Sound operators

These are the root sound operators referenced in Portal 2. See scripts/sound_operator_stacks.txt and Soundscripts#Operator stacks for more details.

To chain operators together, values can be set to @prev_op_name.property_name to read a value. For vectors the names can be appended with an index in square brackets to set/get a specific value.

Todo: Make this more beginner-friendy?

Usage

VFX.LightFlickerEnd 
{
	channel		CHAN_AUTO
	soundlevel	SNDLVL_105db
	volume		1.0
	rndwave
	{
		wave		"vfx/light_flicker/light_flicker_end_01.wav"
		wave		"vfx/light_flicker/light_flicker_end_02.wav"
		wave		"vfx/light_flicker/light_flicker_end_03.wav"
		wave		"vfx/light_flicker/light_flicker_end_04.wav"
	}

	soundentry_version 2

	operator_stacks
	{
		start_stack // applied when the sound begins
		{
			import_stack 	"P2_exclusion_time_blocker_start" // defined in scripts/sound_operator_stacks.txt

			// We are now extending/configuring P2_exclusion_time_blocker_start

			block_entries // prevents another sound from playing
			{
				input_duration 0.25 // seconds to block for
				match_entry "World.LightFlickerEnd" // the sound entry to block
				match_entity false // only on the same entity that this sound is playing from?
			}
		}
	}
}

Common properties

execute_once: Whether the operator should run every time the stack is evaluated, or only the first time. Output values are presumable stored between executions in the latter case.
input_execute: The operator will only run if this value is true (i.e. non-zero).
output: The result of the operator (if there is one). Accessed with @OperatorName.output.

There is also one special command that is not an operator:

import_stack: Inserts another named stack into this one.

Operator list

System

Affect sound playback.

sys_stop_entries

Ends existing sounds.

match_entry: The sound entry name to look for.
match_substring: Whether match_entry can be part of a larger string (e.g. "MyGun" matches MyGun.fire, MyGun.reload).
match_channel: Sound must have the same channel (e.g. CHAN_STATIC) as this one to match.
match_entity: Sound must be coming from the same entity as this one.
input_max_entries: Confirm:Stop all but this many instances of the sound?

sys_start_entry

Plays another sound.

input_start: Confirm:In addition to whether the operator is active, only start if/when this value is true?
entry_name: The entry to play.

sys_block_entries

Prevents new sounds from playing.

input_duration: How long to suppress sounds for.
input_active: Confirm:In addition to normal duration, suppress only when this value is true?
match_entry: Sound entry to suppress.
match_sound: A raw WAV/MP3 filename to match. Possibly deprecated?
match_substring: Whether match_entry can be part of a larger string (e.g. "MyGun" matches MyGun.fire, MyGun.reload).
match_channel: Sound must have the same channel (e.g. CHAN_STATIC) as this one to match.
match_entity: Sound must be coming from the same entity as this one.

sys_output

Sends a value back to the sound system relating to the current entry.

input_float

Takes a float value to send to the system.

input_speakers

Takes an array of floats to send to the system, each to do with a certain speaker. Use only with the speakers output.

output

Says what value should be altered, for example:

speakers: Use in update_stacks only. Adjusts the volume of each speaker according to values given by input_speakers.
pitch: Use in update_stacks only. Adjusts the playback pitch of the sound to the value given with input_float.
dsp: Use in update_stacks only. Adjusts the DSP of the sound to the value given with input_float.
delay: Use in start_stacks only. Waits for the number of seconds specified in input_float before starting the sound. A negative value results in it starting the sound that many seconds into the WAV file instead of at the beginning.
block_start: Use in start_stacks only. Prevents the sound from starting if the value given with input_float is non-zero.
mixlayer_trigger: "Tell the mixlayer we're active" if the value given with input_float is non-zero.; Todo: What does this mean?
save_restore: Confirm:Use in update_stacks only. Tells the system to save and restore the state of the sound if the value given with input_float is non-zero.
stop_hold: Use in update_stacks only.
Confirm:Prevents the sound from stopping if the value given with input_float is non-zero.
facing: Confirm:Make the sound play in a certain direction?

sys_platform

Tests what platform the engine is running on.

pc
x360
ps3: Should the operator return true if running on this platform?

sys_mixlayer

Configures a sound mixer. See scripts\soundmixers.txt

mixlayer: The layer to alter.
mixgroup: The sound group within the layer to alter.
field: Property of the group to alter.
input: Floating point value to set.

Maths

Generate or process numbers.

The result of these is stored in @name.output.

math_random

Produces a random number.

input_min
input_max: Range of values to output.
round_to_int: Set to "true" or "false"(default). This makes the output a whole number.

math_float

Performs elementary maths operations with two values.

input1

input2

The two operands to use.

apply

Specifies the operation to perform:

add: A + B
sub: A - B
mult: A * B
div: A / B
mod: Returns the remainder of A / B, or the modulus.

invert_scale: Unknown behaviour. Always performed on the output of cos(), and then used to multiply another value.

min: Outputs the smallest of the two numbers.
max: Outputs the largest of the two numbers.

less_than: Checks if A < B, and outputs 1.0 or 0.0.
greater_than: Checks if A > B, and outputs 1.0 or 0.0.
less_than_or_equal: Checks if A <= B, and outputs 1.0 or 0.0.
greater_than_or_equal: Checks if A >= B, and outputs 1.0 or 0.0.
equals: If both are equal outputs 1.0, otherwise 0.0

math_float_accumulate12: Does the same as math_float, but uses 12 inputs instead. All examples use mult.

math_func1

Executes various maths functions.

input1

The argument to pass.

function

Specifies the function to call:

round: Round to the nearest whole number.
fabs: Compute the absolute value of the input.
sqrt: Computes the square root of the input.
exp: Computes e raised to the power of the input.
log: Computes the natural logarithm of the input.
sin
cos
tan: Computes the normal sin/cos/tan values. Angles are given in radians.
asin
acos
atan: Computes the inverse of sin/cos/tan. Angles are given in radians.

normalise_trig: Set to "true" or "false". Unknown behaviour, but false computes normal trignometric values.

math_logic_switch

Selects one of two possible outputs.

input_switch: Chooses which of the other values is outputted.
input1: The value to output if input_switch is 0.
input2: The value to output if input_switch is 1.

math_delta
math_remap_float

Remaps a value from one range to another (identically to math_remap).

input: The value to remap.
input_min
input_max: The smallest/largest value the input will be set to.
input_map_min: When the input equals input_min, the output will be this value.
input_map_max: When the input equals input_max, the output will be this value.

Getters

Provide values from the engine.

get_convar

Retrieve the value of a console variable.

convar: The name of the console variable to read.

get_dashboard

get_map_name: Checks if the given map_name matches the name of the map.

get_opvar_float
get_soundmixer
get_track_syncpoint

get_sys_time

Collects the host/client time.

output_client_time
output_host_time

get_entry_time

Collects information about the playing sound.

output_entry_elapsed: The time this sound has been playing.
output_sound_elapsed
output_stop_elapsed: -1 if playing, otherwise the time spent after being stopped.
output_sound_duration: The duration of the current sound. Zero during the start stack.

get_source_info

Collects a variety of information about the sound source.

source: Specify "entity" or "emitter" to choose which entity is checked. The emitter is the entity where the sound emmenates from, the entity is the entity which made it play.
output_entity_index: The index for this entity.
output_position: The position of the entity.
output_angles: The rotation of the entity.
output_radius: Only valid for the emitter.
output_volume
output_level
output_pitch: The relevant values of the soundscript.
output_source_count: The number of sounds (including this one) produced by the entity.

game_view_info

Collects a variety of game-specific information about the player for specialised uses.

output_velocity_xy
output_velocity_vector_z
output_position_x
output_position_y
output_position_z: Returns the vector or X/Y/Z position for the provided input_source_index.
output_stop_elapsed

Setters

Change values in the engine.

set_convar
set_opvar_float
increment_opvar_float

Calculations

Calculate pre-set algorithms.

calc_angles_facing
calc_distant_dsp
calc_occlusion
calc_falloff

calc_source_distance: Calculates the distance from this sound to the provided input_position.

calc_spatialize_speakers

Other

util_print_float

Displays a float in the console, along with the name of this operator.

input: The floating point value to show.

util_pos_vec8
op_accumulate_ss_float
iterate_merge_speakers
track_queue
track_stop
track_update

Sound operators

Contents

Usage

Common properties

Operator list

System

Maths

Getters

Setters

Calculations

Other

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Sound operators

Usage

Common properties

Operator list

System

Maths

Getters

Setters

Calculations

Other

Navigation menu

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