BeatUp Engine v1.2

BeatUp Engine

From chart creation to quality assurance, and beyond.

BeatUp Engine is a Windows rhythm-game engine and chart toolkit for the Audition Online / CDIU BeatUp mode. It combines a game client, a full chart editor, a patcher and, since v1.2, an Auditor Mode for reviewing, verifying and documenting charts.

Current version: v1.2 · Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit) · Active development

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What's new in v1.2: Auditor Mode

Auditor Mode makes chart revisions traceable, transparent and easy to verify. Open a chart, check it for errors, fix what you find, and every change is recorded automatically.

Chart inspection and validation

Open a .slk or .bu file and let the Auditor check it. The Issues list reports:

• several arrows in the same row
• arrow and Space sharing a row
• Finish note problems (no Space, several Finish notes, notes after the last Finish)
• empty charts and missing Finish notes
• invalid or unusual BPM
• long gaps without notes

Click an entry to jump to the spot in the editor. Corrections are made directly in the normal chart editor, there is no separate tool to learn.

Automatic CSV audit log

Every change is written to <chart>_audit.csv next to the chart while you work (semicolon-separated, UTF-8, opens directly in Excel).

Column	Content
Nr, Date/Time	running number and timestamp
Action	OPEN, ADD, REMOVE, MOVE, LANE, BPM, OFFSET, SAVE, EXPORT
Note type, Lane key	Arrow / Space / Finish and the key
Beat before / after	position in rows
Time ms before / after	position in milliseconds
Before / After	readable position, e.g. 9 @ M3:05
Operation, Details	what the editor did, e.g. place note, undo move

The Chart Review Database is planned to be optional, free and community-driven. The application will keep working without an account.

Download and installation

Download the latest release from the Releases page and run BeatUpEngine.exe. The application is self-contained, no installer or extra files are needed.

Requirements: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit).

License

BeatUp Engine is closed source. See the repository for details on usage.

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Create / Review / Collaborate

BeatUp Engine v1.1

BeatUp Engine

A lightweight C++ rhythm game engine, chart editor and patcher built around classic 6-key + Space gameplay, accurate timing and a mapper-friendly workflow.

Latest release: v1.1 · Windows 10/11 x64 · single portable .exe · free to play

Download · Website & user manual · All releases

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What's new in v1.1

v1.1 is about charting faster: an assistant that listens to your song, drag & drop, a built-in metronome and a long list of editing conveniences — plus an optional diagnostics mode for hunting down performance problems.

Chart Assistant

The assistant analyses your song and proposes an editable chart draft. It is a starting point, not a finished chart: everything lands in the normal editor, where you check, move and delete as usual.

• Automatic BPM detection when you import music. Candidates show up in the import dialog; a BPM you type yourself is never overwritten.
• Silencer file names are understood. artist - title_bpm_startMadi_totalMadi provides the exact BPM, the start MADI and the chart length. The first Space sits in MADI start MADI + 1.
• A draft that follows the song, not random beats:
  • quiet gaps stay empty,
  • calmer parts become 1/8 patterns,
  • loud, busy parts (choruses) become continuous 1/16 streams.
• Spaces always on the first beat of a MADI, every second MADI, restarting after breaks. Space + Finish is placed at long breaks and as the last Space.
• Draft notes are normal notes with a tint. One Undo step per generation. Accept removes the tint, Discard removes untouched draft notes, Select selects them for further editing. Regenerating only replaces draft notes you have not touched; your own notes are never overwritten.
• Chart on: Mix / Vocals / Instruments. For the best result with vocals or instruments, load your own stem file (an isolated vocal or instrumental track from e.g. UVR or Demucs, same length as the song). Without a stem, the engine estimates the separation from the stereo mix.
• Intelligent charting checkbox directly in the import dialog — the draft is created right after loading. Ctrl+Alt+G opens the assistant at any time.
• Live settings: density (share of full 1/16 sections), finest rhythm (1/4 · 1/8 · 1/16), Space interval and phase, Finish marks, lane choice by sound, timing shift, variation seed.

Good to know: vocal/instrument separation without a stem is an approximation (centre vs. side of the stereo image, harmonic vs. percussive). Instruments works noticeably better than vocals. Always review the draft in the editor.

Drag & drop

Drop files straight into the editor:

File	What happens
Music (.ogg .mp3 .wav .flac .m4a .opus .aac)	BPM analysis and the import dialog, as with Import audio
.slk / .ssc chart	Imported if music is loaded — otherwise a reminder to load the music file first
.bu project	Always loads (audio and chart are both inside)

Built-in metronome

The metronome click is generated by the engine itself — no sound files needed. The first beat of every MADI is accented. Toggle with F4.

Engine Diagnostics (optional)

Off by default. Enable it in Options › General › Diagnostics mode. With it on:

Key	Action
F10	Overlay: off → compact → detailed
Shift+F10	Export a report (.txt + per-frame .csv)
Ctrl+F10	Reset measurements
Alt+F10	Move the overlay to another corner

What is measured:

• Frame times — average, median, p95/p99, 1 % low, hitch counts and the slowest frames, split into events / update / render / present / wait.
• Audio — backend, device, buffer size and estimated audio stalls (the audio clock falling behind the system clock).
• Input — delay from the OS to the engine and from input to the presented frame.
• System — SDL renderer and driver, display mode, memory (working set, private bytes, trend as a leak hint) and CPU load.

The report ends with plain-language findings and contains hardware information only — no names, file paths or chart contents — so it is safe to attach to a bug report. It is saved to the reports folder in the data folder (Options has an Open reports folder button).

Editor workflow

• Paste selects the pasted notes and releases the old selection, so a copy can be moved, mirrored or copied again right away.
• Ctrl+D Duplicate — copy placed right behind the selection and selected; press repeatedly to repeat a pattern.
• Ctrl+X Cut · Ctrl+I Invert selection.
• Ctrl+↑/↓ Move selected notes by one beat (Shift = one MADI). Blocked if another note is in the way or the chart ends.
• Home / End jump to the start / end of the chart.
• Right-click › Select: this MADI · from here to the end · all arrows · all spaces · invert. Right-click › Move selection.
• Selection size and MADI range are shown in the corner of the chart.
• Autosave every 2 minutes after changes (audio included) to the autosave folder. File › Restore Autosave brings it back; Ctrl+S never overwrites the autosave file.

Timing

Notes placed by the assistant take the editor's sync offset into account, so they land on the right 1/16. If a song still feels uniformly early or late, use the Timing shift buttons in the assistant window.

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Getting started

1. Download BeatUpEngine-v1.1-Windows-x64.zip from the latest release and extract it anywhere.
2. Run BeatUpEngine.exe. Everything (graphics, fonts, sounds) is built in.
3. In the editor choose File › Import audio or drop a music file into the window. Check the BPM, enter the start MADI if it is not in the file name, and tick Intelligent charting if you want a draft.
4. Edit, press F5 / Space to play, Ctrl+Shift+S to save a .bu project, Ctrl+Shift+E to export .slk.

Windows or your antivirus shows a warning? The program is not code-signed (certificates are expensive), and new programs that few people have downloaded are often flagged. In SmartScreen click More info › Run anyway. If an antivirus quarantined the file, restore it and add an exception for the BeatUp Engine folder only. Only download from this repository's releases or the official website.

Everyday controls

Key	Action
F1 F2 F3	Game · Editor · Split view
F4	Metronome
F5 / Space	Play / Pause
F6	Auto-play
F7	Stop / reset
F10	Diagnostics overlay (if enabled)
F11	Fullscreen
Ctrl+S	Options (sound settings)
Ctrl+Shift+S	Save .bu project
Ctrl+Shift+E / Ctrl+Shift+V	Export .slk / .ssc
Ctrl+Alt+G	Chart Assistant
Alt+←/→	Snap 1/4 · 1/8 · 1/16
↑/↓ · Shift+↑/↓	Jump one beat · one MADI
Ctrl+←/→	Playback speed
Ctrl+B	Bookmark
Ctrl+C Ctrl+V Ctrl+X Ctrl+D Ctrl+I	Copy · Paste · Cut · Duplicate · Invert selection
Ctrl+↑/↓	Move selected notes
Ctrl+W / Ctrl+E	Mirror horizontally / vertically

Editor columns: 7 · 4 · 1 · 9 · 6 · 3 · SP · F. Number keys 1–8 follow the columns; enable Numpad Charting in Options to place notes with the keys you play with.

Earlier releases

• v1.0.1 — Play your chart mode, music stored inside .bu projects, one Options window, optional Patcher, everything built into a single .exe, BeatUp Night theme.
• v1.0 — new ranks (S+ to F) and result card, compact score bar, snap hotkeys, Numpad Charting, bookmarks inside projects.
• v0.6 – v0.2 — Theme Editor, Split View, Receptor Bar, Challenger Mode, .bu projects, patch management, waveform, undo/redo and more.

See the releases page for the full notes of each version.

Credits

Made by BeatUp charters, for BeatUp charters.

Thanks to everyone who tested builds, reported bugs and shared ideas: Wonderful93, nvme, SCrispy, miki, nongginga.

Built with C++ and SDL2, Dear ImGui, miniaudio and stb_vorbis. The tempo and onset analysis behind the Chart Assistant is adapted from ArrowVortex's tempo detection (which in turn contains code derived from aubio).

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BeatUp Engine is an independent fan project and is not affiliated with Audition Online or its publishers.

BeatUp Engine v1.0.1

BeatUp Engine v1.0.1

The fully reworked BeatUp Engine — leaner, calmer and completely self-contained. Everything now lives inside one single .exe: no assets folder to ship, just download and play.

Everything from v1.0 keeps working. Your charts, .bu projects and themes carry over.

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✨ Highlights

• One file to run — all graphics, fonts and sounds are built into BeatUpEngine.exe.
• Play your chart — drop your .bu projects into the charts folder and play them straight from the main menu.
• Self-contained charts — the music is now saved inside the .bu file, so one file is all you need to share a chart.
• A brand-new look — redesigned menu, onboarding and the new BeatUp Night theme, with a matching window frame.
• One clean Options window for everything.

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🎮 New features

Play your chart

• Reads every .bu from the charts folder next to the game (sub-folders per song are fine).
• Type to search, Tab to sort by name, level or BPM, and a short music preview when you stay on a song.
• Difficulty card with BPM, notes, length, level and a difficulty bar.
• Each level has its own accent color — from calm blue at level 1 to platinum at level 10.

Music inside the .bu

• When you save a project, the .ogg is embedded directly in the .bu file.
• Older .bu projects still open normally.

One Options window

• Sorted by what things do: Display, Gameplay, Audio and General.
• The same window opens from the main menu, the Editor and the Patcher (Ctrl+S) — no more duplicate sound settings.
• "Instant Play" and "Skip Intro" are now one setting: Off, 8 Beats or 1 MADI.

Make it yours

• Custom assets: turn it on in Options to create empty folders with a README each, then drop in your own graphics, fonts or sounds — any file you leave out keeps the built-in version.
• Backgrounds: add your own game backgrounds right from Options. They're saved and ready to use.
• BeatUp Night theme plus a full Theme Editor to build your own look.

Optional Patcher

• Off by default — turn it on in Options › General.
• Same clean design as Play your chart: your best rank per song, last attempt, rankings and patch download, all in one screen.

Interface

• Redrawn main menu with full keyboard control and no glow effects.
• Editor menus reorganised into File, Edit, View, Playback, Settings and Help.
• A redesigned onboarding and one consistent dialog style for every message box.
• Native Windows window frame: rounded corners and an accent border in the current theme (none in F11 fullscreen).

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🐛 Fixes

• Notes stayed in sync after loading a .bu — seeking used the wrong sample rate for embedded music, which made the song drift further and further out of time. Fixed. BPM, offset and bookmarks are now also saved at full precision.
• Play your chart now has sound — a song could start muted because the preview reset the volume on launch.
• JPG backgrounds load correctly on every system.
• Scrolling with the mouse wheel works again and reaches the end of the list, in both Play your chart and the Patcher.
• Options window is easier to close, the search box is clickable, and a new Filter (view / played / level) was added to the Patcher.
• A redesigned, keyboard-friendly pause menu.

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📥 Download

Grab BeatUpEngine-v1.0.1-Windows-x64.zip below, unzip it and run BeatUpEngine.exe. That's it — everything is built in.

• Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit)
• Free, offline, no data collection
• Website: https://web.beatupengine.workers.dev/bue

💜 A huge thank you to everyone in the community for the charts, feedback and support. This one's for you.

BeatUp Engine v1.0

BeatUp Engine v1.0 — Changes from v0.6.1

Detailed changelog based on the “What’s new since v0.6.1” section of the BeatUp Engine v1.0 project HTML.

Overview

BeatUp Engine v1.0 is the first stable release.

Compared with v0.6.1, v1.0 focuses on:

• a new scoring and ranking system
• a redesigned result screen
• a cleaner in-game score display
• faster and more flexible chart authoring
• improved project/bookmark workflow
• several bug fixes and polish improvements

Compatibility

The v1.0 release explicitly states that the following continue to work from v0.6.1:

• existing charts
• .bu project files
• themes
• Patcher content

This means the release is presented as a continuation of the existing workflow rather than a format-breaking transition.

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1. Scoring & Results

1.1 New rank system: S+ to F

v1.0 introduces a new rank scale ranging from S+ down to F.

Rank calculation is based on the player's Perfect share:

• Perfect results increase the rank.
• Miss, Bad, and Cool results lower the rank.
• Great results are neutral and do not lower the rank.
• A Full Combo provides an additional bonus.

This replaces the previous result presentation with a more explicit performance grade.

1.2 Redesigned result card

The result screen has been redesigned to make the final score easier to understand.

The new result card includes:

• a dedicated rank badge
• a judgment breakdown
• an explanation line showing exactly how the rank was calculated

This makes the final result more transparent instead of only presenting a final grade.

1.3 Compact in-game score bar

The gameplay HUD now uses a compact score bar.

Changes include:

• the score bar follows the currently selected theme
• the previous five thick lines are replaced by one distribution bar
• the new presentation is visually smaller and cleaner during gameplay

1.4 Challenger failure always results in F

A failed Challenger Mode run is now always assigned rank F.

This is applied consistently to:

• the result card
• the leaderboard

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2. Chart Editor

2.1 Snap switching with Alt + Left/Right

The chart editor now provides a dedicated hotkey for changing the current snap:

Alt + ← / Alt + →

The snap cycles through:

• 1/4
• 1/8
• 1/16

The currently selected snap is always displayed in the menu bar, regardless of the current editor view.

This makes snap changes faster during charting without requiring the user to interact with the interface directly.

2.2 Optional Numpad Charting

v1.0 adds an optional Numpad Charting input mode.

When enabled, notes can be placed using the same numpad-oriented layout used for gameplay:

Input	Action
Num 7	Note
Num 4	Note
Num 1	Note
Num 9	Note
Num 6	Note
Num 3	Note
Num 0 / Num 5	Space
Num +	Finish

The purpose is to make chart authoring faster by allowing mappers to place notes using a gameplay-oriented key layout.

2.3 Project-aware bookmarks

v1.0 adds chart bookmarks through:

Ctrl + B

A bookmark can contain custom text and is displayed in the chart as a clickable label.

Most importantly, bookmarks are saved inside the .bu project itself.

That means bookmarks:

• persist between editing sessions
• travel with the project
• are part of the saved charting workflow rather than temporary editor annotations

2.4 Duplicate-note warnings

The editor now provides a clearer visual warning when duplicate notes are present.

Duplicate notes are marked with:

• a bold red band
• a warning sign next to the beat

This makes accidental duplicate placements easier to spot while charting.

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3. Improvements & Fixes

3.1 Saving no longer places an accidental Space note

The Ctrl + Shift + S save shortcut has been fixed.

Previously, using the save shortcut could also place a Space note.

In v1.0:

• Ctrl + Shift + S saves the project
• saving no longer inserts an unintended Space note

3.2 Settings now persist in protected install locations

Settings are now retained even when BeatUp Engine is installed in a protected Windows directory such as:

Program Files

This fixes cases where application settings could previously fail to persist because of folder permissions.

3.3 Responsive chart playback bar

The playback bar in chart view has been improved.

It now:

• adapts to the current window size
• avoids overlapping other controls
• remains usable across different window dimensions

3.4 Patcher offsets are fully active

Per-song timing offsets are now fully active in the Patcher.

The v1.0 behavior also keeps the time display correct when no song is loaded.

This builds on the per-song Patcher offset support already introduced in v0.6.1 and makes that functionality behave consistently.

3.5 Auto-Play score/combo recalculation

Score and combo are now recalculated correctly when jumping through the chart using Auto-Play.

The release also removes the previous issue where jumping through the chart could produce a burst of Perfect sounds.

3.6 Editor playback speed is isolated from the Patcher

Playback speed changes made in the Editor no longer carry over to the Patcher.

In addition, color changes are preserved after restarting the application.

This prevents editor-specific state from unexpectedly affecting the Patcher and improves persistence of visual settings.

3.7 App and documentation polish

The v1.0 release also updates the surrounding product experience:

• a new application icon
• website links in the main menu
• GitHub links in the main menu
• an updated user manual

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4. Release Summary

New in v1.0

Area	Change
Ranking	New S+ → F rank system
Ranking	Perfect-based rank calculation
Ranking	Full Combo bonus
Results	Redesigned result card
Gameplay HUD	Compact, theme-aware score bar
Challenger	Failed runs always receive F
Chart Editor	Alt + ←/→ snap switching
Chart Editor	Optional Numpad Charting
Chart Editor	Ctrl + B text bookmarks
Chart Editor	Bookmarks saved in .bu projects
Chart Editor	Duplicate-note warnings
Saving	Fixed accidental Space-note placement on save
Settings	Persistent settings in protected folders
Chart Editor UI	Responsive playback bar
Patcher	Fully active per-song offsets and correct time display
Auto-Play	Correct score/combo recalculation
Audio	Removed burst of Perfect sounds while jumping
Playback	Editor speed no longer affects the Patcher
Persistence	Color changes survive restart
Project polish	New app icon, website/GitHub links, updated manual

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5. Migration / Upgrade Notes

For users upgrading from v0.6.1, the HTML does not describe a breaking migration step.

The documented compatibility statement is:

• charts continue to work
• .bu projects continue to work
• themes continue to work
• Patcher content continues to work

The main user-facing changes are therefore in scoring, result presentation, charting controls, editor feedback, and bug fixes/polish, rather than file-format migration.

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6. Version Context

v1.0

First stable release

Key additions explicitly listed in the version history:

• new ranks and result card
• compact score bar
• snap hotkeys
• Numpad Charting
• bookmarks stored in projects

v0.6.1

Released 24 Sep 2026.

The version history describes v0.6.1 as introducing:

• Receptor Bar in the Editor
• receptor theming
• per-song Patcher offsets

v1.0 therefore builds on that foundation while adding the scoring, charting, and polish changes documented above.

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7. Quick Reference — New Controls

Shortcut	New / relevant v1.0 behavior
Alt + ←/→	Cycle snap: 1/4 → 1/8 → 1/16
Ctrl + B	Create a text bookmark
Num 7 4 1 9 6 3	Place chart notes in Numpad Charting mode
Num 0 / 5	Place Space notes in Numpad Charting mode
Num +	Place Finish notes in Numpad Charting mode
Ctrl + Shift + S	Save .bu without placing an unintended Space note

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Source

This changelog is derived directly from the BeatUp Engine v1.0 HTML release section, including the “What’s new since v0.6.1” and Version History sections.

Reference release:
https://github.com/bishpop/beatupengine/releases/tag/v1.0

BeatUp Engine v0.6.1

BeatUp Engine v0.6.1

A focused update for the chart editor and patcher timing: a new receptor bar
that shows exactly where notes are hit, and per-song offsets in the patcher.

Compatibility: Charts, .bu projects, themes and patcher content from
v0.6 load unchanged. Your settings carry over.

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New

Receptor bar in the Chart Editor

• The position line in the chart editor can now be replaced by a receptor
  bar that mirrors the in-game receptors: the six arrow receptors, Space and
  Finish Move, each sitting exactly in its own column.
• The receptors use your own game assets, at the same size as the notes
  that pass over them — so what you see in the editor matches the game.
• Notes travel over the receptors, while the grid stays underneath.
• The bar scales with the column width and follows the resizable split
  view, in both vertical and horizontal layout.
• The receptor bar is now the default. Switch back to the line anytime via
  Options → Receptor Bar (instead of line) or in the Theme Editor.

Theme Editor

• New Position indicator setting: Line or Receptor bar.
• Three new colors for the receptor bar: Band (background strip),
  Icons (tint for your assets, white shows them unchanged) and Edges
  (the thin top and bottom lines).

Patcher timing

• The patcher now uses the offset of each song from the song list instead
  of a fixed value.
• The standard offset of 0.7 plays exactly as before. Songs with a
  different offset are judged slightly earlier or later — the effect grows the
  slower a song is, just like in the original game.

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Improved

• Receptor outlines are drawn a little brighter so they stand out clearly
  against the grid without looking harsh.
• Space and Finish Move receptors are shown at their full asset size instead of
  being scaled down to a small icon.

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Fixed

• All six receptor arrows now look identical — previously the diagonal arrows
  could appear slightly different from the straight ones.
• Color settings from the first receptor bar preview are updated automatically,
  so your arrows are no longer tinted too dark.

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Upgrading: replace the executable and keep your assets/ folder next to it.
Your config.ini, theme.ini and projects stay as they are.

BeatUp Engine v0.6

BeatUp Engine v0.6

A big quality-of-life release: a new look from the first launch to the last menu,
a much more comfortable chart editor, and a reworked hit judgment that feels
closer to the original.

Compatibility: Charts, .bu projects and patcher content from v0.5 load
unchanged. Your settings carry over.

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Highlights

• Reworked hit judgment — no more notes "snapping" to the wrong arrow, and
  Great is now reliably hittable.
• Theme Editor — style the whole app with just six colors, with a live
  preview and your own saved themes.
• Resizable split view — drag the divider; the game view zooms to fit.
• New first launch & main menu — a short onboarding, an animated menu and a
  personal "Welcome back".
• Categorised Options — Graphics, Game, Editor and Patcher in one place.

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New

First launch & menu

• Onboarding on first start: an overview of the most important hotkeys and a
  prompt for your creditor name.
• The creditor name is written into every .slk export automatically — there
  is now a single export path instead of two. Change it anytime in the settings.
• Redesigned main menu with an animated title, hover effects on every entry,
  a personal "Welcome back, name" and a random tip at the bottom.
• Menu background can be customised with your own menu_background.png.

Options

• New Options window with four categories: Graphics, Game,
  Editor and Patcher.
• Enter Lock (on by default) — keeps Enter-Chance active in both Editor and
  Patcher.
• Instant Play — the Patcher skips ahead to one MADI before the countdown.
• Shadows — dims the whole window, from 0 to 85 %.
• Default chance and Challenger Mode can be set directly for the Patcher.

Design

• Theme Editor (Options → Theme Editor…): pick six base colors —
  Background, Surface, Accent, Text, Muted and Border — and the rest of the
  interface is derived automatically. Changes apply live, with a preview card.
• Load the built-in themes or your own themes saved in theme.ini.
• Minimap note bars, minimap marker, waveform, waveform inner line and waveform
  opacity are now part of the theme.
• New glass look for dialogs: options, pause menu, quit and save prompts.

Chart Editor

• Resizable split view: drag the middle divider to give the chart or the
  game more room. The game view scales as a whole, so nothing gets cut off.
  Double-click the divider to reset to 50/50.
• New column order 7 4 1 9 6 3 SP F, with number keys 1–8 matching the
  columns (S and F still work).
• Arrow Up / Down jump one beat, Shift + Arrow jumps a whole MADI.
• Thicker, easier-to-see position indicator.
• Max. Score shown next to Total Combo, with thousand separators.
• Waveform inner line in an Arrow Vortex–style: a subtle core inside the
  peak envelope.

Player

• Rebuilt playback bar: one clean row with play, stop, time, progress and speed.
• Hover preview on the progress bar shows the time you would jump to.
• Speed is color-coded: green above 100 %, red below.
• In the chart-only view (F2) the transport sits in the menu bar so it never
  covers the chart.

Updates

• The loading screen checks for a new version first and shows a single
  in-app notice with a link to the download page.
• "Mute this message for 7 days" hides the notice for a week.

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Fixed

• Hit judgment: presses no longer jump to a neighbouring note, Great is
  reachable across its whole window, and fewer presses register as a miss.
• Hit explosion now flashes clearly on the receptor and scales with the
  arrow size.
• Enter-Chance arrows and receptors line up correctly.
• Ctrl + drag selection works across both sides of the chart.
• Loading a .bu project now resumes the music at the saved position
  instead of from the start. Resuming after a pause continues in place as well.
• Auto Enter / Enter Lock now also applies in the Editor right after loading
  a song or project.
• The Editor no longer carries over music that was previewed in the Patcher.
• Themes selected in Options now actually apply, and saved themes load
  correctly again.
• Player: rounded corners, buttons no longer cut off, speed always visible.
• Fixed an interface conflict that could show a warning in the Options window.

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Upgrading: replace the executable and keep your assets/ folder next to it.
Your config.ini, theme.ini and projects stay as they are. Custom themes
saved with an earlier version may need to be saved once more in the Theme Editor.

BeatUp Engine v0.5.1

BeatUp Engine v0.5.1

What's New

Onboarding Screen

A new onboarding screen has been added to provide all important information for new users when starting BeatUp Engine.

During onboarding, you can enter your Charter Name. This name will be used to watermark your future SLK files.

Completely Redesigned Menu & Patcher

The menu and patcher have received a complete redesign with a clearer, more modern, and more futuristic look.

• Cleaner and more organized layout
• Improved readability
• More modern and futuristic visual style
• Better overall consistency across the interface

GameRenderer Perfect Fix

The GameRenderer has been fixed and adjusted for more accurate Perfect hit positioning.

Notes now line up more correctly with the intended receptor position, making Perfect hits feel more consistent with the visual timing.

Great / Cool Judgment Adjustments

The Great and Cool judgment positions have been adjusted to make their timing feel more natural.

• Great/Cool are 0.01 easier to hit
• The Bad range is 0.01 harder to reach

This provides a slightly more forgiving Great/Cool area while making it a little less likely to fall into Bad.

Menu Tips

Helpful tips have been added to the menu to make important features and controls easier to discover.

New Animations

New animations have been added throughout the game to improve the overall presentation and make the interface feel more dynamic.

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Summary

BeatUp Engine v0.5.1 focuses on improving usability, presentation, and gameplay feel through a new onboarding experience, a redesigned menu and patcher, improved Perfect positioning, refined Great/Cool timing, helpful menu tips, and new animations.

BeatUp Engine v0.5

BeatUp Engine v0.5

A gameplay, display and quality-of-life update focused on making matches feel
right on every monitor, giving the editor safer exits, and adding a proper
Challenger mode.

Compatibility: Charts, .bu projects and encrypted patcher files from
v0.4 load unchanged. The 0.7 timing offset default is still the only value
you need to tune, and it can be overridden in master.slk.

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Highlights

• Challenger Mode — pick it from the Patcher gear menu; the song fails if you
  fall below 80% Perfect or exceed 15% Cool+Bad+Miss.
• Borderless fullscreen that actually covers the taskbar, with the display
  mode driven by the chosen resolution.
• 2K and 4K resolutions added, with correct DPI handling so a chosen
  resolution means real pixels on high-DPI monitors.
• Save-on-exit prompts in the editor, patcher and menu so you never lose a
  project by accident.
• .bu file association registered automatically — double-click a project to
  open it.

---

Gameplay

Challenger Mode

• Enable it from the gear menu in the Patcher (independent of the Chance
  mode, so it combines with any of them).
• The run fails when either condition is met, evaluated only after 200 notes
  have been played so early-song jitter never ends a run:
  • Perfect ratio drops below 80%, or
  • Cool + Bad + Miss together exceed 15% of the notes played so far.
• On a fail the result card shows "YOU FAILED" with an F rank, and the run is
  clearly marked as a Challenger attempt.

Enter-Chance alignment

• The Enter-Chance note liner, MISS overlays, receptor hit points and receptor
  beams now all share one coordinate system derived from the reference layout.
  Previously the liner used an older grid, so arrows landed next to the receptor
  outline and Perfect felt late in Enter-Chance mode.
• Hit points are now measured from the actual drawn arrow centre inside each
  liner texture (the arrows are not centred in their canvas), fixing a small
  but real offset in normal mode and a larger one in Enter-Chance.
• no_chance icon now shows when Enter is not active.

---

Display & Window

• Borderless fullscreen (F11) now covers the whole screen including the
  taskbar, like the borderless mode in modern games.
• Resolution drives the mode: a resolution smaller than the monitor is a
  normal, movable window; a resolution equal to the monitor is fixed, on-top
  borderless fullscreen. F11 reliably toggles between the two and always returns
  to your real windowed resolution.
• New resolutions: 2560×1440 (2K) and 3840×2160 (4K), shown in a two-row
  layout. Resolutions larger than the current monitor are greyed out with a
  tooltip instead of silently shrinking.
• DPI awareness: the process now reports itself as per-monitor DPI aware, so
  1024×768 means real 1024×768 pixels on a 2K/4K monitor instead of being
  stretched by the OS.
• Linear scaling so upscaled game art stays smooth instead of pixelated.
• The window can no longer be dragged while in fullscreen.
• The editor menu bar and the game field now scale and centre to the actual
  resolution instead of being pinned to a fixed 1024×768 area.

---

Editor & Menus

Exit confirmations

• Editor: pressing ESC or the window close button while a project is open now
  asks whether to save first — Yes, save writes a .bu next to the music,
  No, discard leaves without saving, Cancel stays. ESC still clears a note
  selection first if one is active.
• Patcher: ESC returns to the menu and the window close button quits, both
  via a confirmation dialog.
• Menu: ESC and the close button now ask before quitting.

.bu file association

• On startup the app registers the .bu extension for the current user (no admin
  rights needed) so a double-click opens the project with its song, notes and
  position restored. The association updates itself if the executable is moved.

Loading & tips

• The loading screen now shows what it is checking (directories, core files,
  assets, score data) with matching progress.
• Random tips appear on the loading screen, the pre-song countdown and the
  pause menu — F11 fullscreen, Ctrl+Alt+1–7 for the Chance, import/export
  hotkeys, Ctrl as Space, the colour-coded grid and more.

Countdown & auto-enter

• The pre-song countdown is centred correctly at any resolution and now uses a
  single clean progress bar instead of several competing indicators.
• Auto-enter (when enabled) is now active from the very start of the
  countdown instead of only after playback begins.

---

Fixes

• Fixed Ctrl+drag range selection collapsing when dragging across the centre
  (F↔9 boundary): the selection rectangle now computes its span in screen
  columns instead of raw lane numbers, so it works across both sides.
• Fixed a duplicate sound entry (beat.wav + beat.ogg) causing an ImGui
  ID conflict in the sound settings; duplicate keys are skipped and sliders use
  index-based IDs.
• Fixed the editor menu bar being cut off at 1024px on larger resolutions.
• Fixed the game field sticking to the top-left corner instead of scaling and
  centering.
• Fixed file dialogs opening behind the window in fullscreen (they now use the
  main window as owner).
• Fixed the window close button bypassing the save prompt.

---

Compatibility note: all v0.4 content loads without changes, and the 0.7
timing offset default is unchanged.

BeatUp Engine v0.4

BeatUp Engine v0.4

A large gameplay, editor and tooling update. This release focuses on making the
BeatUp mode behave like Audition Online, a much-improved chart editor.

---

Highlights

• Authentic BeatUp timing — hit detection and note graphics now share a
  single time base, so pressing on the beat lands a true Perfect.
• Animated arrows — arrows cycle through per-beat frames just like the
  original game.
• New .bu project format — save your whole session (audio, notes,
  position, BPM) and reopen it with a double-click.
• Colored snap grid in the editor for instant snap recognition.

---

Gameplay

Timing & Hit Detection

• Reworked the beat engine so graphics and hit logic use the same time base.
  Previously the offset was applied inconsistently, which made presses feel late
  and Perfects almost impossible to hit. A note pressed while it sits on the
  receptor now registers as a true Perfect.
• Removed sub-millisecond drift caused by rounding the offset value. The offset
  is now carried at full floating-point precision (the 0.7 default is
  preserved and remains the single tuning value, as in Audition Online).
• Adjustable Perfect window (ARROW_PERFECT, default 0.18).
• Wider early hit windows so Great/Cool/Bad open earlier on approach —
  roughly where the _2 liner segment begins — giving more room to hit while
  keeping Perfect tight. Late windows are shorter because notes begin flying out
  after the receptor.
• Miss/unpressed notes now fly out ~44% longer before fading, for a smoother
  tail.

Visuals

• MP/RP receptor beams completely reworked: they now cover the full visible
  _1 + _2 lane box per key (9/6/3 and 7/4/1), aligned to the real receptor
  rows, mirrored per side so the bright end sits at the receptor. Beam edges are
  fully configurable via named constants (LEFT_START, RIGHT_END, etc.) for
  both normal and Enter-Chance layouts.
• Arrow frame animation — moving arrows now cycle a<key>1 → a<key>2 → a<key>3 → a<key>4 per beat instead of using a single static sprite. Old
  a18/a38/... static names are no longer required.
• arrow_explode now renders at full original size and opacity, matching the
  Audition BeatUp explosion.
• Fixed the beam gradient direction and the gap that appeared between lane bar
  assets on the right side.

---

Editor

New: .bu Project Files

• Save the entire editor state to a .bu file: audio path, BPM, offset,
  total beats, last playback position (which also restores the MADI), and every
  note with its speed value.
• Ctrl+Shift+S saves instantly. By default the .bu is written next to the
  music file with a matching name (song.ogg → song.bu).
• Double-click a .bu file to launch the app straight into the editor with
  the song, notes and position restored automatically (requires associating the
  .bu extension with the executable in Windows).
• File menu adds Open Project, Save Project and Save Project As….

New: Toast Notifications

• On-screen overlay confirms Saved / Loaded / Exported actions (and errors),
  fades out automatically.

New: Colored Snap Grid

• The chart and split views now draw a color-coded grid so you always know
  the current snap:
  • White — MADI lines (M1, M2, M3, …)
  • Red — 4th snap
  • Blue — 8th snap
  • Yellow — 16th snap
• Colors are intentionally desaturated to stay easy on the eyes over long
  sessions; line thickness also scales with importance.

Import / Export Hotkeys

• Direct exports (no dialog, written next to the audio file):
  • Ctrl+Shift+E — export .slk
  • Ctrl+Shift+V — export .ssc
• Imports (with a file-browser dialog):
  • Ctrl+Alt+A — import audio
  • Ctrl+Alt+E — import .slk
  • Ctrl+Alt+V — import .ssc
  • Ctrl+Alt+B — open .bu project
• The .ssc export now writes BPM and the music file (full filename with
  extension) into the chart. All hotkeys are also shown in the File menu.

Settings (Ctrl+S)

• Fixed a bug where the settings overlay could not be closed — window
  hotkeys are now handled before ImGui captures the keyboard, and Esc also
  closes it.
• New "Auto-enable Enter Chance" checkbox. When on, Enter is pressed
  automatically once the countdown ends. Saved to config.
• New default judgment sound volumes: Perfect 120%, Great 70%, Cool 60%,
  Bad 55%.

Editor Behavior

• Autoplay is now ON by default in the editor and can be toggled off at any
  time (previously it defaulted off).
• The redundant top-right score readout is gone; the score lives only in the
  bottom scoreboard card.
• Scoreboard card is more compact (all values and percentages retained) and
  is hidden in Split View so the third arrow is never covered.

Timeline & Transport

• Redesigned the top timeline: a slim rounded track with a progress fill and
  a clean round handle (fixed the earlier doubled/buggy slider rendering).
• Restyled transport buttons: rounded pills, a red hover state on Stop, and a
  subtle accent ring on Play to mark it as the primary action.
• Fully self-drawn slider so the native ImGui grab no longer overlaps the custom
  visuals.

---

Security / Build

• Internal hardening and stability improvements.

---

Fixes

• Fixed inconsistent offset handling that caused off-beat feel.
• Fixed MP/RP beams rendering as an oversized block / wrong position / wrong side.
• Fixed the receptor-beam overshoot past the lane box and the right-side gap.
• Fixed arrow_explode scaling and coverage.
• Fixed the timeline slider rendering artifacts.
• Fixed the settings overlay not closing.
• Fixed the score showing in Split View and covering the third arrow.

BeatUp Engine v0.3

BeatUp Engine v0.3

🩹 Patcher Improvements

This release introduces a range of improvements to the BeatUp Engine patcher, making patch management, validation, and recovery easier and more reliable.

📦 Patch Management

• Added a Download New Patches option directly in the patcher.
• Improved the patcher workflow for installing the latest available content.
• Added clearer instructions for replacing patch files.
• Improved the overall patch installation process.

🔍 File Validation

• Added improved validation for required game files.
• The patcher can now detect missing files required by installed content.
• Missing music, chart, and script files can be detected automatically.
• Added clearer error messages when required files are missing.
• Users are directed to obtain the latest patch when required content is unavailable.

⚙️ Patcher Workflow

• Improved patcher startup and validation behavior.
• Normal application startup remains independent from the patcher.
• Patcher checks are performed when the patcher functionality is opened.
• Improved handling of incomplete or outdated installations.
• Improved reliability when working with multiple installed levels and content files.

🖥️ Patcher UI

• Improved patcher layout and information presentation.
• Improved messaging for missing files and patch-related actions.
• Improved consistency of buttons, cards, and informational elements.
• Improved readability of patcher instructions.

🎵 Song & Level Information

• Improved presentation of song and level details within the patcher.
• Improved handling of installed chart and music information.
• Improved reliability when displaying information for different levels and difficulties.

🔄 General Improvements

• Improved patcher stability.
• Improved error handling during patch-related operations.
• Reduced unnecessary interruptions during normal game startup.
• Improved overall quality of life when maintaining BeatUp Engine installations.

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Fixed several patcher validation issues.
• Fixed cases where missing content was not reported clearly.
• Fixed inconsistencies in patcher file handling.
• Improved handling of incomplete installations.
• Fixed several UI and layout issues in the patcher.
• Improved reliability of patch-related workflows.

📌 Notes

This release focuses primarily on the patcher experience, including patch management, file validation, installation recovery, and UI improvements.

The goal is to make maintaining a BeatUp Engine installation simpler and more reliable while providing clearer feedback whenever required content is missing.

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Full Changelog

Added

• Download New Patches option
• Required file validation
• Missing content detection
• Improved patch installation instructions
• Improved patcher error messages

Changed

• Patcher workflow
• File validation behavior
• Patcher UI and layout
• Song and level information presentation
• Handling of incomplete installations

Fixed

• Patcher validation issues
• Missing-file reporting
• Patch-related file handling issues
• Several patcher UI issues
• Incomplete installation handling