GameAudioResource

Wwise CUBE 2019 – CHAPTER 05 A: Wwise – Preparation

Created By: Game Audio Resource Ltd     Date: 15/07/2019      Version: 2.00

In this guide will we prepare Wwise with a few quick properties, generic test content & add the basic global hierarchy structure.

Guide Steps:

  • STEP 01: Implementing Test Audio Assets
  • STEP 02: Move The Placeholder Silence Asset
  • STEP 03: Map_Loaded Event Updates
  • STEP 04: One Sound Bank For the Whole Project
  • STEP 05: Set Up The Default Hierarchy
  • STEP 06: Add Different Colours To The Hierarchy

Task Time Needed: 1 > 2 Hours
Free audio assets to assist this guides steps:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pgkg4y36eg2xufa/CUBE_Wwise_2019_Chapter_05_Assets.rar?dl=0

Video Guide

Written Guide

Chapter 05 – Step 01
Implementing Test Audio Assets

This step will aid testing data content as you add new content areas to your project.
Also, as it will be labelled as TEST, it can easily be deleted at the end of the project.

  1. Grab the free test audio assets from the link at the start of this chapter’s guide.
  • TIP: Or grab the 2 original footsteps assets from the duplicate project we created in Chapter 04. E.g. C:\Wwise_BACK-UP\Wwise 2017.2.4.6590\Cube\WwiseProject\Originals\SFX (asset name: FS_…)
  1. In Wwise Project Explorer, select the audio tab.
    Under Default_Work_Unit right click, select New Child, then Virtual Folder.
  2. Name the new folder Placholder_Test
  3. Now drag the TEST_VOCAL_01 audio asset into the new Placeholder_TEST folder
  4. In the Audio File Importer window, we need to give a path to where to implement the asset to.
    Under the Audio file destination, select the option to define the path.
    (a browser window will pop up)
    Create a new folder under …/Cube/WwiseProject/Originals/SFX, called “TEST”
    Double click the new folder then click on select folder. (closing the browser window)
    Now press import.
  5. Right click Placeholder_TEST folder, select New Child, then Random Container.
    Rename the random container TEST_Footstep.
    Then drag the 2 footstep assets into this container.
    Follow the same process list in point 5 of where to place the assets.
  6. Select each of the new audio assets in the Actor-mixer hierarchy. Then press play. (space bar or play button on the transport control.
    You should now hear the audio of the asset.
  7. Finally, we need to assign the footstep assets to play in game. In the project Explorer > events tab. Find the event Foot_Player. Click on it to bring up the properties.
  8. Click on the Project Explorer > Audio tab, locate the FOOTSTEP_TEST random container.
    Then drag the container on to the Event editor target properties.
  9. Find the event called Jump. Then select it.
  10. Back in the Actor-Mixer Hierarchy Placeholder_Test folder drag the TEST_Vocal_01 asset onto the Play property.
  11. Rebuild the sound banks.
  12. Test in game that when the player moves the test footstep assets are heard and triggered.
  13. Save Wwise Project your updates.

Chapter 05 – Step 02
Move The Placeholder Silence One Shot Asset

In Chapter 04 we created a placeholder silence asset. We should now also move it to our new test area.

  1. Locate the Placholder_Silence_One_Shot asset under the Actor-Mixer Hierarchy.
  2. Simply select and drag it to the new Placeholder_Test Folder
  3. Generate the sound banks
  4. Save your Wwise project updates

Chapter 05 – Step 03
Map_Loaded Event Updates

There is one important event (Map_Loaded) that has a huge impact on the initial implementation.
As we are starting a fresh project, we need to assign properties to it to stop a lot of bugs as we implement the project.

  1. Change back to the Designer layout.
  2. In the project Explorer > Events tab > Unused Folder, Find the sound event Map_Loaded
  3. In the event editor we need to change the Type: Play event to a Type: Stop All
    Under the Type column, click on the Play property, then from the list select Stop, then Stop All
  4. Change the Scope column to say Global
  • TIP: This will mean every time a new map is loaded all game wide sound events are stopped from the previous map.
  1. In the associated values we need to add a Fade (out) Time add a default 0.5 second value.
  2. Next, we add a new property to inform the game the player is alive.
    Right click the list select New Action > States > Set States
  3. In this new entry select the property in the target column, right click, select Set Target > Default Work Unit > Player Life > Alive
  • TIP: This means when the map is loaded, the player is set back to Alive.
  1. Next, we add a property for Quad.
    Right click the list select New Action > States > Set States
  2. In this new entry select the property in the target column, right click, select Set Target > Default Work Unit > PlayerHasQuad > No
  • TIP: When a map loads, the player is defaulted back to not having the effect of the in-game stat bonus Quad.
  1. Generate the sound banks
  2. Save your Wwise project updates.

Chapter 05 – Step 04
One Sound Bank For The Whole Project, WHY!?

Sadly, due to the limited amount of coded content in the project, if we use multiple sound banks, data and asset content will be packed into multiple different sound banks. This will result in false positive errors in the integrity report as the project progresses.
(these errors can be filtered out of the integrity report, but for simplicity we will focus on one sound bank)
Please Note: Testing deletion of the unused sound banks resulted in errors. Due to this I have not given instructions of how to fully delete the sound banks from xml scripts.

  • TIP: In a major project environment, each content area would usually have its own sound bank.

Potentially each content area could also be broken up into granular sections.
This minimise package download sizes, with game patches, expansions & Updates.
Also this would improve content loaded into memory at run-time on game area active.

  1. In the Wwise Toolbar selection Layouts > Sound Banks or Press F7
  2. In the Sound Bank Manager, Under Default Work Unit, Select Main.
    In the Max Size column change the value to Infinite buy typing 0 in the box.
  3. Set the Max size value for the DCP_the_Core and the Music sound banks to 1
  • TIP: Setting these low size values, will highlight if we accidently assign anything to them later in the project.
  1. Now we need to associate all content in the DCP_the_Core and Music Sound banks into the Main Sound bank
  2. Select DCP_the_core in the SoundBank Manager, then Add tab in the SoundBank Editor.
    Select all content in hierarchy Inclusion list and drag it into the Main sound bank
  3. Repeat step 3 with the Music sound bank.
    Select Music in the SoundBank Manager, then Add tab in the SoundBank Editor.
    Select all content in hierarchy Inclusion list and drag it into the Main sound bank
  4. Rebuild the sound banks.
  5. Save your Wwise Updates

Chapter 05 – Step 05
Set Up The Default Hierarchy

In this step we will set up the global Wwise project to have a basic hierarchy structure for all content areas.

Actor-Mixer Hierarchy:

  1. Return to the design layout F5
  2. In the Project Explorer > Audio Tab > Actor Mixer Hierarchy > Default Work Unit we will add Wwise Work Units (WWU’s) for each main content areas
  • TIP: These main content areas will match the Project tracker sheet we set up in earlier chapters of this guide.
  • TIP: Once Wwise releases the new 2018.1 update that enables colour coding work units. We can then match these work units to colour of the project tracker.
  1. Right click the Default Work Unit > select New Child > Work Unit
    Then name the Unit Armor.
  2. Then add a Wwise work unit for each of the main content areas
    Body, Element, Environment, Footstep, Magic, UI, Vocal & Weapon
  3. Under Actor-Mixer Hierarchy folder add a new Wwise Work Unit called Advisor

Master-Mixer Hierarchy:

  1. Next, we update the Master-mixer Hierarchy.
    Navigate to the Mater-Mixer Hierarchy > Default Work Unit > Master Audio Bus > SFX WWU.
  2. Right click the SFX Audio Bus, then select New Child > Audio Bus
  3. Name it: Armour
  4. Now add a new audio Bus in the same location for the each of the following content areas
    Body, Element, Environment, Footstep, Magic, UI, Vocal & Weapons
  5. Right click the Master Audio Bus, select New child > Audio Bus. Name it VO.

Events Hierarchy:

  1. Now we will add consist Event hierarchy. Change to the Project Explorer > Events tab.
  2. Under Events > Default Work Unit, add new Work units for the following main content areas
    Body, Element, Environment, Footstep, Magic, UI, Vocal & Weapon
  3. Under the Events master folder add a new Wwise Work Unit called Adviser.

Attenuation Hierarchy:

  1. Finally, we will add consistent hierarchy for Attenuation’s.
    In the project explorer > ShareSets tab, open the Attenuation’s Folder.
  2. Delete the Main Attenuation under the Default Work Unit.
  3. Under the Attenuation’s > My Cube, add new Wwise Work Units for
    Armour, Body, Element, Footstep, Magic, Vocal & Weapon.
  • TIP: My Cube is hard-coded and cannot be renamed. This folder has to have all 3D attenuation’s in it. If you place a 3D attenuation in the Default Work Unit it will not work! The default work unit is for all 2D attenuation’s.
  1. Delete the default Object Attenuation
  • TIP: Next we add our own new attenuation, first we add a containing folder for test content.
  1. Right click My Cube then select New Child > Virtual Folder. Call it Placeholder_TEST
  2. Right click the new folder, then Select New Child > Then Attenuation. Call it Placeholder_Test_3D
  3. Double click the attenuation to open the Properties.
  4. In the curves list select Output bus. Then in the Max distance box add the value 50.
  5. Then in the main graph double click the red line to add a point marker. Drag this marker to the following co-ordinates
    Output Bus Vol 0.0 and Distance 10
  • TIP: Use the coordinates boxes to fine tune the values.
  1. Right click the red line after the point marker, then select a Logarithmic (base 3) curve.
  2. Generate the sound banks
  3. Save your Wwise project updates.

Chapter 05 – Step 06
Add Different Colours To The Hierarchy

 

Introduced in Wwise 2018.1 is a new feature which allows us to colour almost any type of hierarchy object, e.g. container’s, Folder’s, WWU’s, etc…
Colouring hierarchy structures helps quick navigation, testing & helps maintain a solid hierarchy structure.

  1. Return to the Designer Layout (F5)
  2. In the Audio Tab > Actor Mixer Hierarchy right click the “Armour” Work Unit
    Then Select “Set Colour”
  3. Select the colour Yellow
  • TIP: This will now set all child hierarchy content under this folder to the same colour.
  1. Continue to add colours to the each major WWU in the Actor Mixer Hierarchy, using the following colour association.
    Armour: Yellow
    Body:     Light Blue
    Element:     Light Green
    Environment:     Green
    Footstep:     Blue
    Magic:     Purple
    UI:     Red
    Vocal: Pink
    Weapon: Orange
  • TIP: This colour scheme is only a suggestion for this guide series. In your future Wwise projects, use any colour schemes you prefer.
  1. Then added the same colour coding to the Master-Mixer > Default Work Unit > Master Audio Bus > SFX children
  2. Next add the same colouring association to the new Event WWU’s we added in Step 05.
  3. Lastly add the same colouring association to the attenuation’s WWU’s we added in step 05
  4. Double check all content areas have the same colour association
  5. Generate the sound banks
  6. Save the Wwise Project updates

Important Note
Before we move to the next chapter, it is advisable to silence the TEST_VOCAL audio assets (volume slider -96) there is a code bug that makes the associated jump event trigger for enemy entities. (we will address that in a later chapter)

We are now ready to start implementing new content to the game

%d bloggers like this:
search previous next tag category expand menu location phone mail time cart zoom edit close