Quick start

This page covers the shortest path: create a project → place notes → preview → export. No network connection needed, and no need to read the feature guide first.

1. Create a project

The app opens on the project manager page, on the project hub. Choose New project:

• Blank project: enter a project name and artist (both can be filled in later), pick the first chart's difficulty, then Create.
• Duplicate project: use an existing project as a template. Audio, cover, and chart content come along; chart status resets to unfinished.
• Import from official chart / Import from community chart: pick a song, preview it, then create a project from a chosen difficulty — audio and cover land in the project too. These two paths are desktop-only; see the Bestdori community.

You land on the project detail view: every chart of that song, plus cover and audio. Choose Open (or Open in workspace) on a chart to enter the workspace.

2. Import audio (optional)

You can edit and preview without audio — the chart duration defaults to 30 seconds and can be edited by hand. Import audio and the chart duration is locked to the actual audio length.

Go to Audio and choose Import audio, then pick a local file. Any format your browser can decode works.

3. Place notes

The toolbar on the left of the workspace holds the pointer, BPM, single, flick, skill, left/right directional, slide, and curve tools, followed by editing tools (copy / cut / paste / delete / mirror / note code / undo / redo).

1. Pick a note type (say, Single).
2. Click on the track; the note lands on the nearest beat line. Snap is chosen in the toolbar (default 1/4, options 1/1 – 1/16).
3. Drag notes to move them, or marquee-select a group. The right panel shows the selection count and offers delete / mirror.
4. Slides take two clicks: the first sets the start node, the second completes the slide. To draw a curved band, switch to the Curve tool and drag on empty space — that's the brush.
5. Press Space to play / pause. Double-click the empty gutter left of the track to drop a playback start marker, then jump back to it with the shortcut.

Changes save automatically; there is no save button.

4. Preview

Open the Preview page:

• Static preview shows the whole chart: panels laid out horizontally, scrolled sideways. Zoom ranges 30%–300% continuously (slider or Ctrl/⌘ + wheel). Fullscreen is available; Esc exits.
• Dynamic preview is the simulation field — it plays like the game and is the better way to check feel and hit effects. Playback speed is adjustable.

The Settings panel toggles markers: BPM marks, time marks, beat lines, combo marks, and mirror. They only affect the preview, never the chart.

5. Export

• Chart image: in the static preview toolbar, choose Export image to get a header-band chart image (cover + song info + every panel), ready to post.
• Video: in the dynamic preview, choose Export video, pick a resolution and format, and the app renders it offline. A 5-second song-info intro is prepended automatically.

Export is independent of the preview's current zoom and toggles — the export profile is fixed so output sizes stay stable.

Sample chart: paste and go

If you'd rather not place notes from scratch, paste a ready-made chart:

1. On project detail, choose Add chart.
2. Expand Chart code (optional) and paste the JSON below.
3. Choose Add, then open the chart in the workspace.

[
  { "beat": 0, "type": "BPM", "bpm": 160 },
  { "beat": 0, "lane": 3, "type": "Single" },
  { "beat": 1, "lane": 2, "type": "Single" },
  { "beat": 1, "lane": 4, "type": "Single" },
  { "beat": 1.5, "lane": 4, "type": "Single", "flick": true },
  { "beat": 2, "lane": 1, "type": "Single" },
  { "beat": 2, "lane": 5, "type": "Single" },
  { "beat": 3, "lane": 2, "type": "Directional", "direction": "Left", "width": 2 },
  {
    "type": "Slide",
    "connections": [
      { "beat": 4, "lane": 5 },
      { "beat": 4.5, "lane": 4, "hidden": true },
      { "beat": 5, "lane": 3 }
    ]
  },
  {
    "type": "Long",
    "connections": [
      { "beat": 6, "lane": 0 },
      { "beat": 7, "lane": 0 }
    ]
  },
  { "beat": 8, "lane": 6, "type": "Single", "skill": true }
]

What it demonstrates:

• beat is the position in beats and may be fractional; lane is the track, 0–6.
• type is one of BPM / Single / Directional / Slide / Long / System.
• Add "flick": true for a flick, "skill": true for a skill note.
• Directional notes use direction (Left / Right) and width (1–3).
• Slides and longs list nodes in connections; "hidden": true on a middle node makes it an SP segment.

Beat 0 must contain a BPM note, or the app rejects the code — that is a hard rule of the chart format, not something specific to this sample.

Next

• What every button does: feature guide
• Using it in a browser: web version vs desktop
• Publishing to the community: Bestdori community