Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

[EyeofEternity]

I've had an idea for this for quite a while but haven't done anything with it. However, I've recently been working on a separate project, which involves the MIDI format. The converter would hopefully be in Python (3), or if Python's limited bit-manipulation causes issues, in Go.

Help from someone with knowledge of the Stepmania Stepfile format would be immensely helpful.

TL;DR
If you're interested in helping, PM me, with your experience and we can talk there.

If this goes ahead, I'll post a link to the GitHub repo

UPDATE
GitHub Repo: github.com/MicroTransactionsMatterToo/midi2sm

Commit Log

commit c1ac1193f327f8d800124241c16028c79602c4b4
Author: Ennis Massey <[email protected]>
Date:   Sat Oct 1 22:25:43 2016 +1300

    Beginnings of MIDI Parsing, added test MIDI File

commit 948974f1ba3500fac1d236b3b5b1e52f4ab68128
Author: Ennis Massey <[email protected]>
Date:   Sat Oct 1 22:16:56 2016 +1300

    Add .gitignore, add first module

commit 179ef59aa0ec5af481eadcbf21c2cab7910009ea
Author: Ennis Massey <[email protected]>
Date:   Sat Oct 1 22:08:38 2016 +1300

    Finish

commit 7ac2546fb2bd4d3d086c40c32d999ae026b52f5c
Author: Ennis Massey <[email protected]>
Date:   Sat Oct 1 22:00:16 2016 +1300

    Initial Commit

ANOTHER UPDATE
Well, I've decided to use Golang, it's just easier for parsing file


Many Thanks,
MicroTransactionsMatterToo

[Arntonach]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

Are you Arch0wl?

[EyeofEternity]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

Are you Arch0wl?
__________________
fuck I have to put this shit back together D:

No, I don't know who that is

[trumaestro]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

How far do you want this converter to go? Do you want it to create actual playable steps? That's probably a bad idea, because you won't like the product.

Do you want it to create a template for you to make stepmania files? Great, but why re-write the serviceable editor already built in?

Does stepmania even support midi? I think your first step might just be to convert the midi to mp3.

Start with reading a .sm file, go read a guide that covers a couple of basics on stepping to see what all the different values are for. Probably a big hurdle would be figuring out BPMs. Or at least doing it automagically.

[EyeofEternity]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

How far do you want this converter to go? Do you want it to create actual playable steps? That's probably a bad idea, because you won't like the product.

Do you want it to create a template for you to make stepmania files? Great, but why re-write the serviceable editor already built in?

Does stepmania even support midi? I think your first step might just be to convert the midi to mp3.

Start with reading a .sm file, go read a guide that covers a couple of basics on stepping to see what all the different values are for. Probably a big hurdle would be figuring out BPMs. Or at least doing it automagically.

MIDI is a pretty ideal file type for stepfiles, in essence, every note in a MIDI file is like a hold in StepMania. To convert decently, one would ignore the Note-Off messages, and then keep all the Note-On ones. The timings are also present in the MIDI file, as well as the BPM. To keep the track tidy, you'd use only one track in the file, then split the 127 available notes into quarters, corresponding to the positions of notes in StepMania. In the event that there are 2 notes at the same time, then create a pair of notes, or triplet e.t.c. as needed

I would go into more detail, but it's still an early concept and I haven't fleshed everything out

[EyeofEternity]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

Just in case people aren't aware, MIDI is NOT an audio format like MP3. Instead it's a record of when notes are played, how hard keys are pressed, as well as many other factors. This allows for far easier conversion of MIDI to other formats. If you need more info, check the Wikipedia article


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[trumaestro]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

Sounds like it should be "simple" to do. You just need to write the top half of the .sm, then deal with the notes themselves. And make sure that Stepmania can handle the audio. Here's a few pointers.

#TITLE:The Snowy Blue Mountains;  ### Should be able to maybe get this stuff from metadata??
#SUBTITLE:Kirby Super Star (1996);
#ARTIST:Jun Ishikawa;
#TITLETRANSLIT:;
#SUBTITLETRANSLIT:;
#ARTISTTRANSLIT:;
#CREDIT:;
#BANNER:snowbluebn.png;   ### Graphics
#BACKGROUND:snowblueBG.png;
#LYRICSPATH:;
#CDTITLE:trutitle.png;
#MUSIC:118_-_the_snowy_blue_mountains.mp3;
#OFFSET:-0.309;   ### Where the steps start in relation to the music. Kind of backwards...
#SAMPLESTART:35.738; ### Preview music start
#SAMPLELENGTH:11.600;  ### Preview music length
#SELECTABLE:YES; ### Don't change this!!!!!!!!!!!
#BPMS:0.000=175.700;
#STOPS:;
#BGCHANGES:;

//---------------dance-single - ----------------
#NOTES:
     dance-single:
     :
     Hard:   ###Diffuculty
     11:    ###Difficulty meter. How many "feet" you set it to
     1.000,1.000,1.000,0.586,1.000:     ###Groove meter. I forget which is for which, the 0.586 will be for freeze though. I think this is done automatically by Stepmania.
0001
0010
1000
0100
0011   ### 1 for a tap, eg. 0011 for ^> jump. 1000 for a < arrow
1000
0100   ### 2 for the start of a freeze, 3 for the end of a freeze
0010
0001   ### M for a mine
0010
0100
0010
1001
0100
0010
1000   ### Number of lines is the largest division of beats in the measure. 16 lines = 16th notes. 
,    ### Start of a new measure
0010
0100
1000
0100
0011
1000
0100
0010
0001
0100
0010
1000
0101
0010
1000
0100
,
0001
0010
1000
0100
1001
0010
1000
0100
0001
0010
0100
1000
0101
0010
0100
1000
,
0001
0100
0010
1000
0011
0100
0010
1000
0011
0000
0010
0000
0001
0010
0100
1000
,
0010
0000   ### 0000 to skip an increment based on the number of lines in the measure. Eg, have "clap clap clap-clap clap" as "1000 0000 1000 0000 1000 1000 1000 0000"
0010
0100
1001
0000
1000
0100
0010
0000
0010
0100
1002 
0000
0103
0000 
,
1000
0000
1000
0010
0101
0000
0010
1000
0010
0000
0001
0000
2100
0000
3001
0000
,
0010
0000
0010
0100
1001
0000
0001
0100
0010
0000
1000
0100
1002
0000
0103
0000
,
1000
1000
0100
0100
1010
0010
0001
0010
1100
0000
1001
0000
1200
0010
0301
0000
,
0001
0000
0000
0001
1001
0000
0010
0100
1000
0000
0001
0000
0120
0000
1030
0000
,
0100
0000
0100
0010
1001
0000
0100
0010
0100
1000
0100
0010
0102
0000
1003
0000
,
0100
0000
0100
0010
1001
0000
1000
0100
1000
0010
1000
0010
0101
0000
0100
0000
,
0010
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0010
0000
0000
0000
0100
0000
0000
0000
1010
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0001
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
2000
3000
0000
0000
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0000
0000
0000
0002
0003
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0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
2000
3000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0002
0003
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
,
0010
0000
0010
0100
1001
0000
1000
0100
0010
0000
0010
0100
0012
0000
1003
0000
,
0100
0000
0000
0010
1001
0000
0001
0010
0100
0000
0001
0000
2010
0000
3001
0000
,
0010
0000
0010
0100
1001
0000
1000
0100
0010
0000
1000
0100
0012
0000
1003
0000
,
0010
0000
0000
0100
0001
0000
0010
1000
0110
0000
0011
0000
1010
0100
1000
0000
,
0010
0000
0000
0010
0110
0000
0010
1000
0100
0000
0001
0000
1020
0000
0130
0000
,
1000
0000
1000
0100
0011
0000
0100
1000
0010
1000
0100
0010
1002
0000
1003
0000
,
0100
0000
0100
0010
1001
0000
0010
1000
0100
0001
1000
0010
0101
0000
1000
0000
,
0010
0000
0100
1000
0110
0000
0001
0000
0020
0000
1000
0000
0031
0100
1000
1000
,
0102
0000
0000
0000
1003
0000
0100
1000
0010
0000
0001
0000
0110
0000
1000
0000
,
0100
0010
0101
1000
0010
0000
1001
0000
,
0020
0000
0000
0000
0100
0000
1030
0100
0010
0000
0001
0000
1010
0000
0100
0000
,
1000
0010
1001
0100
0010
0000
0101
0010
,
1200
0000
0000
0000
0011
0000
0000
0000
1000
0000
0000
0000
0011
0000
0000
0300
,
0201
0000
0000
0000
0011
0300
0110
0001
1000
0000
0010
0000
0001
0010
0100
1000
,
0010
0000
0010
0100
1001
0000
1000
0100
0010
0000
0010
1000
0102
0000
1003
0000
,
0100
0000
0100
0010
1001
0000
0001
0010
0100
0000
0001
0000
2010
0000
3001
0000
,
0010
0000
0010
0100
1001
0000
1000
0100
0010
0000
0100
0010
1002
0000
0013
0000
,
0100
0000
0000
0010
0101
0000
0010
1000
0010
0000
0001
0000
2010
0100
3001
0000
,
0100
0000
0000
0100
0101
0000
0010
1000
0100
0000
0001
0000
0120
0000
1030
0000
,
0100
0000
0100
0010
1001
0000
0010
0100
1000
0100
0010
1000
0101
0000
1000
0000
,
0100
0000
0100
0010
1001
0000
0010
0100
1000
0100
0010
1000
0101
0000
0100
0000
,
0010
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0010
0000
0000
0000
1000
0000
0000
0000
0101
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0010
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
2000
3000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0002
0003
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
2000
3000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0002
0003
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
0000
,
0010
0000
0010
0100
1001
0000
1000
0100
0010
0000
0010
0100
1002
0000
0103
0000
,
0010
0000
0010
0100
1001
0000
0001
0010
0100
0000
0010
0000
2001
0000
3100
0000
,
0010
0000
0010
0100
1010
0000
1000
0100
0010
0000
0100
0010
1002
0000
0013
0000
,
0100
0000
1000
0010
0101
0000
0010
0100
1010
0000
0011
0000
1010
0000
0000
0000
;

Again, though, you probably won't like the automagically generated steps...

[EyeofEternity]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

Sounds like it should be "simple" to do. You just need to write the top half of the .sm, then deal with the notes themselves. And make sure that Stepmania can handle the audio. Here's a few pointers.

#TITLE:The Snowy Blue Mountains;  ### Should be able to maybe get this stuff from metadata??

#SUBTITLE:Kirby Super Star (1996);

#ARTIST:Jun Ishikawa;

#TITLETRANSLIT:;

#SUBTITLETRANSLIT:;

#ARTISTTRANSLIT:;

#CREDIT:;

#BANNER:snowbluebn.png;   ### Graphics

#BACKGROUND:snowblueBG.png;

#LYRICSPATH:;

#CDTITLE:trutitle.png;

#MUSIC:118_-_the_snowy_blue_mountains.mp3;

#OFFSET:-0.309;   ### Where the steps start in relation to the music. Kind of backwards...

#SAMPLESTART:35.738; ### Preview music start

#SAMPLELENGTH:11.600;  ### Preview music length

#SELECTABLE:YES; ### Don't change this!!!!!!!!!!!

#BPMS:0.000=175.700;

#STOPS:;

#BGCHANGES:;



//---------------dance-single - ----------------

#NOTES:

     dance-single:

     :

     Hard:   ###Diffuculty

     11:    ###Difficulty meter. How many "feet" you set it to

     1.000,1.000,1.000,0.586,1.000:     ###Groove meter. I forget which is for which, the 0.586 will be for freeze though.

0001

0010

1000

0100

0011   ### 1 for a tap, eg. 0011 for ^> jump. 1000 for a < arrow

1000

0100   ### 2 for the start of a freeze, 3 for the end of a freeze

0010

0001   ### M for a mine

0010

0100

0010

1001

0100

0010

1000   ### Number of lines is the largest division of beats in the measure. 16 lines = 16th notes. 

,    ### Start of a new measure

0010

0100

1000

0100

0011

1000

0100

0010

0001

0100

0010

1000

0101

0010

1000

0100

,

0001

0010

1000

0100

1001

0010

1000

0100

0001

0010

0100

1000

0101

0010

0100

1000

,

0001

0100

0010

1000

0011

0100

0010

1000

0011

0000

0010

0000

0001

0010

0100

1000

,

0010

0000   ### 0000 to skip an increment based on the number of lines in the measure. Eg, have "clap clap clap-clap clap" as "1000 0000 1000 0000 1000 1000 1000 0000"

0010

0100

1001

0000

1000

0100

0010

0000

0010

0100

1002 

0000

0103

0000 

,

1000

0000

1000

0010

0101

0000

0010

1000

0010

0000

0001

0000

2100

0000

3001

0000

,

0010

0000

0010

0100

1001

0000

0001

0100

0010

0000

1000

0100

1002

0000

0103

0000

,

1000

1000

0100

0100

1010

0010

0001

0010

1100

0000

1001

0000

1200

0010

0301

0000

,

0001

0000

0000

0001

1001

0000

0010

0100

1000

0000

0001

0000

0120

0000

1030

0000

,

0100

0000

0100

0010

1001

0000

0100

0010

0100

1000

0100

0010

0102

0000

1003

0000

,

0100

0000

0100

0010

1001

0000

1000

0100

1000

0010

1000

0010

0101

0000

0100

0000

,

0010

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0010

0000

0000

0000

0100

0000

0000

0000

1010

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0001

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

2000

3000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0002

0003

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

2000

3000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0002

0003

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

,

0010

0000

0010

0100

1001

0000

1000

0100

0010

0000

0010

0100

0012

0000

1003

0000

,

0100

0000

0000

0010

1001

0000

0001

0010

0100

0000

0001

0000

2010

0000

3001

0000

,

0010

0000

0010

0100

1001

0000

1000

0100

0010

0000

1000

0100

0012

0000

1003

0000

,

0010

0000

0000

0100

0001

0000

0010

1000

0110

0000

0011

0000

1010

0100

1000

0000

,

0010

0000

0000

0010

0110

0000

0010

1000

0100

0000

0001

0000

1020

0000

0130

0000

,

1000

0000

1000

0100

0011

0000

0100

1000

0010

1000

0100

0010

1002

0000

1003

0000

,

0100

0000

0100

0010

1001

0000

0010

1000

0100

0001

1000

0010

0101

0000

1000

0000

,

0010

0000

0100

1000

0110

0000

0001

0000

0020

0000

1000

0000

0031

0100

1000

1000

,

0102

0000

0000

0000

1003

0000

0100

1000

0010

0000

0001

0000

0110

0000

1000

0000

,

0100

0010

0101

1000

0010

0000

1001

0000

,

0020

0000

0000

0000

0100

0000

1030

0100

0010

0000

0001

0000

1010

0000

0100

0000

,

1000

0010

1001

0100

0010

0000

0101

0010

,

1200

0000

0000

0000

0011

0000

0000

0000

1000

0000

0000

0000

0011

0000

0000

0300

,

0201

0000

0000

0000

0011

0300

0110

0001

1000

0000

0010

0000

0001

0010

0100

1000

,

0010

0000

0010

0100

1001

0000

1000

0100

0010

0000

0010

1000

0102

0000

1003

0000

,

0100

0000

0100

0010

1001

0000

0001

0010

0100

0000

0001

0000

2010

0000

3001

0000

,

0010

0000

0010

0100

1001

0000

1000

0100

0010

0000

0100

0010

1002

0000

0013

0000

,

0100

0000

0000

0010

0101

0000

0010

1000

0010

0000

0001

0000

2010

0100

3001

0000

,

0100

0000

0000

0100

0101

0000

0010

1000

0100

0000

0001

0000

0120

0000

1030

0000

,

0100

0000

0100

0010

1001

0000

0010

0100

1000

0100

0010

1000

0101

0000

1000

0000

,

0100

0000

0100

0010

1001

0000

0010

0100

1000

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1000

0101

0000

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0000

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1000

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0000

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0000

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0000

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0000

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0000

2000

3000

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0000

0000

0000

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0002

0003

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0000

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2000

3000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0002

0003

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

0000

,

0010

0000

0010

0100

1001

0000

1000

0100

0010

0000

0010

0100

1002

0000

0103

0000

,

0010

0000

0010

0100

1001

0000

0001

0010

0100

0000

0010

0000

2001

0000

3100

0000

,

0010

0000

0010

0100

1010

0000

1000

0100

0010

0000

0100

0010

1002

0000

0013

0000

,

0100

0000

1000

0010

0101

0000

0010

0100

1010

0000

0011

0000

1010

0000

0000

0000

;

Again, though, you probably won't like the automagically generated steps...

Thanks for the pointers, should be a great help

[Wayward Vagabond]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

This would be awesome for stepping classical files. Just have every note be on a single column rather than actually trying to make a file out of it. This would make syncing hella easier so I'm all for it

[Dinglesberry]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

I've always wanted to do this with regular MP3s by applying a fast fourier transform to them and mapping steps based on pitch lol, this seems alot easier with MIDIs

People have been doing this in guitar hero for a while - mainly, I think they chart the song first and then convert the notes to a midi, like https://youtu.be/IVydDB5qebM?t=58s this for example.. the other way should be theoretically possible though.

I'd probably start by figuring out a way to group clusters of notes together, for example a key or whatnot, and figure out how certain types of notes transpose to the arrow keys.. obviously with piano or whatnot you have far more keys than 4, so it is much harder to transcribe..

To be honest I've already looked into this a bit, I personally use midis to help while stepping files so I can generally base the notes, I think an automatic conversion would be possible, I'd love to help.. I've had an idea where someone can auto generate types of files like jumpstream at a certain bpm for practice, and it would auto gen the steps then create a midi for the song..

[EyeofEternity]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

I've always wanted to do this with regular MP3s by applying a fast fourier transform to them and mapping steps based on pitch lol, this seems alot easier with MIDIs

People have been doing this in guitar hero for a while - mainly, I think they chart the song first and then convert the notes to a midi, like https://youtu.be/IVydDB5qebM?t=58s this for example.. the other way should be theoretically possible though.

I'd probably start by figuring out a way to group clusters of notes together, for example a key or whatnot, and figure out how certain types of notes transpose to the arrow keys.. obviously with piano or whatnot you have far more keys than 4, so it is much harder to transcribe..

To be honest I've already looked into this a bit, I personally use midis to help while stepping files so I can generally base the notes, I think an automatic conversion would be possible, I'd love to help.. I've had an idea where someone can auto generate types of files like jumpstream at a certain bpm for practice, and it would auto gen the steps then create a midi for the song..

Thanks for the insight, it's greatly appreciated. If you'd like to help out, the GitHub repo is in the first post

[Full Tablet]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

There is a similar project for osu!mania maps (Automap-chan in Github by dudehacker)

It attempts to make playable maps, but it doesn't do very well with only 4 keys (works better for 7 keys or more usually).

[Wayward Vagabond]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

Don't make this auto step just make it produce a skeleton and you're good

[Dinglesberry]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

Fuk it bro make it auto step, Frankenstein stepper lolz we can work out the flaws later, that's always worked in the past

[EyeofEternity]

Re: Help with creating MIDI to Stepfile converter

The thing about MIDI is that it gives you every key press already, along with the BPM and timings.


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