[TEC] Sound question to modders

[Fifi]

Hi,

What is calling a sound when clicking an item like in the order bar?

I suspect it’s not only in the SH.sdl file...

Could you tell me the right procedure to add a sound to an action?

Thanks in advance

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by Fifi

Hi,

What is calling a sound when clicking an item like in the order bar?

I suspect it’s not only in the SH.sdl file...

Could you tell me the right procedure to add a sound to an action?

Thanks in advance

What sound are you trying to add; to what action?

There are "Sounds" found in the SH.sdl file which are "linked" to .wav files that are stored in the same folder. Then there are "Speech" files which are stored in the Data/Sounds/Speech folder (.ogg files) which are linked to a "command" (order), which comes from an entirely different area. So it makes a difference to know what are you trying to do?

You have to remember this...……....We can substitute sounds for an action. Meaning we could take a quacking duck and make it be heard when the "Man Battle Stations" command is given. But, we can't make-up a completely new "command" and insert it into the game. The game is hard coded with that kind of limit. It has a specific number of "commands", it understands what to do when a specific "command" (order) is given. This is hard coded in it's game engine. We can't make-up a new "command" and expect it to do something......the game won't know what to do with it. We can only change an existing commands "linked" item's (like a sound that goes with it) into something else. It just won't work any other way.

[Fifi]

Ah ok Capt

So no way to add new action linked to a sound...i thought it was like that unfortunately.

Anyway, atually it’s an order from command bar icon (man the deck gun and man the AA gun) wich is not giving sound. Even though there is the good speech file (i tested it, i can hear the sound) in the different speech sections.
Could you tell me where to check to make it work with appropriate sound please?

[propbeanie]

Fifi, are you clicking on a menu button and not getting the sound? Or are you using a short-cut key and not getting the sound? ie: "Man the deck gun!" is not heard when you press the menu button?

[Fifi]

Yes, clicking menu button doesn’t play sound.
Not using key, because no key to call the « man the Deck gun »...

And now, i’ve Lost other few sounds as well, even though i could hear them before!
Could it be a sound card issue?

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by Fifi

Ah ok Capt

So no way to add new action linked to a sound...i thought it was like that unfortunately.

Anyway, atually it’s an order from command bar icon (man the deck gun and man the AA gun) wich is not giving sound. Even though there is the good speech file (i tested it, i can hear the sound) in the different speech sections.
Could you tell me where to check to make it work with appropriate sound please?

Your "Orders Panel" (along the bottom of the game interface) comes from the Data/Menu/cfg/OrdersBar.cfg file. The specific "Man the Deck Gun" command for the Stock game is found in [Section 5]; Button2...…"Toggle_activate_deck_gun_team". This is the "command" to "Man the Deck Gun".

The actual file that put's a "sound" with an "order" is found in the Data/Library/AnimGraphs folder. For the "Man_the_deck_gun" speech to play you will have to learn what each "Lead" individual is called......for instance the "Weapons Officer" is in the WCO.dat file. Opening it is not for the faint of heart! But to narrow down your search, look in "StateMachineClass/Stalker_Order/Conditions/[24]=Order/Actions/[1]=PlayMsg/Value"......poof, you're at "WaO_K_,Man_the_deck_gun". There's the connection.

It goes without saying there are three different "States" the game AI can be in.....Stalker/Hunter/Prey......and you'll find the same kind of "Order" found in each. So, don't just meddle with one, look at them all.

Now here's the thing, all of this is "superficial", the real meat and potatoes of what the game does with these values are hard coded. We can't do anything about it IF that's what actually makes it all come together. The game is "stuck" on needing to repeat "Yes Sir" when most command orders are given...….Why, well it's in the hard coded files because there's no place else it could be. We don't have access to even prove our theory, but that's the only explanation we can give when everything else seems correct.

[Fifi]

Many thanks for your time with me
I understand better now.

Now, strange thing is some sounds are playing while in submarine school, but not on a career save game!
(Like Fire at will, aim for water line etc)
Could it be an SH4 save issue?

It’s with OM+OMEGU...

[propbeanie]

There seem to be issues like that in OM+OMEGU. We would have to have KaleunMarco run you through his findings in some of our experiments with OM, where we have found some of the boats "squirrelly" under certain circumstances. Are you using the English speech, or the German speech? CapnScurvy is the one who discovered the time length of some of the speech files are too long in FotRSU, which interferes with the next phrase being spoken, so you may also be encountering that, if the files have been altered from Stock (which really isn't much better in this regard). Some of the phrases are "built" from several words or phrases, linked together, so sometimes the issue is compounded.

[Fifi]

Well in OM +OMEGU it’s the German speech, as it is included in OMEGU...
But using DBSM for OM mod, or Spax V8 mod gives the same result.

I will test if using English voices give better result, by taking out the German speech folders.

The sound issues encountered are:
- Deck gun orders (man the deck gun not working, others orders working only in school; not in career save)
- AA gun orders (same as above)
- Hydro man announces (not saying the whole sequence with contact, closing/moving away; but just the bearing)

It doesn’t brake the fantastic mod of Lurker, it’s just an immersion mater

[Fifi]

Ok, taking out all German speech, i can hear the Yes Sir when ordering Man the Deck Gun (3 times in a row!)
Replacing the German files Man the Deck Gun by the Yawol Kaleun, wich is same file length as the English one doesn’t work at all...
So it’s not a length matter...

I’ve checked all Capt Scurvy told me in the Library folder for orders, and everything seems fine with all the files.
So i’ll Just give up for the moment, and live without those sound files not playing

Might be a hard coded issue.

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by Fifi

Ok, taking out all German speech, i can hear the Yes Sir when ordering Man the Deck Gun (3 times in a row!)
Replacing the German files Man the Deck Gun by the Yawol Kaleun, wich is same file length as the English one doesn’t work at all...
So it’s not a length matter...

I’ve checked all Capt Scurvy told me in the Library folder for orders, and everything seems fine with all the files.
So i’ll Just give up for the moment, and live without those sound files not playing

Might be a hard coded issue.

Yes, it MIGHT be a hard coded issue, it's hard to say before exhausting all other possibilities?.

I'm wondering out loud here. I was using the Stock game yesterday and tested the "Man the Deck Gun" button.....I got 5 "Yes Sir's" before the game put the crew into position, no "Man the Deck Gun". I'm just wondering if removing the "Yes Sir" from the WcO Weapons Officer would allow the "Man the Deck Gun" to play?? We would have to remove the "Yes Sir" from the "Data/Library/AnimGraphs/WCO.dat/StateMachineClass" folder, but it's worth a try.

It could also be an over riding "Yes Sir" coming from another AI individual that's stinking up the works? It's hard to tell just which voice goes with which AI individual.

[propbeanie]

Where are the phrases "built"? The character animation?

[Fifi]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

Yes, it MIGHT be a hard coded issue, it's hard to say before exhausting all other possibilities?.

I'm wondering out loud here. I was using the Stock game yesterday and tested the "Man the Deck Gun" button.....I got 5 "Yes Sir's" before the game put the crew into position, no "Man the Deck Gun". I'm just wondering if removing the "Yes Sir" from the WcO Weapons Officer would allow the "Man the Deck Gun" to play?? We would have to remove the "Yes Sir" from the "Data/Library/AnimGraphs/WCO.dat/StateMachineClass" folder, but it's worth a try.

It could also be an over riding "Yes Sir" coming from another AI individual that's stinking up the works? It's hard to tell just which voice goes with which AI individual.

That’s where my skills ended doing so, got a nice CTD when clicking Man the Deck Gun...
No big deal, we’ll live with it

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Where are the phrases "built"? The character animation?

Yes, in the "Data/Library/AnimGraphs" folder. At least some parts of it comes from there. But, it's possible there's still more than just one folder controlling "speech"?? As you know, the actual phrase used comes from one folder; the actual "command button" comes from another; the AI mechanism that controls the "and/or" of it all seems to come from this folder. But, there could easily be more to it.

[Sniper297]

Couple items, in the OPTIONS, SOUND menu there's a slider upper left that controls the number of 3D sound channels, minimum 1 channel max 4 channels. If that slider is all the way left or your sound card isn't capable of processing 4 channels you only hear one sound at a time, although because of the speed modern computers operate it might sound like you're hearing multiple sounds simultaneously. Item 2, 4 sound channels will drop sounds in SH4 when there's a lot of action and more than 4 sounds at a time.

I don't think any mod is to blame for the OP's problem, I'm playing with no megamods and sometimes I hear the tube outer door opening sound, sometimes not. The whole sound system is a mess IMO, voice saying "rudder! rudder!" when you order rudder amidships, I just turned the voices off in the OPTIONS, SOUND menu because it's more immersive without idiots constantly saying idiotic things. The "PASSING THERMAL LAYER!" loud stage whisper is apparently not in the voices, and all too frequently gets caught in a sound loop even when you're on the surface, so I just changed the WAV file so it's quiet bubbles that I can ignore.

I have no idea what processes which sounds get dropped and which have priority when there are more than the game can handle, but if that can be found it might be worth looking into.