Simulator File Creation Help Thread

[Phrekwenci]

I understand that helping with the simulator file (either .dwi or .sm) is a very different topic from helping with the simulator itself.

Please post questions on how to create a dwi, if you have a problem understanding from the ReadMe that comes with your simulator.
_________________

Best thread on DDR Freak winnar | Second best thread | Posting and You...

[Technick]

When I create DWI files I use Stepmanias DWI Creator that is inside the game.

I do not use the record steps button though because that is just too easy to make DWI's and makes a lot of mistakes in them.

Other ways of creating DWI's is making the steps in Notepad and transferring them to a .dwi file.
_________________

[onoessnaked]

I use a combination of XStep and notepad; XStep to get the synching and put the basic layout of the steps down, and notepad to just fine-tune it.

There's been a few problems with DWIs that are created with SM's editor; phantom freezes and stuff like that. That in itself isn't bad, but if you get these mistakes and don't bother to check them or fix them *grumbles*

But y'know. Whatever works best for people
_________________

Well, it explains the disappearance

[onoessnaked]

Bah. Double posts win.
_________________

Well, it explains the disappearance

[SPUI]

If you plan on distributing a DWI, make sure to test it in DWI (if you can get DWI working on your computer).
The main (only?) bug in the DWI-exporting capabilities of the Stepmania editor is the freeze bug. This is present in 3.0 final but has been fixed in all the CVS releases. However, the editor in the CVS releases doesn't sync properly (at least with mp3s; I've heard it works fine with oggs). So I'll find the BPM and make the steps in SM 3.0, and then open and save it in CVS. The other way to fix DWIs made with SM 3.0 is with a DWI fixer; one can be downloaded from http://members.cox.net/kamek/dwi.html.

[Phrekwenci]

A lot of the reason I don't like anything but notpad is because things look like this without it:

[ZOOT]

[NAOKi SYNDROME]

(Hides from Remy...)

What does the phantom freeze look like in scripting? I've seen them in the game (drive me nutters.) But I can't spot them in the script... (Bad eyes) (ARGH!)

Whatever, he's my method in doing S-files

1. Use XSTEP to find BPM, gap, do title and other junk.
2. For normal songs, I use XStep for basis, for songs with numerous speed changes, SW goes best...
3. Fine tune manually... (ARGH AGAIN!)

I found it very good to actually try to redo DDR song's DWI steps to get the feel, or at least look really hard at existing DWIs that have difficult steps (Say So Deep...)
_________________

Naoki doll, comes in a billion different costumes like ZZ, kTz, NM, UZI-Lay, N & S, Naoki Undergound, RevenG and much, MUCH more!

[Technick]

[PerfectAsymmetry]

there's other variants too.

Take a song like Pink Rose, which has a lot of linked quarter note freezes. You would code it something like:

4!401!20A!809!6...

4!4 starts the initial left freeze. When the second freeze begins, you want the original 4 freeze to end simultaneously. So you give the input number for left AND down, which is '1'...the "!2" part indicates that the down arrow should be a freeze now, and so on. When the bug happens in SM, it often becomes:

0!404!202!808!6...

and that's bad. A lot of times, the freezes look fine, but you won't be able to hit them. In my dwi specifically, not even autoplay can pass it, heh.

The way I make my dwis is pretty bare bones. Notepad for all steps, gap, etc. I use winbpm for my bpm. All you need to be able to do is tap out a beat on your keyboard for a minute and it's pretty accurate...I round to the nearest bpm.

Tempo changes and pauses I figure out with developer/test mode in dwi. I turn the assist ticks on for synching. I usually do a print screen or pause the screen to get the beat count for my tempo changes. A little unorthodox maybe, but reliable.
_________________

[Phrekwenci]

[Dipstick]

I do my step files the lazy-ass way: they're put together completely in SM's editor. For synching, I get the gap to within a beat of being correct, and then I run throgh the song with auto-adjust on. It's a systematic way of getting fairly accurate results. Of course, the obsessive-compulsive and paranoid people out there will probably want to fiddle with the results to get it perfect.

Haven't figured out how to do BPM properly in SM though. I just use WinBPM for that.

-Dippy
_________________

F-Groove: Visit, and support your local scrub.

[SPUI]

[PlatinumHawke]

Phantom arrows occur when the gap is set too high, and the arrows appear on screen before they should. Only SM does this (the only example I can remember is Twin Bee from TM3).

I've only used Notepad for making all my DWIs, with CoolEdit to get the BPM and Gap values (as well as cutting the songs to size). X-Step is the anti-christ, and the SM edittor takes away the ability to hardcode a file.

[robbway]

[Phrekwenci]

[robbway]

[Phrekwenci++]

An excellent way to determine the gap is to view the actual start point you want. I use GoldWave (it's free http://www.goldwave.com/, it can be used to cut/edit mp3s and oggs too) to determine where the first beat in a song is, then zoom in to three orders of magnitude (.003, .004) and grab my gap from the ms line. This is a much faster way if you are more visually inclined.

Once you find the BPM in your song, and say you want to do freezes, in milliseconds the time of one beat is 60000/BPM. I forgot where I found that nugget of info.

TextPad is a great replacement to notepad if you're tired of how notepad is working for you.
_________________

Make arcade edits on your PC!

[Sivus]

=p Doesn't anyone use raw skill anymore?

[Phrekwenci]