Articles

  • Engine Chronicle #2: From Glad-FFP to Glad-Prog

    Jun 29, 2026   Engine Chronicles

    Not every major engine change is immediately visible to the player.

    For many years, StepMania and Project OutFox relied on OpenGL’s fixed-function pipeline. In OutFox, this rendering path is known as Glad-FFP.

    Fixed-function rendering comes from an older generation of graphics hardware, when much of the rendering process was controlled through a predefined set of operations. It served the engine well, supported years of community content, and helped StepMania run across a remarkably broad range of systems.

    It is also increasingly distant from how modern graphics hardware is designed to work.

    To provide a stronger foundation for current and future systems, we developed Glad-Prog, OutFox’s fully programmable OpenGL rendering path.

    Glad-Prog replaces the assumptions of the fixed-function pipeline with a qualified shader-pair system. This gives the renderer a cleaner and more maintainable architecture, while providing the control needed for future graphics work.

    This is not simply about adding prettier effects.

    A programmable pipeline allows rendering behaviour to be defined more precisely, removes limitations inherited from the older path, and gives our mod-file and gimmick communities a more stable foundation for building visual effects.

    Compatibility has remained central throughout this work.

    Themes, noteskins and other community content built around the established StepMania rendering behaviour still need to function correctly. Glad-Prog has therefore been developed to preserve that behaviour while moving the underlying renderer onto modern graphics architecture.

    Glad-FFP has not been removed.

    Project OutFox continues to support it for older graphics hardware and legacy systems that cannot use the programmable renderer. Modernising OutFox does not mean discarding working hardware simply because it is old.

    Glad-FFP remains part of our compatibility path.

    Glad-Prog is the foundation we will build on from here.

  • Engine Chronicle #1: Retiring RageSound

    Jun 29, 2026   Engine Chronicles

    Today marks a major change inside Project OutFox.

    After roughly 25 years in the StepMania engine family, RageSound has been retired and replaced by SereneAudio.

    Most players will never have encountered RageSound by name. It was not a menu option or a visible feature. It was one of the engine systems responsible for moving music, sound effects and keysounds from game content to the audio hardware.

    RageSound supported StepMania and Project OutFox across several generations of computers and operating systems. It ran on machines ranging from Windows XP systems and PowerPC Macs to modern Windows and Linux hardware. It also carried years of compatibility work for sound devices, drivers and platform APIs that have long since disappeared.

    That history matters, but it also came with a cost.

    After more than two decades, the audio system contained assumptions, workarounds and limitations inherited from several different eras of hardware. Fixing one problem could disturb behaviour elsewhere, while adding modern functionality often meant working around architecture that had never been designed for it.

    Continuing to patch RageSound would have kept those limitations at the centre of the engine. We chose to replace it instead.

    SereneAudio is the new audio foundation for Project OutFox. It has been designed around the hardware and operating systems we support today, while retaining the compatibility needed by existing songs, themes, keysounds and gameplay systems.

    This is not simply a renamed component. It gives us a cleaner system to build upon, reduces our dependence on inherited workarounds, and allows future audio development to be based on how OutFox now operates rather than how StepMania worked decades ago.

    Retiring RageSound does not mean dismissing its history.

    It kept the engine playing music through countless releases, hardware changes and operating-system transitions. Project OutFox could not have reached this point without the work that went into it.

    RageSound carried the engine a very long way, SereneAudio takes it from here.

  • OutFox Serenity Volume 3 Winter Update

    Nov 15, 2025   Announcements,  Community

    Hello everyone!

    It's been a while, specially if you're not on our Discord Server it almost seems like things got quiet, but we can assure you that it hasn't.

    To bring up to pace again we're updating Volume 3 with more songs to quick development time for its release, so if you want to make charts for them be sure to join our Discord Server and contribute to the pack!

    Update Trailer

    [Song] cynical

    [Song] Bifrost

    [Song] Authentic

    Join the Serenity Team!

    Are you knowledgeable and have some free time to lend a hand in making Serenity better? We're searching for individuals to contribute to the following areas:

    • Creation of SSC templates for upcoming songs: This involves adding essential metadata to SSC like credits and tempo changes, but not actually creating the chart.
    • Equalization of Audio: We need help balancing the loudness of future songs, so they don't sound too different from other Serenity songs.
    • Chart/Templates Development for any mode: You can start developing charts early for your favorite mode and also aid us in selecting future songs.
    • Quality Check: Help us moderate the quality of charts submitted to OutFox Serenity. Having different opinions from people who know how to create content will improve the pack.
    • Content Moderation: Keep in check with our volume spreadsheet and new song submission.
    • Asset Creation: Help us by creating images and or video for OutFox Serenity.

    Please note that like Project OutFox itself, OutFox Serenity is not for profit and has no monetary gains. We dedicate our free time to make a pack available for the community as a hobby. If you decide to join the team, we will respect your time and support you when possible, but we also expect your care and cooperation with the project.

    If you feel like helping us then join the Discord Server and mention any of the moderators, it can be in private too!

    Credits

    Those people are/were internal members of the project and helped with the pre-development of OutFox Serenity Volume 3:

    Current members Serenity/OutFox Team

    • Colin (The one who made OpenTaiko Collab possible, Taiko Chart Creation, Music Selection)
    • Lirodon (Website, Trailer, Assets and Website, Asset added to OpenTaiko, Serenity Publishment)
    • Melone (KBX Chart Creation, Music Selection, Asset added to OpenTaiko)
    • shockdude (GH Chart Templates and Chart Creation, Music Selection)
    • Daniel Rotwind (Chart Templates, be-mu/po-mu Chart Creation, Music Selection, Music added to OpenTaiko, Asset added to OpenTaiko)
    • Jose_varela (Music added to OpenTaiko)
    • Moneko (Music Selection)
    • Moru Zerinho6 (Website, SSC Templates, Music Selection, Serenity Blogs / Management / Organization / Wiki / Publishment)
    • Hanubeki (Music Selection)

    Former members of Serenity/OutFox Team

    • SHRMP0 (SSC Templates, Content Moderation, Music Selection, Third-Party Connections, Website, Serenity Publishment)
    • SheppyChris (SSC Templates, Music Selection)
    • Sevish (Sound Equalization, Music Selection)

  • OutFox Serenity Volume 3 Lauching Soon

    Feb 01, 2024  

    Hello Everyone!

    We hope you're having a good new year, a lot is going on with the members of our team too and we have been discussing every day our plans with Serenity.

    Serenity Volume 3 Submissions Ending Soon

    We're just a month away from the end of Volume 3 submissions, if you have anything in progress then be sure to submit as soon as possible! Once the submission time has passed, we'll start working on the trailer for the launch, we might still be able to add content submitted a bit late but do not bet on it!

    Season 4 Additional Song

    During the announcement of the Volume 3 Season 4 blog post, we said that an additional song would be added that would go to both Open Taiko and OutFox Serenity, however, due to many issues, the author that we requested couldn't finish the production and had to stop development.

    Given the situation, we decided to do the following:

    1. No additional songs will be added to OutFox Serenity Volume 3.
    2. The next Volume will have an additional song instead.

    We could have found a way to add another song to Serenity Volume 3, but there would be only a month left of development time and we have decided that it is not enough time for people to develop charts for it.

    Those are all the short news we wanted to share for now, goodbye!

  • OutFox Serenity Volume 3 Season 4

    Dec 01, 2023   Announcements,  Community

    Here comes the last season of Serenity Volume 3, the Winter.

    This is the last season coming to Serenity Volume 3, each season added 3 songs and had 3 months of development for you to make and submit charts.

    Season 4 (Winter)

    Trailer

    BGAs shown on the video are not part of OutFox Serenity

    OpenTaiko Collab!

    As a special tradition of special events during the winter for Serenity, we have decided to shake things up a bit to reference the "Winter Updates" we released with Volume 1 and Volume 2. Thanks to a key member of the the Serenity Team, who shares their work with both OpenTaiko and OutFox Serenity, this collab managed to happen in a very quick and easy way, we're happy to be able to collaborate with another team of people who believe in open development.

    As for how the collab works, we have decided to share 5 songs from each of our collections with the other game, meaning: OpenTaiko gets 5 songs from OutFox Serenity and OutFox Serenity gets 5 songs from OpenTaiko. The songs were selected by vote for each team. Here's the list:

    OpenTaiko Gets

    Song Name Author
    B-Happy - Ace of Beat
    Eradication of Light - Mintorment
    brokenHeart resurrection estele - RILEY
    What Year Is This - Sevish
    Relaxation Piece of Conclusion - Zenth

    Both OpenTaiko and OutFox Serenity have notified and asked the song authors if they agreed with the sharing of their songs. We hope to continue working with OpenTaiko as a way to connect both communities and bring more collabs in the future, please check out OpenTaiko with the links below:

    New Songs

    FunkBoi (by SenPi)

    ΣxilƎ (By mrcool909090)

    ReCollapse (By H888 (H5 + DashyDesu))

    Liar Prison (By SiLiS ft. Karin Natsuki)

    RUiNED GLORY (By Sukima Altera)

    Songs added from OpenTaiko to OutFox Serenity are licensed under the OpenTaiko Default License, check the song folder for the license file.

    But that's not all, while submission will open with 5 new songs, an additional song is planned to be added later which will be added to both OpenTaiko and OutFox Serenity, meaning we'll be adding a total of 6 songs this season alone, we hope those songs ignite the vision of an epic chart for you to make and make everyone play and set their scores.

    Taiko charts both for songs added to Serenity and from Serenity will be available with the Winter Season, meaning you'll have lots of taiko charts to test and play right away!

    Special Message from Colin (OPTK and Serenity Team Member)

    Hi! This is Colin from the Serenity Team. As you may (or may not) know, I am also a member of the OpenTaiko charting team. Because of my unique position, I was able to initiate a special collaboration between Project OutFox: Serenity and OpenTaiko. My main goal was to highlight all of the talented artists in both the Taiko and Stepmania communities, and I hope that I fufilled my role well! However, I could not have done this alone! Thank you to Moru Zerinho6 for working closely with me (despite my very, very limited knowledge about licensing), Lirodon for the awesome trailer, the Serenity team for helping select songs to add into the game, all of the immensely talented charters who brought these songs to life in-game, and the development teams of both OpenTaiko and Project OutFox for making this possible! I hope everyone will enjoy all of these new songs and charts, and send your love to their respective artists! Happy drumming!

    Credits

    Those people are/were internal members of the project and helped with the pre-development of OutFox Serenity Volume 3:

    Current members Serenity/OutFox Team

    • Colin (The one who made OpenTaiko Collab possible, Taiko Chart Creation, Music Selection)
    • Lirodon (Website, Trailer, Assets and Website, Asset added to OpenTaiko, Serenity Publishment)
    • Melone (KBX Chart Creation, Music Selection, Asset added to OpenTaiko)
    • shockdude (GH Chart Templates and Chart Creation, Music Selection)
    • Daniel Rotwind (Chart Templates, be-mu/po-mu Chart Creation, Music Selection, Music added to OpenTaiko, Asset added to OpenTaiko)
    • Jose_varela (Music added to OpenTaiko)
    • Moneko (Music Selection)
    • Moru Zerinho6 (Website, SSC Templates, Music Selection, Serenity Blogs / Management / Organization / Wiki / Publishment)
    • Hanubeki (Music Selection)

    Former members of Serenity/OutFox Team

    • SHRMP0 (SSC Templates, Content Moderation, Music Selection, Third-Party Connections, Website, Serenity Publishment)
    • SheppyChris (SSC Templates, Music Selection)
    • Sevish (Sound Equalization, Music Selection)

    Join the Serenity Team!

    Are you knowledgeable and have some free time to lend a hand in making Serenity better? We're searching for individuals to contribute to the following areas:

    • Creation of SSC templates for upcoming songs: This involves adding essential metadata to SSC like credits and tempo changes, but not actually creating the chart.
    • Equalization of Audio: We need help balancing the loudness of future songs, so they don't sound too different from other Serenity songs.
    • Chart/Templates Development for any mode: You can start developing charts early for your favorite mode and also aid us in selecting future songs.
    • Quality Check: Help us moderate the quality of charts submitted to OutFox Serenity. Having different opinions from people who know how to create content will improve the pack.
    • Content Moderation: Keep in check with our volume spreadsheet and new song submission.
    • Asset Creation: Help us by creating images and or video for OutFox Serenity.

    Please note that like Project OutFox itself, OutFox Serenity is not for profit and has no monetary gains. We dedicate our free time to make a pack available for the community as a hobby. If you decide to join the team, we will respect your time and support you when possible, but we also expect your care and cooperation with the project.

    If you feel like helping us then join the Discord Server and mention any of the moderators, it can be in private too!

    Join the Community!

    Give feedback, share your content, discuss and talk with the community not only of Serenity but Project OutFox as a whole, join our Discord Server with over 2450 members!

    Temporary Pack

    As a new OutFox Serenity season comes, the past season gets a temporary pack release, this is meant for people to playtest charts and their content to check if everything so far is the way it should be.

    You can download the temporary pack here.

← Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Next →