How to Contribute to Note Block Studio (OpenNBS)

Updated

To contribute code to Note Block Studio, you need GameMaker Studio 2 and the project source from GitHub. The project is written in GameMaker Language (GML), so GameMaker Studio 2 is required to open the project and make changes. Beyond code, you can contribute by reporting bugs and giving feedback through the project's issues page, or by joining the public Discord server to follow development and contact the team.

Before you start

Requirement Detail
Engine / IDE GameMaker Studio 2 (needed to open and modify the project)
Language GameMaker Language (GML)
Source code Available via the project's GitHub (linked from the site)
Community Public Discord server (also the fastest way to contact the team)

The site's Contribute section states the GML/GameMaker Studio 2 requirement directly; it does not list any other tooling, application process, or coding guidelines, so treat those as things to confirm with the team on Discord or GitHub before investing time.

Step-by-step: contributing code

  1. Get the source. Follow the GitHub link from the Note Block Studio site to reach the repository, then clone or download it.
  2. Install GameMaker Studio 2. This is the stated prerequisite for opening the project.
  3. Open the project in GameMaker Studio 2 and make your changes in GML.
  4. Test your change in the editor context — since this is a music editor for Minecraft note blocks, verify that your change doesn't break existing song editing or playback behavior. The site does not publish a formal test procedure, so confirm expectations with maintainers.
  5. Submit your change through GitHub (for example, as a pull request) and describe what it does and why.

Expected result: your modification opens and runs in GameMaker Studio 2, and is reviewable by the maintainers on GitHub.

Step-by-step: reporting bugs and giving feedback

  1. Go to the issues page linked from the site's "Report bugs" section.
  2. Search existing issues first — the site explicitly asks you to search before creating a new one.
  3. If nothing matches, create a new issue describing the bug or your feedback. The site notes this is also the place to give feedback, not just bugs.

Joining the community

The public Discord server is described as the place to follow development and keep in touch, and as the fastest way to contact the team. Use it for questions about contribution expectations, build setup details, or whether a planned change fits the project.

Common sticking points

  • Trying to contribute without GameMaker Studio 2. You can read the GML source in any editor, but the site states GameMaker Studio 2 is required to open the project and make changes.
  • Filing a duplicate issue. Search the issues page first; this is an explicit request on the site.
  • Assuming a formal contributor process exists. The site only names the language, the required IDE, GitHub, issues, and Discord. For anything else — code style, review flow, licensing of contributions — ask on Discord or check the repository rather than guessing.

Where to go next

  • Download / changelog: the site's Download and View changelog links, for using the editor before contributing.
  • GitHub: source code and the issues page.
  • Discord: fastest contact with the team and development updates.