I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

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  • TheSilentLord
    FFR Player
    • Jun 2012
    • 110

    #1

    I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

    So I decided to try out making some simfiles of my own, and opened the stepmania editor for the first time in my life.

    I started by reading the simfile creation guide on these forums, and after some annoying problems (SM3.9 apparently doesn't recognize the song in the song list if the folder name is same as the .sm filename) finally got into the song. Needless to say, I was to face the pain of desyncing notes. It seemed really hard to get the offset AND the speed right, always when i went to the end of the song, the notes had become offsync.

    Well, I eventually got over that, and started stepping the arrows themselves. I only stepped about 30 seconds of the song, and before I continue, I'd like to ask your opinions about my work thus far. Does it feel syncing enough? (to me it does but maybe someone can notice an error i don't) Are the steps good or stupid? Any idea how to make them better? I tried to create an moderately easy (9 to 10 footer) jumpstreamish style and think myself that it's okay, but nothing special...

    Please spare a few minutes and try it out. Feedback would be really appreciated! There is no GFX as of yet but that will be done after (if) i finish the stepping.

    song: Find My Way to You (Nightcore mix, orig. artist. La Cube)


    It's finally finished, download from my last post or below!


    0.10 (sync test) : http://www.mediafire.com/?k2aqb8ugdbsr18r
    0.15 (synced succesfully? patterns) : http://www.mediafire.com/?ktxjs32osv4bmoa
    0.20 (melody --> singles + drum): http://www.mediafire.com/?dttra418mgb1d1z
    0.90 (Finished! Comments?): http://www.mediafire.com/?lwsc1ae62l30njx
    Last edited by TheSilentLord; 07-16-2012, 09:12 AM.
  • MarioNintendo
    Expect delays.
    FFR Simfile Author
    FFR Music Producer
    • Mar 2008
    • 4177

    #2
    Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

    I'll try the song out, but first a word of wisdom if you are to create simfiles actively:

    Use DDReamStudio, a free editor for DDR/FFR/ITG that makes everything much more easier (trust me on that one xP). If you are ok with opening one more tutorial and maybe diving a bit more into it, which I recommend because it will easily fix any problem you could have with the offset or the BPM of your songs, here's a video to give you an overview:

    Comment

    • 00Razor00
      FFR Player
      • Jul 2006
      • 3530

      #3
      Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

      can people stop stepping Nightcore


      Originally posted by t-rogdor
      hey buddy are you looking for a good song to step because if so i really recommend you step In Front Of A Bus

      Comment

      • TwistedPhoenix
        Forum User
        • Sep 2011
        • 393

        #4
        Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

        If your steps become offsync as you progress, your BPM is probably off. I use this tool to help find BPMs. http://www.mixmeister.com/bpmanalyzer/bpmanalyzer.asp

        Also, in case you want a song with multiple BPMs, use this: http://www.all8.com/tools/bpm.htm

        Comment

        • MarioNintendo
          Expect delays.
          FFR Simfile Author
          FFR Music Producer
          • Mar 2008
          • 4177

          #5
          Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

          Edit: your sync is indeed pretty shabby I see you have 177.66 BPM. When I press the arrow to the correct timing, it's already too far from the grey arrows at the top. Did you try 177.00 bpm? And, again, You should try just opening your .sm file in ddreamstudio to see how and where the beats get misaligned. You really should. It might be a revelation to you when you see how well it works.

          @TwistedPhoenix:

          MixMeister is indeed the most popular tool to find BPMs, but it's also pretty inaccurate (never on target). That's what I think we all started noticing after a while. DDReam is more efficient to find the correct bpm and offset in every way, plus you can even edit your song in it. It's just wonderful.

          Comment

          • 00Razor00
            FFR Player
            • Jul 2006
            • 3530

            #6
            Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

            Or use AutoBPM, which gives you the bpm of the song while you listen to it.

            http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multime.../AutoBPM.shtml

            Works gr8.


            Originally posted by t-rogdor
            hey buddy are you looking for a good song to step because if so i really recommend you step In Front Of A Bus

            Comment

            • TheSilentLord
              FFR Player
              • Jun 2012
              • 110

              #7
              Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

              Originally posted by MarioNintendo
              I'll try the song out, but first a word of wisdom if you are to create simfiles actively:

              Use DDReamStudio, a free editor for DDR/FFR/ITG that makes everything much more easier (trust me on that one xP). If you are ok with opening one more tutorial and maybe diving a bit more into it, which I recommend because it will easily fix any problem you could have with the offset or the BPM of your songs, here's a video to give you an overview:

              I tried it and it seemed okay, probably will be using it from now on.

              Originally posted by 00Razor00
              can people stop stepping Nightcore
              I had the feeling almost nobody steps it. At least i could not find any nightcore packs when i searched for them. Links, anyone?

              Originally posted by TwistedPhoenix
              If your steps become offsync as you progress, your BPM is probably off. I use this tool to help find BPMs. http://www.mixmeister.com/bpmanalyzer/bpmanalyzer.asp

              Also, in case you want a song with multiple BPMs, use this: http://www.all8.com/tools/bpm.htm
              My BPM was determined by the online tapping tool. I tapped throughout the whole song. Tried mixmeister too.

              Originally posted by MarioNintendo
              Edit: your sync is indeed pretty shabby I see you have 177.66 BPM. When I press the arrow to the correct timing, it's already too far from the grey arrows at the top. Did you try 177.00 bpm? And, again, You should try just opening your .sm file in ddreamstudio to see how and where the beats get misaligned. You really should. It might be a revelation to you when you see how well it works.

              @TwistedPhoenix:

              MixMeister is indeed the most popular tool to find BPMs, but it's also pretty inaccurate (never on target). That's what I think we all started noticing after a while. DDReam is more efficient to find the correct bpm and offset in every way, plus you can even edit your song in it. It's just wonderful.
              The arrows are too far from the grey ones? I didnt notice that, in fact i thought they were almost on spot. Though i dont believe the bpm is the issue here, because i verified the bpm in many ways:

              Mixmeister- 177.57
              Online tapping tool - 177.7
              Autobpm - 177.6
              Ddream studio (by tapping as in your vid) - 177.90
              Stepmania editor (i put 4th notes both in the beginning and the end of the song, and both of them felt fitting the beat) - 177.66

              All the tools provided similar bpm so it seems the issue is not the bpm. Also, the offset can be wrong but i didnt notice it while testing. Stepmania editor gave me -0.129 after trying some time. Ddream studio was anything between -0.110 and -0.130 because the song does not start with a beat, but instead a vocal so the soundwave is round and smooth, not a spike.

              Originally posted by 00Razor00
              Or use AutoBPM, which gives you the bpm of the song while you listen to it.

              http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multime.../AutoBPM.shtml

              Works gr8.
              Thx for this, working fine.

              What about the patterns i used? Good? Bad? I tried to follow the guidelines in making a good stepfile -guide. It works for me, but as you have more experience, say what you think!


              TLDR: I didnt notice the offsync that much but it can be there. All bpm tools provided the same bpm so i think i got that one right. Offset may be wrong but vocal beginning makes it hard to get in ddream studio. Comments on the patterns i used?


              EDIT: Went through the file again in DDReam studio, this time zoomed in in sync mode - result: found out that the bpm was a bit too high and the offset was ****ed because of the vocal start in the song which distracted me. New values: BPM = 177.596 (from 177.660) and Offset = -0.135 (from -0.129). It feels more to the beat now. Updated version in first post (I decided to update my progress so I can myself see how it goes on). Now onto more stepping - i'm trying to make the patterns like in this song (one of my all time SM favorite simfiles): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08Ow_wny8wc
              Last edited by TheSilentLord; 06-15-2012, 05:36 AM.

              Comment

              • TheSilentLord
                FFR Player
                • Jun 2012
                • 110

                #8
                Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

                Update:

                I'm progressing very slowly because I'm busy with work and other IRL stuff. However, I edited the stepchart a little.

                - I changed the melody to be singles and not jumps.
                - I added the kickdrum as a second layer. It's mostly just 4th notes. This creates jumps in the chart and a little "harder" place before the main instrument theme. I had some trouble deciding where I should put the arrows as my melody was going by the theme "lower sounds --> left/down, higher sounds --> right/up). I ended putting them where I had space.
                - I continued the chart a little bit.

                Comments?

                edit: download in 1st post if you have time to try it.
                Last edited by TheSilentLord; 06-20-2012, 11:42 AM.

                Comment

                • MarioNintendo
                  Expect delays.
                  FFR Simfile Author
                  FFR Music Producer
                  • Mar 2008
                  • 4177

                  #9
                  Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

                  Told you DDReam was the solution Send the finished product in due time!

                  Comment

                  • Ghakimx
                    Cutie&Handshaking Sounds
                    • Mar 2009
                    • 1594

                    #10
                    Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

                    Frankly speakly, almost anyone's first few simfiles will be rubbish. You will agree with me when you review them in 6 months. Though for now, you need something easy and straightforward and technical. Any dance/techno song with no BPM change is easy.

                    Ensure that your offset is precise so that you don't use notes incorrectly later on. Then, as you step, have a difficulty target; easy, normal or hard? You should go for easy or medium at your level. I'd write more but self-discovery is a big part of stepping charts. More importantly, just play charts. Being better at the games DOES make you a better charter because you can make a chart according to what you enjoy tapping to.

                    I AM ASHAMED OF MY STUPIDITY AND MUST COMMIT SEPPUKU. FORGIVE ME, FFR.


                    Ninjas NEVER die. Now on a 30 kill streak.

                    Comment

                    • TheSilentLord
                      FFR Player
                      • Jun 2012
                      • 110

                      #11
                      Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

                      Well, I quite frankly have no idea if I'm bad/okay/good in this game. I play one handed which is IMO the most fun style (I tried index and played a while spread). The most accurate way to describe my skill level would be that I can pass most of the songs in Otakus Dream 2nd Video Game Mix at the hardest difficulty, but many of them only rank C and a few not at all. So dunno if those files are considered hard or medium difficulty by the community?

                      Comment

                      • Mike Weedmark
                        FFR Veteran
                        • Aug 2009
                        • 1196

                        #12
                        Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

                        They're considered extremely easy unless you play them on rates.

                        Comment

                        • TheSilentLord
                          FFR Player
                          • Jun 2012
                          • 110

                          #13
                          Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

                          Okay,

                          So take that into consideration when you read my posts!

                          edit: Ye, I tried Hard Songs Megapack and it was way too hard for me! Though I'm not sure if they can even be done with one hand.
                          Last edited by TheSilentLord; 06-21-2012, 11:30 AM.

                          Comment

                          • TheSilentLord
                            FFR Player
                            • Jun 2012
                            • 110

                            #14
                            Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.*Finished my first song!*

                            Okay, everyone probably thought that this topic was dead and I gave up, but fortunately that was not the case!

                            The file was left in the dust for a few weeks, but then, two days ago, I thought that I should maybe finally step it into the end. So I took my time and finished the file, added a GFX and a banner and voila, here it is! My first simfile.

                            A few words should be said about the file. Yes, the background is indeed a "generic" anime pic, but I did take my time to find one which (IMO) fit the song and the general atmosphere. And what kind of GFX do you expect from a song anyways when the genre is Nightcore . The banner might not be that great but I can't really do a lot better with my nonexistant photoshop skills. The steps themselves felt pretty awkward to make at the beginning, but when i got a hold of it, they became more of my liking. I like especially the part which the prewiev music is taken from. It might have turned out a bit too easy, but at least the hardest part, I think, was in the right place of the song.

                            Well, that's enough for now, please try it and post your comments! If you think it's shit, please at least tell me what I did wrong so my second file will be better . Or if you liked it, do tell me what was good in it! Any kind of feedback is appreciated.

                            Download:



                            Cheers!



                            edit: please leave your feedback on the topic I made in the "simfiles" section, as this forum part isn't actually for simfiles and their feedback - I should probably have made the topic on the other area originally.
                            Last edited by TheSilentLord; 07-16-2012, 09:34 AM.

                            Comment

                            • who_cares973
                              FFR Player
                              • Aug 2006
                              • 15407

                              #15
                              Re: I'm starting making simfiles, please help me out.

                              i like chinese food

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