Translate FamiTracker text exports

[pinobatch]

Apparently more chiptune musicians in the West are familiar with FamiTracker than with MML (PPMCK) or LilyPond, the notations that inspired Pently syntax. Competing NES music engines, such as FamiTone, offer one-click conversion of a subset of FamiTracker text exports to their own format. At first I thought the differences between FamiTracker and Pently were so insurmountable. But eventually I figured out a subset that might be workable.

The following command produces a text export:

famitracker.exe etude.ftm -export etude.txt

Interpretation of the text export would not be without compromises:

• Expansion sound: Only MMC5 is supported, and the first MMC5 channel would translate to the attack channel.
• Release phases of envelopes are initially unsupported, as are pitch and high-pitch envelopes and the volume channel in patterns.
• The following effects are supported
  • 0xy -> ENxy
  • 3xx -> Set slur to true if x is nonzero else false
  • Bxx -> dal segno, setting frame x as the segno
  • Cxx -> fine
  • Dxx -> pattern break. x is ignored and treated as if it were 00.
  • Fxx -> set Pently tempo based on FT speed, FT tempo, current scale, current time signature, and frame rate.
  • Gxx -> grace wait for x frames then note
  • Qxy -> Note for one row then slur into new pitch y semitones up, ignoring x
  • Rxy -> Note for one row then slur into new pitch y semitones down, ignoring x
  • Sxx -> grace note for x frames then rest
• Each pitch at which a noise note is played would need to become a separate sound effect.

But a conversion still needs to specify the time signature (what's a measure?) and the scale (how many rows is an eighth note?).

[Qix-]

This would be huge. Cant wait to get home and look at these

[pinobatch]

NovaSquirrel is working on this in ft2pently

[Qix-]

Wonderful. Going to be so useful!

[pinobatch]

I've used ft2pently, and it appears to be stable. Further issues can be filed at its issue tracker.