how do Engines work, and why am i dumb?

**Black_Shield** · 12-25-2016, 08:06 PM

so i've used this website for several months now, but, i still fail to understand how engines work? anyone willing to help me from being dumb?

**rushyrulz** · 12-25-2016, 10:30 PM

Yes, There are several external engines hosted on other websites that basically uses FFR's game engine as a shell to host a different playlist of songs. For instance, the dragonsfury engine is hosted on http://keysmashingisawesome.com/, and you can see the embedded SWF on that site's homepage that contains a clone of FFR's Velocity Engine with entirely different songs. These new playlists are implemented using a combination of an XML document located in the site's main directory and a "levels" folder, also located in that directory.

Using a special tool, stepmania files (including .mp3 file and .sm file) can be converted into a flash executable, known as a SWF. placing these SWFs into the levels folder and referencing them with the XML document in the main directory is what actually causes the song to show up (this is the XML part), and when clicked on, the stepfile to play (this is the SWF part). If there is an entry in the XML file with no matching LevelID in the levels folder, the song cannot be found and cannot be loaded, but you can still see the title in the song list. Alternatively, if there is a level in the levels folder with no reference in the XML, the song cannot be accessed because it will not appear in the song list.

The shell SWF that the game engine actually runs on has been released (and I don't believe it was on any official capacity) and passed around to various individuals who have since created their own playlists (essentially) that run on top of the Velocity shell. Before R^3 came out, to access these engines, you would need to know the direct path to the game SWF on the website it was hosted on, for instance, dragonsfury would be http://www.keysmashingisawesome.com/...ngine_save.swf. Using this URL you could open up the game in a standalone player downloaded to your desktop and play songs from that engine.

R^3 was built with alternate engines in mind and actually provides yet another xml document that allows the songlist XML to interface with the main engine running on flashflashrevolution.com. This allows alternate engine playlists to be loaded into the game without needing to switch out/load another SWF. This new r^3.xml file basically tells the engine to use the songlist file and levels folder from the external engine instead of the main engine, and this can be easily switched without ever needing to exit your game. Of course, the only scores the game knows how to record are those implemented in the official FFR songlist, but local saves are instead kept for alternate engines so that it's not all completely lost to the wind.

TL;DR
Alternate engines allow playlists and song files from external sites (that are not FFR) to be loaded using either a copy of the official game engine (velocity) or even the same game engine instance (R^3) to play said songs. Alternate engine files do not record on any official capacity, but are kept in a local cache.

**Black_Shield** · 12-25-2016, 11:01 PM

thank you very much for the help.

-JiZ53- · 12-25-2016, 11:21 PM

suck, squeeze, bang, blow. at least thats how 4 stroke engines work.

12-25-2016, 08:06 PM	#1
Black_Shield Local Kiryu impersonator Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Near The Woods Age: 30 Posts: 147	how do Engines work, and why am i dumb? so i've used this website for several months now, but, i still fail to understand how engines work? anyone willing to help me from being dumb?

12-25-2016, 10:30 PM	#2
rushyrulz Digital Dancing! Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 80 billion club, NE Age: 31 Posts: 12,980	Re: how do Engines work, and why am i dumb? Yes, There are several external engines hosted on other websites that basically uses FFR's game engine as a shell to host a different playlist of songs. For instance, the dragonsfury engine is hosted on http://keysmashingisawesome.com/, and you can see the embedded SWF on that site's homepage that contains a clone of FFR's Velocity Engine with entirely different songs. These new playlists are implemented using a combination of an XML document located in the site's main directory and a "levels" folder, also located in that directory. Using a special tool, stepmania files (including .mp3 file and .sm file) can be converted into a flash executable, known as a SWF. placing these SWFs into the levels folder and referencing them with the XML document in the main directory is what actually causes the song to show up (this is the XML part), and when clicked on, the stepfile to play (this is the SWF part). If there is an entry in the XML file with no matching LevelID in the levels folder, the song cannot be found and cannot be loaded, but you can still see the title in the song list. Alternatively, if there is a level in the levels folder with no reference in the XML, the song cannot be accessed because it will not appear in the song list. The shell SWF that the game engine actually runs on has been released (and I don't believe it was on any official capacity) and passed around to various individuals who have since created their own playlists (essentially) that run on top of the Velocity shell. Before R^3 came out, to access these engines, you would need to know the direct path to the game SWF on the website it was hosted on, for instance, dragonsfury would be http://www.keysmashingisawesome.com/...ngine_save.swf. Using this URL you could open up the game in a standalone player downloaded to your desktop and play songs from that engine. R^3 was built with alternate engines in mind and actually provides yet another xml document that allows the songlist XML to interface with the main engine running on flashflashrevolution.com. This allows alternate engine playlists to be loaded into the game without needing to switch out/load another SWF. This new r^3.xml file basically tells the engine to use the songlist file and levels folder from the external engine instead of the main engine, and this can be easily switched without ever needing to exit your game. Of course, the only scores the game knows how to record are those implemented in the official FFR songlist, but local saves are instead kept for alternate engines so that it's not all completely lost to the wind. TL;DR Alternate engines allow playlists and song files from external sites (that are not FFR) to be loaded using either a copy of the official game engine (velocity) or even the same game engine instance (R^3) to play said songs. Alternate engine files do not record on any official capacity, but are kept in a local cache. __________________ Last edited by rushyrulz; 12-25-2016 at 10:37 PM..

12-25-2016, 11:01 PM	#3
Black_Shield Local Kiryu impersonator Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Near The Woods Age: 30 Posts: 147	Re: how do Engines work, and why am i dumb? thank you very much for the help.

12-25-2016, 11:21 PM	#4
-JiZ53- FFR Player Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 199	Re: how do Engines work, and why am i dumb? suck, squeeze, bang, blow. at least thats how 4 stroke engines work.

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