Wwise Unreal 2019 – Chapter 04D: Character – Body Land Surface Type

Created By: Game Audio Resource Ltd     Date: 09/11/2019      Version: 1.00

Wwise UE4: Chapter 04 D – Character:
Body Land – Surface Type

In this guide we set up body land content to play different surface type audio assets using a Wwise switch when the player character lands from any sized jump.
To keep things simple we will not include a height scale, but we will make full use of the Wwise Switch SWT_Surface_Type we implemented in Chapter 04B.

PLEASE NOTE

Like the footstep guide we will lose the ability to hear body land SFX when playing animations in the anim editor only.
Also, If you have implemented the content in our Chapter 04A guide, we highlight in blue the old content that can be deleted as we progress through this guide.

GUIDE STEPS:

• STEP 01: Wwise Hierarchy
• STEP 02: Unreal Hierarchy
• STEP 03: Animation Timeline Tagging
• STEP 04: Anim BP
• STEP 05: Test

Download the free associated written guide:
Wwise_Unreal_Chapter_04D_Character_Body_Land_Surface_Type

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Video Guide

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Written Guide

STEP 01:
Wwise Hierarchy

First, we set up Wwise with the associated Hierarchy and audio assets

1. Navigate to Audio tab > Actor-Mixer Hierarchy > Character > CHA_Footstep Actor Mixer.
   Copy and paste the CHA_FSP_Human Switch Container and children Random Containers into the CHA_Body Actor Mixer
2. Rename the copied Switch Container to: CHA_BDY_Land_Human
   NOTE: If you have already implemented the basic body land content mentioned in Chapter 04A, you can now delete the Random Container
3. Remove all the footstep audio assets from the Random Containers.
4. Drag in one-shot Body land audio assets to the associated surface type Random Containers.
5. Right Click the Switch Container, then select: New Event > Play
6. Navigate to the Events tab. Drag the new Event into the CHA_Body Virtual Folder.
   Then rename the Event to CHA_BDY_Land_Human
7. Save the Wwise Project updates and Generate the Sound Banks.

STEP 02:
Unreal Hierarchy

Next, we set up the associated Unreal content

1. Navigate to the Content Browser> Content > Audio > Wwise Events > SFX_Character > CHA_Body Folder.
   NOTE: If you have already implemented the basic body land content mentioned in Chapter 04A, you cant delete the old event until you have removed the animtag. In Step 03. Remember to delete the old event, after you have completed STEP 03.
2. Open the Wwise picker, then drag the new SFX_CHA_BDY_Land_Human Event into the folder.
3. Open the Events Properties. Then assign the SB_Character Sound Bank.
   Save the Event updates.
4. Generate the Sound Banks.

STEP 03:
Animation Timeline Tagging

Next, we tag the single animation “Jump End” with a custom animNotify Event that we can script into the AnimBP

1. Navigate to the Content Browser > Content > FirstPerson > Animations Folder.
   Open the FirstPerson_JumpEnd animation.
   NOTE: If you have already implemented the basic body land content mentioned in Chapter 04A, you can now delete AnimNotify on the timeline
2. Right click the timeline then select: Add Notify > New Notify.
   Name it: Anim_SFX_CUS_BDY_Land
3. Place the AnimNotify event at the start of the timeline.
4. Save the animation updates.

STEP 04:
Anim BP

Now we have all the data needed we can script the new AnimNotify Event to the AnimBP

1. Navigate to the AnimBP. In the Event Graph tab, right click then search for Event AnimNotify_Anim_SFX_CUS_BDY_Land, select it adding it to the graph.
2. Next, drag select the 3 nodes and the highlight box used for the Footstep AnimNotify event.
   Copy and paste them next to the new Body event node that we have just created.
   Attach the Red AnimNotify Event Node to the Get Surface Type node.
3. In the Post Event > AK Event drop-down list change the Event to SFX_CHA_BDY_Land_Human Event
4. Name the comment box: SFX Body Land AnimNotify Event
5. Save and compile the Blueprint updates.

STEP 05:
Test

We can now test our updates in game.

1. Load the map, that you are working on.
2. Connect Wwise to UE4,
3. Then change to the Profiler tab.
   Filter the Profiler log by the body content
4. Solo the Associated body content in Wwise
5. Then click Play
6. Make the Player Character perform jumps on different surface types.
   You should hear different surface type audio assets be triggered for each surface type.
7. Make any balancing changes you wish to add.
8. Disconnect Wwise to Unreal
9. Save your Wwise Project updates and Generate the Wwise Sound Banks.
10. Lastly, Generate the UE4 Sound Banks.