How to Upload Your Maps to Beast Saber

# Mapping

Too many anime maps? Non enough anime maps?
Accept matters into your ain hands and larn to map here!

Mapping Term Glossary

# Mapping Quick Start

The wiki is your building blocks, the customs is your inspiration, and you are the creativity.

Not bad mappers are non made in a day. Information technology takes dedication with no one really able to concord your hand. The best we tin can practise is provide you the tools with this wiki and clarify any questions you have to succeed in your mapping career!

Download the necessary tools for mapping: an audio editor (opens new window) and a map editor.
Gear up your audio file, find and ostend the BPM, and export in OGG format.
Set up up your vocal in your mapping editor (steps vary past editor).
Get mapping! Review basic mapping practices before you start. Playtest your own piece of work early and frequently while mapping.
Get lighting! Review basic lighting information. Simple manual lighting is easier than yous recall!
Become your map playtested! Third-party playtesting via the BSMG Discord (opens new window) is highly recommended to get constructive feedback and to go past your own "map blindness."
One time your song has been mapped, lighted, and playtested yous're ready to release your song to the world on BeatSaver.

# Video Tutorials

Text guides aren't your thing? Checkout these video serial!

Remember:

The text guides on this wiki are always more upwardly to engagement as it is easier and quicker to alter.

# Recommended

Helen Carnate'south Mapping Tutorial (opens new window) - A 17 minute guide to get started mapping using Mediocre Map Assistant 2!
Fruhead's Beginners Guide to Mapping (opens new window) - A comprehensive lecture serial on making your first map using Mediocre Map Assistant 2.
ChroMapper Editor Guide (opens new window) - A serial of videos on how to use the core features of the ChroMapper Editor.
Cyrix'due south Patterns to Avert equally a New Mapper (opens new window) - Covers the nigh mutual problems discussed in Bones Mapping.
TranquillizeMe's Beat Saber Lighting Techniques Tutorial (opens new window) - Covers diverse lighting techniques and general lighting tips.

Tutorials on this page have been vetted by BSMG.

Other video tutorials may or may not contain accurate or up-to-engagement information, and should be followed at your own risk.

If you would like to see if your tutorial tin be listed hither, please contact the states (opens new window) .

# Legacy Videos

WARNING

These series use older editors in their tutorials (Mediocre Mapper and EditSaber). The UI and some processes have changed in the latest recommended editor, MMA2 but the residue of the content is great!

BennyDaBeast's Mapping Tutorials (opens new window)
Freeek'due south Mapping and Editor Tutorials (opens new window)

# Audio Editing Resources

Before mapping, you need to get your audio file ready so that information technology works with your map editor. This section will walk you through how to fix and edit your sound file using a free program called Audacity (opens new window) .

# Bones Audio Setup

Can't make a map without audio. Acquire how to setup your audio for easy mapping!

# Advanced Sound Editing

A deeper swoop in adjusting audio files such as making shorter versions or working with variable BPM.

# Map Editing Resources

WARNING

Community editors often have more than features and don't crave a VR headset, only they can be buggy, so utilise with caution.

Keyboard shortcuts for these editors are available inside their respective in-editor menus with a cantankerous-reference between all of them available here.

# ChroMapper

At present in open beta! A 3D editor that has stellar back up for lighting, Chroma, Noodle Extensions, 360/90 mapping, and shares similar avails with Beat Saber, allowing for a more accurate preview. By FAR the near feature-rich editor bachelor to the customs.

Joining the ChroMapper Discord (opens new window) is encouraged to access plugins, scripts, and awarding support (mapping support is available in BSMG).

ChroMapper Launcher Download (opens new window)
ChroMapper First Time Setup Guide (opens new window)
ChroMapper Wiki (opens new window)

# Mediocre Map Assistant 2

MMA2 was used by the majority of the mapping community until the ChroMapper open beta.

Mediocre Map Assistant 2 Download (opens new window)
Mediocre Map Banana 2 User Guide

# Beatmapper.app

A 3D editor that runs in the browser, allowing anyone with a web browser to map. It works best for standard mapping without any extensions, only new features are being added.

Beatmapper Website (opens new window)
Beatmapper User Manual (opens new window)

# Official Editor

The official editor is developed and supported by Beat Games and pre-installed with the Steam VR or Oculus PC versions of Beat Saber. Information technology makes playtesting convenient with one-click access to your work-in-progress in-game. The official editor is 2D and requires practiced visualization skills to translate well to a 3D play space, which can be challenging for new mappers. The vast majority of mappers utilize a Community Editor.

To access, launch the editor from within Shell Saber in your HMD or use fpfc launch parameters to open up directly from your PC
Check out Megalon's Official Editor Tutorial Video (opens new window) for an overview of standard mapping!

Go along in mind the post-obit features that official does not have compared to the Customs Editors available.

Uncommon Precision such as 1/5 and associated multiples.
Regular autosave and recovery (Editor only autosaves when testing or saving)
Flexible mass select, copy, and paste
Edit in place (Change the management of notes without needing to delete)
Chroma Support
Actual sound offset for syncing. (The parameter in official offsets/delays non only the vocal simply also hitsounds)
Error Checker
Contributor Fields
Mapping or Noodle Extensions Support

Although information technology is recommended to outset setup again following the Quick Get-go guides with a Community Editor, information technology is possible to transfer your piece of work in the Official Editor over.

Install a Community Editor
Locate your map files in your game'south CustomLevels binder.
- Steam Example Location: C:\Programme Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\mutual\Crush Saber\Beat Saber_Data\CustomLevels
- Oculus Case Location: C:\Plan Files\Oculus\Software\Software\hyperbolic-magnetism-beat-saber\Crush Saber_Data\CustomLevels
Motion it to the folder your editor is looking in. This is commonly the CustomWIPLevels in the Beat Saber_Data binder.
- Steam: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Beat Saber\Trounce Saber_Data\CustomWIPLevels
- Oculus: C:\Program Files\Oculus\Software\Software\hyperbolic-magnetism-beat out-saber\Beat out Saber_Data\CustomWIPLevels
Convert your sound file to the .ogg format from .wav if you take not done so.
1. Download and Install Brazenness (opens new window)
2. Open up the .wav file in Audacity
3. Click the File menu -> Export -> Export equally OGG.
4. Name your file song.ogg and click Salve.
5. Place the song.ogg file into the map folder.
  - You no longer need the .wav song file in this binder
Open the map in the community editor and alter the song file name to song.ogg and click the save button.

You are now ready to proceed editing your map!

# Data Loss Prevention and Deject Storage

Updating your game may remove all Custom Level data, one way yous can prevent complete data loss is with Symbolic Links! (opens new window) This allows you to shop your maps in a different place on your computer, such as a folder synchronized to the cloud, and mirror them in the game directory. The link created will not delete your maps if it is removed due to updating or uninstalling the game yet, recursive deletion will remove your maps.

Using a cloud storage folder is useful if you jump between multiple computers or extra security for your files in example of storage disk corruption.

The post-obit instructions are for Windows x and 11.

Motion the current levels folder over to your new location. (Ctrl + x the binder instead of Ctrl + c)
- If this is a cloud location make sure to set the binder to be available offline!
Open command prompt
Run this command adjusting the parameters to friction match your state of affairs.
mklink /j "Path to Beat Saber Install folder" "Path to New Location"
- Heres an example command:
  mklink /j "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\mutual\Beat Saber\Beat Saber_Data\CustomLevels" "C:\Users\cmb\CloudStorage\CustomLevels"

If it's on a network drive, replace /j with /D. Note that y'all will need to open command prompt as ambassador for this to succeed.

# Boosted Mapping Tools

BS Viewer (opens new window) by +1 Rabbit
A convenient way to meet how your map might look in game without the game.
+1 Rabbit'due south Mapping Tools (opens new window) by +1 Rabbit
A suite of tools for mappers that includes:
- Schema Fixer: Hands fix maps fabricated in Mediocre Mapper Mk4.1 and Mk5 for upload to BeatSaver.
- Tempo Changer: Change the BPM of an unabridged map and shift cake placements accordingly.
- Offset Remover: Removes editor offset and snaps notes/obstacles/events to common precisions to endeavor and mitigate floating signal error.
- Note Sorter: Sorts unordered notes/obstacles/events in the map file to ready stack spawning.
- Copy Timing: Moves notes in one difficulty based on some other within a certain window. Useful to utilize small-scale timing changes across all difficulties for specific sounds.
- Copy Lighting: Copies all of the lights, with the option to include/exclude custom events from one difficulty to all other difficulties.
- Map Unequal: Compare betwixt ii versions of a map. Useful for testplayers and Ranking Team members to run into if whatever changes were made.
Parity Checker (opens new window) by GalaxyMaster
An error checker tool that focuses on finding problems with parity in a map.
Map Cheque (opens new window) by Kival Evan
An error checker tool that is much more than versatile than the i built into MMA2.
noodleLister (opens new window) by Bloodcloak
Easily compile a game playlist from a txt file containing BeatSaver map keys.

# Legacy Tools

These tools may no longer exist supported, uniform with the latest software, or relevant with current practices, just could however fulfill a niche use case.

BeatMerge (opens new window) by DarkGrisen
E'er thought that it is a lot of annoying work to make big maps with other people or to perfectly cut the audio files and then you can merge them manually afterwards? This tool allows you to merge 2 or more than maps into one unmarried super long map.
Cinder (opens new window) by zhaey
Python program that converts stepmania .sm files to Crush Saber .dat files for timing notes.
BeatMapper Tools (opens new window) by Darkuni
A utility for users of Mediocre Mapper and Mediocre Map Assistant ii to easily convert, test, and package their maps.
osu! Editor Timing Tutorial (opens new window) past Fayhe
Video guide on using the timing feature of osu!'southward editor to find map bpm.

# Useful Mods

Here are some mods that might brand your mapping workflow a piffling easier.

SiraUtil past auros
With the Outset Person Flying Controller (FPFC) launch parameter, this allows you to control the game while a map is playing with your keyboard and mouse without using a headset. See the section in Basic Lighting for links to the mods and how to set it upwards.
PracticePlugin (opens new window) by Kyle1413
Modern for Shell Saber to control playback speed, seek through songs and set up looping sections. Install the latest version from Mod Assistant (opens new window) !
ReLoader (opens new window) by Kyle1413
Allows you to hot reload beatmaps in exercise mode without needing to render to the menu to refresh. Really convenient for wall mapping.

# Mapping Practices

"You take to know the rules earlier you can break them."
- Uninstaller

There is no holy bible of mapping but this section of the wiki includes a lot of tribal knowledge from the community on all-time practices at all levels of mapping. Our advice is to follow these rules until you're comfy with your skills and then get creative, experiment, and introduce!

# Bones Mapping

All new mappers need to read this, no exceptions!

# Intermediate Mapping

A more in-depth look at many mapping topics

# Downmapping

A comprehensive guide to making lower difficulties.

# Extended Mapping

Mapping Extensions, Actress Characteristics, and 360°/90° mapping

# Mapper Roles

To apply for the Mapper role on the Beat Saber Modding Grouping Discord (opens new window) you must have released iii solid/playable maps (collaborations are acceptable) and consummate the Mapper Role Submission Grade (opens new window) . Your awarding and maps may accept a decent amount of time to be reviewed and canonical.

# Curation

Mappers can submit high quality maps, costless of objective issues (opens new window) to the #curation-request channel on the BeastSaber Discord (opens new window) . Maps selected for curation are given actress visibility on the site and included in the Curator Recommended feed.

# Modding & Ranking

Maps that run across specific Ranking Criteria (opens new window) and go through an intensive review procedure called "modding" have the potential to become ranked, application players Performance Points (PP) toward global leaderboards. More information and an in-depth FAQ is available on the ScoreSaber Discord (opens new window)

Prior to requesting ranking, mappers should thoroughly review the ranking criteria and metadata standards (opens new window) and have their map modded by a knowledgeable source.

Once your map has been modded and revised, it'south ready to be presented to a ranking team member or recruit to review.
If the ranking squad member deems the map acceptable information technology will be added to the ranking asking queue to be voted on past the full ranking team.

# Mapping Anxiety

If you lot're finding it difficult to muster up the backbone to upload your map, or are finding information technology emotionally taxing coping with a lack of downloads or a lot of dislikes, you're not alone. Many mappers have experienced these feelings. You lot can read more than nigh it on the Coping with Mapping Anxiety page.

# Lighting Practices

A map is not finished until some form of lighting is included. Lighting can range from very basic to incredibly detailed using additional mods to enable more than features.

# Basic Lighting

Larn the various aspects to lighting your map manually

# Intermediate Lighting

Take your lighting skills a chip further into strobing, band spins, and contrast practices

# Avant-garde Lighting

Advanced and nuanced techniques, lighting for custom platforms, and Chroma RGB (This page is even so a work in progress!)

# Automatic Lights

Not ready to make your own lighting? Hither are some programs to do it for you. Keep in mind, creating unproblematic manual lighting is non difficult and will always be improve at expressing the atmosphere of the song than using these programs.

Lolighter (opens new window) by Loloppe#6435 - Standalone plan for automatic lighting and has other features to modify your map.
LiteMapper (opens new window) by ItsOrius - A website that automatically generates lights based on pacing, accent, and annotation placement. For more information on the algorithm check out the Readme (opens new window) .
Lightmap - It is integrated into Mediocre Map Assistant 2 and can exist accessed in the error checker carte.

# Playtesting

Testing your work is a critical function of mapping. Testing equally you piece of work helps you adapt for major playability problems and become a experience for your map. Tertiary-political party or "outside" playtesting is when someone other than yourself tests your pre-release map and provides constructive feedback and is helpful in highlighting issues to which you may be "map blind."

DANGER

You DO NOT need to upload your map to BeatSaver in gild for you or anyone else to examination.

If your map is using the 1.0 song format (your files are .json and .ogg) you must catechumen your map by updating your editor, opening and saving the map. Meet Community Editors for links to mod editors.
If your map is using the 2.0 song format (your files are .dat and .ogg/.egg) you lot're ready to test.

# Testing on a PC

Follow these steps to exam any of your maps made with a community editor using PC-based VR.

If your WIP song folder isn't already in Crush Saber_Data\CustomWIPLevels then place a copy there.
Access your map in-game via the CustomWIPLevels category in the vocal pack carte du jour. Utilize practice manner to play (the button next to the play push button).

Made changes to your map while the game is open up?
Click on the game window. Then while you are on the Main Menu or Song Select Menu press Ctrl + r on your keyboard. Your changes will be loaded without needing to restart the game!

Annotation

Yous volition need to have the SongCore mod installed in guild to see the CustomWIPLevels category and employ the Ctrl + r shortcut.
Having duplicate map files in CustomLevels and CustomWIPLevels can cause problems.
Using Online Websites to catechumen audio to .ogg may result in your audio file being treated as invalid and will not exist loaded past the game! Using Audacity and following the steps in Basic Audio Setup is the easiest manner to ensure your map loads in-game.

# Testing on a Quest

Follow these steps to exam whatsoever of your maps made with a customs editor using an Oculus Quest. Yous must take SideQuest (opens new window) and BMBF (opens new window) installed.

Locate your WIP song folder on your PC.
Establish a connexion to your Quest from your PC with a USB cablevision.
Open SideQuest on your PC and click the folder icon on the top right.
Navigate to sdcard/ModData/com.beatgames.beatsaber/Mods/SongLoader/CustomWIPLevels. If this binder does not be, yous can create it yourself.
Upload your WIP song binder from your PC to that folder on your Quest with SideQuest.
- NOTE: You need to upload the bodily song binder, not a naught file!
Your map will at present show upward on the CustomWIPLevels song pack inside your game. Keep in mind that yous will just exist able to play your map using the practice mode, and not with the regular Play push button!

NOTE

Using Online Websites to convert audio to .ogg may effect in your audio file being treated equally invalid and will not be loaded past the game! Using Audacity and following the steps in Bones Audio Setup is the easiest manner to ensure your map loads in-game.

The #testplays aqueduct in the Beat Saber Modding Group Discord (opens new window) makes it easy to accept your work checked by knowledgeable mappers. Playtesters volition provide constructive feedback on how to improve your map in either video or text format in a DM or in the #mapping-give-and-take aqueduct.

Some things to note...

Maps with less than i minute washed will not get much feedback or be tested. Consider asking in #mapping-discussion to see if someone will take a look instead.
Challenge/Super Loftier difficulty maps may take longer to get feedback since in that location are not many playtesters at this skill level.
Please keep to serious posts where you are looking to improve your mapping skills. Meme or Shitpost maps practice not vest as they end upwardly wasting the testplayers time.
Make sure you have run your map through a checker program such equally those congenital-in to your editor or external tools like Parity Checker or Map Bank check in Additional Mapping Tools

Create a compressed .zip file of the individual vocal files.
- If you lot are using MMA2, you lot tin can printing the Packet Song to Zip push button in the Song Info Settings to create a compressed .zero of your map.
- If you are using Beatmapper.app, follow their downloading instructions (opens new window) .
- Yous tin manually create the goose egg by post-obit this How to Video (opens new window) if you are not using a web based editor.
Upload your map to #testplays using the post-obit format:

Map: The proper noun and creative person of your map
Length: The length of the song
BPM: The BPM of the song
Difficulty: Which difficulties are included
NPS: The notes per 2nd of each difficulty available
Feedback: Whatsoever requests for feedback (specific difficulties to be tested, things to look for etc.)
Status: What land is the map in? (i.e., First typhoon complete, no lights; 1:45 mapped; release candidate w/ lighting; etc.)

Testers will normally expect at your map within i-7 days and will utilize a number of reaction emojis (listed in #testplays pinned posts) to runway testing condition.

Recollect: If you make changes after posting or getting feedback

React with a 🛑 :octagonal_sign: to indicate end testing this version

You can copy and paste the following template into Discord:

# Help Playtest

Do you lot like the idea of playing new songs earlier they are always released on BeatSaver? Exercise you lot want to help shape the mapping community? Consider condign a testplayer! Check out the How to Testplay guide to become started!

# Publishing Songs

One time your song has been mapped, lighted, and playtested and it's a finished product y'all're ready to release information technology to the world!

# BeatSaver

BeatSaver (opens new window) is the public repository for all custom Shell Saber maps.

# How to Release a Map

DANGER

Please DO NOT upload an incomplete WIP map to BeatSaver!
- Uploading to BeatSaver equates to "Putting it on the store shelf" and should simply be your final version.
- Run into the Playtesting department for instructions on testing your map.

Create an account (opens new window) on BeatSaver with a username/countersign or past logging in via Discord.
- Beatsaver usernames may simply have alphanumeric characters and -. Usernames with spaces or _ for case, are not allowed.
Click the Upload link in the elevation-right.
Add your BeatSaver map name and map description. Only the map name is searchable then be sure to include song name, song artist, and other terms that might make information technology easier to find your map.
- Utilise "tags" like (Chroma), (OneSaber), or (Mapping Extensions) if your map uses some special modifications or characteristics you want to highlight.
- Putting a link to a playthrough video in the map description tin help y'all become more than downloads as information technology is easier to share your map to others and lets people know what to expect.
Add your .null file and identify whether your map was human being-made or AI-assisted.
- AI maps intentionally uploaded as human-made volition be deleted.
Maps are initially uploaded to your unpublished tab. You must explicitly publish them to make them bachelor to the public.

NOTE

Map files can now be updated on BeatSaver! If yous need to upload a new version of your map y'all must kickoff recall the map to your unpublished tab before you can upload a new version. This will retain your map key and statistics but will reset all leaderboards.

# BeatSaver Troubleshooting

Here are solutions for some common errors when uploading a Beatmap.
Encountered something not listed hither? Drop into #mapping-discussion for assistance.

Call up:

Yous should accept your map playtested earlier uploading!
You practice not need upload maps created by automobile-generation software such as Deepsaber or Beat Sage to install them in your game. If y'all are on PC, yous can unzip the files into your CustomLevels folder. If you are on Quest, follow the Testing on a Quest steps to install the map.

# Map already uploaded

The exact map files were uploaded previously. You must change something small in your map (i.due east., remove a calorie-free block, save the map, supercede the low-cal block, and save over again) to exist able to upload.

# _difficultyBeatmapSets[]._difficultyBeatmaps[].`Difficulty.dat`._version``: Must not exist nix

You are using an sometime, outdated editor that is not compliant with the electric current data schema. Meet Community Editors for the current options.

# Internal Server Fault

This is the default error message, causes include:

An upload that is close to or over the actual file size limit of 15 MB. Reduce the sound export quality slightly to make space.
Unsupported characters are present in a file. Brand sure your metadata and bookmarks don't contain special characters such as, Japanese (日本語/にほんご), Kaomoji (٩(◕‿◕｡)۶), Chinese (汉语/漢語), Arabic (اَلْعَرَبِيَّةُ‎), and accented characters (Ä/é/õ/Æ/ø/ß/Œ/Ð/ƒ).
- +1 Rabbit's Mapping Tools (opens new window) by +1 Rabbit may be useful in finding the specific problem.
Expired spider web session. If you refresh the page, you should exist logged out. Login and attempt to upload again.

# Could non verify user []

This mistake is related to recaptcha. Please reload the page.

# _difficultyBeatmapSets[]._difficultyBeatmaps[]`Difficulty.dat`._notes[]_time: Must be between 0 and x

Your map contains notes outside of the playable map (ordinarily from a copy and paste error). Remove them and reattempt your upload.

# Beatmap zip contains an illegal file! Onetime

Usually caused by extra/unsupported files, such as gifs, in the nil.

# Beatmap does non contain an Info.dat file! OLD

Usually caused by having the files in a subfolder. Yous need to zip the files instead of the folder. How to Video (opens new window) Or use the handy export button in your editor instead. NOTE: MMA2's consign button does not include contributor images in the zip.

# One or more than beatmap difficulty files cannot be plant! OLD

You might accept forgotten to include all of your difficulty files are in the cipher.
A difficulty'south "_beatmapFilename" in the Info.dat might be using a different file name than what is nowadays in the binder.
A deleted difficulty is still being referenced in your Info.dat file. Check to brand sure you do non accept unintended difficulties in the "_difficultyBeatmaps" cluster of each present feature.

# Mistake in `MapDifficulty.dat`. Root should Non have additional holding: `_time`. One-time

_time is the common error for this type of message. Nonetheless, the same solution applies if a different property is flagged.

Your files are non compliant the map schema. Encounter Schema Change for solutions.

# Beatmap could non exist parsed! Quondam

This could be caused by extreme server load. Try again later on or inquire in #mapping-word.

# Field `._customData._contributors[]._iconPath` contains an invalid filename. Onetime

Utilizing the contributors field requires all aspects to exist included. Make sure all 3 aspects (Role, Proper name, iconPath) are filled and in that location is a unique square paradigm for each iconPath entry in your zip.

# BeastSaber

BeastSaber (opens new window) is a vocal review and curation site with social features including reviewing and commenting on songs. All songs published on BeatSaver are mirrored to BeastSaber inside 10-15 minutes. Additionally, maps deleted from BeatSaver may have up to a day to be removed from BeastSaber.

# Credits

Over thirty different mapping guides and tutorials take been combined into this wiki so that it can exist maintained by the community as a whole. Many many MANY thanks to the mappers who blazed this trail and contributed content. Check out the whole list here!

williamsaturned.blogspot.com

Source: https://bsmg.wiki/mapping/