Food for thought.

Recently, I have been using RMXP's framerate system which is decent enough for gameplay and timekeeping, but.... SUCKS for music. It is not all that accurate, and setting an event or DDR flag based on the RPGMaker framerate just doesn't seem to be as exact as I wish.

But there is a possibility which likely requires a new rewrite.

You may recall if you either read this past week's Gazette, or Bounty Hunter Lani's recent post in her game project, that I have an Audio Module script. This module is currently a rewrite of the RPGMaker system's playback system which has a few features like 'more than one channel for music'. But what is really has is an exacting millisecond-based loop system. In that, you can tell a song 'where' to begin playing music.... 'where' to stop playing the music and re-loop back... and 'where' the loop point begins anew! In essence, you can be very exact with the music because you are tracking how far you are into the song based on it's current millisecond!!!

So, if I use the audio module's ability to play the music for the DDR system, I should be able to track the current milliseconds for both the DDR arrow system and the Editor's recording system. All of this being more accurate than RMXP's framerate system.

Just a theory for now. Whutchu think?

Ohh neato!!!

That sounds really cool! And may help with the semi randomized music we have planned for the game as well!

Lunarberry isent feeling well but I'll PM and let her know about this I personally think this is awesome though!

I forgot to bump the post

its ok though because if your reading this then I remembered!

I forgot to bump the post
its ok though because if your reading this then I remembered!

SORRYYYYYYYYYY

for the delay. But it's amazing I answered inquiries without getting into RPGMaker XP like I did for this (omg) months? Well, I began the installation of the Audio module system and the DDR arrows are running hella fast.

I'm gonna have to slow it down a bit!!!!!

Then tweak it and then work on the editor.... again.

NIIIIIIIIICCCCEEEE! I can't wait to see more of this!
Don't feel bad about the delay! Stuff happens!
I can't wait to start using this! I can think of so many possibilities!

Before I get going, let me state that I am now working with the MCISendString and Windows Multimedia DLL to play and sample the music now. And all the while I have been talking about being accurate to the millisecond, I am actually going to the centisecond. That is to say, I'm going to a 100th of a second during playback rather than the hiariously accurate 1000th of a second. The system does not need to be THAT accurate in reading the music position, does it? The player would go APE trying to click the note!

So now that I have that covered, it is time for the good news/bad news/figure-it-out news portion of this thread.

GOOD NEWS!!!
Well, the audio module works. It works accurately and more accurately than using RPGMaker's framerate system. Oh, framerate was based upon the system clock, but it could be slowed down by events n stuff. But the music system snags the 'millisecond' position of the music being played back. And if you're timing your keypresses to the music... what could be more accurate!!!????

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BAD NEWS!!!!
Er.... not the editor's 'record' system. Oh, you can play the music and watch the arrows scroll up in the editor fine enough. But the system that lets YOU (as the game developer) play the music and press keys to 'record' your desired arrows into the DDR file.... not accurate. Seriously, there is some weird laggy thing going on and even using the Audio system's millisecond system is not cutting it. It is useful for calibration and getting you started to a degree, but it's just .... *sigh* somehow it just doesn't do it and there seems to be some weird lag. But there has gotta be a way to figure out how to get accurate millisecond data into the DDR file so gameplay works....

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FIGURE-IT-OUT NEWS!!!!
Well, it IS using Milliseconds in the system. So an audio editor that can show you waveforms and can go by milliseconds can help. That is, if you can load up your music into an editor and just jot down the milliseconds straight into the DDR file, you're set. Me? I use this old program called Audacity:


Okay, that looks intimidating and it's not like THIS shot lets you see the beats in your music. But if you ZOOM in, you'll see the beats like below. Just move the cursor... click where that beat starts.... and read where it is in the display below. PREFERABLY SET TO MILLISECONDS!!!

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EXTRA news!
The DDR system now records your DDR file in .rxdata format. That is to say, your DDR file can now be encrypted with the rest of your project if you choose to encrypt your game. Prior to this, the file was a text file. Encrypted games using .txt files would require you to send the .txt files along with the bundle. Now, it's part of the bundle. Makes it so much more convenient.

However, I need to add a feature to 'save' the DDR file into .txt format and back for manual editing of the file. That way, you the user can use Audacity (or your favorite audio editor) to be pinpoint precise with the recorded Arrow presses.

That is absolutely fantastic!
But srsly can you RECORD how you do this?
Just for learning purposes!
Because holy crap this is amazing!

Shame the record function for music isent working but oh well
I tried using audacity but it gave me a massive virus so I don't anymore
Keep up the great work! I'm really excited now!

Well, I guess I'll have a help file on its use. I usually do anyhoo.

Well, the keypress record function 'does' work..... just poorly Yuck.

:Confused: Audacity what? If you get from their site, you shouldn't get a virus. I've been an Audacity user for years and using Audacity 2.1.2

Quote::Confused: Audacity what? If you get from their site, you shouldn't get a virus. I've been an Audacity user for years and using Audacity 2.1.2

Yeah no I got audacity FROM the main site and I got a combo of malware/spyware with it also trying to instal a Trojan when I got rid of it!

Scary thing is it was accessing internet constantly in order to download viruses because it tried to piggyback in norton security and I refused it so it was trying to give me viruses so I'd get norton security and waste 30$ a month on something I diddent need

It's a good thing I constantly check my task manager!

But yeah I don't trust it anymore after that

Fantastic news with the minigames progression! I'm looking forward to button mashing out a pattern!
Keep up the epic work!
Oh and you don't get a PM by tomorrow night then PM me cuz I need to chat with ya about a few bugs with the bust script and to thank you for the shop food items! It's super cute!