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Which one is better for making themes?

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Post #1 · Posted at 2017-11-21 09:51:43am 6.3 years ago

Offline SZ64saulius
SZ64saulius Avatar Member
133 Posts
Lithuania
Reg. 2016-09-10

"BIG SWANS!!!"
3.9+ Redux (has more stuff than original), 3.95 A.K.A ITG or just 5?

Post #2 · Posted at 2017-11-21 02:35:22pm 6.3 years ago

Offline BemaniHyper
BemaniHyper Avatar Member+
1,434 Posts
United States
Reg. 2013-09-13

5 without a shadow of a doubt

Post #3 · Posted at 2017-11-21 07:31:39pm 6.3 years ago

Offline Lirodon
Lirodon Avatar Member
813 Posts
Canada
Reg. 2009-01-14

Nintendo Network ID: liroxiiv3DS Friend Code: 3196-5274-6831
"canadian red-haired ninja"
SM5

Seriously, the Lua API is very powerful for themes.

Stop using 3.9, it's ancient and unsupported.

Post #4 · Posted at 2017-11-21 09:44:56pm 6.3 years ago

Offline Daniel_BMS
Daniel_BMS Avatar Member+
645 Posts
United States
Reg. 2007-09-01

We need more themes for StepMania 5
https://i.imgur.com/8ekTOeR.png

Post #5 · Posted at 2017-11-22 03:19:10am 6.3 years ago

Offline FlameyBoy
FlameyBoy Avatar Member
335 Posts
United States
Reg. 2011-03-09


Last updated: 2017-11-22 03:20am
3.9 is easier to make trivial modifications for, and the vast majority of 3.9 themes are trivial modifications of default. If you want to do anything that doesn't look like ITG or DDRMAX, you're going to hit roadblocks very quickly. 3.95 is far more flexible but still not quite as flexible as 5, and I'd argue that theming for 3.95 really isn't that much easier than theming for 5, though 5 requires rudimentary programming knowledge that you don't need to have to do basic things in 3.95.

Post #6 · Posted at 2017-11-22 06:38:54pm 6.3 years ago

Offline SZ64saulius
SZ64saulius Avatar Member
133 Posts
Lithuania
Reg. 2016-09-10

"BIG SWANS!!!"
Quote: Lirodon
Stop using 3.9, it's ancient and unsupported.

But what if my computer doesn't support 5? Because of that, I had to stick with 3.9.
I check codings and I think 3.9 is easiest, ITG - medium and 5 - hard!

I tried older 5 versions and some of them are meh and doesn't reload songs!

Post #7 · Posted at 2017-11-23 01:14:10am 6.3 years ago

Offline BemaniHyper
BemaniHyper Avatar Member+
1,434 Posts
United States
Reg. 2013-09-13

yeah older 5 versions aren't gonna be as good as newer 5 versions. honestly 3.9 themes aren't even worth making

Post #8 · Posted at 2017-11-23 03:33:06am 6.3 years ago

Offline FlameyBoy
FlameyBoy Avatar Member
335 Posts
United States
Reg. 2011-03-09

I think most computers made in the last decade with the exception of some netbooks should be able to run SM5. I’ve never heard of 5.0.12 having any problem with reloading songs, with the exception that it will not import changes from modified .sm files if a .ssc exists, which is ultimately a decision and not a bug. There is essentially no reason to use older versions unless you’re really in love with certain content.

SM5 themes tend to be more complicated mainly because they tend to try more complicated things. Simply Love also tries some complicated things and as a result has a ton of relatively complex Lua to support those.

Post #9 · Posted at 2017-11-23 06:00:51am 6.3 years ago

Offline razorblade
razorblade Avatar Member
1,099 Posts
Not Set
Reg. 2011-03-01

Quote: SZ64saulius

But what if my computer doesn't support 5?

I can give you an SM5.1-new pre-build for Windows. It has some performance optimization that are not included in SM 5.0.12 and below. Thanks to SM 5.2 back ports.

SM 5.0.12 is more than 1 year already.

Post #10 · Posted at 2017-11-23 03:32:56pm 6.3 years ago

Offline leadbman
leadbman Avatar Member
263 Posts
Australia
Reg. 2016-02-01

"Working On: 5thMix BGA bgchanges"
I think SM5 is definitely the best in terms of customisation for theme building. There's just so much more you can achieve with the lua coding system. I used to code for 3.9 an awful lot and while it's great for short term builds if you want something basic, SM5 just offers the ability to do amazing things. For example, I wouldn't have been able to code my character select screen in 3.9 (or the majority of my new themes content!).

As FlameyBoy said, 3.9 really offers only the ability to create altered versions of the default theme (with even full on theme mods like FoonMix/IIDX Red having a close-ish resemblance to the default theme). Whereas in SM5 you can do things like the DDR A style of theme, the folder system like DDR X2/X3, the MAX -> X style of theme (so if you like the 3.9 style, you can still achieve it) and even the "Jukebox" style of the original games if you work out the coding. I've even gotten a DDR Solo gameplay overlay working - something you definitely couldn't do in 3.9!

Personally I'd suggest going with SM5 as it's the latest version out there, has a lot of benefits in terms of flexibility of both code and results. Plus there is a tonne of information on this forum regarding coding for it and people on here more commonly code for SM5 so you'll get better responses/help in general. Also, the people on here are very helpful if you need advice.

In my experience here, when I first started coding for SM5, it was a bit of a steep learning curve since I had no prior Lua coding experience, but as you work things out (I found looking through other peoples theme code and breaking their code down to understand how it worked/what it did to be very helpful when I first started), you can start building off that and then make your own custom scripts/code from that base.

It's a bit harder than just jumping into 3.9 and changing the default images to make a new theme/change a few metrics here and there BUT the satisfaction you feel when you can achieve something you didn't know you could do from coding in SM5 is fantastic and has kept me going with my theme work - even when I hit a roadblock.

Hope that helps.
https://zenius-i-vanisher.com/ddrsig/18213.png?t=1510895050
Really need to add my scores to the tracker soon.
Always learning, always trying to push the boundaries of SM.

Post #11 · Posted at 2017-11-23 04:37:26pm 6.3 years ago

Offline SZ64saulius
SZ64saulius Avatar Member
133 Posts
Lithuania
Reg. 2016-09-10

"BIG SWANS!!!"
Quote: razorblade
I can give you an SM5.1-new pre-build for Windows.

I was trying to download that on your thread but it's removed. You can send me.

Post #12 · Posted at 2017-11-23 08:41:18pm 6.3 years ago

Offline razorblade
razorblade Avatar Member
1,099 Posts
Not Set
Reg. 2011-03-01

I just updated the link. Check it again.

Post #13 · Posted at 2017-11-24 01:12:48am 6.3 years ago

Offline pm41224
pm41224 Avatar Member
315 Posts
United States
Reg. 2012-05-19

Nintendo Network ID: pm412243DS Friend Code: 4210-4460-8178
"DanceDanceRevolution!"
I agree with everyone here. SM5 is the best version of StepMania to use for theming because of the endless possibilities SM5 delivers. Takes some work, though, but in the end it's worth it.

Post #14 · Posted at 2017-11-24 04:26:46pm 6.3 years ago

Offline SZ64saulius
SZ64saulius Avatar Member
133 Posts
Lithuania
Reg. 2016-09-10

"BIG SWANS!!!"
The answer is....... SM5 and nothing else!
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