My Journey and Failure to Implement Custom Music

Started by JokerOfRivia, February 08, 2023, 03:51:20 PM

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JokerOfRivia

I started off, as many who have tried before me, with searching for the answer online. I found multiple sources with differing methods, but the two that seemed most successful from user reports was the Ved music editor and this guide: https://distractionware.com/forum/index.php?topic=2383.0

I first attempted to use the guide found on these forums. I followed each of the steps, taking a while at the very first one to convert my .mp3 music file to a .ogg file. Opening the VVVVVV music file in a hexeditor was nerve racking, as some of the comments on that guide said this method had created bugs and even bricked their game entirely. I did as the guide suggested and replaced the music track Predestined Fate with my own. I didn't do step 8 because I wanted to test if the music worked before fixing a potential looping issue.

I boot up my level and begin to playtest, and I encounter the issue that would take me hours to solve. The music had completely stopped working. Not just the track I was trying to play, but the game's music entirely. At first I thought it was just the custom track that was broken, but I tried to make the game play every other track on the list to no avail. Changing the music in game, using Ved to change the level settings, even using a script to try to start the music once the level had already begun did nothing to fix this issue. I completely undid all the changes I made to the VVVVVV music file, but the silence persisted.

After hours of rebooting my machine, creating new copies of the level, reinstalling VVVVVV entirely, I was at my wit's end. I sent the level file to a friend to see if they had the same issue, and miraculously the music worked fine on their machine. After having them resave the level on their machine and send it back, the music started working again for me too! I genuinely have no idea why this solved the issue, I still have two versions of my level with nearly identical data, yet one of them has no music and the other is perfectly fine.

After solving that, I tried to use Ved's music editor instead. This attempt, while it didn't cause any further bugs or glitches, also led to failure. Ved would take my .ogg file, seemingly save it as track 16, then not show the track as an option when trying to change the level's selected music. Upon restarting the application, my track had been erased from the list. I attempted to replace one of the other tracks to the same result. Ved's asset list would display my song, I could even use the in editor playback function to listen to the track, but actually trying to implement it in game would yield no results.

After spending another hour with the Ved editor with no end in sight, I called it quits. I tried to search for my issue online to see if others had encountered it but couldn't find anyone else with a similar problem. Sadly, my level ended up using an established music track. I wanted to share my journey in attempting this, hopefully none of you will get into the same pitfalls as me.

Ally 🌠

if it helps, here's me inserting custom music


few notes:
  • make sure to save in the right directory!!! the assets directory for your level! "musictest" has the path "VVVVVV/levels/musictest/vvvvvvmusic.vvv"
  • ved doesnt seem to display the custom name when choosing music. dont worry, it still works








Quote from: JokerOfRivia on February 08, 2023, 03:51:20 PMI started off, as many who have tried before me, with searching for the answer online. I found multiple sources with differing methods, but the two that seemed most successful from user reports was the Ved music editor and this guide: https://distractionware.com/forum/index.php?topic=2383.0

this is an ancient tutorial, from back when we didnt understand custom music! theres two tools -- Ved and SongFlip -- which can insert them correctly now, and even have custom metadata!

Dav999

I can see where the confusion is coming from! The music editor in Ved is separate from the level, and has its own load and save buttons, so exiting the music editor and then saving the level doesn't save the music.

This distinction probably made more sense back when music files had to be global to all of VVVVVV instead of being tied to specific custom levels. It was only pretty recently that a level-specific assets button was added to Ved - you used to have to exit out of the level to access the music editor and vice versa.

So there's room for improvement there:
  • Like level data, there should be a "you have unsaved changes in the music editor" dialog if you quit Ved with unsaved changes.
  • Saving a level when there are unsaved changes in the music editor should probably also save the music file, or ask if it should also be saved.
  • The distinction between music players and the music editor is a bit unnecessary. The convenient vvvvvvmusic and mmmmmm buttons don't have to be read-only, and the music editor doesn't have to be there to ask for a full filename in the level-specific assets screen (opening and saving a different music file should still be possible, but only from the global assets screen probably, or as a way to copy music into the level)
  • It should also be made clearer that you start with a blank music file - the PPPPPP names are shown for songs 0-15, but they are not included unless you first load the game's music file

SHARKIE

similar problem: when i do save the music in VED, when i load it up in VVVVVV-CE, the music doesnt work
(i held my music in 20-50 scale)

Dav999

Does it work with VVVVVV, the non-CE version?

Any problems with VVVVVV-CE won't be solved anymore, you shouldn't still be using it...

SHARKIE

it works in VVVVVV, and VVVVVV-CE is still a masterpiece to me

Dav999

Well, VVVVVV-CE hasn't been updated in years, and will never be updated anymore.

SHARKIE


SHARKIE