Why use the PH editor?
If you already have Project Heartbeat and you are only planning on creating charts for it1, then the PH editor is the obvious choice. However, it is not the only choice. There are other editors which might be a better fit for you, depending on your needs. We provide importing tools for all of these, so you can still use them to publish PH charts.
The following chart outlines the differences between all of these editors. None of them are necessarily "better" than the others, they just fill different roles, so use what suits your needs, or what feels best for you.
| Metric | PH Editor | PPD Editor | Comfy Studio | F2nd edit mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learning curve2 | Medium | High | Medium | High |
| Setup time | None | High, mods are highly recommended | None | None |
| Versatility | High | High | Medium | Very Low |
| Automation | With scripts | Full modding | No | No |
| Styles | Console and Arcade | Console (via mods) and Arcade | Arcade | Console |
| Media downloads | From in-game | External sources | External sources | External sources |
| Importing | Built-in | With external tools | With external tools | With external tools |
| Publishing | First-party (Via the workshop) | First-party (Via the website) | Third-party | First-party (Via PSN) |
| Active development | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Community | Active | Active | Active | Inactive |
| Format | JSON | XML | Propietary binary | Propietary binary |
| Paid | Yes (Comes with Project Heartbeat) | No | No | Yes (Comes with diva F2nd) |
1
At the time of writing, there are no public tools to convert PH charts to other formats.
2
Includes learning how to chart in general.