wiki

Compose tab

Compose editor for osu! in Windowed modeCompose editor for osu! in Windowed mode

Compose for osu!mania using osu!screenshot (only the external upper menu is not shown)Compose for osu!mania using osu!screenshot (only the external upper menu is not shown)

Compose is the place where a mapper spent most of the time mapping out his/her design with respect to timeline after setting the BPM and Timing Sections. This is also the place where players can practice a ranked difficulty and inspect its design akin to DDR's Training mode.

Due to different needs in mapping style (osu! is very flexible, allowing much room for creativity while osu!mania is restrained to selected key, demanding extreme precision to evoke the keysounds harmonically), osu!'s editor and osu!mania-only's editor are given their own features section. You can easily access osu!mania editor by setting your difficulty to osu!mania-only.

Features (osu!)

For a newbie guide: Beatmapping.

(Starting from top-down left-right order)

Top-Left (Hit Objects Timeline)

Hit Objects TimelineHit Objects Timeline

Shows the timeline for hit objects with respect to Beat Snap Divisor and timestamp.

Hit Object Timeline

Name Description
+/- buttons Increase/Decrease timeline zoom
Double white vertical lines Current timestamp with respect to the Hit Objects Timeline.
Click on hit object Left-Click: Select / Move hit object against timeline. Right-Click: Remove hit object.

Top-Right (Beat Snap Divisor)

Beat Snap DivisorBeat Snap Divisor

In layman's's term, adjusting given length of a coloured sewing thread (timing section) for an embroidery design space (measures, divided by the divisor to be called beats) on the cloth (song).

Hold Alt to trigger Distance Snap. The value can range from x0.1–x2.0.

Divisor 1/1

Divisor 1/1Divisor 1/1

  • Full Beats
  • White ticks only
  • Best used for Easy difficulty

Divisor 1/2

Divisor 1/2Divisor 1/2

  • Half Beats
  • Adds red ticks

Divisor 1/3

Divisor 1/3Divisor 1/3

  • Triplets*
  • Has two purple ticks between each white tick
  • Compound timing

Divisor 1/4

Divisor 1/4Divisor 1/4

  • Quarter Beats
  • Adds blue ticks, in addition to the red ticks
  • Useful for general mapping

Divisor 1/6

Divisor 1/6Divisor 1/6

  • Double Triplets*
  • Has two purple ticks between each red tick
  • Compound timing

Divisor 1/8

Divisor 1/8Divisor 1/8

  • Eighth Beats
  • Adds yellow ticks, in addition to the red and blue

Insert Break Time button will start/stop "Break Time" in current timestamp and x/y is current mouse coordinate.

Centre-Left (Selector)

Hit Notes SelectorHit Notes Selector

Your construction toolkit, made for DIY (do it yourself).

Please note that in osu!, default note hitsounds work differently than in osu!mania.

  • Adding clap on a notes will play hitclap + hitnormal sound on hit while in osu!mania: will only play hitclap sound on hit

Selector

Buttons / Header (Keyboard Shortcut) Usage Description
Sampleset Auto, Normal, Soft, Drum This ignore the timing section's Sampleset setting , and add the selected one... e.g. Timing point with soft 77%, While this Sampleset set into Drum and have Clap on the notes, will play default drum-hitnormal 77% + drum-hitclap 77% on hit
Additions Auto, Normal, Soft, Drum Additions hitsound means add Clap, Finish, and Whistle with the SELECTED set... e.g. Sampleset Normal, Timing point Soft 77%, while Additions is set to Drum and have Clap on the notes, will result of normal-hitnormal 77% + drum-hitclap 77% on hit
Select (1) Left-click/drag: Select/Adjust the notes/sliderpoints location. Right-click: Remove notes/sliderpoints. Ctrl + Click: Multiple selection. Select and modify existing notes.
Circle (2) Left/Right-click: Add/Remove hit circle. Hit Circle.
Slider (3) Left/Right-click: Start/End Slider. Add/Remove sliderpoints (white square). Left-Click x2: New curve section (red square). Slider.
Spinner (4) Left/Right-click: Start/End Spinner at current timestamp. Spinner. Make sure Auto can at least score 2,000 Bonus per Spinner (to prevent the infamous spinner spam/ninja spinner).

Centre (Playfield)

Visual representation of mapping based on current timestamp. Map your design here and your design will appear exactly like you mapped during play. This is WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) mapping. For text-based (usually for fine-tuning) mapping, you can open the .osu file directly using Notepad.

Centre-Right (Hitsounds & Assist Tools)

List of available subtools complement to the original DIY toolkit.

Hitsounds & Assist ToolsHitsounds & Assist Tools

Button (Keyboard Shortcut) Usage Description
New Combo (Q) Right-click: Change current note to next combo colour. Note combo. This is equivalent to a verse / measure in song / instrument script. An acceptable range is about 5-20.

Hitsounds

Button (Keyboard Shortcut) Usage Description
Whistle (W) ("Select" on a Hit note) Left-Click: Use whistle sound on this note Add a whistle sound addition to the selection.
Finish (E) ("Select" on a Hit note) Left-Click: Use finish sound on this note Add a finish (cymbal) sound addition to the selection.
Clap (R) ("Select" on a Hit note) Left-Click: Use clap sound on this note Add a clap sound addition to the selection.

Assist Tools

Button (Keyboard Shortcut) Usage Description
Grid Snap (T) Shift (Hold): Temporary toggle. Ctrl (Hold): Temporary disable angle snapping. Hit notes will be snapped to the grid by default.
Distance Snap (Y) Alt (Hold): Temporary toggle. Switch Beat Snap Divisor to Distance Snap Alt + Mousewheel: Adjust Distance Snap multiplier. Distance between consecutive hit notes will be snapped based on their rhythmical difference. Best use while the timeline is paused.
Lock Notes (L) ("Select" on a Hit note) Left-Click: Lock this note Lock selected note to current position and timestamp.

Bottom (Song's Timeline)

Song's TimelineSong's Timeline

At the bottom-left, there is the timestamp in milliseconds (ms) and song duration in percent. The percentage may be switched to "intro" or "outro" if there is storyboarding before or after the music.

At the bottom-centre, there is a timeline with markings and the compulsory music player buttons. The Test button to the right of the timeline will save your beatmap then allows you to play test it, starting at the current timestamp.

Colour markers

Colour Description
Bright White Long Current test section
Yellow Long Preview point.
Yellow up Start of Drain time.
Green up Inherited Points. (See Timing Setup)
Red up Timing Points. (See Timing Setup)
Blue Down Bookmark

Colour Highlights

Colour Description
Grey Break Time
Orange Kiai Time

Bookmarking command

Shortcut Description
Ctrl + B Add bookmark at current location.
Ctrl + Shift + B Remove bookmark at current location.
Ctrl + Right Arrow Next bookmark.
Ctrl + Left Arrow Previous bookmark.

At bottom-right, you can adjust the Playback Rate by per quarter value.

Features (osu!mania)

(The top-left hit objects timeline holds no significance. Please ignore it.) For a simple guide: Basics Mapping & Keysound

Top-Right (Beat Snap Divisor)

Beat Snap Divisor (osu!mania ver.)Beat Snap Divisor (osu!mania ver.)

Main article: Beat Snap Divisor

In layman's term, adjusting given length of a coloured sewing thread (timing section) for an embroidery design space (measures, divided by the divisor to be called beats) on the cloth (song). Since osu!mania highly prioritise every timing of the notes, Time signature (MM:B) from the Timing section is added (15:3 = 15th measure 3rd beat) beside the adjustment bar for easier mapper's reference. It can go to negative value (-8:-3 for example) if the first timing section is a few seconds away from the start of the beatmap's song file.

Insert Break Time button will put/stop "Break Time" in current timestamp. Beside the button is the short sound file name storyboarded to the selected(blue) note, known as keysound (refer to "Sampling" section at the end of this page).

Centre-Left (Selector)

Your construction toolkit osu!mania ver., made for DIY.

Please note that in osu!mania's default notes hitsound works different with Standard/osu!

  • Adding clap on a notes will only play hitclap sound instead of hitclap + hitnormal sound on hit while in osu!mania :

Hit Notes Selector (osu!mania ver.)Hit Notes Selector (osu!mania ver.)

Selector

Buttons / Header (Keyboard Shortcut) Usage Description
Sampleset Auto, Normal, Soft, Drum Change the Sampleset ignoring the current one on timing section. Ex : Timing Drum 66%, while this Sampleset is Soft, will play all related Soft sound on the notes like clap , normal , finish, whistle with 66% volume.
Additions Auto, Normal, Soft, Drum Basically the same as above, BUT Additions setting overwrite Sampleset setting. Ex : Timing Drum 55%, Sampleset Soft, while this Additions is Normal, will play all related Normal sound on the notes like clap , normal , finish, whistle with 55% volume.
Select (1) Left-click/drag: Move timestamp and location of a note. Right-Click: Remove note. Ctrl + Click: Multiple selection. Select and modify existing notes.
Circle (2) Left/Right-click: Place/Remove note. Add note to current column based on mouse position.
Hold (3) Left-click (Hold): Place hold note and adjust length. Release on end: Set hold length Add hold note to current column based on mouse position.

Centre (Playfield)

osu!mania playfieldosu!mania playfield

Visual representation of mapping based on current timestamp.

Playfield Boxes

Name Description
Left Box Notes intensity (Timeline).
Centre Actual Playfield (Beat Snap Divisor).

Colour notes

Name Description
Double white line Measure
White line Common Time
Green line You / Judgement Line
Blue colour Currently-selected note
White/Pink/Yellow colour Normal notes colour

Divisor 1/1

Divisor 1/1Divisor 1/1

  • Full Beats
  • White ticks only
  • Best used for Easy difficulty

Divisor 1/2

Divisor 1/2Divisor 1/2

  • Half Beats
  • Adds red ticks

Divisor 1/3

Divisor 1/3Divisor 1/3

  • Triplets
  • Has two purple ticks between each white tick
  • Compound Timing

Divisor 1/4

Divisor 1/4Divisor 1/4

  • Quarter Beats
  • Adds blue ticks, in addition to the red ticks
  • Useful for general mapping

Centre-Right (Hitsounds & Assist Tools)

Hitsounds & Assist ToolsHitsounds & Assist Tools

List of available subtools complement to the toolkit.

Button (Keyboard Shortcut) Usage Description
New Combo (Q) Right-click: Change current note to next combo colour. Note combo. This is equivalent to a verse in song script. An acceptable range is about 5-20.

Hitsounds

Button (Keyboard Shortcut) Usage Description
Whistle (W) ("Select" on a Hit note) Left-Click: Use whistle sound on this note Add a whistle sound addition to the selection.
Finish (E) ("Select" on a Hit note) Left-Click: Use finish sound on this note Add a finish (cymbal) sound addition to the selection.
Clap (R) ("Select" on a Hit note) Left-Click: Use clap sound on this note Add a clap sound addition to the selection.

Assist Tools

Button (Keyboard Shortcut) Usage Description
Grid Snap (T) Shift (Hold): Temporary toggle. Ctrl (Hold): Temporary disable angle snapping. Hit notes will be snapped to the grid by default.
Distance Snap (Y) Alt (Hold): Temporary toggle. Switch Beat Snap Divisor to Distance Snap Alt + Mousewheel: Adjust Distance Snap multiplier. Distance between consecutive hit notes will be snapped based on their rhythmical difference. Best use while the timeline is paused.
Lock Notes (L) ("Select" on a Hit note) Left-Click: Lock this note Lock selected note to current position and timestamp.

For keysound (adding SE on hitnotes), select the note and Alt + Left Click on the selected note (a pop-up window will be shown with sound samples inside your beatmap folder). Refer to "Sampling" section at end of page.

Bottom (Song Timeline)

Song TimelineSong Timeline

At bottom-left, it shows timestamp in milliseconds (ms) and song duration %.

At bottom-centre, it shows the timeline with markings and the compulsory music player buttons. For "Test" button, your beatmap will be saved to test the beatmap starting on current timestamp.

Bookmarking command

Shortcut Description
Ctrl + B Add bookmark at current location.
Ctrl + Shift + B Remove bookmark at current location.
Ctrl + Right Arrow Next bookmark.
Ctrl + Left Arrow Previous bookmark.

At bottom-right, you can adjust the Playback Rate by per quarter value.

Sampling

Sample pop-up window (Windows 8's ver.)Sample pop-up window (Windows 8's ver.)

Sampling is a process of adding sound to the note. To begin, select the note and Alt + Left Click on the selected note (a pop-up window will be shown with sound samples inside your beatmap folder).

Sample import

Left-section is the list of sound files you have in the beatmap's folder.

Right-section is settings for the selected sound file.

Basics
Name Description
CustomSet Ignoring selected custom hitsound in this editor, and apply the default hitsound SET and volume without using timing point. ( Use basic sample must be enable in order to use this to be able to work as its intended )ex : added soft-hitwhistle77.wav with 90% volume.Note that you must add the whistle to the note manually as well. Also this feature is not recommended while the normal APPLY function in this editor is easier to be used than this one while both of this basically works the same.
Volume How loud you want this sound file be. Use integer value only. ( 8 - 100 )
Use basic sample Ignoring selected custom hitsound in this editor , and apply only the volume on selected notes.This means , no matter what the notes is about, this feature only changes the selected notes volume.Ex : this can be used to change multiple volume on different notes with different hitsound sample at once or just enhance the default hitsound ignoring any timing point's volume setting.
Buttons
Name Description
Play Play the selected sound file
Import Import the custom sound file from a subfolder inside the beatmap's folder
Delete Delete the custom sound file. To remove the sound file associated with the note, use the "Reset" button.
Apply Apply this selected custom sound file to this note.
Sample Put this selected custom sound file to the storyboard with respect to current timestamp.
Sample list Storyboarded sound files. Refer "Sample event list" below
Reset Remove the sound file associated with the note
Cancel Close the window.

Sample event list

Actual storyboarding. Click on "Sample list" will summon another window (shown in right-side of the picture) named "Sample event list", which would be this. The two buttons should be self-explanatory (Delete = Delete the selected event. Close = Close the window). These storyboarded elements will go to the .osu file (the selected difficulty).

The coding is MM:SS:XXX {Sound_file}@{Volume} where MM:SS:XXX is Minutes:Seconds:Milliseconds respectively.

Example: 1:57:745 kick.wav@100% means at 1 min 57 second 745th millisecond, trigger the "kick.wav" file at 100% volume regardless of condition.