Lumberyard Sound Tutorial 01A - Wwise LTX
Tutorial: Audio Basics This tutorial will introduce you to some of the user interface elements dedicated to audio and will teach you the basics of integrating sounds into Lumberyard. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a simple ambient sound created in Wwise LTX playing in your level. You will learn how to do the following: 1. Set up a sound object in Wwise for use as a 2D ambient sound in Lumberyard. 2. Navigate to and use the Audio Controls Editor (ACE) Interface. 3. Create new game-side controls via the Audio Transition Layer (ATL) to control when and how sounds play in your level. 4. Connect Wwise controls to ATL controls. 5. Create a new Audio Layer for placing game objects that control where a sound plays in your level. 6. Add ambience sound to an area that you define within your level.
Disclaimer: Lumberyard version 1.6.0 pre-bakes some of the data that this tutorial shows you how to create. If you want to go through the tutorial steps and create this data yourself, you will need to delete this file: \dev\SamplesProject\libs\gameaudio\tutorial_controls.xml
Wwise LTX Wwise LTX is a version of the popular audio middleware Wwise that comes bundled with Lumberyard. It is a powerful tool for creating dynamic, interactive audio for your project. This tutorial assumes some basic knowledge of the features and interface of Wwise. Step-by-step guide Disclaimer: Steps 2 through 10 are already pre-configured in the Wwise LTX project. These step-by-step instructions are provided here for your reference. 1. Open Wwise LTX Project. Launch Wwise LTX Click “Open Other…” Navigate to \dev\SamplesProject\wwise_project\ Open Lumberyard_SamplesProject_Wwise_LTX_2016.1.1.wproj 2. Create a new Sound SFX sound object in the SamplesProject folder in the Actor-Mixer Hierarchy.
3. Import the file \dev\SamplesProject\Sounds\wwise_project\Originals\SFX\AmbienceExtSuburbs5pm.w av into the new sound object (Shift+I).
4. In the Game Syncs tab, add a new Game Parameter to Game Parameters/Default Work Unit/SamplesProject and name it AmbFade. Set the properties as seen below:
5. In the next tutorial, we will send game data to this parameter, which Wwise LTX will use to adjust the volume of this sound. In the ambience sound’s Sound Property Editor, create an RTPC curve by assigning Voice Volume to the Y Axis and AmbFade Game Parameter to the X Axis. 6. We want the volume to be silent when the RTPC is 0.0 and full volume when the RTPC is 1.0. At 0.0 on the X-axis we will set it to -200.0 on the Y-axis, and at 1.0 on the X-axis we will set it to 0.0 on the Y-axis.
7. Once the RTPC control is set, you will see a blue highlight next to the volume in the Sound Property Editor, indicating that this parameter is attached to a Game Sync (RTPC).
8. Create a new Audio Bus named AMB and assign the ambience sound to it. In the Audio tab, select Master-Mixer Hierarchy\Default Work Unit\Master Audio Bus Right-click -> New Child -> Audio Bus Name it AMB Go back to the Sound Property Editor for the ambience sound Click the Output Bus browse button Expand the Master Audio Bus, select AMB, and click OK 9. In the Sound Property Editor, set the positioning of this sound to 2D so its position is static in 3D space and adjust the volume fader to a level that you like. 10. Save your project (Ctrl+S) and click the Generate Soundbank button at the top-left of the interface. Now you’re ready integrate this sound into your level!
Introducing the Audio Controls Editor (ACE) In this section of the tutorial, you will learn about the Audio Controls Editor (ACE) interface. ACE is what you will use to map controls created in Wwise LTX to the Audio Translation Layer (ATL) controls used in Lumberyard. Step-by-step guide 1. Click the Audio Controls Editor icon (Headphones) or select View → Open View Pane → Audio Controls Editor from the Menu.
2. The left pane is the Audio Translation Layer panel, where game-side ATL controls are made.
3. There's a default set of controls that are pre-made and available to use.
4. The center pane is the Inspector Panel, where you can edit properties of an ATL control.
5. The right pane shows the available Wwise Controls that are part of the Wwise LTX project.
Further Reading: Audio Transition Layer User Guide http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lumberyard/latest/userguide/audio-atl-editor.html All actions, events, and parameters from your game are communicated to the Audio system using Audio Translation Layer (ATL) controls that are mapped to one or more controls made with Wwise. The connection between the ATL controls and the Wwise controls, as well as the creation of the controls themselves, are done using the Audio Controls Editor.
Create Audio Controls In this section of the tutorial, you will learn how to: Make a new folder in Audio Controls Editor (ACE) Create new Audio Translation Layer (ATL) controls Map Wwise controls to ATL controls There are 5 different types of ATL controls available: Triggers, RTPCs, Switches (and States), Environments and Preloads. We will be working with Triggers and RTPCs in this section.
Step-by-step guide 1. Open the Audio Control Editor.
2. We will use Folders to keep our ATL controls organized. Click on the +Add dropdown in the ACE window and select Folder to create an empty folder. Right-click the folder, select Rename, and name this folder tutorial_controls.
3. With the tutorial_controls folder selected, create another folder as before. It will be nested under tutorial_controls. Rename the newly created folder to ambience. 4. Click and drag the following Wwise control from the Wwise Controls pane to the ambience folder in the ATL Controls pane:
Play_town_amb_loop
5. In the Audio Controls Editor (ACE) menu, select File → Save All. 6. You should see that a new XML file has been created on disk at the following location: \dev\SamplesProject\libs\gameaudio\wwise\tutorial_controls.xml You can open this file in a text editor if you wish to see the XML format. 7. Go back to Audio Controls Editor (ACE), right-click on the Play_town_amb_loop trigger in the ATL Controls pane, and select Execute Trigger to audition it. You should now hear the ambience playing. To stop it just click another ATL folder or control. You can also use Spacebar to audition triggers. 8. As before, click and drag the following Wwise Controls onto the ambience folder: Stop_town_amb_loop AmbFade
9. Select File → Save All again to finish.
Related tasks and tutorials From this point forward, you can continue the Wwise LTX Audio tutorial series and learn how to add ambience to your game. Continue on to the next tutorial: Adding Ambience to a Level We’d love to hear from you! Head to our Tutorial Discussion forum to share any feedback you have, including what you do or don’t like about our tutorials or new content you’d like to see in the near future.
Disclaimer: Lumberyard version 1.6.0 pre-bakes some of the data that this tutorial shows you how to create. If you want to go through the tutorial steps and create this data yourself, you will need to delete this file: \dev\SamplesProject\libs\gameaudio\tutorial_controls.xml
Wwise LTX Wwise LTX is a version of the popular audio middleware Wwise that comes bundled with Lumberyard. It is a powerful tool for creating dynamic, interactive audio for your project. This tutorial assumes some basic knowledge of the features and interface of Wwise. Step-by-step guide Disclaimer: Steps 2 through 10 are already pre-configured in the Wwise LTX project. These step-by-step instructions are provided here for your reference. 1. Open Wwise LTX Project. Launch Wwise LTX Click “Open Other…” Navigate to \dev\SamplesProject\wwise_project\ Open Lumberyard_SamplesProject_Wwise_LTX_2016.1.1.wproj 2. Create a new Sound SFX sound object in the SamplesProject folder in the Actor-Mixer Hierarchy.
3. Import the file \dev\SamplesProject\Sounds\wwise_project\Originals\SFX\AmbienceExtSuburbs5pm.w av into the new sound object (Shift+I).
4. In the Game Syncs tab, add a new Game Parameter to Game Parameters/Default Work Unit/SamplesProject and name it AmbFade. Set the properties as seen below:
5. In the next tutorial, we will send game data to this parameter, which Wwise LTX will use to adjust the volume of this sound. In the ambience sound’s Sound Property Editor, create an RTPC curve by assigning Voice Volume to the Y Axis and AmbFade Game Parameter to the X Axis. 6. We want the volume to be silent when the RTPC is 0.0 and full volume when the RTPC is 1.0. At 0.0 on the X-axis we will set it to -200.0 on the Y-axis, and at 1.0 on the X-axis we will set it to 0.0 on the Y-axis.
7. Once the RTPC control is set, you will see a blue highlight next to the volume in the Sound Property Editor, indicating that this parameter is attached to a Game Sync (RTPC).
8. Create a new Audio Bus named AMB and assign the ambience sound to it. In the Audio tab, select Master-Mixer Hierarchy\Default Work Unit\Master Audio Bus Right-click -> New Child -> Audio Bus Name it AMB Go back to the Sound Property Editor for the ambience sound Click the Output Bus browse button Expand the Master Audio Bus, select AMB, and click OK 9. In the Sound Property Editor, set the positioning of this sound to 2D so its position is static in 3D space and adjust the volume fader to a level that you like. 10. Save your project (Ctrl+S) and click the Generate Soundbank button at the top-left of the interface. Now you’re ready integrate this sound into your level!
Introducing the Audio Controls Editor (ACE) In this section of the tutorial, you will learn about the Audio Controls Editor (ACE) interface. ACE is what you will use to map controls created in Wwise LTX to the Audio Translation Layer (ATL) controls used in Lumberyard. Step-by-step guide 1. Click the Audio Controls Editor icon (Headphones) or select View → Open View Pane → Audio Controls Editor from the Menu.
2. The left pane is the Audio Translation Layer panel, where game-side ATL controls are made.
3. There's a default set of controls that are pre-made and available to use.
4. The center pane is the Inspector Panel, where you can edit properties of an ATL control.
5. The right pane shows the available Wwise Controls that are part of the Wwise LTX project.
Further Reading: Audio Transition Layer User Guide http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lumberyard/latest/userguide/audio-atl-editor.html All actions, events, and parameters from your game are communicated to the Audio system using Audio Translation Layer (ATL) controls that are mapped to one or more controls made with Wwise. The connection between the ATL controls and the Wwise controls, as well as the creation of the controls themselves, are done using the Audio Controls Editor.
Create Audio Controls In this section of the tutorial, you will learn how to: Make a new folder in Audio Controls Editor (ACE) Create new Audio Translation Layer (ATL) controls Map Wwise controls to ATL controls There are 5 different types of ATL controls available: Triggers, RTPCs, Switches (and States), Environments and Preloads. We will be working with Triggers and RTPCs in this section.
Step-by-step guide 1. Open the Audio Control Editor.
2. We will use Folders to keep our ATL controls organized. Click on the +Add dropdown in the ACE window and select Folder to create an empty folder. Right-click the folder, select Rename, and name this folder tutorial_controls.
3. With the tutorial_controls folder selected, create another folder as before. It will be nested under tutorial_controls. Rename the newly created folder to ambience. 4. Click and drag the following Wwise control from the Wwise Controls pane to the ambience folder in the ATL Controls pane:
Play_town_amb_loop
5. In the Audio Controls Editor (ACE) menu, select File → Save All. 6. You should see that a new XML file has been created on disk at the following location: \dev\SamplesProject\libs\gameaudio\wwise\tutorial_controls.xml You can open this file in a text editor if you wish to see the XML format. 7. Go back to Audio Controls Editor (ACE), right-click on the Play_town_amb_loop trigger in the ATL Controls pane, and select Execute Trigger to audition it. You should now hear the ambience playing. To stop it just click another ATL folder or control. You can also use Spacebar to audition triggers. 8. As before, click and drag the following Wwise Controls onto the ambience folder: Stop_town_amb_loop AmbFade
9. Select File → Save All again to finish.
Related tasks and tutorials From this point forward, you can continue the Wwise LTX Audio tutorial series and learn how to add ambience to your game. Continue on to the next tutorial: Adding Ambience to a Level We’d love to hear from you! Head to our Tutorial Discussion forum to share any feedback you have, including what you do or don’t like about our tutorials or new content you’d like to see in the near future.
