Arma 2 Sound Modding 101.

[Mark XIII (DayZ) 18]

Just a quick reminder, something I forgot to mention earlier.

For those who are unaware. If you plan to release a soundtrack mod please make sure you have copyright or permissions of copyright of included material before releasing.

Ta ;)

[Vercuric 10]

Thanks, Mark!

[Mark XIII (DayZ) 18]

I'm glad we can help :)

Personally I'd like to thank Kju for all the on the spot help he has given me over the last few months. :) cheers mate

[SirDieAloT 10]

Hi,

First off thx for the great reads, and Kju for the mst!

I hope I can help out or post some tips in the future (giving something back to the community), but for now I'm more of the "how to..?" category :)

Started with a modcrew in the beginning of this year, a group of enthousiastic tanknuts, working on a tanksim to fill their needs...

In short, I came aboard as soundmodder, when we where using Crysis as a base, and I must say, I learned a lot about implementing sounds with Fmod, a tool provided and needed for the soundmodding.

About two months ago, the crew decided to change direction, and choose arma2 as a platform, to continue/redo the work done sofar for the WWII tankmod, since it had more possabilities.

Although less "visual" to me (as Fmod is very visual and easier to tweak sounds), this new step got me mindbugged, also because "coding" is not really my "thing" yet...

To make things more complex, the crew has joined an existing group of WWII fans, who already made several mods for arma1.

Now, reading up on stuff, and comparing config files, I came to a conclusion, and I'm kinda hoping that some friendly soul could concurr this, any other comments are very welcome as well offcourse :)

It seems that in arma1 (the mod the guys made anyway) the engine sound for a vehicle only exsist of 1 (measly) .wss soundfile....and you can guess, this sounds horrible, since pitch controls this one file, doing "odd" stuff to the sound...

Seeing several arma2 soundmods, a vehicle suddenly has like 8 soundfiles (like idle - start - stop etc...you name it, and exterior as interior)

The guys are letting me "hang" on these codes kinda, and I'm getting very frustrated...

So, because I want to bring the tanks to "life" with multiple sounds, my question is this;

Can I build these in with the MST Kju made, or do I have to convince the crew to actually start to rebuild this inhereted arma1 mod to a version similar to arma2?

Since I think that I can't use the MST in an arma1 based mod.

Thx for reading!

Grtz Stefan

[.kju 3239]

Stefan is your team only working for ArmA I or also, later, ArmA II?

For ArmA II check the configs of TRSM_Tracked_Vehicles.

[SirDieAloT 10]

Hi Kju!

Well, the team is modding for arma2, but using code from arma1, where for instance, the path and the folders are completely different as the path taken in arma2.

Have the trsm mod, use it myself, and its brilliant....

[.kju 3239]

Ok. Can you please rephrase what you need to do and where your problem(s) are.

[hamis 0]

@Stefan

I have some real sounds for T-34,marder,sherman,panther and sdkfz if you want them.

[SirDieAloT 10]

Ok sorry, I thought it was clear....

My question is, can I use the mst in a mod that still uses the arma1 coding...

To give an example, this is the only line of coding in the mod calling on sounds for a vehicle

maxSpeed = 25;

fuelCapacity = 250;

//soundEnviron[] = {"\ca\Tracked\Data\Sound\OldRolling_Treads1", db+18, 0.8};

//soundEngine[] = {"\I44_sounds_v\engine\PzKpfwV_engine", db+20, 1};

While the mst and the trsm mod consist of multiple lines.

Also, path in the mod calling cfg's is "D:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\ArmA 2\@i44\addons\I44_base_v\cfgVehicles\tank" then config, while for example aa2 goes "D:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\ArmA 2\AddOns\tracked" then config.

The paths are completely different.

And this is what bugs me....I don't know if your mst will be compatible with the current aa1 mod.

I want to use the mst, because I can add more soundfiles per vehicle, which gives me more freedom, since I can add more events.

I hope I made some sense here :)

If needed, we can always have a talk on msn - skype - TS if one wants...

@Hamis

Thx for the offer m8, new sources are always welcome, and maybe I can throw some your way as well :)

[.kju 3239]

SirDieAloT you need to use the ways sound is defined in ArmA II.

Not every definition is different, yet some from ArmA I are no longer supported.

Just do it like BI or other sound replacements do it.

Also, path in the mod calling cfg's is "D:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\ArmA 2\@i44\addons\I44_base_v\cfgVehicles\tank" then config, while for example aa2 goes "D:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\ArmA 2\AddOns\tracked" then config.

I dont get that sorry. :)

You need to adapt the path to your sound files accordingly.

If you use pboprefix, you need this as prefix plus path to sound file relative in the addon.

If not, it is pbo name plus path to sound file relative in the addon.

To me it sounds a bit like you misunderstand the idea of the mST.

It is meant to:

a) show ppl the changes in sound definition

b) to see what sounds BI has defined for their vehicles

c) to allow people to make modular sound addons

The mST is based on BI classes. Unless I44 is meant to become a replacement

MOD, you need to define sounds in their classes and class structure.

As a start it would be best to post on of your ArmA I sound configs and let people

adapt it here to the ArmA II definition for you to see how it needs to be.

[chammy 7]

I've been trying to find some clues or something as a tutorial to create a sound mod as well.

[hamis 0]

@Hamis

Thx for the offer m8, new sources are always welcome, and maybe I can throw some your way as well

Just throw me pm then you need them.;)

[archbishop lazarus 24]

Hi Hamis!

Marder??? Which one? Modern, or WW2 Marder II (Pz.II), Marder III (Pz.38t)?

BTW, do you have good quality sounds for MTLBu or Gvozdika?

[hamis 0]

Hi,lazarus!Good point,i didn't remember there was modern one.I think my sound is for modern one.I think i have something for MTLB,i have to start searching for Gvozdika.

[archbishop lazarus 24]

Hi all,

I discovered a few things in sound configs:

The first two parameters after a sound file are useless, they dont change anything.

frequency = pitch

volume = the sound volume itself, but affected by the expression after it. How that works is still a mistery for me.

[SirDieAloT 10]

Hello.

Kju, I've solved the problem by making a new seperate soundmod.

My problem was, that the mod made for aa1, is now used for aa2, and the team wanted me to build the sounds inside that mod, which isn't possible codewise.

Now, I've taken the TRSM code as an example (credit given!), and all my sounds work in the new mod, except for the turretsounds. (Later on I will rewrite everything with your MST)

Somehow, I'll need to check in a file called "base_v" (where all vehicles are written to ((aa1)) ) and see what I can come up with.

If I leave the lines in the code the sounds won't play, since the game won't start up :)

And saw the "base_v" error msg...

I hope the team will consider to change everything into a new (aa2) mod, which will make things easier ...

Question;

Is there a way to make the engine understand to hold on playing a certain soundfile until an other one has finished?

For example, start sound and idle sound...both start at the same time...

Edited August 30, 2009 by SirDieAloT

[pLaYsKoO 0]

If you will please forgive me I am just now looking into the aspect of taking what I have recorded and starting the process of putting it into the game. I am a huge fan of artillery and most of all the GAU-8 Avenger cannon on the A-10. I loved the Fromz sound for the GAU-8 with the impact of the rounds and then the sound of the cannon firing. I always wondered why the sound of the cannon actually firing would always be a burst no matter how long you pulled the trigger. I think I may have pulled the same source that fromz used for the GAU-8 because it sounds identical. I think I now know why the impact to cannon firing always resulted in a burst from the cannon. Lengthening the sound of the cannon firing was an absolute nightmare but after buying Adobe Audition and a few days of relentless work I managed to make a sound clip of the cannon firing at length without it sounding so obvious that it was being looped. It actually sound pretty damned incredible if you ask me. I was hoping to maybe pass the files along to someone that could maybe put them to good use. I just don't have the experience yet to do anything with these files and I would rather they be used by someone that could take it from here and produce/incorporate them into a high quality sound mod. The GAU-8 can be fired continuously for about 10 seconds hearing both the impacts of the rounds on target followed by the sound of the cannon firing of equal length with no audible signs of it being looped over and over. It is what I hope you would agree a good quality sample of the Avenger cannon firing and of artillery being fired in the distance and then impacting in near proximity. If you think that this could be used by any of you let me know and I'll gladly hand over what I have. Here is a sample of the cannon firing and I have it up to 10 seconds in length.

http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/10/28/326715/GAU8%20by%20pLaYsKoOREV3.mp3

*Artillery was corrupted back to the drawing board.

Edited September 8, 2009 by pLaYsKoO

[charon productions 10]

Has anyone actually ever successfully created a soundsource with the createsoundsource command?

I am not totally certain about the requirements of the config.

It seems that it must be in cfgVehicles and not in a subclass cfgsounds, but then it has to be defined like a vehicle or inherit a vehicle class.

Otherwise the engine prompts missing value errors.

Then the question arises where the advantage of that command is, compared to spawning an object and having it "say" the sound.

[.kju 3239]

Might be 3d editor only function, however one BI mission uses it.

      48  	"  %VARIABLE_NAME = createSoundSource [%TYPE, %POSITION, %MARKER, %PLACEMENT];",
\ca\editor\Data\Scripts\soundSource.hpp

      35  _snd = createSoundSource ["Sound_Fire", getpos _v, [], 0];
\ca\missions\campaign\missions\C4_BitterChill.Chernarus\houseBurn.sqf

Edited October 3, 2009 by kju

[charon productions 10]

@kju: Excellent post! Very helpful. Sounds.pbo reveals:

class CfgVehicles {

class Sound {

scope = 0;

side = -1;

animated = 0;

vehicleClass = "Sounds";

icon = "\ca\sounds\data\icon_soundsource_ca";

mapSize = 10;

faction = "none";

};

and

class Sound_Fire: Sound {

scope = 2;

sound = "fire";

displayName = "$STR_DN_Sound_Fire";

};

So any class MY_SOUND : Sound should work

I just didn`t know that there is even a sound-vehicleclass as defined above.

[Mark XIII (DayZ) 18]

So, is someone going to script a working GAU 8 so we can have the sound playing correctly ?

...Although, bis could help us by giving us internal weapon sounds for vehical based weapons...

[Opticalsnare 12]

Ar ha i knew there was a topic on sounds.. Should be stickied!

Anyway im trying to add some sounds to me mod, and want to have more sounds to a single weapon heres what i have done so far but with no luck, any ideas?

class R_MLRS : RocketBase {

soundHit[] = {"Ca\sounds\Weapons\explosions\MLRS01", db25, 1, 1900};

soundHit1[] = {"Ca\sounds\Weapons\explosions\MLRS02", db25, 1, 1900};

soundHit2[] = {"Ca\sounds\Weapons\explosions\MLRS03", db25, 1, 1900};

the first one works ie soundhit but the others do not.... :(

Cheers

[charon productions 10]

I believe soundhit [] overrides all other soundhitXXX definitions that are more defined like soundMetalPlate1 etc..

So to have a diverse sound palette for the ammo, you probably would have to define all those subclasses. Check the BulletBase definition in the weapons config. There is even no entry in there for just "soundhit=", it might be inherited from the Bulletcore parent class and is mainly used for shell impact sounds that would sound (nearly) the same if on metal or leafs.

[Opticalsnare 12]

Hmm well il have to dig deeper into that but its not a big problem.

Heres another i been trying to add a explosion sound to single vehicle, so some of the vehicle explosion sounds dont use the same sound etc.. But ive ran into a small problem the rest of the particles work fine and there was a bit that included this in the Class DestructionEffects that i am using and is as follows..

class Sound {

simulation = "sound";

type = "";

position = "destructionEffect1";

intensity = 1;

interval = 1;

lifeTime = 1;

};

I cant seem work out how to get my custom sound in for this one vehicle..

Are there any other strings i can attach to the config of this vehicle that will enable it to use this custom sound effect for when it explodes?

I also cant seem to find the location of where the explosion sounds config are coming from, for example the tanks have this big fireball with a sound effect etc but trying to locate where the string for this is where the actual sound varables are im lost... :(

Edited October 6, 2009 by Opticalsnare

[charon productions 10]

You have to reference to your custom sound with type ="Name of your custom sound". You use empty hyphens.