Created By: Game Audio Resource Ltd Date: 09/11/2019 Version: 1.00
Wwise Unreal: Chapter 03 A –
Environment: 2D Global Ambience
In this guide, we set up a global 2D basic stereo wind loop with one shot wind gust audio assets to trigger randomly around the camera / listener position.
PLEASE NOTE:
In a later chapter of this guide, we will implement BluePrint nodes to stop & start the wind Events,
when the player character enters & exits the house.
Guide Steps:
- STEP 01: Wwise Hierarchy
- STEP 02: Unreal Hierarchy
- STEP 03: Tagging A Maps With An Emitters
- STEP 04: Test
Download the associated written guide:
Wwise_Unreal_Chapter_03A_Environment_2D_Global_Ambience
Video Guide
Written Guide
STEP 01:
Wwise Hierarchy
First we set up the required Wwise & Unreal data so we have content to tag into a map.
- Navigate to the Actor-Mixer Hierarchy > Default Work Unit > Environment Work Unit
Right click then select: New Child > Actor Mixer
Name It: ENV_Wind - Select the Actor Mixer. Then in the Property Editor > General Settings tab > Output Bus, drag the Environment Audio Bus on to the box called Master Audio Bus
- Right click the Actor Mixer, then select: New Child > Random Container
Name it: ENV_Wind_Mild_Gusts - Next we set up a Random Container, that will randomly trigger one-shot wind gust audio assets around the player characters 3D position.
With the Random Container selected, in the general Settings tab, add the following changes:
Under Play Mode.
Select Continuous
Tick the Loop box
Tick transitions
Change the Type drop-down menu to Trigger rate
Change the Duration Value to 3
Click on the Randomiser UI button
Tick Enabled
Then change the Max Offset value to 3
Close the Randomizer window. - Next, we add positioning to trigger the one-shot wind gusts audio assets around the listener position (the player character)
Select the Random Container. Then in the Property Editor > Positioning tab.
Add the following settings:
Tick Override Parent
Under Listener Relative Routing > 3D spatialization, in the drop down menu select Position + Orientation.
Under 3D position change the drop down menu to Listener with Automation
Tick the Hold Listener Orientation tick box.
Click on the Automation… UI button
Under Paths, click on the New UI Button 3 times. (adding 3 new position paths we can modify)
Rename path entry in the list to Position_01, Position_02 & position_03
Leave the first item in the list.
Select the second item in the list. Then in the Speaker room move the dot maker to the central far right
Select the third item in the list. Then in the Speaker room move the dot marker to the central far left
Under Play Type, select Random
Then tick the “Pick new path when sound starts” tick box.
Close the window. - Drag in one-shot wind gusts audio assets into the Random Container and a looping wind audio asset into to the Actor Mixer.
In the File Importer window, place the assets under the destination path:
SFX > New Folder – Environment > New Folder – Wind - Move the one-shot audio assets into the Random Container.
Select the Random Container. Then in the Advanced Settings tab, add the following:
Tick: Ignore Parent
Change Limit sound instances to 1 and the drop-down list to Per Object
Change When priority is equal to: Discard newest instance - Select the Looping Audio assets, then in the Property Editor > General Settings tab, tick the Loop box.
- Then under the Advanced Settings tab, add the following:
Tick: Ignore Parent
Change Limit sound instances to 1 and the drop-down list to Globally
Change When priority is equal to: Discard newest instance - Right Click the ENV_Wind_Gusts Random Container, then select: New Event > Play
- Then drag the looping wind audio asset on to the Event Editor window. (creating a New Event Play Action Line.
- Select the Play Action line attached to the looping wind audio asset, then change the Fade time value to: 0.3
– TIP: This will make the looping wind asset fade in when the map is started. - Navigate to the Events tab.
Right click the Environment Work Unit, then select: New Child > Virtual Folder
Name it: ENV_Wind - Rename the Event Play_ENV_Wind_Mild_Gusts to:
SFX_ENV_Wind_Mild_Loop_Start
Drag the Event into the ENV_Wind Virtual Folder. - Copy and paste the SFX_ENV_Wind_Mild_Loop_Start to the same location.
Rename it to: SFX_ENV_Wind_Mild_Loop_Stop
Then in the Event Editor list select each list entry individually then change the Play Action to Stop > Stop.
In each List Action entry, change the Scope from Game Object to Global
– TIP: The Stop Event will be used in a later part of this guide series - Change to the Wwise Layout: SoundBank
Generate the environment sound bank
Save your Wwise Project updates.
STEP 02:
Unreal Hierarchy
Next, we add the new Wwise content to Unreal
- In the Content Browser > Content > Audio > Wwise Events > SFX_Environment folder, right click then select: New Folder
Name it: ENV_Wind
Open the New Folder - Open the WwisePicker, then drag the 2 SFX_ENV_Wind_Mild_Loop start and stop Events into the new ENV_Wind Folder
- Select both the Events, right click, then select Edit. In the drop-down menu select the SB_Environment Sound Bank.
- Close the window and save the event update.
- In the Unreal Toobar > Build option, select
Generate SoundBanks
Then in the new window, select only the SB_Environment Sound Banks & leave all platforms selected
Click the Generate UI Button.
In the popup window, choose to import the Sound bank updates.
STEP 03:
Tagging A Map With An Emitter
This step will outline how to place a basic emitter into the map, so you will hear the wind loop in 2D and the one-shot wind gusts around the player character listener position.
- Load up the new test map we have created (or the map you are working with)
in the Content Browser > Content > Audio > Wwise Events > SFX_Environment > ENV_Wind folder
Drag the Event: SFX_ENV_Wind_Loop_Start into the middle of the map.
Then in the Details tab, add the following updates:
> Under Ak Component > Occlusion Refresh Interval > change the value 0.0.
-TIP: This turns audio occlusion off
> Under Spatial Audio > Untick > Use Spatial Audio
– TIP: For this basic guide we are not using advanced audio techniques
> Under AK Ambient Sound > Tick the Auto Post Tick box.
– TIP: This enables the event to be loaded when the map loads - In the World Outliner hierarchy, right click the Audio_SFX folder, then select: Create Subfolder
Name it: SFX_Environment
Then drag the SFX_ENV_Wind_Mild_Loop_Start Entry into the new Sub folder
– TIP: Optional, you could now also delete the SFX_TEST Folder (as we no longer need this content to play) - Save the map updates
STEP 04:
Test
Now we can test our updates in game.
- Connect Wwise to the Unreal Engine
- Change to the Wwise Layout: Profiler
- In the Unreal toolbar, click on Play.
- Leave the player character stationary and listen to the ambience triggering.
You will hear the 2D loop playing, not from any direction,
You will also hear the one-shot wind gusts trigger from around the camera.
If you turn the player to the direction of the wind source, the sound stays in position of trigger point direction, so gust feels like it is coming from that direction in 3D space.
We have now set up are basic 2D soundscape layer
Game Audio Resource 