[Last Update: 22 September 2026]
/A [French Version] and a [Spanish Version] are available/
Hello my dear Steplayers!
In this document, I will explain the basics of file creation on ArrowVortex for
the StepMania/Etterna/OutFox game engines, from my own experience and perception.
Warning
I must inform you that I am writing this document from my own knowledge,
acquired over 11 years of stepfile creation.
I do not have infallible knowledge, and I am not the “best creator” in the StepMania sphere.
The information I am going to give you here is subjective.
Except for a few points where you absolutely must be meticulous,
especially in the year we are in, to avoid repeating the same mistakes as before.
So, the topics I’m talking about on this page that have a (*) in their titles mean that
they are very important to know and to use, no matter what type of file you are going to make.
Let’s get into the big topic by starting with the basics:
The Most Used Terms
Here are the terms you will see often and their quick definitions.
Chart: Represents what you create.
The arrangement and positioning of the arrows.
On other rhythm games,
the term “Maps” is also used and refers to the same concept. However,
the terminology “Chart” is preferable for StepMania.
KB: Keyboard / Contraction of the word Keyboard.
4K: Playable 4-arrow layout.
CDTITLE: Logo that represents your project or charter logo.
Terms used to designate types of charts:
Jack Oriented: A jack is usually two arrows of the same direction that are “almost” stuck together.
Often quite difficult to play for neophytes and new players.
Stream: These charts have few jumps or triples and focus heavily on “somewhat” fast single-arrow arrangements.
Many of the charts with this designation have a lot of ghost notes (i.e. not connected to a backward sound),
which can lead to a mock dumpstream.
Jumpstream: Stream, but with doubles and triples, like “No Tomorrow.”
Technical: These charts often have several styles mixed into one.
Making charts in this style requires a lot of compromise and consistency in the way it is done,
since the addition of holds and long holds is often very present in this style.
Dumpfile: These charts have a lot of arrows that are not always linked to a specific sound.
If they are, it greatly accentuates the sounds (if there is a rigorous charting process)
of a song to make it very difficult to chart.
There are several subtypes of dumpfile,
and it strongly depends on what the author of the chart bases it on.
Pad: These charts were made especially for those who have a Dance Pad / DDR.
(The majority of this community can be found on NotITG and OutFox.)
The Game Engines
You have several programs available to play and test your charts.
I will list some of them, as the number of game engines is quite large.
I will also tell you (roughly) the community each one reaches as of today.
StepMania 5
StepMania 5 is the basis for most of the other game engines below.
Often played for nostalgia, the vast majority of players have migrated to those below.
Etterna
Etterna is mainly focused on multiplayer,
by recording your scores on leaderboards for each song and each chart played (if they are “ranked”).
At the player level, it reaches mainly people who want to play files in 4K layout without advanced “sorting” of packs.
“To play for fun.” There are some who have more layouts in terms of number of arrow lines (i.e. 5, 6, 7, 8 and more),
but the most represented is on a 4K layout.
To have your own packs on Etterna,
you don’t really have any precise requirements to respect other than the classical ones…
(No virus, well compressed, not too heavy.)
The most popular content on Etterna revolves around Stream & Dumpfile.
Project OutFox
Project OutFox is mainly focused on a wide range of game types (OsuMania, Guitar Hero, Beatmania, etc.)
and has more support for audio and video codecs, especially in MP4 H265 and FLAC.
The StepMania-related community here is much more focused
on the Pad and Arcade side than on the keyboard competition.
Personally, I use it for a small part of their editors as well as to play with the maximum quality that my packs can offer.
NotITG
NotITG is very much focused on “high effect” charts as well as the Arcade and Pad side.
I won’t talk about “mod-charts” in this document, as I have never done so.
But the concept is to apply effects on the whole chart following the music and these effects.
If you search for “Undertale – StepMania,” you have the typical example of a “mod-chart” pushed to its paroxysm.
FlashFlashRevolution [FFR]
FFR is focused on the competitive side as well as being demanding in 4K format,
with tournaments from time to time.
They have judges who sort and verify the charts/contents they receive.
They have quite strong guidelines (they accept a lot less than Etterna) and
ask that you have the author’s permission before sharing it.
Installation & File Management*
The installation of packs is usually done in the “Songs” folder, and must be in this format:
Songs/Name of the Pack/Music name/Files (with the supported extensions below)
(.sm & .ssc / .mp3, .ogg, .wav / .jpg, .png / .avi, .mp4)
SM/SSC File Structure
Anatomy of a .SM / .SSC file
If you open your .sm or .ssc file in a text editor,
you will see a series of fields that begin with #.
Here is what each one does:
#TITLE – The name of the song as displayed in the song selection.
#SUBTITLE – Optional secondary text (e.g. remix name, album).
#ARTIST – The artist name.
#CREDIT – Your name as charter. (Always fill this in.)
#BANNER – The filename of your banner image (BN).
#BACKGROUND – The filename of your background image (BG).
#CDTITLE – The filename of your CDTITLE (square logo).
#MUSIC – The filename of your audio file.
#OFFSET – The sync offset in seconds. (This is what you set in the “Find a BPM” section.)
#SAMPLESTART – The second in the song where the preview starts on the song selection screen.
#SAMPLELENGTH – How long the preview plays (in seconds).
#SELECTABLE – YES or NO. Whether the song can be selected and played.
#DISPLAYBPM – The BPM shown on the song selection screen (can differ from the actual charting BPM).
#BPMS – The actual BPM values used for charting. Format: beat=BPM. Example: 0.000=140.000 means the song starts at beat 0 at 140 BPM.
#STOPS – Where the chart pauses (explained below).
#BGCHANGES – Background video/image changes (explained in the video section).
Why I recommend .SSC as your primary format:
The .SSC format (StepMania 5+) supports features that .SM does not, including Warps, Fakes, and per-chart timing.
If you save as .SM, you lose access to these.
Always save your working file as .SSC and export a .SM duplicate only if you need to support older engines.
SM vs. SSC – Quick Summary
| .SM | .SSC | |
| Engine support | StepMania 3.95, 5, Etterna, OutFox | StepMania 5, Etterna, OutFox |
| Warps | No | Yes |
| Fakes | Yes | Yes |
| Per-chart timing | No (shared) | Yes |
| Best for | Maximum compatibility with old engines | Everything else |
Rule of thumb: Always create and save in .SSC.
Only export a .SM duplicate if you specifically need to support StepMania 3.95 or another legacy engine.
If you save in .SM and later add Warps or Fakes in ArrowVortex, those features will be silently lost.
(You can also keep both of them)
Stops Usage
A stop is a moment where the chart pauses but the music continues.
It is used when a song has a silence, a break, or a section where the tempo effectively drops to zero.
In the file, stops are listed under #STOPS: with the format beat=duration.
Example:
#STOPS:63.875=0.3,200.25=0.3;
This means: at beat 63.875, the chart stops for 0.3 seconds,
and at beat 200.25, it stops for 0.3 seconds.
How to place a stop in ArrowVortex:
Go to Tempo → Adjust Tempo.
Move your step-cursor to the exact beat where the stop should begin.
The stop will be created at your step-cursor position.
You can adjust its duration by editing the value.
How to remove a stop:
Select it in the Adjust Tempo view and delete it, or open the file
in a text editor and remove the entry from the #STOPS line.
Important: If you use stops, your chart’s total beat count will not match the song’s total duration.
This is normal.
However, make sure the stop duration matches the actual silence in the music,
or your arrows will drift out of sync after the stop.
Warp
A warp is a temporary change in the speed at which arrows scroll,
without changing the BPM.
It is used to create dramatic moments where the chart suddenly speeds up or slows down visually,
while the music plays at its normal tempo.
When to use it:
A section where the music “explodes” or the energy suddenly increases.
A breakdown or quiet section where you want the arrows to feel more spread out and readable.
A transition between two very different parts of the song.
When NOT to use it:
Everywhere. If your entire chart is warped, the effect is lost.
To hide a bad BPM choice. If your base BPM is wrong, fix the BPM, don’t warp around it.
In short songs (under 2 minutes). There is not enough time for the effect to land.
The types of files you can use*
The file types supported by a game engine can differ greatly.
Here is a quick condensed explanation of these formats:
JPG: Lossy compressed image.
PNG: Uncompressed lossless image. Can have a transparent background.
MP3: Lossy compressed audio format.
OGG: Lossy compressed audio format with a “very small” advantage over MP3 at similar quality.
If you opt for 500 kbps, the OGG extension largely exceeds MP3. It is also open source.
FLAC: Lossless (and reversible) compressed audio format (quite heavy).
WAV: Uncompressed audio format (lossless and very heavy).
MPEG: Old video codec, grandfather of the AVI format. Great loss of quality.
AVI: Old video codec, successor of MPEG. A lot of loss in quality, except if the bit-rate is very high.
MP4: A moderately recent codec that allows relatively good quality depending on the parameters chosen during encoding. The most commonly used type of MP4 is in the H264 format.
H265 is more recent and allows better quality with a file size about 35–50% smaller than H264,
at a higher cost of CPU usage.
Most of the game engines support most of these formats,
except for: FLAC, WAV (64-bit), and MP4.
These formats are supported by Project OutFox.
It is recommended to use the MPEG format if you want to explicitly
offer your files on very old game engines like StepMania 3.95.
There are also questions about the resolutions for your background image (BG).
Here is a list:
640×480 [4:3] (Used on older game engines)
1280×720 (Still used by some)
1920×1080 (Basic quality offered) (*)
2560×1440 [2K] (Little used)
3840×2160 [4K] (Very little used)
When it comes to the experience you want to offer, you’ll have to make choices:
If you want “the smallest” in terms of final weight without “too much damage”:
720p JPG + OGG 192 kbps + SM/SSC.
If you want smaller but without sacrificing picture and audio quality:
1080p JPG + OGG 300 (or) 500 kbps + SM/SSC should be the best choice.
Note that if you want to include a CDTITLE, it must always be in PNG.
If you want to offer much more, you can.
There is nothing to stop you from doing different “qualities” in a pack,
as many players have different setups and different requirements. (I personally do.)
At the level of the dimensions of the banners and CDTITLE, here are the basics you need to know:
Banner (BN): (You can double the numbers, as long as the proportion is similar) 512×160 (or 1024×320)
CDTITLE: (Always a square, you can put more or less) 150×150 (or 300×300)
To simplify your task, you can name your file BG (for the background) and BN (for the banners)
to facilitate the management of your files.
Get the Best of What You Can Get*
You should always strive for the best audio quality you are able to get.
A rhythm game is based on music, so it should be flawless.
Unless it is not available in good quality or you have financial constraints.
The places where you have to look are numerous.
If you like a song on YouTube, the last thing you need to do is download your audio from it.
You could check in the description if there are links to download or buy the music,
and if so, choose the one that will offer you the best.
Here are some platforms that offer .wav:
Bandcamp, Beatport, and sometimes a direct link offered by the artist.
If they are only available on iTunes, you should buy it on this platform,
as it has twice as good audio quality as YouTube.
But you will need a software to re-encode the audio to OGG or MP3.
However, I warn you:
iTunes files store many of your personal information in the .m4a format.
You will have to get rid of them to avoid problems.
The audio equipment and computer you need
In terms of the headset you should have or get,
you need a headset that costs about $100 to have a proper sound output at 1 ms max delay.
Corsair and Razer are companies with gaming headsets.
For my part, I had a Sony MDR-1AM2 (about $400) that was able to pick up
a lot of the sounds you need to hear well when playing music.
It is still 4× more expensive than a gaming headset that would do just as well to start.
Now I have an MDR-Z7M2 (about $1,000) which will seek even more subtleties and clarity in the sound.
As for the computer, I advise you to have at least a mid-range one.
It will be able to play most games with Medium–High settings. You don’t need a war machine to chart.
The Software You Need + Project Setup*
Let’s start in order to present these programs.
First of all, you need a software to be able to modify images.
I would recommend “Paint.NET” if you want to do more “basic” work without too many tricks.
Otherwise, you’ll have to get Photoshop and get your hands on it.
On the audio side, you should have a studio software (optional) if you want to do EQ management.
For sound management: some artists don’t do it (or do it badly),
which makes many songs too loud at a certain point.
This can create (without you wanting it) an ear-rape if the preview of it is bad.
If we talk about encoding, I suggest XMediaRecode / Version 3.5.3.7.
It allows you to juggle with many formats and is also quite good at video encoding (for neophytes).
I strongly recommend using .OGG in most cases if you need to convert to higher quality.
It will allow you to juggle several formats (FLAC, WAV),
while MP3 will always require a modification of the chart offset.
You should always check the metadata of your file.
The software MediaInfo allows you to quickly see the information of a media.
With this, you can quickly know if you need to remove information.
About the video: You must always encode them WITHOUT AUDIO.
And preferably in AVI with the same resolution as your background image,
unless you are focusing your project on OutFox, which gives you the possibility of MP4.
Next, you will need to install ArrowVortex.
(Note that there is also DDreamStudio; as I do not use it, I will not elaborate on its use.)
You will also need to install Etterna (or OutFox) to be able to test your files
as well as check some things that will be specified at the end.
Full Explanation of ArrowVortex*
This section will give a quick overview of the features you will need to know when creating your charts.
Note that the ArrowVortex files can be modified in its source folder if you want to have your own Noteskin, Clap, etc.
We’ll start from the left and work our way to the right.
/File/
-
Open – Open a chart (.sm, .ssc)
-
Recent File – Shows a list of recently opened charts.
-
Close – Close the currently open chart.
-
Save – Save the chart.
-
Save As – Save the chart with another extension. (I personally recommend always basing your primary backup on .ssc and saving it as a duplicate .sm.)
-
Properties – Shows the information you will need to fill in (music name, artist, credit, preview, etc.)
-
Exit – Quit ArrowVortex. (ALT+F4 does the same job.)
/Edit/
-
Undo – Go back.
-
Redo – Redo what you have undone.
-
Cut – Cut.
-
Paste – Paste.
-
Delete – Delete.
-
Select All – Select the entire current chart.
-
Select Region – Select a part of the current chart. (TAB)
-
Enable undo/redo Jump & Enable Time Based Copy – Not used. Always enabled.
/Chart/
-
Chart List… – Shows the list of charts contained in the file.
-
Properties… – Shows the global information of the current chart.
-
Dance Bot – Shows a PAD to visualize the patterns you want to make for that difficulty. (Not useful for Etterna. wink)
-
New Chart – Create a new chart.
-
Previous Chart – Do what it says.
-
Next Chart – Do what it says.
-
Convert – Rarely useful.
-
Delete Chart – Delete a chart. (Insert sad songs.)
/Notes/
-
Select – Select specific arrows and/or quantizations.
-
Convert – Convert a specific arrow type to another.
-
Mirror – The selected part will be mirrored.
-
Expand – Extend the width of the current chart.
-
Compress – Reduce the width of the current chart.
-
Generate – (wink, easy chart mod)
/Tempo/
-
Sync Mode – (The forgotten one.)
-
Adjust Sync – (Your best friend.)
-
Adjust Tempo – Change the BPM and create stop segments where your center line is.
Is very useful if you come across music with a variable BPM.
If this is the case, you will have to modify this one about the 4th, 8th. -
Adjust Tempo S5 – Not used.
-
Tempo Breakdown – Not used.
/Audio/
-
Volume – Turn up the sound of the music (Shift + Up or Down).
-
Speed – Speed up or slow down the sound of the music (very useful for hearing very subtle sounds) (Shift + Left or Right).
-
Beat Tick – Activates a sound at each 4th.
-
Note Tick – Activates a sound at each note. (Useful to see if your arrows follow the music correctly.)
-
Convert to OGG – Not used.
/View/
-
Show Waveform – Allows you to show the waveform of the music backwards. (Extremely important to have.) *
-
Show Beat Lines – Show 4th lines.
-
Show Tempo Boxes – Not used.
-
Show Tempo Help – Not used.
-
Show Notes – Show arrows.
-
Reverse Scroll – The arrows will scroll down.
-
Time-Based (C-Mod) – To be activated to see the waveform correctly.
-
Row-Based (X-Mod) – Do not use it, or the waveform will not be visible (for a weird reason).
-
Waveform – Waveform settings can be changed here. (The color, how it looks, etc.)
-
Noteskin – You can change the Noteskin here.
You can also create one yourself and put it in the “noteskins” folder.
I recommend that you check out what the basic noteskins look like.
This may require you to change the proportions or the layout of the one you would like to add in ArrowVortex. -
Minimap – Not used.
-
Background – Background image setting.
-
Zoom – Zoom parameter.
-
Mini – Rarely used.
-
Snap – Rarely used.
-
Cursor – Rarely used.
-
Status – Several options related to the ones already explained. See if these interest you.
/Help/
-
Shortcuts – See the list of shortcuts.
-
Message Log – Rarely used.
-
Debug Log – Rarely used.
-
About – Information about the people who worked on this project and the date of the build.
-
Donate – You can support the creator of this project.
Find a BPM and Make a Good SYNC**
To find a BPM, you must open “Adjust Sync” and click on Find BPM.
Generally, 85% of the time, the BPM is good.
The music that has been recorded live usually has a variable BPM,
which will force you to play with a different BPM at each 4th (or 8th).
When this is good, you click on APPLY BPM.
This will automatically set the selected BPM and a predefined OFFSET.
I recommend you set “Music OFFSET” to 0,
and walk through the music to find key cues that will allow you to choose a good offset.
Generally, this one must follow the most present kick or clap.
The OFFSETS can be around 0.100/0.350.
When you have found the sound you think is right,
you must bring the lines completely to the beginning of the chosen sound wave.
You can play with the up/down arrows of the music offset option until you get the right result.
You should not 100% rely on your headset to set the right “SYNC”
but on the image you see on your waveform screen.
If you have a headset with a long delay, it may distort your sync.
You should NOT chart on a “bad sync” because a game engine has a known delay.
This should be set when you have finished your chart.
Songs with No Clear Beat
Not every song has a clear, consistent BPM.
Ambient tracks, experimental music, free-time jazz, or songs with long rubato sections
can make the standard “Find BPM” process fail or give you a number that does not match the music.
What to do:
I personnaly start with the average BPM as base. Sync by ear and with the wavelengh.
You should change the BPM every 1/4 or 1/8 to make every line synced.
Label it in your chart properties.
If a song have strong variable bpm, consider noting it in your pack description so players know what to expect.
A warning: These songs take 2–3× longer to chart than a standard track. Budget your time accordingly.
What to look for on the waveform:
Tall, sharp peaks – These are your kicks and claps.
The most prominent and regular peaks are usually the ones you want to sync your offset to.
Flat or low areas – Rests, silences, or sections with very little low-frequency content.
These are where you might place a stop.
Repeating patterns – If you see the same peak shape repeat at regular intervals, that is your beat.
The distance between identical peaks tells you your BPM.
Irregular spikes – Cymbals, snares, or one-off sounds.
These are not your primary sync target unless the song is built around them.
When setting your offset, you want the first prominent peak (usually the first kick or clap after the intro)
to align perfectly with the start of a beat line.
If the waveform shows a clear pattern but your lines are slightly off,
nudge the offset in small increments (0.010–0.050) until the peaks sit exactly on the lines.
When you have synced your music, you can finally start “charting” properly.
Charting: Arrow Placement*
To place arrows, you must click on “Chart,” New Chart.
I would advise you to put Challenge without changing the number after.
If you already have several under your belt,
you will be able to judge the difficulty you want to put into numbers before you even start charting.
You must then click on Create. And now you’ve created your first playground.
You can already start to check around and start to section your work.
Each song has a “section,” which can be determined by the manner in which it was made.
And many of these are “similar” or even the same in form.
It’s up to you if you want to keep some consistency in the way you put it together.
This concept will be explained more in the next point.
When you have sectioned off some of the music,
you need to check that your BPM will meet your needs.
It is common to DOUBLE the BPM of a song if you judge that it contains too many “yellow” arrows or is in 16ths.
Current does not mean systematic.
If your chart is entirely in 16ths, and this, without “ghost notes” (arrows which are not connected to a sound),
in addition to containing sections in “orange” 32nds,
the BPM should be doubled to facilitate the “reading” for the eyes of the player.
Measures & Counting
A measure (or bar) is a group of beats. In 4/4 time (the most common),
Why this matters for charting:
Sections of a song are almost always a multiple of measures.
A typical verse is 8 or 16 measures. A chorus is 8. A bridge is 4 or 8.
Knowing this helps you “section” your chart quickly.
Your BPM is tied to beats, not measures.
If a song is at 140 BPM, one beat = 60/140 seconds ≈ 0.428 seconds.
One measure (4 beats) ≈ 1.714 seconds.
Counting out helps. (When starting)
When you are placing arrows, counting “1-2-3-4, 5-6-7-8…” in your head keeps you aligned with the structure.
If you lose count, go back to the last measure you are sure of.
A quick trick: In ArrowVortex, the beat counter at the top of the screen shows your current position.
Divide that number by 4 (for 4/4 time) and you have your measure number.
This is not optional. If you do not know where you are in the song,
you cannot make consistent choices about what to place where.
Arrow Subdivisions
The “color” of an arrow in ArrowVortex tells you its subdivision:
| Color | Subdivision | What it means |
| Red | 1/4 (quarter note) | One arrow per beat. The slowest. |
| Blue | 1/8 (eighth note) | Two arrows per beat. |
| Yellow | 1/16 (sixteenth note) | Four arrows per beat. |
| Orange | 1/32 (thirty-second note) | Eight arrows per beat. |
| Green | 1/64 (sixty-fourth note) | Sixteen arrows per beat. (Rarely used.) |
When to use each:
1/4 (Red): Intros, outros, very sparse sections.
Using only whites in a fast section will make the chart feel empty.
1/8 (Blue): The “default” density for most charts. If you are unsure, start here.
1/16 (Yellow): For faster or more energetic sections.
This is where most of the “meat” of a chart lives.
1/32 (Orange): For very fast passages or to add extra spice.
Do not overuse. A full section in 32nds is exhausting and hard to read.
1/64 (Green): Almost never needed. If you find yourself using them, double-check your BPM.
You probably should have doubled it instead.
A practical rule: If a section feels “busy” but the music is not actually fast,
you are probably using too small a subdivision.
Step up one level (e.g. 1/32 → 1/16) and see if it still works.
Handling Intros & Outros
The beginning and end of a song are the parts players remember most.
A bad intro or outro ruins an otherwise good chart.
Intros:
The first 2–4 measures are your “handshake” with the player. Keep them simple.
If the music has a quiet or atmospheric intro, do not force arrows into it just to fill space.
A few well-placed singles or one hold is enough.
If the intro has a clear rhythmic pattern (a drum fill building up, a bass line entering), follow it.
Let the density increase with the music.
Never start your chart before the music starts. If the audio file has a silence before the first sound,
your offset should account for it. The first arrow should land on the first audible beat.
Outros:
The last 2–4 measures should mirror the intro in simplicity. Bring the density down.
If the song ends with a fade-out, your last arrow should land on the last clear beat, not in the middle of the fade.
If the song ends abruptly (a final hit, a cut), place your last arrow on that hit. Do not add extra arrows after it.
Check that your chart does not extend past the music. If your last arrow is at beat 500 but the music ends at beat 496, you have a problem. The player will be pressing arrows into silence.
A common mistake: Charting the intro as if it were the chorus.
The intro is not the main event. Save your best patterns for the sections that matter.
*It is recommended to choose the preview of the music manually with ArrowVortex
(in the Properties option, Preview – Set Region (with TAB).)
From here, you have the keys to make the “base of the base” of a charting process.
An average part of the available packs do not go further than that in their processes.
Here is a more complete part that will make you stand out from the standardized content.
Charting (Advanced)
This part will require you to invest even more of your time in creating charts,
as well as being diligent in order to avoid making certain mistakes.
Your Own Guide
First, I would advise you to write yourself a guide on what you really want to do, and identify what is what.
Is a kick a double? Triple? Clap, double? Triple?
What are the trade-offs you feel you are makingby not adding
an arrow to keep consistency in what you are doing? / Triple, Quads.
Generally, the use of a quad implies a VERY LOUD sound.
And the triple can be the lead kick.
At what BPM do you find that you ABANDON triples and quads?
Layering Stuff
After the concept of cutting your chart by section,
working in layers can be very beneficial if you want to focus on the core of the music and not get mixed up.
Generally, the procedure to follow is to start with the Pitch Relevancy (PR),
which will be explained to you afterwards, which is the most present “lead harmonic” of the music.
Here is my own list:
1 – Lead Harmonic Principal (PR)
2 – Secondary Harmonic Lead (PR2)
3 – Kick & Clap
4 – Snare (+ the other sounds around)
5 – Work on the voice (PR3?) / (Mine)
If you absolutely want to emphasize the voice, it can be moved to Lead Harmonic.
But you will have to make some concessions as to howyou will rethinkthis section
if it has 3 different harmonic leads. (This will be discussed in “Compromise and Consistency.”)
Pitch Relevancy Works
The Pitch Relevancy Work is an easy-to-understand concept
but complicated to implement in a 100% faithful way.
Basically, you have to put on the 4 lines the arrows of
your harmonic lead (with the sound you want to represent)
from the lowest to the highest pitch: 1/2/3/4 → +Low / -Low / High / +High.
You will have to compare the sounds of the instrument you want to represent the most to define
what is your lowest and highest sound, so you can represent it on the 4 lines.
You must represent these sounds always at the “same place” that you have already placed,
depending on its tone, throughout the entire work.
It is possible to do “multi-PR,”
but I would advise you to start by doing the most “present” one
and try to do the second one when you feel comfortable.
Holds & Long Holds
A hold is an arrow that you press down and keep holding for a set duration.
A long hold is the same concept but with a longer duration, often spanning multiple beats.
How to place them in ArrowVortex:
Hold: Press 1/2/3/4 to create the arrow and hold it, then move up/down to make it.
Long Hold: Same process, just over a longer distance.
When they make sense:
A sustained note in the music (a pad, a synth, a vocal held long).
A section where the rhythm is sparse and you want to keep
the player engaged without adding more single arrows.
A “breather” between two intense sections.
When they clutter:
When you are already filling the other 3 lines with fast singles.
The player cannot hold and play at the same time effectively.
When there is no sustained sound in the music to justify them.
A hold with no musical reason feels like filler.
In stream or dumpfile styles, where the density is already high.
A rule of thumb: If you remove the hold and the chart still “works” musically,
it probably was not needed. If removing it makes the section feel empty or disconnected, keep it.
Rolls
A roll is a hold with additional arrows placed on top of the hold line.
The player must press and hold the start arrow,
then hit the intermediate arrows at the correct timing, then release at the end.
How to place them in ArrowVortex:
Select a hold and press (`or~)
When they make sense:
A section where the music has a rapid repeated pattern on a single note
(a rapid hi-hat, a tremolo, a fast vocal syllable).
To add difficulty to an otherwise simple hold without changing the line.
In higher difficulties, to keep the player’s fingers moving during a sustained sound.
When they do NOT make sense:
When the music is not actually “rolling.”
A roll with no repeated sound behind it is just a hold with extra steps.
In Easy or Medium difficulties. They are a Challenge tool.
When the hold is too short. A roll needs at least 2 beats to be readable.
Note: Rolls are supported in both .SM and .SSC.
Arrow Density & Readability
A chart can be technically correct and still be unplayable if it is too dense.
“Dense” means the player’s brain cannot process the next arrow before the current one lands.
The “breathing room” concept:
Every section needs moments where the player can reset.
This does not mean silence.
It means a drop in arrow count, a simpler pattern,
or a single line being used instead of all four.
Practical limits (general guidelines, not rules):
1/16 on all 4 lines: Playable up to about 160–180 BPM. Beyond that, it becomes a “flick” chart with no musical value.
1/32 on all 4 lines: Playable up to about 120–140 BPM. Above that, it is a memorization test, not a rhythm game.
More than 2 arrows per beat on a single line: This is where jacks and rolls start to pile up.
If you have 3+ on one line in quick succession, ask yourself if the music actually demands it.
How to judge if a section is too dense:
Play it at 1x speed. If you are thinking about the next arrow while still pressing the current one, it is too dense.
The player should be able to “see” the next 2–3 arrows ahead without straining.
A fix that works 80% of the time: Remove one arrow from the densest line in the section.
If the chart still feels full, you had a spare. If it feels empty, put it back.
Compromise and Consistency
Let’s separate these two concepts:
Compromise
As the 4K format is quite compressed, you will have to make choices.
Choices that can be double-edged, especially if you want to use long notes or holds.
With each line, you need to ask yourself if what you represent there is really what it should be.
Consistency
Your chart must always have a coherent background,
both in the way you are going to do it and in the way the music tries to bring you possibilities.
Example: You can’t have two different charted parts of a song if the sound structure of the song is not different.
This is also true in reverse: if you use ghost notes or try to show really subtle sounds,
you have to keep it from A to Z unless the first point gets in the way.
The Limitation of the Human Body (Hands and Eyes)
Like the feet, the hands have technical limitations that you must take into consideration
if you want to make charts that are quite difficult (because it can lead to hand injury at a high level).
The more difficult (and fast) a piece of music is,
the more it will require you to take drastic measures about compromise and your possibilities.
Jacks are often one of the most important things to watch for when charting.
If they have no “reason” to be there, they should be avoided,
unless you want to focus your content on that particular style.
Triples and quads on all lines can also be very demanding but give less value to the music played back.
Long notes make it harder to read and can damage your hands if you focus on them alone.
Similar about Mines. This one should not be followed or placed after a Jack.
Be Different (in Your Own Way)
Being different is beautiful but complicated (and can be a double-edged choice).
Already applying the above points will place you out of the standard content, but it takes time and investment.
If you want to do more, you can always ask yourself
what you could add or change in what you do to make yourself “unique.”
Use of Fakes? Mines? Holds? Long Notes? Grace Notes?
A lot of choices are available.
It’s up to you to grab the one that will make you replay your own projects over and over again.
Fakes & Grace Notes
A fake is an arrow that appears visually but does not need to be pressed.
It is used to show a pattern or a “ghost” of what the player could do, without actually requiring it.
A grace note is a very short arrow that adds a visual “tick” to the chart.
It does not add much gameplay but adds visual rhythm.
When they add value:
Fakes can show a “rest” pattern – the player sees the shape of the next section without having to play it.
Grace notes can fill a visually empty area without adding actual difficulty.
Both can be used to create a visual “story” in the chart that matches the music’s dynamics.
When they are just noise:
If every 32nd has a grace note, it becomes visual clutter and the player stops reading them.
If fakes appear randomly with no pattern or musical reason, they look like a mistake.
In a stream or technical chart, they usually do not fit the style.
Mines
A mine is an arrow that you must NOT press.
If the player touches it, they fail (or lose a life, depending on the engine).
It is the opposite of a normal arrow.
How to place them in ArrowVortex:
Place it with Shift+1/2/3/4
When they make sense:
A section where the music “stops” or becomes very sparse,
and you want to punish the player for pressing when they should be resting.
A “gotcha” moment where the pattern shifts and the player’s muscle memory would make them press the wrong line.
In higher difficulties, to add a layer of risk without adding more arrows.
When they do NOT make sense:
In Easy or Medium difficulties. Mines are a Challenge-only tool.
When there is no musical reason for them.
A mine with no corresponding silence or shift in the music feels like a trap, not a design choice.
In quick succession. If the player has to dodge 4 mines in 2 beats,
it becomes a memorization exercise, not a musical one.
A rule of thumb: If you remove all the mines from your chart and nothing changes musically, they were not needed.
A mine should feel like a decision, not a punishment.
Note: Mines are supported in both .SM and .SSC.
Common Mistakes
Here are the most frequent errors I see in beginner charts:
Wrong or inconsistent offset – The arrows are slightly ahead or behind the music.
Always verify with the waveform, not just your ears.
Un-synced sections after a BPM change or stop –
The chart is fine for the first 30 seconds, then drifts. Re-check the sync after every timing change.
Jacks with no musical reason – Two arrows of the same direction placed back-to-back with no corresponding sound.
If it does not serve the music, remove it.
Forgetting to check the last 4 bars – The end of the song is often where arrows are misplaced or missing.
Preview region includes silence or a quiet section – Players judge your chart by the preview.
Make sure it is clean and representative.
Not testing in the game engine – ArrowVortex is not the final word.
Always playtest in Etterna or OutFox to catch visual or timing issues that the editor hides.
Saving as .SM when you used Warps – are lost in .SM. Save as .SSC.
Difficulty Ratings & Checking
The Number Assigned to the Difficulties of the Charts
For the estimation of the difficulty figures, you could rely on the”MSD”
that Etterna proposes as a figure, or you can create your own “rating.”
If you do this, I advise you not to change it,
since players are able to identify in your numbers which ones they are able to play or not.
Multiple Difficulties (Easy to Challenge)
Doing multiple difficulties will require you to create a new guide
for what you will remove in each difficulty to make the gameplay more accessible.
The community is sorely lacking in multi-difficulty charts.
The advantage is that players can get used to your chart style,
which may lead them one day to play your hardest chart and propel them further (stories about my old packs).
Ideas of what can be removed:
Reduction of bursts, reduction of triples and quads, reduction of the use of long notes.
Check, Recheck and Have Other Players Try It*
Before you consider a chart “done,” go through this list:
Play the full chart at 1x speed in the game engine (Etterna or OutFox). Not in the editor.
Check the first 8 beats – Are the first arrows aligned with the music? Is the offset correct?
Check the last 8 beats – Do the arrows end cleanly? Is there a gap or overlap?
Check every BPM change and stop – Does the chart stay in sync after each one?
Verify the preview region – Does it start and end on a clean musical moment? Is it representative of the song?
Look for accidental jacks – Scan the chart visually.
Any two same-direction arrows back-to-back that have no musical reason?
Check for ghost notes that break consistency – If you used ghost notes in one section, are they present (or absent) consistently throughout?
If you pass all of these, you are ready to ask for external feedback.
That being said, you should not ask for help if you feel
you will take it the wrong way and/or you don’t have the time or inclination to implement it.
You should always take the feedback, remove what you think is not good in it,
and keep what you think is reasonable and make the change.
On the other hand, there are several points that are non-negotiable,
and these are all the sections you saw with a *.
Instead of saying you don’t have time, ask how it should be done.
I’m done, so?
You have completed your project.
It’s time to decide what you want to do with it.
Was this a personal project?
If so, your journey ends here.
If not, you need to determine how it will be shared, what quality you will use,
and if you want to include a video in the pack.
Encode a Video for Game Engines
This section is for those who want to share videos behind their chart.
The basics will be explained briefly without going into too much detail.
I propose the software I use for this process. It’s up to you to see if these interest you.
If you have audio that comes out separately from the video,
you’ll need to compare them in an editing program to see if your audio should start later or earlier.
Here is the process:
You must have the best visual quality of the video you want to use,
and know if it needs to be cut.
To know the timestamp you will need,
Aegisub is a subtitling software that will allow you to get these numbers.
You must download XMediaRecode.
You must choose the most versatile format if you don’t want to make 20 different versions.
If we start with this observation, the AVI format is the best choice.
You must click on “Video” only.
In the Video section, you must choose these parameters:
Codec: MPEG4 AVC/H264
Framerate: The number of frames per second of your video.
ABR: I recommend you download “MediaInfo” and apply the average bitrate
that you see in the info of the video you have in hand.
Preset: Must be set to “Placebo.”
Then, if you need to “cut” your video with the timestamps you have recovered with Aegisub,
you can put them in “Filters/Preview” at the “Start Time” + the end.
Then you can click on “Queue” and the + (Add to Queue).
Then you can click on Encode.
And that’s pretty much the basics of rendering in AVI.
Then you have to add it to the game engine.
With a video, your offset of your chart should ALWAYS be in the positive.
If your offset is not 0, you must download OutFox (or StepMania).
Go to the editor mode.
Determine the place where your music starts from the value
of the “Current Second,” which starts in the negative.
You have to get to 0.000, and apply the “Current Beat” as a delay in the SM and SSC file.
(Here is the format of a video by the way:)
#BGCHANGES:0.000=*Nameofthevideofile.avi=1.000=1=0=0=StretchNoLoop==CrossFade==,
99999.000=-nosongbg-=1.000=0=0=0=StretchNoLoop====;
Pre-Sharing Process*
You need to know what type of community your content will reach.
Start writing a text to be able to share your project and have it tested,
and ultimately make a pack of all your projects in one.
Community Etiquette
A few things that are expected but rarely written down:
– Do not re-upload someone else’s chart as your own.
If you are making a pack that includes other people’s charts,
you must have their permission and credit them.
– Credit your collaborators.
If someone helped you test, gave feedback, or made the banner, say so.
– Do not spam.
Releasing 10 packs in one week with the same quality level will not build your reputation.
One good pack is worth more than ten rushed ones.
– If someone criticizes your chart, read it once, take a breath, then decide.
You do not owe a response. But do not delete their comment or act like it is a personal attack.
– If you find a chart you like and want to share it, ask the author first.
“Can I include this in my pack?” is a normal question.
Most people will say yes. Some will say no. Respect both answers.
– If there is a dispute (someone claims your chart is theirs, or vice versa), do not argue in public.
Contact the site admin or the original author directly. Public arguments hurt both sides.
This is not a rulebook. It is just how the community tends to operate.
Follow it and you will have a smoother experience
Pack Metadata / README
What to include in your pack description:
When you share your pack (on Etterna, OutFox, a forum, etc.), include at minimum:
Tracklist – Song title and artist for each chart.
Difficulty breakdown – Which difficulties are included (e.g. “Challenge only” or “Easy through Challenge”).
Credits – Music artist, any collaborators, and your own name as charter.
Known issues – If there is a section you are not 100% satisfied with, mention it. Honesty builds trust.
File size and format – e.g. “1080p JPG + OGG 300kbps + SSC.”
Any special notes – e.g. “Contains a video (AVI, H264)” or “Based on Pitch Relevancy charting.”
You do not need to write an essay. A short, clean description is enough. But do not skip the credits.
Process After Sharing
Start thinking about your next project. (wink)
Revisiting Old Projects
It is often wise to go back to old projects (especially those that are 1 year old)
and recheck the content to see if it still represents what you are doing.
If you still haven’t released a pack, it would be a good idea to fix partially some of it,
EXCEPT if you think it would take too much time (like starting from 0).
END
Thank you very much for reading this page. I hope it will help you in your future projects.
Do not hesitate to contact me if you see any typos or missing concepts.
(Here is a surprise picture about my mascot, but in an alternative Chibi version.)
