[Announcement] Beatmeter Generator 0.3.0

[47dahc]

I however, have another issue. I can get BM Gen to start but it just hangs when I try to import a .wav file. I have the latest Java installed so I'm not sure if I need a prior Java version or if something is wrong with the .msi build.

Are you sure you ware importing it and not opening it as a safe file?

Was just coming back here to throw myself under the bus. I was trying to open, not import.

I also downloaded the independent .jar file as well as JDK 21 and all seems to be working now. I have it on a separate drive now rather than my system drive in case my system crashes again I won't have to worry about it. No need for the .msi with the .jar file.

[sdude21]

It should work, I have tested in on Windows 10. But if it does not, try installing a JDK from Oracle manually and get the jar.

I just went through this today as I just had to do a reload of Windows on my computer. The .msi did exactly what you said. Since I had used it before, I had an idea of what to look for. It installs to the path:

Code: Select all

 C:\Program Files\sklave-daniel\Beatmeter Generator

In that folder, there is beatmeter-generator.jar file. As long as you have Java installed and environment variable configured correctly, you should be good.

kerkersklave and 47dahc thank you but I could really use some additional help. First it turned out that I did not have Java installed on my laptop after all. I just assumed it was there since I seem to recall that every PC I ever owned always had it. Anyhow, I installed it, rebooted my laptop, double clicked on the .msi file and still nothing happened.

You guys mentioned two things that I wanted to ask if you could elaborate on since doing a Google search turned up nothing helpful:

"try installing a JDK from Oracle manually and get the jar" This is confusing to me because in the sklave-daniel\Beatmeter Generator folder there is a beatmeter-generator.jar file as 47dahc suggested I look for. Is there another .jar file I'm supposed to get from Oracle and if so, which one and where do I put it?

"As long as you have Java installed and environment variable configured correctly, you should be good." I can't seem to find any useful information on "environment configured correctly" so can you go into more detail on this?

Sorry if these are noob questions but as I said I am very motivated to start making some Cock Hero videos and to be honest, thought all I would have to do is download the Beatmeter Generator program, click a few buttons and I'd be up and running.

I see the guide on how to use the program on the github page but has there never been a step-by-step guide for installing the program? Or is the belief that the install should be super easy so there is no need for a step-by-step guide?

[sdude21]

Oops, color me stupid... I feel quite dumb.I had been trying to start the program by double clicking on the msi file but I just looked at my desk top and saw a heart shaped icon for BMG, clicked it and the program started right up. Sorry if I wasted anyone's time. I still think a step-by-step install guide would be helpful, telling noobs like me to look for the dektop icon that will launch the program.

Now I just need to learn how to use it so back to the github instructions I shall go. One thing I already don't see is how to create the little throbbing circle effect. I'm only seeing dashes right now. Are the circles included or do I get them elsewhere?

[sdude21]

I once again answered my own question and found the drop down menu where I can choose what I presume to be the "dots" output. I plan to try it this weekend. Wish me luck!

[sdude21]

I am happy to report that I finally figured out most of the basic functions of BMG and have made a few songs with CH beats. One thing I still do not understand is the "Snap" function. I see that a few others have also had questions on this with the last one getting this response:

You can use a "base" track that has regular beats matching the rhythm of a song. Then you can place beats in an other track. If you "select the track for snapping" when you place beats using the mouse they will snap to a position. You can press certain keys (see website) to snap at positions between beats like the middle to create more complicated beat patterns easily.

So I created a base track, added a "New BPM Pattern" and used "Detect BPM" to set the beats for the entire track, then I clicked on the S to activate this as a snap track.

Then I created a second track under the base track called "Beats" and clicked P, I and D on. I started adding beats and none of them snapped to any beat on the base track. They would always stay wherever I placed them.

I also tried turning off the "S" on the base track and setting it to on for the beats track and the same thing happened. And I tried adding some Common Pattern beats and same thing, they just stayed where ever I put them instead of snapping to the closest beat on the base track.

So I must be missing a step or process, or maybe I misunderstand what "snap" is supposed to do? Can anyone help with this?

By the way, I have a screen shot that shows my settings but I don't see how to upload it here.

[kerkersklave]

I also tried turning off the "S" on the base track and setting it to on for the beats track and the same thing happened. And I tried adding some Common Pattern beats and same thing, they just stayed where ever I put them instead of snapping to the closest beat on the base track.

Snapping just means, that when you are moving around a beat or pattern with the mouse it will snap to those points. You can still place beats at other positions, and beats already there won't be moved.
The effect can be subtle, it might depend on the zoom level as well.

[sdude21]

Snapping just means, that when you are moving around a beat or pattern with the mouse it will snap to those points. You can still place beats at other positions, and beats already there won't be moved.
The effect can be subtle, it might depend on the zoom level as well.

So if I'm:
> Zoomed out quite a bit
> Have the settings I describe above
> Click on a beat with the mouse and move it around and it doesn't snap, it stays exactly where I leave it with the mouse

Why do you think that is?

[kerkersklave]

Why do you think that is?

The snapping should be based on some time distance to the snapping position. If you're zoomed out too much you can probably not get close enough for it to be effective. There's a lot that could be improved about BMG.

[SpeshDetective]

Hey, I'm currently testing out my first creation with this software.

I have managed to lay out all the beats and am ready to save my work.

The issue I'm having is that when I click on generate video, nothing happens, and when I click on generate audio I get a file out that isn't an audio file.

Is there something I'm missing in the settings?

Edit: I got it working after a few tries. For anyone interested I removed the file path for the video generation which meant I got a prompt of where to save it when I clicked generate video, and the audio worked, I just added .wav to the file name and it became perfectly useable!

Hopefully I can save the next person on this thread a little time!

The entire process I found to be very manual, I think with time I'll get better at it, but I managed to create a beat track and beat meter for a PMV in about an hour or so, with several beat changes mixed in. One thing I found unintuitive was that once I'd found the BPM with the base track, I couldn't then set that BPM on any of the beat patterns, they all just came out really fast and I had to spend time dragging the beats and loop point around over and over before it finally sounded right.

[neo76]

Hey, I'm currently testing out my first creation with this software.

I have managed to lay out all the beats and am ready to save my work.

The issue I'm having is that when I click on generate video, nothing happens, and when I click on generate audio I get a file out that isn't an audio file.

Is there something I'm missing in the settings?

Edit: I got it working after a few tries. For anyone interested I removed the file path for the video generation which meant I got a prompt of where to save it when I clicked generate video, and the audio worked, I just added .wav to the file name and it became perfectly useable!

Hopefully I can save the next person on this thread a little time!

The entire process I found to be very manual, I think with time I'll get better at it, but I managed to create a beat track and beat meter for a PMV in about an hour or so, with several beat changes mixed in. One thing I found unintuitive was that once I'd found the BPM with the base track, I couldn't then set that BPM on any of the beat patterns, they all just came out really fast and I had to spend time dragging the beats and loop point around over and over before it finally sounded right.

Where did you find the path ?

[SpeshDetective]

Where did you find the path ?

In Beatmeter settings, the Image Directory is where your images will save, but I found it wouldn't save if I'd given it a directory, and instead leaving that blank meant it prompted me to tell it where to save the beatmeter which worked.

[kerkersklave]

In Beatmeter settings, the Image Directory is where your images will save, but I found it wouldn't save if I'd given it a directory, and instead leaving that blank meant it prompted me to tell it where to save the beatmeter which worked.

The image directory there is for images for custom beatmeters. It's an undocumented feature really. The images have to be named the same as those shipped with bmg (browse the source code repo to find them). If you give an empty directory there, generating a beatmeter fails, so you are never asked for an output directory.

[NG_GUU]

Hopefully this isn't a big ask but can you add a bpm detector for beat patterns? It make's editing a lot easier.

[47dahc]

Hopefully this isn't a big ask but can you add a bpm detector for beat patterns? It make's editing a lot easier.

It has a built in BPM detector already.

Create your BPM track, right click on it, and select detect BPM

Spoiler: show

Screenshot 2024-10-24 085448.png (32.7 KiB) Viewed 2854 times

It will then start analyzing your selection

Spoiler: show

Screenshot 2024-10-24 085611.png (35.06 KiB) Viewed 2854 times

Once complete it will adjust your BPM in the track.

Spoiler: show

Screenshot 2024-10-24 085706.png (27.95 KiB) Viewed 2854 times

Then you can adjust the track to line up with the beats.

If for some reason, you don't think that is the correct BPM, you can always use a site like TuneBat that does a good job.

[digitalparkinglot]

Hey kerkersklave,

Is it possible to use custom images for the beats? If so, how do you do it?

Thanks,
-digitalparkinglot