~ ArmA 3 Sound Modding 101 ~

[laxemann 1673]

On 7/3/2021 at 11:09 AM, ducphuli said:

@ laxemann  Hi bro.

After a bit of research now I know how to close the .pbo file and create a simple sound mod mod.

I have a question:

- I created my own class "MDV_ak74_shot_close_SoundShader" Why can Arma 3 know I overwrite the class of A74M gun in RHS without having to use the old class RHS_ak74_shot_close_SoundShader

- I use  volume="1"; . But I see many people using extra properties that I don't know volume = "(1-interior/1.4)*(meadows/2 max sea/2)/3"; What are these advanced properties and where can the documentation be read. Thanks.

 

Hey dude, that's great, nice to hear!

Re 1: Do you mean "how" ArmA can now which class to overwrite? If yes, you have to swap the soundSet for the weapon class that you want to apply it on. Take a look at inheritances here: https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Class_Inheritance

Re 2: The engine hands so called SoundControllers over to the volume calculation. It's a formula. Meadows means the volume when shooting in "meadows" (open fields). There are also, for example, "houses","forest","trees","interior".
An example could be: volume = "(1-forest)". This sound would always play except for when the shooter is inside the forest. Because the "forest" value would become 1, making our formula volume = "1-1" (= 0 )  🙂

[ducphuli 33]

7 minutes ago, laxemann said:

 

Hey dude, that's great, nice to hear!

Re 1: Do you mean "how" ArmA can now which class to overwrite? If yes, you have to swap the soundSet for the weapon class that you want to apply it on. Take a look at inheritances here: https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Class_Inheritance

Re 2: The engine hands so called SoundControllers over to the volume calculation. It's a formula. Meadows means the volume when shooting in "meadows" (open fields). There are also, for example, "houses","forest","trees","interior".
An example could be: volume = "(1-forest)". This sound would always play except for when the shooter is inside the forest. Because the "forest" value would become 1, making our formula volume = "1-1" (= 0 )  🙂

 

Thank you life partner.

Re 1: I will learn more.

Re 2: Can I apply for weapons bro

 

[ducphuli 33]

Hi bro @laxemann

I don't quite understand this part.

Why are you using this call?

I see them in 2 very different config.cpp files, why not the same file?

 

class rhs_weap_ak74m_Base_F: Rifle_Base_F
	{
		class Single: Mode_SemiAuto
		{
			sounds[] = {"Standardsound","SilencedSound"};
			class StandardSound
			{
				soundSetShot[] = {"RHS_ak74_Shot_SoundSet","RHS_rifle_small_Tail_SoundSet"};
			};
			class SilencedSound
			{
				soundSetShot[] = {"RHS_sd_AK74_Shot_SoundSet","RHS_sd_Rifle1_Tail_SoundSet"};
			};
		};

 

[ducphuli 33]

It's sad that I played Arma 3 so late.

This theme is no longer supported by audio professionals.

[Valken 621]

I think the ARMA 3 Engine is getting old and needs updating, without breaking existing mods! But ARMA 3's game engine will not change anymore so you need to work within the limitations if any.

 

I just played DayZ SA, and the sound map is better. It is a newer engine after all that is evolving.

 

It gives me hope for ARMA 4!

 

 

[ducphuli 33]

4 hours ago, Valken said:

I think the ARMA 3 Engine is getting old and needs updating, without breaking existing mods! But ARMA 3's game engine will not change anymore so you need to work within the limitations if any.

 

I just played DayZ SA, and the sound map is better. It is a newer engine after all that is evolving.

 

It gives me hope for ARMA 4!

 

 

Thanks,

I'm really looking for a teacher to learn more about Arma 3 sound, Before I have experience to wait for Arma 4

[laxemann 1673]

10 hours ago, Valken said:

I think the ARMA 3 Engine is getting old and needs updating, without breaking existing mods! But ARMA 3's game engine will not change anymore so you need to work within the limitations if any.

 

I just played DayZ SA, and the sound map is better. It is a newer engine after all that is evolving.

 

It gives me hope for ARMA 4!

 

 

Funny enough, DayZ SA audio is pretty much A3 audio 🙂

 

@ducphuli I didn't quite get your question above, could you please specify?

[ducphuli 33]

2 hours ago, laxemann said:

@ducphuli I didn't quite get your question above, could you please specify?

 

hi @laxemann

- I want to ask why you use "RHS_ak74_Shot_SoundSet" in config.cpp file.
The "RHS_sd_AK74_Shot_SoundSet" is configured in another config.cpp file.
Does this have any effect?

- I'm also having trouble building the sound of gun shells falling in a specific area.
The sound of bullet casings falling inside the house will be different from the sound of falling outside.

 

class rhs_weap_ak74m_Base_F: Rifle_Base_F
	{
		class Single: Mode_SemiAuto
		{
			sounds[] = {"Standardsound","SilencedSound"};
			class StandardSound
			{
				soundSetShot[] = {"RHS_ak74_Shot_SoundSet","RHS_rifle_small_Tail_SoundSet"};
			};
			class SilencedSound
			{
				soundSetShot[] = {"RHS_sd_AK74_Shot_SoundSet","RHS_sd_Rifle1_Tail_SoundSet"};
			};
		};

 

[laxemann 1673]

10 hours ago, ducphuli said:

 

hi @laxemann

- I want to ask why you use "RHS_ak74_Shot_SoundSet" in config.cpp file.
The "RHS_sd_AK74_Shot_SoundSet" is configured in another config.cpp file.
Does this have any effect?

- I'm also having trouble building the sound of gun shells falling in a specific area.
The sound of bullet casings falling inside the house will be different from the sound of falling outside.

 

class rhs_weap_ak74m_Base_F: Rifle_Base_F
	{
		class Single: Mode_SemiAuto
		{
			sounds[] = {"Standardsound","SilencedSound"};
			class StandardSound
			{
				soundSetShot[] = {"RHS_ak74_Shot_SoundSet","RHS_rifle_small_Tail_SoundSet"};
			};
			class SilencedSound
			{
				soundSetShot[] = {"RHS_sd_AK74_Shot_SoundSet","RHS_sd_Rifle1_Tail_SoundSet"};
			};
		};

 

 

Ahhh I think I know what you mean now.

There is no deeper meaning or reason for it. I did the first (actually the second) iteration of sounds for RHS more than five years ago. A bit later, I started doing new sounds with new configurations but were not able to make everything new, so both the old and the new sounds and their pbos stayed. 🙂
You can, of course, do everything in one file, no need to do it in two! 😄

 

As for bullet casings:
That's unfortunately not really possible, as the sounds for bullet casings dropping use the "old" soundsystem, meaning all you can do is to link a sound to pre-defined surfaces. There unfortunately is no defitinion for "interior" bullets.

[Valken 621]

16 hours ago, laxemann said:

Funny enough, DayZ SA audio is pretty much A3 audio

 

I have to give massive credits to the DAYZ Team.

 

The amount of polish they have put in is amazing including Audio, Terrain and modeling fidelity.  The audio tuning is well done in DayZ back to back from ARMA 3. At the same levels with headphone on, DayZ terrain ambient noises are at a good level. ARMA 3 is too loud or vice versa, DayZ softer. The gun sounds in DayZ sound a LOT like Dynasound 2.0 or RHS. Way ahead of ARMA 3 stock gun fire sounds.

 

I could go on how much I like DayZ gunfire except for the fact or lack of weapon content and AI to kill vs ARMA. I know different games, but still, audio production on DayZ was dialed up or retuned for better sounds.

 

If we can back port those upgrades to the ARMA 3 engine, imagine how much better than ARMA 3, DLC and community mods such as RHS, CUP and CWR would look and play? 

 

I hope to see ARMA 4 with those upgrades and beyond from DayZ. I just cannot wait!

 

 

[ducphuli 33]

11 hours ago, laxemann said:

 

Ahhh I think I know what you mean now.

There is no deeper meaning or reason for it. I did the first (actually the second) iteration of sounds for RHS more than five years ago. A bit later, I started doing new sounds with new configurations but were not able to make everything new, so both the old and the new sounds and their pbos stayed. 🙂
You can, of course, do everything in one file, no need to do it in two! 😄

 

As for bullet casings:
That's unfortunately not really possible, as the sounds for bullet casings dropping use the "old" soundsystem, meaning all you can do is to link a sound to pre-defined surfaces. There unfortunately is no defitinion for "interior" bullets.

 

Re 1: Ok bro.

Re 2: Do you have specific examples? I'm sitting thinking maybe "tricks" the code. But I want to hear from you first! 😉

[laxemann 1673]

On 7/8/2021 at 12:51 PM, Valken said:

 

[...]

 

 

 

Forwarded to the team, they'll be delighted to hear this! 🙂

 

@ducphuli
Nope, not really 😄

[Valken 621]

5 hours ago, laxemann said:

 

Forwarded to the team, they'll be delighted to hear this! 🙂

 

@ducphuli
Nope, not really 😄

 

I didn't want to OT but have no where to say this as me and some mates finally bought DayZ after years of sitting on it recently and these were some of our thoughts. I hidden it except for those were interested in the audio quality and some other comments:

 

 

 

The previous alpha or early builds were totally meh. We loved Cherno+. Everything else felt like a mod for ARMA 3 until it moved to the Enfusion Engine and overhauling the animations, sounds and etc.... Performance wise vs ARMA 3 with no AI was the same to me.

 

First impression honestly was the audio ambiance. Finally someone really got Cherno sounds right. Other than CUP, a lot of ports of old A2 terrains to A3 sounded  off or the tuning was off. 

 

Using DayZ SA - just walking around, listening to everything felt realistic and there at the moment. Not overwelming ear assault but if you settled down and listen, the environment was alive and yet too alive.  Really sets the mood correctly.

 

Gunfire and gun reload, loading sounds were near perfect. Really a labor of love instead of just finding a cool sound that is mis matched and attaching it to a gun. To me even ARMA 3 defaults sounds are meh and many ported A2 content sounded terrible without a sound mod. DayZ is PERFECT. Tight, meaty, you feel the weight of the ammunition you are shooting just by the sounds. I can almost smell the gun powder residue.

 

 I love the gunfire sounds in DayZ SA more than any other mod, next to Dynasound and RHS. JSRS and CUP are good, but not DayZ SA good. Even better than overblown COD or BF gun sounds. Escape from Tarkov is not bad actually but in a different way. This was one of the most "visceral" part of the game. 

 

In PVP with MP players, it is just intense. I am qualifying this with other ARMA 3 survival mods where the gun sounds were near ear rape. The sound quality was shite unless a mod was installed. I get ARMA 3 more focused on squad battles but the sound engineering is MORE important in battles than eye candy. I turned all my graphics down lower to stay focused and concentrated hard on sounds to pin point enemies and size up their ballistic calibers. 

 

In competitive shooters, sound and quality is way more important and DayZ managed to get that down hard. Very well done. Hence I wish we can see RHS, CUP and other ARMA 3 mods in DayZ now. Just to have their visceral quality.

 

One thing I can think of right away when playing coop with mates was that game felt like the Resident Evil COOP game we always wanted. In a small group setting, if the game had a cDLC that just dress up the zombies into Raccoon City lore gear with a hunter type AI as Umbrella or Black ops, and a objective type gameplay such as blow up Umbrella, or a lab or escape or rescue a VIP, it really felt like a spin off of that environment. The basic gun fire, game play, survival aspect is perfect by condensing the experience down to it. I can already draft down the entire game play in my mind but have no talent whatsoever to pull it off. Someone should really pitch this to Bohemia as a cDLC but make an "Armaverse" version for DayZ.

 

Again, really bravo to the DayZ audio team and their current full dev team. DayZ today is way better than it was at Alpha. Now please add those "underground" bases as Dean Hall had imagined since SOGPF literally pulled it off. But expanded it way bigger! Look at Deer Isle for a really good implementation of it.
 

 

[ducphuli 33]

On 7/10/2021 at 3:52 PM, laxemann said:

 

@ducphuli
Nope, not really 😄

 

- Nothing, I'm still researching the sound of bullet casings hitting the ground. But it seems A3 has nothing to apply that way.

After a while of research I learned how to edit gun sounds.

But there is one thing that confuses me:

- Why I have applied 5 sound files to the gun but they do not make sound (I have put the correct path, I can hear it outside but in the game, there is no sound)

I then tried replacing 5 other audio files and they worked.

I don't know why some sounds can't be played? Have you encountered any case like this.

[laxemann 1673]

On 7/14/2021 at 5:23 PM, ducphuli said:

 

- Nothing, I'm still researching the sound of bullet casings hitting the ground. But it seems A3 has nothing to apply that way.

After a while of research I learned how to edit gun sounds.

But there is one thing that confuses me:

- Why I have applied 5 sound files to the gun but they do not make sound (I have put the correct path, I can hear it outside but in the game, there is no sound)

I then tried replacing 5 other audio files and they worked.

I don't know why some sounds can't be played? Have you encountered any case like this.

 

Hey mate,

make sure that you export the sounds as 44.1KHz, 16 bit files! 🙂

[ducphuli 33]

22 hours ago, laxemann said:

 

Hey mate,

make sure that you export the sounds as 44.1KHz, 16 bit files! 🙂

 

Hi bro, 😉

Thanks a lot, I will try again when I have time 

[momo12320 13]

Greetings, I would like to change the sound that a certain vehicle makes when it is destroyed. I know how the sound shaders and sound sets work, but I don't know how that applies to the sounds that vehicles make when they are destroyed. I just want to know the name of the class that is overridden in order to change the audio that a vehicle makes once it is destroyed.

[laxemann 1673]

3 hours ago, momo12320 said:

Greetings, I would like to change the sound that a certain vehicle makes when it is destroyed. I know how the sound shaders and sound sets work, but I don't know how that applies to the sounds that vehicles make when they are destroyed. I just want to know the name of the class that is overridden in order to change the audio that a vehicle makes once it is destroyed.

 

Hey dude!

It's a bit tricky, as those vehicle destruction explosions are actually ammo classes that are being spawned! 😄

So, instead of checking for a sound in the vehicle config, you gotta check for the ammo class linked in. It's called "explosionEffect" in the vehicle's config.

In the ammo class itself, you can simply define: SoundSetExplosion[] = {YOURCLASSES};
 

[momo12320 13]

2 hours ago, laxemann said:

 

Hey dude!

It's a bit tricky, as those vehicle destruction explosions are actually ammo classes that are being spawned! 😄

So, instead of checking for a sound in the vehicle config, you gotta check for the ammo class linked in. It's called "explosionEffect" in the vehicle's config.

In the ammo class itself, you can simply define: SoundSetExplosion[] = {YOURCLASSES};
 

Thank you for the response! I did some snooping in some Arma 3 files and I found 1 mention of that class in the Tank_F class (It then uses an ammo class(The vehicle I'm trying to edit inherits from the Tank_F class, so I'm guessing that I can edit the child and it would work)), so  I think I have an idea of what to do now. 

[momo12320 13]

Ok, so I got it to work, but it doesn't work consistently. It has something to do with the range curves I'd guess. The audio is not that loud with the volume factor of the soundset at 5 and the volume of the sound shaders at 3.  I have 4 shaders close, medium, far, and vfar (Each one has a single .ogg file). (range=50; rangecurve[]={{0,1},{50,0}};range=400; rangecurve[]={{0,0},{50,1},{400,0}};range=800; rangecurve[]={{0,0},{50,0},{400,1},{800,0}};range=4000; rangecurve[]={{0,0},{400,0},{800,1},{3500,1},{4000,0}};) I wanted the values to be in 500 meter increments, but I seem to get only 1 of the sounds playing at all times, the far one. (Close would be something like: range=500; rangecurve[]={{0,1},{450,0.9},{500,0}});) The volume curve of the soundset is inversesquare2Curve and I don't think that the processing type or the 3d sound processor would matter here. I have all of the audio-related code in 1 file. The classes are arranged in the following order: cfgsoundcurves, cfgsound3dprocessors, cfgsounddistancefilters, cfgsoundsets, cfgsoundshaders, and cfgammo. Unrelated, but are you supposed to close Arma 3 in order to make any changes to the mod files (I have probably alt-f4ed 50 times today just to update a single line of code), or is that what a p-drive is for?

[momo12320 13]

3 hours ago, momo12320 said:

Ok, so I got it to work, but it doesn't work consistently. It has something to do with the range curves I'd guess. The audio is not that loud with the volume factor of the soundset at 5 and the volume of the sound shaders at 3.  I have 4 shaders close, medium, far, and vfar (Each one has a single .ogg file). (range=50; rangecurve[]={{0,1},{50,0}};range=400; rangecurve[]={{0,0},{50,1},{400,0}};range=800; rangecurve[]={{0,0},{50,0},{400,1},{800,0}};range=4000; rangecurve[]={{0,0},{400,0},{800,1},{3500,1},{4000,0}};) I wanted the values to be in 500 meter increments, but I seem to get only 1 of the sounds playing at all times, the far one. (Close would be something like: range=500; rangecurve[]={{0,1},{450,0.9},{500,0}});) The volume curve of the soundset is inversesquare2Curve and I don't think that the processing type or the 3d sound processor would matter here. I have all of the audio-related code in 1 file. The classes are arranged in the following order: cfgsoundcurves, cfgsound3dprocessors, cfgsounddistancefilters, cfgsoundsets, cfgsoundshaders, and cfgammo. Unrelated, but are you supposed to close Arma 3 in order to make any changes to the mod files (I have probably alt-f4ed 50 times today just to update a single line of code), or is that what a p-drive is for?

Update: changing to .wss from .ogg files seems to have had a very interesting effect, to say the least. It works! 

[laxemann 1673]

14 hours ago, momo12320 said:

Update: changing to .wss from .ogg files seems to have had a very interesting effect, to say the least. It works! 

 

Glad to hear! 🙂

Btw, extreme values like 4 or even 5 really shouldn't be necessary and do more harm than good to a sound. There is a clearly defined limit of how "loud" digital audio can be. If your sample is already close to that border (most are), putting a value of 5 will have the game trying to play it back at 500% volume, just crushing it into the limiter and distorting the sound. If you want you sound to stay louder for longer, rather choose a different volume attenuation curve (you can create your own).

Also, another little heads-up:

The "vFar" shader's rangeCurve doesn't (or better shouldn't) end with 0, but 1. This is because the SoundSet's volume attenuation curve will be applied over the whole "range" of soundShaders, by putting the last shader's volume to 0, you're basically "doubling" the attenuation for it. 🙂

[momo12320 13]

2 hours ago, laxemann said:

 

Glad to hear! 🙂

Btw, extreme values like 4 or even 5 really shouldn't be necessary and do more harm than good to a sound. There is a clearly defined limit of how "loud" digital audio can be. If your sample is already close to that border (most are), putting a value of 5 will have the game trying to play it back at 500% volume, just crushing it into the limiter and distorting the sound. If you want you sound to stay louder for longer, rather choose a different volume attenuation curve (you can create your own).

Also, another little heads-up:

The "vFar" shader's rangeCurve doesn't (or better shouldn't) end with 0, but 1. This is because the SoundSet's volume attenuation curve will be applied over the whole "range" of soundShaders, by putting the last shader's volume to 0, you're basically "doubling" the attenuation for it. 🙂

So the range curve determines the distances at which the audio is heard (I'm guessing that everything between the 0 and the 1 (in the y value) is audible and the intensity depends on the y value) while the volume curve determines the volume at which it is heard in relation to the distance, though both factor in when the audio is actually played? Am I then supposed to use the range curve for distances and the volume curve for loudness (Preferably or is it both 🤔)?

[Ryuman_Goden 0]

On 1/10/2016 at 10:46 AM, megagoth1702 said:

Hello guys,

 

inspired by the great MarkXIII and with a new audio engine around the corner here we go with

 

~ ArmA 3 Sound Modding 101 ~

What?
A place to ask questions (no matter how stupid you think they are) related to the creation and implementation of audio into Arma 3. Be precise, if you have RPT problems, post the RPTs into code boxes so they don't take away half of the site space.
Creation -> audio engeneering, sound waves. Implementation -> configs & tools, programming.
Valid questions:

• I have a sound X, how do I put it into the game?
• how does the whole wav <-> wss/ogg system work?
• I want the pitch of my engine sound to change, how do I do that?
• my audio sounds like Y but I want it to sound like X, how do I do that?

Not valid questions:

• when will bohemia release X?
• is mod X compatible with mod Y?
• sound-system related questions (my headphones don't work in 5.1 mode)

Why?
There is no central ArmA 3 sound modding thread. We are all spread around Skype, Discord and PMs, this should serve a central meeting point.  Game audio is very closely connected to technical stuff so this should be good for people who can create audio but have problems with implementing it into the game. Good for newcomers:

• open PBOs and edit current sounds
• add their own sounds to the game
• create certain sounds for the game
• create their own workflow

Who?
Anyone who wants to help out should help. We already have experienced Arma-Audio advanced users here such as Audiocustoms, TheMaster303, Myself, Laxeman and LordJarhead (probably more that I forget, please PM me their names) all being active community members and having their own areas of expertiese who can surely help.
 
 
Content
I will start producing educational content.
Also YOU guys are the content. Ask away.

 

Text

Bohemia Wiki - Sound Page, learn about audio configuration

Custom script to make the AI fire in full auto, full weapon speed at player position

View sound controllers (For the first time in ArmA!)

 
Videos
What tools do I need to access BI content in order to learn from it?
P: drive & how do I package my audio into a mod that works?
Advanced tool usage to speed up workflow
 

 

Current to-do list for me:

• What tools do I need to access BI content in order to learn from it?
• P: drive & how do I package my audio into a mod that works?
• Basic sound replacement (will probably wait with this until the new engine is out).
• Advanced tool usage to speed up workflow.
• Understanding config files & tree structure
• More detailed explanation of parameters in configuration.

 

Additional

 

 

Some info about the current state of the "interior" controller used for weapon tails.

 

 

Right now I want to work on a mod that replaces the sounds when you are damaged, in the list of mods I use ACE 3 and I want to know if by modifying the Ace medical I can modify those sounds