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Managing Game Parameters used in RTPCs

Before you can map the parameters in your game to the properties in Wwise, you must create the Game Parameters. You can manage the list of Game Parameters and define their minimum and maximum values in the Game Syncs tab of the Project Explorer.

To help you easily identify a Game Parameter in the interface, it is represented by the following icon.

Icon

Represents

Game Parameter

Creating Game Parameters

If you plan to use a Game Parameter to drive an object's property value, you must create it first. You can create Game Parameters in either of the following two places in Wwise:

  • Game Syncs tab of the Project Explorer

  • RTPC tab of the Property, Attenuation, or Effect Editor

[Caution]Caution

When naming Game Parameters in Wwise, use only letters, digits, and underscores, and make sure that each Game Parameter name is unique.

To create a new Game Parameter in the Project Explorer:

  1. In the Project Explorer, switch to the Game Syncs tab.

  2. In the Game Parameters section, do one of the following:

    • Select a Work Unit or Virtual Folder and click the Game Parameter icon in the Project Explorer toolbar.

    • Right-click a Work Unit or Virtual Folder and select New Child > Game Parameter from the shortcut menu.

    A new Game Parameter is added to the list of Game Parameters.

  3. Replace the default name with one that best represents the Game Parameter.

    [Note]Note

    Use only letters or underscores for the first character.

  4. Continue to add Game Parameters as needed.

To create a new Game Parameter from the RTPC tab:

  1. In the RTPC tab of the Property, Attenuation, or Effect Editor, select an entry in the RTPC list.

    If the entry does not yet have a property selected, select one via the selector button.

  2. Select the Game Parameters menu item, then select New.

    The New Game Parameter dialog opens.

  3. Select the Work Unit into which you want to create the new Game Parameter.

  4. In the Name field, replace the default name with one that best represents the Game Parameter.

  5. Click OK to create the new Game Parameter.

Defining the range of values for a Game Parameter

After you have created a Game Parameter, you must define its minimum and maximum values. In the case of a racing car, for example, the minimum and maximum speeds would be 0 and 300 km/h.

You can also specify a default Game Parameter value. This allows you to set a global value to all game objects that do not explicitly specify a particular value. The default Game Parameter value defined in Wwise will be ignored in the following situations:

  • If a game object explicitly specifies a particular value.

  • If your game programmer defines a global RTPC value in the SDK.

To define the range of values for a Game Parameter:

  1. In the Project Explorer, switch to the Game Syncs tab.

  2. In the Game Parameters section, double-click the Game Parameter whose values you want to define.

    The Game Parameter is loaded into the Property Editor.

  3. Define the parameter range by specifying minimum and maximum values.

  4. In the Default text box, specify a global value that you want game objects to use if they do not explicitly specify a particular value.

Deleting Game Parameters

You can delete a Game Parameter that you no longer need in your project. When you delete a Game Parameter, it will no longer be available to the objects, Events, and Presets that were using it.

[Note]Note

Before deleting a Game Parameter, be sure to speak to your audio programmer to ensure that it doesn't impact the game code.

To delete a Game Parameter:

  1. In the Project Explorer, switch to the Game Syncs tab.

  2. In the Game Parameters section, right-click the Game Parameter that you want to delete and select Delete Selection.

    The Game Parameter is deleted from Wwise.

Binding Game Parameters to built-in parameters

Based on input from the game, the sound engine calculates a standard set of values that the sound designer might find useful to create dynamic audio and motion. These "built-in" parameters are accessed using the Bind to Built-In Parameter list in the Game Parameter Property Editor. Built-in parameter values are updated each frame based on the game object positioning data received from the game. In Wwise Authoring, these values are only updated when you are remote connected to your game.

Unlike standard Game Parameters, no game programming is necessary to use Game Parameters that are bound to built in parameters.

[Note]Note

  1. When an RTPC is bound to a built-in parameter, the sound engine updates the value for each game object. If the RTPC is used on a global Wwise object that has no game object association, such as a bus or bus effect, the default value will be used.

  2. Built-In Parameters that depend on the emitter's position, such as Distance, Azimuth, Emitter Cone and so on, are evaluated from the position of the game object. Thus, 3D position settings, such as Automation and Hold Listener Orientation, are ignored.

Available built-in parameters:

  • Distance

    The distance between the game object and the listener. In the case that multiple listeners and/or multiple positions are assigned to the game object, the value is taken to be the shortest distance between all listener and sound position combinations.

  • Azimuth

    The angle, in degrees, between the listener and the game object projected on to the horizontal plane. A value of 0 degrees indicates that the sound is directly in front of the listener, -90 degrees the sound is to the left, 90 degrees to the right, and +/- 180 degrees the sound is directly behind the listener.

    In the case that the game object has been assigned multiple listeners and/or sound positions, the value taken is the angle between the listener and sound position that are closest together.

  • Elevation

    The vertical angle with respect to the horizon in degrees, between the listener and the game object. A value of 0 degrees indicates that the sound is on the same horizontal plane as the listener; a value of 90 degrees indicates that the sound is directly above and -90 degrees indicates the sound is directly below.

    In the case that the game object has been assigned multiple listeners and/or sound positions, the value taken is the angle between the listener and sound position that are closest together.

  • Emitter Cone

    The Emitter Cone represents the 3D angle between the orientation vector of the emitter and the vector formed by the line between the emitter and the listener. A value of 0 degrees indicates that the emitter is directly facing the listener, and a value of 180 degrees indicates that the emitter is facing directly away from the listener.

    In the case that the game object has been assigned multiple listeners and/or sound positions, the value taken is the angle between the listener and sound position that are closest together.

  • Obstruction

    Obstruction provides access to the value set on the game object via the SetObjectObstructionAndOcclusion API.

    In the case that the game object has been assigned multiple listeners, the obstruction value taken is the one that has been assigned to the listener with the closest current sound position.

  • Occlusion

    Occlusion provides access to the value set on the game object via the SetObjectObstructionAndOcclusion API.

    In the case that the game object has been assigned multiple listeners, the occlusion value taken is the one that has been assigned to the listener with the closest current sound position.

  • Listener Cone

    The Listener Cone represents the 3D angle between the orientation vector of the listener and the vector formed by the line between the emitter and the listener. A value of 0 degrees indicates that the listener is directly facing the emitter, and a value of 180 degrees indicates that the listener is facing directly away from the emitter.

    In the case that the game object has been assigned multiple listeners and/or sound positions, the value taken is the angle between the listener and sound position that are closest together.

  • Diffraction

    Diffraction provides access to the diffraction angle calculated by Wwise Spatial Audio when using sound propagation with rooms and portals or with geometry.

    In order to receive this built-in parameter, the Diffraction and Transmission check box of the Positioning tab of the Property Editor must be selected, and the emitter and listener must be either in separate Rooms connected by one or more Portals, or obstructed by geometry that was passed to Wwise Spatial Audio.

    With rooms and portals, emitter game objects receive a value relating to their 'dry' diffraction; the divergence angle, in degrees, away from a straight-line path between the emitter and the listener. Room game objects that have been registered internally by Spatial Audio also receive a diffraction value, but relating instead to their 'wet' diffraction - the diffraction of the diffuse reservation field of sounds that are inside the Room. Wet diffraction is the divergence angle, in degrees, from the perpendicular to a Portal opening.

    In the case that there are multiple Portals, or multiple paths the sound can take to reach the listener, the smallest diffraction angle amongst the various paths is chosen. The diffraction value can have a range from 0 - 100, which represents a percentage of diffraction, rather than a degree.

  • Transmission Loss

    Transmission Loss provides access to the transmission loss calculated by Wwise Spatial Audio when using sound propagation with rooms and portals or with geometry.

    In order to receive this built-in parameter, the Diffraction and Transmission check box of the Positioning tab of the Property Editor must be selected, and the emitter and listener must be either in separate Rooms connected by one or more Portals (enabled or not), or obstructed by geometry that was passed to Wwise Spatial Audio.

    Transmission Loss is computed for the ray that connects the emitter and listener directly. The Transmission Loss of geometry is defined on geometry (AkAcousticSurface::transmissionLoss), while the Transmission Loss of rooms is defined on Rooms (AkRoomParams::TransmissionLoss). It has a range from 0 to 100.

    The highest value is used across the emitter's and listener's rooms, and all geometry surfaces crossed.

    [Note]Note

    Although the Transmission Loss is taken from the ray corresponding to the direct path, Wwise does not allow signal processing of rays independently, except when using Attenuation curves or project-wide Obstruction and Occlusion. For example, if there is a diffraction path in parallel with the transmission path, and you want to control a property on the sound or on an Effect using the built-in Transmission Loss RTPC, this property will be applied to the signal that is the result of the sum of the transmission and diffraction paths, which is probably not the desired effect. This has to be taken into consideration. For this reason, it is better to rely on Attenuation Curves to handle volume and filtering due to Transmission Loss.

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