Creating VGUI Soundscape Maker

This tutorial will show you how to make a vgui soundscape maker panel that allows you to modify, create, and play soundscapes in game.

Soundscape panel in game

Requirements

• A mod running on Source SDK 2013
• Knowledge of C++

The main vgui panel

Before you start the tutorial you need to copy and paste both these files into your src/game/client/ directory

• vgui_soundscape_maker.cpp
• vgui_soundscape_maker.h

Note:The vgui_soundscape_maker.cpp will have some errors but they will be fixed later when the c_soundscape.cpp and .h files get changed.

Once that is done you are almost all done. The next thing you are going to want to do is go over to client/vgui_int.cpp and at the top of the file and under

#include <vgui_controls/Controls.h>

add

#include "vgui_soundscape_maker.h"

Then in the same file find:

void VGui_CreateGlobalPanels( void )
{
	VPANEL gameToolParent = enginevgui->GetPanel( PANEL_CLIENTDLL_TOOLS );
	VPANEL toolParent = enginevgui->GetPanel( PANEL_TOOLS );

and under that add

g_SoundscapeMaker->Create(toolParent);

Now find

void VGui_Shutdown()
{

And under it add:

g_SoundscapeMaker->Destroy();

Now go to public\tier1\KeyValues.h and find:

private:
	KeyValues( KeyValues& );	// prevent copy constructor being used

(should be around line 258) and make that be:

public:
	KeyValues( KeyValues& );	// prevent copy constructor being used

Now go to client/c_soundscape.cpp and copy:

#include "c_soundscape.h"

to be under

#include "tier0/icommandline.h"

Then in the same file find:

void C_SoundscapeSystem::StartNewSoundscape( KeyValues *pSoundscape )

and just above that add:

extern bool g_IsPlayingSoundscape;

then at the very top of the function add

	if (g_IsPlayingSoundscape)
		return;

Then in the same file move

struct loopingsound_t
{
	Vector		position;		// position (if !isAmbient)
	const char *pWaveName;		// name of the wave file
	float		volumeTarget;	// target volume level (fading towards this)
	float		volumeCurrent;	// current volume level
	soundlevel_t soundlevel;	// sound level (if !isAmbient)
	int			pitch;			// pitch shift
	int			id;				// Used to fade out sounds that don't belong to the most current setting
	bool		isAmbient;		// Ambient sounds have no spatialization - they play from everywhere
};

to be under

#ifdef _WIN32
#pragma once

from c_soundscapes.cpp into the file client/c_soundscapes.h
and finally move:

struct randomsound_t
{
	Vector		position;
	float		nextPlayTime;	// time to play a sound from the set
	interval_t	time;
	interval_t	volume;
	interval_t	pitch;
	interval_t	soundlevel;
	float		masterVolume;
	int			waveCount;
	bool		isAmbient;
	bool		isRandom;
	KeyValues	*pWaves;

	void Init()
	{
		memset( this, 0, sizeof(*this) );
	}
};

struct subsoundscapeparams_t
{
	int		recurseLevel;		// test for infinite loops in the script / circular refs
	float	masterVolume;
	int		startingPosition;
	int		positionOverride;	// forces all sounds to this position
	int		ambientPositionOverride;	// forces all ambient sounds to this position
	bool	allowDSP;
	bool	wroteSoundMixer;
	bool	wroteDSPVolume;
};

class C_SoundscapeSystem : public CBaseGameSystemPerFrame
{
public:
	virtual char const *Name() { return "C_SoundScapeSystem"; }

	C_SoundscapeSystem()
	{
		m_nRestoreFrame = -1;
	}

	~C_SoundscapeSystem() {}

	void OnStopAllSounds()
	{
		m_params.ent.Set( NULL );
		m_params.soundscapeIndex = -1;
		m_loopingSounds.Purge();
		m_randomSounds.Purge();
	}

	// IClientSystem hooks, not needed
	virtual void LevelInitPreEntity()
	{
		Shutdown();
		Init();

		TouchSoundFiles();
	}

	virtual void LevelInitPostEntity() 
	{
		if ( !m_pSoundMixerVar )
		{
			m_pSoundMixerVar = (ConVar *)cvar->FindVar( "snd_soundmixer" );
		}
		if ( !m_pDSPVolumeVar )
		{
			m_pDSPVolumeVar = (ConVar *)cvar->FindVar( "dsp_volume" );
		}
	}

	// The level is shutdown in two parts
	virtual void LevelShutdownPreEntity() {}
	// Entities are deleted / released here...
	virtual void LevelShutdownPostEntity()
	{
		OnStopAllSounds();
	}

	virtual void OnSave() {}
	virtual void OnRestore()
	{
		m_nRestoreFrame = gpGlobals->framecount;
	}
	virtual void SafeRemoveIfDesired() {}

	// Called before rendering
	virtual void PreRender() { }

	// Called after rendering
	virtual void PostRender() { }

	// IClientSystem hooks used
	virtual bool Init();
	virtual void Shutdown();
	// Gets called each frame
	virtual void Update( float frametime );

	void PrintDebugInfo()
	{
		Msg( "\n------- CLIENT SOUNDSCAPES -------\n" );
		for ( int i=0; i < m_soundscapes.Count(); i++ )
		{
			Msg( "- %d: %s\n", i, m_soundscapes[i]->GetName() );
		}
		if ( m_forcedSoundscapeIndex )
		{
			Msg( "- PLAYING DEBUG SOUNDSCAPE: %d [%s]\n", m_forcedSoundscapeIndex, SoundscapeNameByIndex(m_forcedSoundscapeIndex) );
		}
		Msg( "- CURRENT SOUNDSCAPE: %d [%s]\n", m_params.soundscapeIndex.Get(), SoundscapeNameByIndex(m_params.soundscapeIndex) );
		Msg( "----------------------------------\n\n" );
	}

	
	// local functions
	void UpdateAudioParams( audioparams_t &audio );
	void GetAudioParams( audioparams_t &out ) const { out = m_params; }
	int GetCurrentSoundscape() 
	{ 
		if ( m_forcedSoundscapeIndex >= 0 )
			return m_forcedSoundscapeIndex;
		return m_params.soundscapeIndex; 
	}
	void DevReportSoundscapeName( int index );
	void UpdateLoopingSounds( float frametime );
	int AddLoopingAmbient( const char *pSoundName, float volume, int pitch );
	void UpdateLoopingSound( loopingsound_t &loopSound );
	void StopLoopingSound( loopingsound_t &loopSound );
	int AddLoopingSound( const char *pSoundName, bool isAmbient, float volume, 
		soundlevel_t soundLevel, int pitch, const Vector &position );
	int AddRandomSound( const randomsound_t &sound );
	void PlayRandomSound( randomsound_t &sound );
	void UpdateRandomSounds( float gameClock );
	Vector GenerateRandomSoundPosition();

	void ForceSoundscape( const char *pSoundscapeName, float radius );

	int FindSoundscapeByName( const char *pSoundscapeName );
	const char *SoundscapeNameByIndex( int index );
	KeyValues *SoundscapeByIndex( int index );
	
	// main-level soundscape processing, called on new soundscape
	void StartNewSoundscape( KeyValues *pSoundscape );
	void StartSubSoundscape( KeyValues *pSoundscape, subsoundscapeparams_t &params );

	// root level soundscape keys
	// add a process for each new command here
	// "dsp"
	void ProcessDSP( KeyValues *pDSP );
	// "dsp_player"
	void ProcessDSPPlayer( KeyValues *pDSPPlayer );
	// "playlooping"
	void ProcessPlayLooping( KeyValues *pPlayLooping, const subsoundscapeparams_t &params );	
	// "playrandom"
	void ProcessPlayRandom( KeyValues *pPlayRandom, const subsoundscapeparams_t &params );
	// "playsoundscape"
	void ProcessPlaySoundscape( KeyValues *pPlaySoundscape, subsoundscapeparams_t &params );
	// "soundmixer"
	void ProcessSoundMixer( KeyValues *pSoundMixer, subsoundscapeparams_t &params );
	// "dsp_volume"
	void ProcessDSPVolume( KeyValues *pKey, subsoundscapeparams_t &params );

	bool	IsBeingRestored() const
	{
		return gpGlobals->framecount == m_nRestoreFrame ? true : false;
	}

	void	AddSoundScapeFile( const char *filename );

	void		TouchPlayLooping( KeyValues *pAmbient );
	void		TouchPlayRandom( KeyValues *pPlayRandom );
	void		TouchWaveFiles( KeyValues *pSoundScape );
	void		TouchSoundFile( char const *wavefile );

	void		TouchSoundFiles();
	
	int							m_nRestoreFrame;

	CUtlVector< KeyValues * >	m_SoundscapeScripts;	// The whole script file in memory
	CUtlVector<KeyValues *>		m_soundscapes;			// Lookup by index of each root section
	audioparams_t				m_params;				// current player audio params
	CUtlVector<loopingsound_t>	m_loopingSounds;		// list of currently playing sounds
	CUtlVector<randomsound_t>	m_randomSounds;			// list of random sound commands
	float						m_nextRandomTime;		// next time to play a random sound
	int							m_loopingSoundId;		// marks when the sound was issued
	int							m_forcedSoundscapeIndex;// >= 0 if this a "forced" soundscape? i.e. debug mode?
	float						m_forcedSoundscapeRadius;// distance to spatialized sounds

	static ConVar *m_pDSPVolumeVar;
	static ConVar *m_pSoundMixerVar;

};

from c_soundscape.cpp to under the code you added in the c_soundscape.h file. before anything else you need to look for

	void ProcessDSPVolume(KeyValues* pKey, subsoundscapeparams_t& params);


private:

	bool	IsBeingRestored() const

in the .h file you just added the class to. and if you find it then make the private be public. Then under the class definition add:

extern C_SoundscapeSystem g_SoundscapeSystem;

Now the panel should be all done. to open the panel in game use the modbase_soundscape_panel command and the panel should show.

For information on how to use the vgui panel head over to:

• How to use the vgui soundscape maker