Patterns in sm files

sonique10000 · 10-25-2009, 09:41 PM

I know there styles such as trills, drills, crossovers...

But beyond that, I don't know what the names are of any other patterns.

Patashu · 10-25-2009, 10:50 PM

Trills and drills are the same thing, for one thing.

There are jacks, which is the same column repeated over and over. (If it's only for 2 or 3 notes, it can be called a minijack)

There are running men, which is where you alternate between notes on one column and notes on the other three columns. E.g. LDLRLULDLRLULDLDLRL

sonique10000 · 10-26-2009, 01:31 AM

That nice to know.
I've never even heard of running men.
LOL.

MadDogBV · 10-26-2009, 10:12 AM

As long as the player is always alternating feet and not having to spin around (step out the patterns when you're charting to understand the feeling) you can chart pretty much any way you want. A good stepmaker will try to be inventive and not worry so much about terminology - rather, more about the "feel" of the song. The general rule is, though, to save crossovers and spins for slower songs and/or streams, unless you're purposefully making something that's supposed to be lolhard.

You can go wild on inserting infinitely long 16th note streams in Dragonforce (200 BPM) songs and people will play it. Insert a single crossover, though, and the masses will cry bloody murder.

As far as actual terminology goes, you have the candle (I think it's L-R-U, R-L-D, and similar patterns); gallops (L-D-space-D-L, etc.); runs (straight 16th note stream); death runs (16th note stream with crossovers and turns); jump-jacks (ugh, you can probably guess); jump-spins; some spins that aren't 4-point turns (L-R-U-D-R-L-D-U-L, or L-D-U-D-R-L-D-U-D-R); and twists, which are partial spins that have you turning away from the screen and back again, such as those found in B2U-OG. Then there is the hated double-step, which, believe it or not, is in just about every DDR chart in existence.

Patashu · 10-26-2009, 06:12 PM

But the feel of the song IS accented by what patterns you use. If you can't identify different kinds of patterns, how can you utilize them consciously?

Valex · 10-26-2009, 07:17 PM

Quote:

you have the candle (I think it's L-R-U, R-L-D, and similar patterns);

It's D-L-U and U-R-D and stuff like that

Patashu · 10-26-2009, 08:10 PM

Here's a tip for varying the intensity of pad files.

-Easiest-
Trills on two columns
Trills wandering slowly, making only non-candle movements (no D to U or U to D on the same foot)
Trills wandering slowly
Minitrills, wandering with only non-candle movements
Minitrills
Minitrills mixed with stream
Stream making no non-candle movements
Stream
Stream with a high density of candles/candles repeated in succession (i.e. LDLULDLU)
Stream with crossovers
Stream with advanced crossover patterns (LDRLUR, LDRDUR, LDULUDL, etc)
Stream with patterns that must be spun or doublestepped (LDRULDRU or LDULDULDU)
Minijacks (the same column repeated multiple times in quick succession with no gaps, e.g. LLL or DDD)
Jacks (long minijacks)
==Hardest==

Obviously this isn't an exhaustive list, but it should give you an idea of how much you can vary the difficulty of even straight 8ths/16ths.

MadDogBV · 10-26-2009, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patashu

Here's a tip for varying the intensity of pad files.

-Easiest-
Trills on two columns
Trills wandering slowly, making only non-candle movements (no D to U or U to D on the same foot)
Trills wandering slowly
Minitrills, wandering with only non-candle movements
Minitrills
Minitrills mixed with stream
Stream making no non-candle movements
Stream
Stream with a high density of candles/candles repeated in succession (i.e. LDLULDLU)
Stream with crossovers
Stream with advanced crossover patterns (LDRLUR, LDRDUR, LDULUDL, etc)
Stream with patterns that must be spun or doublestepped (LDRULDRU or LDULDULDU)
Minijacks (the same column repeated multiple times in quick succession with no gaps, e.g. LLL or DDD)
Jacks (long minijacks)
==Hardest==

Obviously this isn't an exhaustive list, but it should give you an idea of how much you can vary the difficulty of even straight 8ths/16ths.

That's pretty comprehensive.

I'm not sure exactly where this would fit in, but double-taps like "LDDR" and "RUUL" have also started becoming popular, and were used quite frequently in Pump. The idea was to hit the first tap with your left foot, and then the second tap with your right, and vice versa. I'm not sure where that would fit in.

sonique10000 · 10-27-2009, 01:12 AM

This one is a little hard to describe.
It's has to do with hold notes.
o
o
o o
o o
o o o
--o o
--o o o
----o o
----o o
------o
------o
L D U R Hold notes

This should explain it.
each line of o's represents a hold.

Patashu · 10-27-2009, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadDogBV

That's pretty comprehensive.

Not really; you can still find harder/easier levels by varying the amount or level of repetition, and I haven't gone into which kinds of crossover-based patterns are harder than others.

Quote:

I'm not sure exactly where this would fit in, but double-taps like "LDDR" and "RUUL" have also started becoming popular, and were used quite frequently in Pump. The idea was to hit the first tap with your left foot, and then the second tap with your right, and vice versa. I'm not sure where that would fit in.

Foot switch double taps, I guess?