co-founded (in 1996) and maintained 3D Gamers (until February 2007), the most comprehensive download site for 3D Games in all game categories, with official demos, patches, screenshots, movies and other relevant files collected per game title for a comfortable overview.
Back-up and side-kick in sysadmin-related tasks on both sites (since 1996).
Developed the Idgames Upload form (February 2021).
Migrated the Compet-n site to https://compet-n.gamers.org/ (July-December 2023).

Backing up maintenance of /pub/idgames (Doom Archive).
I maintained the idgames archive from December 1995 til February 1997.
Also used to maintain the /pub/idgames2 (Quake Archive) and /pub/unreal (Unreal archive), now both dormant.

Supported the Rec.Games.Computer.Doom newsgroups from their creation in November 1994 through 1999. Here are the regularly posted articles that I maintained:
- DOOM: Rec.Games.Computer.Doom FAQ (there is also an HTML version)
- DOOM: Other 3D Action Games FAQ (there is also an HTML version)
Another regularly posted article for these groups is maintained by JVE:
- DOOM: FTP and WWW Sites (there is also an HTML version)

In December 1998, on occasion of DOOM's fifth birthday, I wrote a brief account of the history of the DOOM ASCII logo and related works, as well as the until-then-unpublished id Software ASCII logo.
Back in 1995, I developed DMPSMU, the DooM PostScript Maps Utility, which, as the name implies, allows you to print PostScript maps of DOOM, DOOM II, Ultimate DOOM and Heretic levels. Download here (288 KB).
Also in 1995, I developed DMTXLS, a DooM TeXtures LiSter, which allows you to generate cross-reference lists of the wall textures and flats used in levels in DOOM, DOOM II, Ultimate DOOM and Heretic. Download here (66 KB).
During 1994, I contributed a variety of info to Hank Leukart's DOOM and DOOM II FAQ, including the aforementioned ASCII logo.
Further back, in 1993, I created a set of plain-ASCII maps for Wolfenstein 3-D and Spear of Destiny. Download here (65 KB). These maps were printed by the WMAP program (16 KB) using definition files also created by me. Download here (9 KB).
My very first Internet activities in 1993 consisted of a series of contributions to Stan Stasiak's Wolfenstein 3-D and Spear of Destiny FAQ, later maintained by Adam Williamson.

My first real dabbling into programming occurred in the early 1980's on the HP-34C, quickly followed by a near-decade on the HP-41CV/CX.
With the coding (and writing) fire sparked, came membership of US clubs PPC & CHHU, UK club HPCC and Dutch club PROMPT, as well as writing dozens of articles for PPC (Calculator) Journal, CHHU Chronicle & HPX Exchange, Datafile, PROMPT and NUTS until the early 1990's.
I also programmed in C and 68000 assembly on my Atari 1040ST during that period, but none of it was published.

John Van Essen, my oldest friend, in both senses of the word.
Piotr Kapiszewski, another long-time friend, usually way too busy with real-life chores.
Matthias Rauhut, watch out - he'll patch you right up. And your game too.
Ty Halderman (R.I.P.), all-around DOOM busy-body and purveyor of TeamTNT-ities.
Stephen Heaslip, master of the Blue-colored news universe.
Jason Bergman, the looniest webmaster around.
Raphaël Quinet, coding buff and master of everything DEU. Gimpy kinda guy, too.
Gilles Masson, the FASTest TrackManiac.