DDReam Studio - a revolutionary way to sync/step simfiles

[jyris1]

Version 1.50 BETA 5 is out, featuring:
+ In case you missed it in Beta 4, SM4.0 Rolls and Lifts are now editable.
+ Fixed arrow select bug when undoing, and the previous operation used arrows at a different size.
+ File properties can now be accessed through the Level Manager (also you will see some dummy menus for other game types - not yet supported) - There will be many changes to the level manager/File properties in the coming months as other game types become supported.

[Patashu]

Is it possible to snap to arbitrary note intervals (20ths or 36ths for instance) or swing beat/half beat intervals to an arbitrary ratio (3:1, 5:2, 2:1, 5:3, 3:2, 4:3, 5:4 for instance) that would convert to the nearest 192nd when exporting?

[jyris1]

Not yet. If there is enough demand, I can try to think of something, assuming that the solution in every case is just to fit the odd note to the nearest 192nd. However, that is a less than optimal solution and I'm reluctant.

EDIT: Since you seem to have been around for awhile, if you can think of a more elegant solution where odd note types can be snapped-to perfectly, please share. I suspect at this rate it'll require an SM format rewrite, since success of the SM "block" format is realized by the least common denominator of all the note types being used in that measure (so worst case scenario is a block with the number of lines equal to the least common denominator of all the numbers between 1/1 and 1/192, which is enormous and likely unsupported by SM - correct me if i'm wrong).

[Patashu]

You can have it snap to 192nds immediately or when you export as .sm/.dwi. The program can handle note intervals finer than 192nd internally right? Just warn the user that the higher they set the bpm the more accuracy will be retained.

[jyris1]

No, the note snap is set to 1/192 max in ddream (and cant change without an engine rewrite).

You might be referring to the max audio resolution, which is 1 sample. However, samples are correlated to snap values ultimately.

EDIT: It can be possible to increase the internal snap to 1/240 or some factor like that, but that is not trivial, and even then it wont support every odd note type internally.

[Patashu]

Snapping to the nearest 192nd is fine, then; you don't -need- more accuracy than stepmania itself gives you unless you're going to be screwing around with expansions/contractions/beats to pause/pause to beats later

[jyris1]

sounds good.

BTW, I just released beta 6, which can auto-insert beats upwards.

This is useful when the first beat starts a good deal after the beginning of the song (e.g., long intros) making it more difficult to calculate the offset at the exact beginning of the song. To use this feature, sync up normally, then when ready, hit Shift + N repeatedly to auto-insert beats upwards towards the beginning of the song.

I dont see this feature being used often, except for those times the intro for the song is so long that SM may cut off the whole intro during gameplay.

[jyris1]

1.5 is out.

+ fixed minor bugs (e.g., right click-close when minimized sometimes causes program to hang) and changed a few error messages.
QUICK SUMMARY OF ALL NEW FEATURES SINCE 1.4:
+ Better mouse selection
+ Go To... dialog (Ctrl+G)
+ Grid Lines (Shift + TAB)
+ Auto/Manual Arrow Size (Ctrl+Left/Right)
+ SM 3.95/4.0/3.9+/ITGPC lifts and rolls (support depends on the game you are using)
+ File Properties accessible from Level Manager (L, Game->Properties)
+ Insert previous Beat (Shift+N) for inserting equally spaced beats towards a hard-to-sync intro of a song.

[jyris1]

5/15/2009 - The next generation is here - Version 2.00 BETA 1 released!

+ Support for dance double, dance couple, dance solo, pump single, pump halfdouble, pump double, pump couple
NOTE: DDReam supports rolls and lifts for every game type, but SM might not, depending on the version you are running.

+ Enhanced Grid - [Shift]+[Tab] -> 4th -> 8th -> 16th -> Off

+ Enhanced Level Manager - Choose the game type from here, and change the difficulty using the dedicated difficulty button. Also, the noteskin is selected from here.

[F5] and [F6] to manually cycle through all game types and difficulties.

+ Added Keyboard Lag Compensation (ms) to practice mode so you can tweak your keyboard lag. Access from Tools->Options.
NOTE: This affects your global Keyboard response in DDReam for everything,
so if you tap beats using the B key, it will affect the timing for that too.

+ Backup System - Enabled by default. Whenever you save any file (SM or DS), a copy of the simfile will be automatically archived into \backup as a DS/DSX file. Unlimited backups will be made, stored in numeric order, and
you can go and find/delete anything you want from the backups.

To rescue a file, manually copy the files you want back to your working folder (Remember to take both the DS and the DSX).

To disable the backup system, go to tools->Options and uncheck "Backup all files."

+ Reduced background brightness so it is not so oppressive when the wave is disabled and you have a custom background.

+ Copy/Paste Behavior - notes copied from a game type with more arrows will be ignored when pasted into a chart with fewer arrows.

+ "O" hotkey to open the Options dialog

+ Updated file format. Will no longer support files done in the early ddream versions (~0.9x).

+ EDIT: Almost forgot: AUTOSCROLL support for middle mouse button if you would rather autoscroll like a web browser
rather than insert beats using the middle mouse button. To set the behavior, go to Tools->options, and set the first checkbox.

+ Lots of other minor bug fixes and tweaks too many to list.

WARNING: Practice Mode only works for dance-single for now. It will treat your keypresses for all other games as if it was dance single. I am working on getting practice mode working for all game types. Finally, lots of code changes means potential bugs. Use with caution.

[Patashu]

Would it be possible to add options for playback to
1. make the target flash the frame an arrow is above it
2. make arrows disappear once they go above the targets
at some point? Assuming that's not already in and hidden some place

[jyris1]

wow, I just dumped like 40 enhancements and someone is already requesting features

as to #1 - elaborate?

#2 - It's a reasonable request, I'll see what I can do. The engine was not written to make anything disappear like that (but rather the entire set of arrows disappear). Many people wanted autoplay (incl. you?) and that is higher on the list to get done as of now...

[who_cares973]

2.0 beta is sex <3

solo support is awesome and what ive been waiting for

[Patashu]

well you know how when you hit a note in stepmania it gives a brief (~1 frame) flash of the target?
like that but doing it whenever any note passes over. it'd be like having it on all-marvs autoplay but without making the notes vanish after they've gone by. but what it would do is let you watch the flashes and see a 'crossection' of the notes perfectly aligned with their place in time in the music.
if they're just flying past it doesn't stress the exact moment at which the notes are hit as much as it should be and you can get a bit lost if it's a fast chart or a weird rhythm and you can't link up the patterns to the music automatically
and you can implement that without also making the notes vanish after they fly past if that's too hard

everything else you've added looks awesome btw

[ClAsSiC_RoCkEr]

Finally seeing some solo support on here :] Incredible stuff, dude. Keep up the awesome work.

[dood gone krazee]

Oh man definitely sweet features. It'd be great if we got what Pata is suggesting put in there. I get what he means about the flashing. When you'd rather watch the arrows go by then playing, he wants to have a ~1 frame flash when the exact time that the arrow passes the receptor at the top or wherever it is placed at the time. If that's implemented it would probably be easier to be able to press some kind of button to go into a seperate practice mode or just a modified practice mode where the arrows just disappear after the receptors.

oh man lovin' this solo support.

[jyris1]

ah, I get it now. thanks for the clarification patashu and dood. I've now implemented autoplay for dance single, and it will flash the arrow for ~1 frame during autoplay as it hits every arrow at marvelous and accumulates the combo (basically the same flash as the practice mode as you see it now, except the computer hits all the arrows).

I'm thinking to make the program switch to autoplay mode if you uncheck practice mode in the tools->options. That way, if you dont want to play the song yourself, yet you still want to view the arrows flash to the rhythm, just hit "O" and uncheck the option.

I wanted to make the arrows disappear but its turning out harder than expected for now. Hopefully the above is a good compromise?

who cares/classic rocker - Thanks. The practice mode wont work for solo (yet) but you can edit just fine, I hope.

[dood gone krazee]

Yeah that sounds pretty good. Maybe even make the shortcut key even quicker by making it CTRL+O or something?

[who_cares973]

there's one thing thats been bugging me that i just noticed

when i have the window minimized it still active. so when i minimize ddream and go to post and press the letter B i get a pop up saying that i have to be in sync mode lol or it adds beats without me wanting to.

[jyris1]

dood - Ctrl+O is already taken ("File Open"). So I'll go with Shift+A. Autoplay and Autofill both start with the letter A, anyhow. and A is easier to hit with the non-mouse hand than O.

who cares - wow, thanks for finding that bug. Fixed.

all of these features will be up shortly in beta 2. (probably in a few minutes)

Edit: It's out now.

Edit2: If you downloaded beta 2 and it crashes like crazy, go get it again.

[icontrolyourworld]

jyris1 is a genius. thank you for making this program.

edit: I do have a few requests however.