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Phichain supports multiple chart formats, enabling seamless conversion between different Phigros charting ecosystems. Each format has its own strengths and use cases.

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Supported Formats

Phichain

Native format with advanced features and full toolchain support

Official

Official Phigros format for game compatibility

RPE

Re:PhiEdit format with enhanced easing support

Primitive

Internal intermediate representation

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Format Comparison

FeaturePhichainOfficialRPEPrimitive
File Extension.json.json.json.json
Easing SupportFullLinear onlyFullFull
BPM ChangesMultipleSingle per lineMultipleMultiple
Child LinesYesNoPartialNo
Curve NotesYesNoNoNo
Game CompatibleNoYesVia conversionNo
Editor SupportPhichain EditorOfficialRe:PhiEditN/A

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Conversion Flow

All format conversions in Phichain go through the Primitive format as an intermediate representation: This architecture ensures:
  • Consistent conversion logic
  • Easy addition of new formats
  • Preservation of common features
  • Predictable data transformations

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When to Use Each Format

Use when:
  • Creating charts in Phichain Editor
  • You need advanced features like child lines or curve notes
  • Working with complex BPM changes
  • Collaborating with other Phichain users
Advantages:
  • Full feature set
  • Best editor integration
  • Human-readable structure
  • Version migration support
Use when:
  • Exporting for gameplay in official Phigros
  • Sharing charts with players
  • Testing in the actual game
  • You need maximum compatibility
Advantages:
  • Direct game compatibility
  • Widely supported
  • Well-documented structure
  • Battle-tested format
Limitations:
  • Linear easing only (non-linear gets approximated)
  • Single BPM per line
  • No advanced features
Use when:
  • Importing charts from Re:PhiEdit
  • You need easing function support
  • Working with event layers
  • Collaborating with RPE users
Advantages:
  • Rich easing support
  • Event layer system
  • Popular in community
  • Re:PhiEdit compatible
Note: Some RPE features like event layers are flattened during import.
Use when:
  • Debugging conversion issues
  • Writing custom tools
  • Understanding internal structure
  • Implementing new format support
Advantages:
  • Simple, normalized structure
  • Easy to parse and generate
  • Core feature set only
  • Format-agnostic

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Conversion Examples

# Convert Official to Phichain
phichain convert official.json phichain.json

# Convert Phichain to RPE
phichain convert chart.json output.rpe.json --format rpe

# Convert RPE to Official
phichain convert input.rpe.json official.json --format official

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Compatibility Notes

Feature Loss During ConversionConverting from feature-rich formats to simpler ones may lose data:
  • Phichain → Official: Loses child lines, curve notes, non-linear easing
  • RPE → Official: Event layers are flattened, easing approximated
  • Any → Primitive: Loses format-specific metadata
Always keep original files when converting!
Easing ApproximationWhen converting non-linear easing to Official format, curves are approximated by breaking them into multiple linear segments (1/32 beat intervals). This maintains visual accuracy while staying compatible.

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Version Migration

Phichain format supports automatic migration between versions: 
use phichain_chart::migration::migrate;
use phichain_chart::serialization::PhichainChart;

let mut chart: PhichainChart = serde_json::from_str(&old_json)?;
let migrated = migrate(chart)?; // Upgrades to latest format
See the Phichain Format Spec for details on format version changes and migration.

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Next Steps

Phichain Format Spec

Deep dive into the native format structure

Conversion Tool

Learn format conversion workflows

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