Talk:Soundscape

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This page is for discussing the contents of Soundscape.

Previewing soundscapes

Is there any way to preview a soundscape? --TomEdwards 03:42, 15 Jul 2005 (PDT)

Yes, but until now that section was written rather hesitantly. --MossyBucket (formerly Andreasen) 01:14, 16 February 2011 (UTC)

Using mp3s for soundscapes

The key for a soundfile is "wave". Is it possible to use *.mp3 files instead of *.wav files? If yes, do *.wav files have any notable advantages over mp3s?

I believe you'll need the Miles Sound System license & software to incorporate MP3 into the Source game sfx engine (currently only mp3 is available for music). (user:Robertprice45)

That sounds like a buncha garbage to me...—ts2do ^(Talk | @) 12:38, 20 Dec 2005 (PST)

http://www.vorbis.com/ --TomEdwards 01:48, 21 Dec 2005 (PST)

You should be able to use MP3s in your soundscapes with no problem. Freakwolfe

MP3 Looping?

It is possible of use mp3 in looping mode with soundscape? With ambient_generic it's not possible. Thx. --Anarkia777 00:35, 26 July 2010 (UTC)

Can you double check if you looped the actual .wav file? Looping a Sound --ThaiGrocer 01:20, 26 July 2010 (UTC)

Yes in wav the file is right looped, but when it is in mp3 just played once. --Anarkia777 10:18, 26 July 2010 (UTC)

So I think it's pretty much like this: .mp3 files do not loop (to the best of knowledge), wav files will loop if marked properly using an editing program like Wavosaur. Furthermore the soundscape or ambient_generic has to be set up properly to play the loop. Like ambient_generic has a flag "is NOT looped"; that has to be unchecked. So were you originally wanting an ambient_generic to loop or are you going full out with soundscapes? --ThaiGrocer 15:55, 26 July 2010 (UTC)

Looping MP3 Files E.G.

--http://gamebanana.com/members/215600 09:51, 12 August 2012 (PDT)

//////////// Outside bird sounds (loop mp3 sound file trick by gtamike_TSGK) ////////////
//////////// The 2 .mp3 files are the same as each other just not the same file name ////////////
//////////// MP3 Sound file runtime 3.29mins = 3 X 60 + 29 = 209secs ////////////

// mp3_loop

"mp3_loop"
{
	"dsp" "1"
	"playlooping"
	{
		"volume"	"1.0"
		"pitch"		"100"
		"soundlevel"	"SNDLVL_150dB"

		"wave"	"loop_mp3_soundscape/outside_1MB_20KB_part_1.mp3"
	}

	"playrandom"
	{
		"time"		"209"
		"volume"	"1.0"
		"pitch"		"100"	
		"soundlevel"	"SNDLVL_150dB"

		"rndwave"
		{
			"wave"	"loop_mp3_soundscape/outside_1MB_20KB_part_1.mp3"
			"wave"	"loop_mp3_soundscape/outside_1MB_20KB_part_2.mp3"
		}
	}
} 

Custom soundscapes

When will custom soundscapes for HL2 Single Player be enabled?--Fitzroy doll 01:39, 18 Apr 2006 (PDT)

I know it's old, but they are now. --Sortie 22:40, 9 April 2009 (UTC)

Heh - thanks! I originally asked this in relation to whether you could create custom soundscapes for standalone maps in HL2 single player in the same way that you can crate custom soundscapes for standalone maps for CS:S. The answer then (and now, as far as I'm aware) is no - you must set it up as a mod in order for this to work, which is a better solution overall in any case.--Fitzroy doll 10:13, 10 April 2009 (UTC)

Custom soundscape not working in HL2

Is there any reason it should not work? I have the soundscape file in the scripts folder, my map is called dam_2, and the soundscape is called soundscapes_dam_2. I've personally looked over the file and had others verify that the contents are valid, so why can the game not find the soundscapes when I play the map? Thanks in advance. --JeffMOD 16:53, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

HL2 didn't have that feature. Switch to a more recent game. --TomEdwards 16:56, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I see. Thanks. --JeffMOD 17:06, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

List of soundscapes

I included a link to List of Soundscapes because it just seems dumb to constantly update lists on every specialized page just because somebody wanted a separate page for each list. Transclusion seems like a bad idea, but a redirect page seems a little silly, too. What's appropriate? Just keep it insane way, remove the link?--TheLazyPanda 04:29, 19 January 2010 (UTC)

Trigger_Soundscape

Soundscapes activated by trigger_soundscape do persist while the player is outside of the volume. It acts just like a trigger_multiple whose onStartTouch output is set to give a PlaySoundscape command (in which case it acts just like any other soundscape entity). There is no 'stopsoundscape' event occurring here. If there ever was, it's gone now--or is a specific game/mod--and most certainly not universal behavior. Page has been updated to reflect proper information. --TheLazyPanda 03:34, 19 January 2010 (UTC)

What a soundscape is and isn't

Up until now, this article seems to have mistaken a thing or two - feel free to correct me if you know more than me:

• A soundscape is a script for coordinating sounds. It is not the entity triggering the soundscape.
• A trigger_soundscape can not trigger a soundscape directly. (I've tried this.) It is thus not a soundscape entity, but a trigger that triggers a soundscape entity.

--MossyBucket (formerly Andreasen) 01:14, 16 February 2011 (UTC)

Split this article in two?

I vote for this article to be split into one soundscape article, and one creating custom soundscapes article, for the sake of the latters size, and for the subjects being in completely different areas. (Level design vs. scripting)

--MossyBucket (formerly Andreasen) 21:31, 21 February 2011 (UTC)

How to load soundscapes that arent already?

I'm trying to make a map for the game Day Of Infamy, but it seems like I can't use the soundscapes they use. While the official maps have their own soundscapes and work properly, they don't seem to work in my map. It appears that these soundscape files aren't included in the soundscapes_manifest.txt file, so I don't understand how they can use them or what I should do to be able to use them myself. Can someone who understands how soundscapes are loaded (particularly in Insurgency or DOI) please help???

Greenhourglass (talk) 22:26, 24 February 2017 (UTC)

At least L4D2 has a system for loading soundscape files that include the map name (soundscape_<mapname>.txt). Maybe DOI and Insurgency has a similar system, so copying the soundscapes you need to a file named after your map might work. It might need to be packed in a .vpk addon. I looked a the soundscape files in Insurgency, and they all follow the same format. Rectus (talk) 22:52, 24 February 2017 (UTC)

Like Rectus said, soundscapes can be map specific by naming the soundscape file soundscapes_<mapname>.txt. So if your map was named de_map_name_123.bsp, the soundscape file name would be soundscapes_de_map_name_123.txt. This works in all Source engine games, and is useful for custom maps as you only have to pack the soundscape file without having to modify the soundscape manifest file. If you want to use specific soundscapes from other maps, you can create a soundscape file for your own map (soundscapes_<your map name here>.txt) and copy the soundscape entries from the other maps into your own soundscape script. -- Dr. Orange ^{talk · contributions} 11:25, 25 February 2017 (UTC)

adding soundscapes into portal 2

Hi! i'm creating a new soundscape for a map in portal 2 and i have it in the manifest.txt, but, my problem is, why is it not loading? i can't hear it ingame. am i doing something wrong? Oddsox12ishere (talk) 12:43, 26 July 2018 (UTC)

my soundscape below

"bathroom.scary"
{
	"dsp" "1"

	"playlooping"
	{
		"volume"	"1"
		"pitch"		"110"
		"soundlevel"	"SNDLVL_85dB"
	
		"position"	"0"
	
		"wave"	"ambient/atmosphere/ambience_base.wav"
	}
	
	"playlooping"
	{
		"volume"	"1"
		"pitch"		"110"
		"soundlevel"	"SNDLVL_85dB"
	
		"position"	"0"
	
		"wave"	"ambient/electrical/amb_hotel_refrigeration_lp_01.wav"
	}

	"playlooping"
	{
		"volume"	"1"
		"pitch"		"110"
		"soundlevel"	"SNDLVL_85dB"
	
		"position"	"0"
	
		"wave"	"ambient/wind/underground_wind_lp_01.wav"
	}
	
	"playrandom"
	{
		"volume"	"0.9,1.0"
		"pitch"		"85, 100"
		"time"		"7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0"
		"position"	"0"
		"soundlevel"	"SNDLVL_85dB"
		"rndwave"
		{
			"wave" "ambient/random_abstract/amb_randomabstract_05.wav"
			"wave" "world/a2_catapult_intro_hallway_clear_lf"
			"wave" "ambient/random_abstract/amb_muffled_lo_mach_02.wav"
			"wave" "ambient/random_abstract/amb_muffled_lo_mach_08.wav"
			"wave" "ambient/random_abstract/amb_randomabstract_11.wav"
			"wave" "ambient/industrial/amb_mach_behind_walls_lp_03.wav"
			"wave" "ambient/random_abstract/amb_randomabstract_01.wav"
			"wave" "ambient/random_abstract/amb_randomabstract_02.wav"
			"wave" "ambient/random_abstract/amb_randomabstract_07.wav"

		}
	}
}

Hi. Your script itself looks fine to me. Are you compiling your map with VVIS on? Soundscapes require that you do. If you are, try using the console command soundscape_debug. It should show you information about active soundscapes. Tell me what happens and we'll go from there. Pinsplash (talk) 17:37, 26 July 2018 (UTC)

i have used the debug command and it's still inaudible. i also have the VIS setting on the launcher set to 'normal.' did i miss something? Oddsox12ishere (talk) 22:45, 26 July 2018 (UTC)

Did the debug command say that the soundscape was actually playing? env_soundscape's must also be in the player's line of sight to be activated. I'd also want to ask if you're using the Sound Position keyvalue, cause that may affect things. Pinsplash (talk) 01:21, 27 July 2018 (UTC)

It was playing, the line from the soundscape was green. I'm not using the sound position keyvalue; Sound Position Zero isn't set to anything. Oddsox12ishere (talk) 12:41, 27 July 2018 (UTC)

Very weird. All I can imagine trying from there is the console command snd_show. (Lists sounds that are playing. My guess is that the sounds will not be listed.) Pinsplash (talk) 18:07, 27 July 2018 (UTC)

Yeah, they're not listed. Weird. Oddsox12ishere (talk) 02:15, 28 July 2018 (UTC)

Maybe you should delete the "position" "0" lines from the script? It might be that the game is trying to put the sounds at a "position 0", except you haven't given one and therefore it plays at... nowhere. I've never tried doing that before, it might be the cause. Pinsplash (talk) 03:49, 28 July 2018 (UTC)

Did that work? I'm guessing it did. Pinsplash (talk) 01:58, 29 July 2018 (UTC)

Hello. You can use the <pre> tag to format large blocks of text rather than uploading an image to the site. — Dr. Orange ^{talk · contributions} 18:15, 26 July 2018 (UTC)

I'm gonna put that in a box, just so it doesn't take up so much space. Pinsplash (talk) 18:44, 26 July 2018 (UTC)w

Origin works in L4D2 which is pre -Portal 2

Not sure if it works exactly the same as Portal 2, but you can specify "origin" in L4D2 soundscapes which is pre-Portal 2