how do I create a new simfile?

[plasmix]

Both .lol and .wtf work.

[Chrissi]

Okay, seriously here... if you're still around, here's how it ALL goes, because I'm not sure what you understand and what you don't.

You can download this awesome program called WinBPM. I forget where you get it from, but just search google and you can find it. I've got version 0.4. It takes all the trouble out of finding the BPM, which is really the hard/important part of making a file. You need the correct BPM to make sure everything is on beat and doesn't start sagging or go too fast by the end.

It's a really simple program. What you do is you listen to the song you want to make a stepfile for, and you open up WinBPM and tap the spacebar on the beat to the song. It will feel like a whole lot of tapping. And voila, once you have tapped enough, you have the BPM of the song.

Now you make a file called whateveryoursongiscalled.dwi. You can also use .sm but it's more complicated and kind of annoying, and I have no idea how to do it. A .dwi file will work in SM too, so don't worry about the extension.

Then you fill this out and save it in whateveryoursongiscalled.dwi (use notepad or the ilk):

#TITLE:Title goes here;
#ARTIST:Artist's name here;
#FILE:Artist - Title.mp3;
#BPMut whatever you got in WinBPM here;
#GAP:0.00 (or whatever you want, explained later);
#SINGLE:BASIC:4: (or whatever you want - the 4 is how many feet)

To find the correct gap, play the song in a soundfile editor such as Goldwave. I reccomend Goldwave. Actually you don't NEED an audio editor, it will just make it this much more precise.

The gap is the point in time in the file where your steps actually start. So what you do is you play in the editor or winamp or whatever you want to use, and pause EXACTLY where you want your steps to start. Now check out the time. That, in milliseconds, is the GAP.

Now save that file (with its song, in a folder). If you have StepMania, start it up, and go to edit songs or whatever it is. You need an editor such as SM's. Here you can actually add the meat of the song, the steps. If you're using DWI I'm not sure if they have an editor. But I'm certainly not going to try to explain how to actually CODE the steps in. Plus that's annoying as hell to do. I gave up the first song I tried. It's hella annoying.


You know, I probably shouldn't have taken the time to tell you this. I found all this info by myself on the web a long time ago when I wanted to make myself some sims. But hey, some people are lazier than others, and that's where I come in.

[Moogy]

WinBPM sucks. Automated programs are much better.

[Chrissi]

I like WinBMP. *shrugs* There are automated programs? I'm a n00b, I don't know these things.

[Tygre]

ok, thank you, but just one final question, for the word document can i use microsoft word as well?

[Moogy]

CoolEdit has a plugin to calculate it. It can calculate BPM changes, but only if you know where they are.

Beatcounter ( http://users.skynet.be/bk264570/TestProg.htm ) is generally more accurate than CoolEdit's plugin, but cannot calculate BPM changes.

Uh, look for the CoolEdit plugin somewhere else. I forgot the URL.

[Chrissi]

Word document? There is no word document. I don't use that piece of shit, so I have no idea. Use something simpler.

And thanks, Moogy.

[Tygre]

I'm confused, isn't notepad a word document?

[Chrissi]

What? Are you a total moron or something?

A word document is something that the program Word creates.
Notepad is not a word document. Notepad is a text editor.

You need a text editor, not a piece of shit, to make simfiles.

[Tygre]

ok, fine, I'm just new at this, ok? I have notepad and I'll use it, make ya feel better?

[Moogy]

I would have to agree that Word is a piece of shit.

[Chrissi]

I don't care what you use.

You seem not so good at computers, so here, this will help you. In your folder where the song is, right-click and pick New Text Document. Rename it to whateveryoursongiscalled.dwi. Open this file in notepad, or word, or whatever. Notepad is easiest and will always save it correctly.

Then you do all the rest of the stuff. The joy.

[Tygre]

Look I....nevermind. Thanx for your help, though.

[Chrissi]

I'm confused though.. why in hell would you WANT to use Word for something like this?

[Tygre]

*sigh* when I downloaded my dwi/sm files, the data for them was shown as a word document for some reason....I don't know why. The songs still work though