K-Shoot MANIA to EffectDrive/SDVXviewer converter

What the heck is it?

This is a converter for pattern formats used by various free music video games sharing the same game system (I know there is a better description but I'm intentionally avoiding it here). It is not perfect due to the various restrictions either explicitly or implicitly imposed by games (e.g. 32nd or quicker notes, out-of-position perpendicular notes, new-style long BT notes and short FX notes), but I was able to convert some songs perfectly so it would be useful somehow.

How to use

The current version of the convert is only able to convert K-Shoot MANIA pattern to SDVXviewer pattern, which is also used as a part of EffectDrive pattern. Follow the following instructions:

1. Copy and paste the K-Shoot MANIA pattern file, e.g. example_ex.txt, to the left side.
2. Check the "Use EffectDrive-compatible syntax ..." if your pattern makes use of them and you want it to run in EffectDrive. The long BT notes and short FX notes are relatively recent additions and currently EffectDrive and SDVXviewer uses different syntaxes for them. If you don't have such notes then this option has no effect.
3. Click the "Convert" button. If your pattern file had an error it will notify you.
4. If you want to use SDVXviewer, find the line #NOTES: in the second box in the right side, and copy and paste everything below that line to SDVXviewer.
5. If you want to use EffectDrive, make a subdirectory (say it'd be example) to EffectDrive's Drv\ directory, and make sure that the following files are in that subdirectory:
   • example.drv (fill this file from the first box in the right side)
   • example_EASY.prd, example_NORMAL.prd or example_HARD.prd depending on your pattern's difficulty (fill this file from the second box in the right side)
   • A jacket image file used by K-Shoot MANIA
   • A non-effected music file used by K-Shoot MANIA (it is the first file specified in m=... line)
   Note that *.drv and *.prd files should be saved as Shift_JIS encoding and DOS newline convention. If you use Japanese Windows you'd mostly fine (just use Notepad), otherwise you should find a text editor with the proper encoding and newline support.

Due to the difference of difficulty system in K-Shoot MANIA and EffectDrive, K-Shoot MANIA's INFINITE difficulty is temporarily mapped to EffectDrive's HARD difficulty. You also need to manually fix *.drv file to convert a set of patterns of multiple difficulties.

Known limitations

• The converted file only uses default effectors with a fixed parameter for EffectDrive. For example, the left laser/rail always uses a high-pass filter. Manual modification is required for the better-sounding result.
• A laser/rail moving within 1/32–1/16 measures does not convert perfectly. Both K-Shoot MANIA and EffectDrive recognizes a laser/rail moving within no greater than 1/32 measures as a perpendicular (chokkaku) note, so it is not a significant concern however.
• I haven't investigated K-Shoot MANIA's variable BPM feature yet, so it is left unsupported.