+-+-+-+ Clone Hero Manual +-+-+-+

If you have any questions, feel free to drop by the Clone Hero Discord server’s
#help-line channel.
Server invite link: < https://discord.gg/Hsn4Cgu >

*note* we reccomend seeing the pdf version of this document as it is much more
complete. This is purely included as convience for those who in some cases may not
have a pdf viewer available.

[Table of Contents]
Windows Specific Instructions
Installation
Updating
Usage
AppData Files
File Permission Issues

Mac Specific Instructions

Installation
Usage
Custom Content Installation
External Files
Controllers

Linux Specific Instructions

Installation
Usage
External Data Path

General Help and Information

Game Data Paths
Game Log Files
Songs
Settings File
Controls
Control Remapping
Controllers
GH Wii Guitars
PS2 Guitars
Guitar Hero Live Guitars
Modifiers
Online
Hosting a Server
Joining a Server
Using the Server Browser

Common Issues
Performance Issues
Custom Content
Song doesn't show up
“Couldn’t load that song!” / Stuck on a black screen after selecting a
song
Song is out of sync
Song ends early
No notes show up
Image/video doesn’t show up
 Controllers
Game Settings

===Windows Specific Instructions===

[Installation]
Extract all of the files from clonehero-win64.7z / clonehero-win32.7z using a
program such as 7-Zip:
https://www.7-zip.org/
Make sure that you aren't running the game directly inside of the .7z archive, that
causes problems.

If you see this readme inside a folder along with a Clone Hero executable file and
a Clone Hero_Data folder, you've successfully installed the game!

[Updating]
To update the game, delete the following files and folders before extracting the
new files from the download. Don’t be concerned if some are not present, you only
need to remove the ones that are.
- Clone Hero_Data
- MonoBleedingEdge
- Clone Hero.exe
- UnityCrashHandler64.exe
- UnityPlayer.dll
- WinPixEventRuntime.dll

[Usage]
Run the Clone Hero executable and away you go. Place your song files in the Songs
folder. (If you don’t see it, press Scan Songs in Settings > General or make it
yourself.)

[AppData Files]
The song cache, your scores and profiles, and the game log are stored here:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\LocalLow\srylain Inc_\Clone Hero

If you ever find that your songs have had all their metadata scrambled around, or
are otherwise having issues involving song scanning or metadata, try deleting
songcache.bin and then rescanning songs.

The game log is also stored here, if you need it for any troubleshooting or bug
reporting purposes.

[File Permission Issues]

If the game starts and the menu text is missing, or if your songs aren’t scanning,
you’ve likely installed CH to a location that has improper file permissions for CH
(such as Program Files or Downloads), and you’ll need to move CH somewhere else
that doesn’t require special permissions (such as C:\Games).
===========================================================================

===Mac Specific Instructions===

[Installation]
After you have downloaded the game, open clonehero-mac.dmg and drag Clone Hero.app
into the Applications shortcut and launch the game. This will automatically create
the required files and folders for songs, custom backgrounds, and highways.

[Usage]
Launch Clone Hero.app and away you go. See below for adding songs.

[Custom Content Installation]

For the Mac version of the game, custom content is located in a separate directory
from the game installation:
~/Library/Application Support/com.srylain.CloneHero
(This folder will be hidden by default, so we recommend using Command + Shift
+ G, pasting in the above location, and pressing Go.)

In this directory, there are two items of importance:

1. Custom folder - This is where any custom backgrounds or highways can be
placed.
2. Songs folder - This is the default song directory. You can place your
custom songs here.

[External Files]
The song cache, your scores, and your profiles are also stored in the above
location. If you ever find that your songs have had all their metadata scrambled
around, or are otherwise having issues involving song scanning or metadata, try
deleting songcache.bin and then rescanning songs.

If you need to access your game log for any troubleshooting or bug reporting
purposes, it will be stored in ~/Library/Logs/Unity.

[Controllers]
PS3 and Rock Band Wii guitars are the simplest controllers to get working on a Mac,
as they have USB dongles which don't require a custom driver. If you want a wired
guitar, a PS2 or Wii guitar used via a wired controller adapter is your best
option.
Raphnet Technologies makes the best adapters for both Wii guitars and PS2 guitars.
You can find these products on their website:
https://www.raphnet-tech.com/

Xbox 360 controllers do not work on macOS by default, in order to get them working
you need to download and install this driver:
https://github.com/360Controller/360Controller/releases
(Doesn’t work on macOS 11 “Big Sur”, including Apple Silicon devices,
unfortunately.)
===========================================================================

===Linux Specific Instructions===

[Installation]
Extract the tar.gz package into a folder. To extract the file from a terminal you
can run:
$ tar -xf ./clonehero-linux.tar.gz

You can also extract the tar file from a GUI depending on your desktop environment
by right clicking on the file and selecting extract.

Next you will have to give the game executable permissions. Open a terminal and run
the following command within the folder the game files have been extracted to:
$ chmod u+x ./clonehero

[Usage]
Double-click the clonehero file, or start a terminal in the game folder and run
$ ./clonehero.

[External Data Path]

The song cache, your scores and profiles, and the game log are stored here:
~/.config/unity3d/srylain Inc_/Clone Hero/

If you ever find that your songs have had all their metadata scrambled around, or
are otherwise having issues involving song scanning or metadata, try deleting
songcache.bin and then rescanning songs.

The game log is also stored here, if you need it for any troubleshooting or bug
reporting purposes.

===========================================================================

===General Help and Information===

[Game Data Paths]

Clone Hero saves some game data into a separate folder on your system:

Windows: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\srylain Inc_\Clone Hero

Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/com.srylain.CloneHero
Linux: ~/.config/unity3d/srylain Inc_/Clone Hero/

(On Mac, this folder will be hidden by default, so we recommend using Command +
Shift + G, pasting in the above location, and pressing Go.)

If you ever switch to another computer, you can copy over your scores and profiles
by copying the scores.bin and profiles.ini files from this directory to the same
location on the new computer. (If you switch platforms, place it in that platform’s
corresponding location.)
 [Game Log Files]
The game log files are important if you need to report a bug, or figure out an
issue with your system regarding the game. These are located in different paths on
each platform.

Windows: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\srylain Inc_\Clone Hero

Mac: ~/Library/Logs/Unity
Linux ~/.config/unity3d/srylain Inc_/Clone Hero/

[Songs]
Songs are not scanned in automatically. If you add or remove any songs, you must go
to Settings > General and press Scan Songs for changes to take affect.

If you see the Bad Songs counter increase during song scanning, you can view
badsongs.txt to see what songs are bad and why. On Windows and Linux, it will be
created in your CH folder. On Mac, it will be created in the ~/Library/Application
Support/com.srylain.CloneHero directory.

[Settings File]
The settings.ini file holds all of your game settings, and is also used to add
additional song paths for your custom songs.

For adding custom Song paths, you must add a new path entry into the settings.ini
file. The path lines should be numbered numerically like the following example, and
be placed within settings.ini file under the [Directories] section header.

[Directories]
path0=C:\Users\Mark\Songs Windows Example
path1=/home/Mark/Songs Linux example
path2=/User/Mark/Songs Mac Example
. . .
pathX= <X can be any number>

[Controls]
Keyboard default controls:

Green - A
Red - S
Yellow - J
Blue - K
Orange - L
Strum Up/Down - Up/down arrow keys
Start/Pause - Enter
Select/Star Power - H

These can be changed by pressing Space on the main menu.

Xbox 360 guitars should work automatically on Windows 10 and Linux.

To use them on Windows 7, download these drivers:
https://bit.ly/3dIMWem
To use them on Mac, download these drivers:
 https://github.com/360Controller/360Controller/releases
(Doesn’t work on macOS 11 “Big Sur”, including Apple Silicon devices,
unfortunately.)

Most other guitars/controllers will need to be mapped, see below.

--Control Remapping
If you find that your controller isn't working, or if you want to change your
controls, press Space on your keyboard on the main menu to open the control mapper.
It should be relatively self-explanatory. If you can't click on the buttons, you
can use the arrow keys and Enter on a keyboard to control it as well.

Click on the Calibrate button to calibrate the controller’s axis inputs, such as
analog sticks, tilt, or whammy. All available axes will be listed, click on one to
view it. The gray arrow on the bottom of the view box is the raw input, the red
line is the zero point, the red box is the deadzone, and the white arrow at the top
is the translated input that the game uses.
If your whammy bar isn’t working properly in-game, select it in this menu and click
the Calibrate button, then follow the instructions on-screen.

[Controllers]
A large amount of controllers work out of the box, either automatically or after
mapping their controls. Below are the exceptions:

--GH Wii Guitars

Wii GH guitars and drums used via a Wiimote over Bluetooth don’t work natively on
Windows or Mac, but there are programs to use them anyways.

On Windows, you can use WiitarThing:

https://github.com/Aida-Enna/WiitarThing/blob/master/README.md

On Mac, you can use OSCulator (paid, w/free trial):

https://osculator.net/

On Linux, you should be able to pair it via Bluetooth and have it work natively. If
you’re on an older kernel without wiimote support, you can try this guide:
https://pastebin.com/PhyevVQt

If you don’t have Bluetooth on your PC, a USB Bluetooth receiver will work to add
Bluetooth support.

If you want to make your wiitar/wiidrums wired, or don’t want to/can’t use
WiitarThing or OSCulator, you can use the Raphnet Classic Controller adapter:
https://www.raphnet-tech.com/products/wusbmote_1player_adapter_v3/index.php
If you’re feeling crafty, you can also make an adapter with an Arduino:
https://sanjay900.github.io/guitar-configurator/

*NOTE: Wii-USB adapters made by Elecom and Mayflash do not work.* Currently the
only adapters properly supporting Wii guitars/drums are the one from Raphnet and
Arduino based solutions.

--PS2 Guitars
Whether or not a PS2 guitar will work depends on your adapter. Unfortunately at the
time of writing this, most PS2 adapters either don’t work with guitars, or they
don’t work well with them.
Here are the links to adapters we can recommend:
Kebidu PS2 adapter (whammy may not work):
https://bit.ly/2AntnFB
Raphnet PS2 adapter (100% support):
https://www.raphnet-tech.com/products/psx_to_usb/index.php

Your mileage with other adapters will vary.

Alternatively, if you’re feeling crafty, you can also make an adapter with an
Arduino:
https://sanjay900.github.io/guitar-configurator/

On PS2 guitars, tilt is a button, not an axis, so map it to Tilt Axis + instead of
Tilt Axis.

--Guitar Hero Live Guitars

To play with a Guitar Hero Live guitar, you need a dongle that works with your
device. Not all the dongles work on all devices at the time of writing this (most
require custom drivers, only some of which have been made), you can see up-to-date
specifics in this spreadsheet:
https://bit.ly/37mEEqX

Here’s a basic rundown of what’s currently usable on which platform:

--Windows 10:
Xbox 360 dongle, requires driver forcing via Device Manager, see this gif:
https://gfycat.com/ChillyUnhealthyAfricangroundhornbill
If it doesn’t appear as an Xbox 360 controller afterwards, follow the workaround in
the spreadsheet linked above.
PS3/Wii U dongle, requires GHLtarUtility. Follow this guide for setup:
https://pastebin.com/6w6pFy03
iOS guitar, requires GHLtarUtility. Follow this guide for setup:
https://pastebin.com/6w6pFy03

--Windows 7:
PS3/Wii U dongle, requires GHLtarUtility Lite. Follow this guide for setup:
https://pastebin.com/6w6pFy03

--Mac:
None are usable at this time.

--Linux:
Xbox 360 dongle, plug and play.
PS3/Wii U dongle, supported in the Linux 5.11 kernel. If you’re on an older
kernel version, you can use the hid-ghlive-dkms kernel module for it:
https://github.com/evilynux/hid-ghlive-dkms

Once your guitar is set up and mapped in-game, make sure to set your profile's
Controller setting to 6-fret Guitar.

[Modifiers]
There are various modifiers available to modify songs:
 --Guitar
Precision Mode - Uses a smaller hit window that shrinks as the notes get faster.
All Strums- Turns all notes into strum notes.
All HOPO's - Turns all notes into HOPO notes.
All Taps - Turns all notes into tap notes. Recommended for keyboard players.
All Opens - Turns all notes into open notes.
Drunk Mode - Changes how infinite frontend works to make HOPOs and taps easier, and
also allows anchoring in both directions.
HOPO's to Taps - Turns all HOPO notes into tap notes.
Mirror Mode - Mirrors the note chart without mirroring the strikeline.
Note Shuffle - Randomizes the note placements. The shuffled chart will be the same
every time.
Lights Out - Completely hides all the highway elements.
Modchart Full - Hides all the highway elements except for the strikeline,
multiplier, and star power meter. Use this or Modchart Lite when playing a
modchart.
Modchart Lite - Hides the highway image, notes, and strings.
Modchart Prep - Hides everything but the notes, multiplier, and star power meter.

--Drums
Precision Mode - Uses a smaller maximum and minimum hit window limit.
2x Kick - Enables kicks marked as Expert+.
No Kick - Removes kick notes.
Kick Only - Turns all notes into kicks.
Mirror Mode - Mirrors the note chart without mirroring the strikeline.
Randomizes the note placements. The shuffled chart will be the same every time.
Lights Out - Completely hides all the highway elements.
Modchart Full - Hides all the highway elements except for the strikeline,
multiplier, and star power meter. Use this or Modchart Lite when playing a
modchart.
Modchart Lite - Hides the highway image, notes, and strings.
Modchart Prep - Hides everything but the notes, multiplier, and star power meter.

[Online]
Clone Hero supports online play via a direct connection system.

--Hosting a server
You can host a server either from inside the game, or by using the separately-
downloaded standalone server. The standalone server is meant for running a server
without having to run CH itself, which means you can run it on other devices or a
rented server and have it be operational 24/7, if you so desire.

When hosting, you will need to make sure that your firewall doesn’t block CH or the
standalone server from sending or receiving outbound or inbound data, or that it is
disabled while you are hosting.

You must also make sure you have the port you are hosting on opened on your router.
The default port is 14242, but it can be changed when hosting. Only the host needs
to have their port opened.
The easiest way to ensure your port is opened is by enabling UPnP (Universal Plug
‘n Play) on your router if it allows (some routers/ISPs don't allow UPnP), which
will automatically open the port for you when you host.

If you can't use UPnP, you must forward the port manually in your router settings.
Each router is very different when it comes to their settings pages, a quick Google
search for your make/model of router will get you where you need to go.

--Joining a server
To join a server, you will need to obtain the IP address and port of the server you
are wanting to connect to, as CH does not have any matchmaking systems.
You can join as either a player or a spectator, provided there's enough room in the
server (4 spots for players, 100 spots for spectators).
You don’t need to open any ports to join a server, but you will still need to
ensure that your firewall is not blocking inbound/outbound data to CH.

--Using the server browser

The server browser will allow you to save a list of servers and see their status
(such as if a password is set, or if there's room for a player to join). It is
accessible in the Online menu by pressing the Join Server button.

To add a server to the server browser, either press Orange in the browser, or add
them to the settings.ini file under the [servers] tag in this format:
serverX=ipaddress:port

X = the index number for the server, ipaddress = the IP address of the server, port
= the port of the server. An example would be [server4=192.168.0.30:14242].

Only servers that you have added will be shown, it won’t search for every single
server that is running on the Internet.

===========================================================================

===Common Issues===

[Performance Issues]
There are a number of common performance issues that have different workarounds and
solutions.

--Low Framerates on Laptops with Nvidia GPUs

Some laptops with Nvidia GPUs can have performance issues with a hardware feature
called Nvidia Optimus. Typically on these laptops your framerate may be limited to
around 300-500fps. The only known way to resolve this is by connecting the laptop
to an external display, which usually bypasses Optimus and connects directly to the
Nvidia GPU.

--Low Framerates on Intel Integrated Graphics

The best solution to increase framerates here is to reduce the game resolution to
something like 720p.

--Alternate renderers
CH uses Direct3D 11 by default on Windows, OpenGL by default on Linux, and Metal by
default on Mac. Other renderers may offer better performance or fix issues
involving FPS, stuttering, or graphical glitches. On Windows, these are set via a
shortcut. On Mac and Linux, you can set this using a shell script.

Windows:
--force-d3d11
--force-d3d12
--force-opengl
--force-vulkan
Linux:
--force-opengl
--force-vulkan
Mac:
--force-opengl
 --force-metal

[Custom Content]
Custom highways and backgrounds can be named whatever you want, but they must be
placed in their respective folders in the Custom folder. After adding things, you
must either press Scan Custom Images in Settings > Gameplay in-game, or restart CH.

--Song doesn’t show up

If a song doesn’t show up after scanning songs, most likely it was scanned as a bad
song. CH will create a badsongs.txt file if it detected any bad songs, and it will
also contain other warnings directed towards charters.

Common causes for bad songs include:

- Missing files, it must contain at least the following:
- an audio file (typically song.ogg or guitar.ogg)
- a chart file (notes.mid or notes.chart)
- a song.ini that contains the song metadata
- Broken or corrupt files
- Missing song/artist name in the song.ini

--“Couldn’t load that song!” / Stuck on a black screen after selecting a song
If your songs are in a different location from when you scanned them in, the game
won’t be able to load them until you rescan your songs in Settings > General.

--Song is out of sync

If a song doesn't start on time (meaning if the notes aren't synced to the music),
you may need to set an offset for the song. Most songs won't require an offset
(make sure you calibrate your audio/video lag correctly in the settings menu), but
if they do you can set their offset in the pause menu in Song Options.

--Song ends early

If a song ends early, either the audio is named wrong/missing, or the chart has a
stray end event that shouldn’t be there.

--No notes show up

If no notes are showing up but the game is still working correctly (the highway is
scrolling, music is playing), then you're probably playing a chart that doesn't
have any instruments charted for the controller type you’re using.

--Image/video doesn’t show up

If an image isn’t showing up, or a video isn't playing, it may be a format CH
doesn’t support.

An image must be one of the following formats:

- .png
- .jpg/.jpeg
A video must be one of the following formats:
- .mp4 (Windows/Mac only)
- .avi (Windows/Mac only)
- .mpeg (Windows/Mac only)
- VP8 .webm
- .ogv
Note that .mp4 can have problems, so .webm is recommended.
See https://pastebin.com/Hb5URURu for details.
 [Controllers]
If you are unable to assign/map your controller, it’s possible that your controller
doesn’t work with your OS.

On Windows, press Win + R and type in joy.cpl, then press enter. Your controller
should be listed. If it is, double click it to test all of the inputs. If your
controller is not listed, then it may need either a driver, or maintenance (such as
replacing a bad cable).

On Mac or Linux, or if joy.cpl is being difficult on Windows, use the <

https://gamepad-tester.com/ > website to check your inputs.

On Windows, if your controller or keyboard doesn’t work after mapping buttons, you
may need to clear the mappings from the system registry.
1. Press Windows key + R and type in regedit.
2. Navigate to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\srylain Inc.
3. Right click on the Clone Hero folder and press delete.
4. Run Clone Hero again, map your controls, and everything should be good to
go.
***DO NOT touch anything else in the registry, or else you WILL screw up your
computer!***

[Game Settings]
If the volume settings don't appear to be working, make sure you are setting the
correct volume settings for the audio tracks that the song has. For example, if a
song only has a song.ogg audio file, the Guitar volume won't do anything, while the
Song volume will.