COLLABORATE

The Collaboration functionality maximizes efficiency for all members of your audio team.

Workgroup

Designed to enable the easy integration of Wwise® projects into existing source control applications, the workgroup feature ensures that your team members can work simultaneously on the same project.

Source Control Support

Wwise supports native source control integration through a plug-in interface and ships with Perforce® and Subversion plug-ins. Using this Source Control Support, you can manage production elements, including check-in/check-out and logs, directly in Wwise.

Simultaneous Multi-Platform Editing

Wwise enables the use of one project to generate games on each target platform simultaneously.  You can customize the contents of a project to take full advantage of the strengths of each platform by

• Linking property values across platforms,
• Un-linking specific property values per platform,
• Customizing property values and including/excluding sound assets per platform,
• Customizing SoundBanks asset conversion settings per platform,
• Having any platform specific elements seamlessly integrated into the Wwise authoring application.

Manage Localization

Easily manage the localization of all audio files in one project using Wwise. Simply import and apply volume offsets to localized audio assets, in batch or individually, and automatically reference them to the default language.

Environmental Effects

• Use environmental effects to instantiate reverb effects for every area created in your game. Wwise manages these environments and processes the sound sources with the correct reverb settings, allowing smooth transitions between game areas.
• The number of simultaneous environments running in your game is limited only by the amount of memory and CPU that you want to allocate for this functionality.

Occlusion/Obstruction

Methods are exposed in the sound engine for setting the occlusion and obstruction factors that dynamically affect the volume and low pass filter of Wwise sound objects.  Volume and low pass filter curves for occlusion and obstruction are customizable for each project in Wwise.

AUTHOR

The following authoring functionality highlights the creative power and flexibility of Wwise.

Intuitive User Interface

Wwise enables game developers to increase productivity by Using presets to save object property and effect values, Using ShareSets that allow for presets to be shared by many objects, Employing keyboard shortcuts to commonly used commands, Selecting optimized layouts to perform specific tasks, Extending your layouts on several monitors, Ducking/unducking views, resizing, adding/removing views, etc.

Interactive Music

The Interactive Music functionality in Wwise allows you to integrate dynamic game-driven musical scores. This enables musical elements to follow and react to game state changes with seamless and fully customizable transitions. In addition, an unlimited number of musical elements can also be created, including stingers. Like other objects in Wwise, Real Time Parameter Control, states, and effects can be applied to Interactive Music objects. Create music structures and rule-based transitions. Use multi-track content (stems) for added flexibility and control. Create, simulate, and validate musical transitions without assistance from a programmer.

Dynamic Dialogue System

By using a set of user-defined argument rules, the Dynamic Dialogue system is a lightweight and efficient rule-based method for building and managing dynamic dialogue audio for your games. Create sample accurate dialogue stitching for a wide range of dialogue uses, including play-by-play and non-playing characters.

Voice Asset Importer

Externally created tab-delimited text files can be easily imported into Wwise using the Voice Asset Importer. Sound voice objects and optional random container parent objects can then be automatically created in the Actor-Mixer structure of your Wwise project.

Positioning

With Wwise, easily create 2D and 3D sounds and define their spatial positioning. You can also define spatial positioning either by using specific paths that take advantage of a gamer’s surround sound speaker setup or by attaching a sound to a game object so that sound propagation behavior is decided in real time while the game is being played. Positioning features include Optional 2D panner that allows 2D sounds to be positioned in the surround sound environment, Fully customizable attenuation curves that provide total control over 3D sound attenuation parameters, The capability to disable 3D sound spatialization as required.

Attenuation Curves

This functionality provides advanced granular control over the attenuation curves for 3D sounds in Wwise: Fully customizable attenuation curves provide control over attenuation parameters (Dry volume, Wet volume, LFE, Low pass filter, and Spread). Curve modes allow for flexibility. While custom attenuation curves are unique and can be applied to single objects and structures, attenuation ShareSet curves can be shared and applied to multiple objects and structures. The attenuation editor allows for the viewing and editing of all curves. Optional cone attenuation can also be applied to provide additional sound directivity possibilities.

Blend Container

With Wwise, sounds and containers can be grouped into blend containers that are played back simultaneously. Then, within these blend containers, sounds and containers can be grouped into blend tracks to map sound properties to game parameters using RTPCs. Cross-fades between sounds within a blend track can also be applied based on the value of a game parameter.

Hierarchical Audio Structures

Use Wwise to build intricate audio structures to define behaviors and to control properties for groups of sounds. The object-based hierarchical project structure includes

• A Master-Mixer™ hierarchy, which is a structure of control buses,
• An Actor-Mixer™ hierarchy, which is a structure that groups audio assets, including Sounds, Containers, and Actor-Mixers,
• An Interactive Music hierarchy, which is a structure that groups music assets, including Music Segments, Playlists, and Switch Containers.

Randomization of Sound Properties

Wwise allows you to apply a Randomizer™ to the different property values of an object, including volume and pitch, to enhance the realism of sounds within the game.

Render Effects

Render inserted effects before they are packaged into SoundBanks. This results in a smaller memory footprint and reduces processing power during game play.

Schematic View

The Schematic View graphically displays each Actor-Mixer, Interactive Music, and Master-Mixer structure created in a project. From within this view, object properties and attributes, including volume, pitch, effects, states, and positioning, are visible, making it easier to edit properties and to playback objects.

Master Control Bus

Using the Master Control Bus, sound designers can insert any audio effect, such as a peak limiter, at the final output mix. This effect prevents audio peaks at the final gain stage of the sound engine.

Query

The Query Editor allows you to create and run queries in order to display certain objects from your project according to specific criteria. Using the Query Editor, you can create either specific queries to search for particular objects or more general queries to find all sound objects on a particular platform. Queries are saved in work units that are accessible to your entire team.

Multi-action Events Creation and Integration

With Wwise, designers can create multi-action events to drive the sounds and dynamic dialogue in game from an extensive list of actions, including play, stop all, mute, and set volume. Then, designers can further define the action using a series of specific properties included with each action and can continue to fine-tune events without having to recompile the game since they only need to be integrated once at any point in the game development process.

Creation and Management of SoundBanks

Wwise enables the simultaneous creation and management of SoundBank content for all platforms. Designers can either manually create and populate SoundBanks or automatically create them using an import definition file. SoundBanks creation is extremely flexible, allowing them to contain combinations of event metadata, sound structure metadata, and audio data. Loading flexibility allows for dynamic loading/unloading of SoundBanks based on given context (region, object or material for example).

Multi-Editing Capabilities

The Multi-edit View allows you to modify sound properties and behaviors for several Wwise objects at the same time.

Integrity Report

In order to help you to get the most from their Wwise projects, the Integrity Report displays a wide range of optimization and project troubleshooting information. Over forty integrity cases are now checked as part of this report. Information and suggestions about how to deal with any issues are also displayed.

REAL TIME

A wide range of real-time functionality promotes and validates the creative audio process.

Real-Time Editing

Wwise enables real-time auditioning and sound editing in game through the tight integration between the audio authoring tool and the sound engine.

Real-Time Effects Processing

Use Wwise to process a wide range of audio effects in real time, including delay, low pass filter, compressor, and the Wwise Matrix Reverb. These effects have been optimized for performance while maintaining a high standard of audio quality. In addition, Wwise makes it easy to manage proprietary effect plug-ins and dynamic environmental mixing.

Extensive Auditioning Capabilities and Simulation

With Wwise, you can audition objects and audio events at each phase in the game development process. In addition to testing ideas, creating prototypes, and developing proof of concepts both in the audio authoring application and in game, you can also mix and playback several audio objects in real time using the Wwise Soundcaster™. GameSync elements, such as States, Switches, RTPC’s and Triggers, can also be controlled and simulated here in real time as well.

Profiling Capabilities

Using Wwise, you can profile and troubleshoot the overall performance of the sounds and events triggered in game by capturing and logging such important information as memory, CPU usage, inserted effect performance, game states, uses of polyphonic voices, and I/O sent directly from the game. The Profiling functionality also includes The Wwise Game Object Profiler that allows profiling and viewing of the real-time position and orientation of game objects and listeners using a 3D viewer, The Game Sync Monitor that displays how game objects are using RTPCs. SoundBank profiling which displays SoundBanks, loaded media, prepared Events and prepared Game Syncs data.

Real-Time Game Parameter Controls

With Wwise, you can create dynamic sounds with audio properties that arise from changes within the game by Using Real-time Parameter Controls to edit specific sound properties in real time based on real-time parameter value changes that occur within the game, Using states to manage global adjustments to the game’s audio properties that represent changes in the physical conditions in the game.

Interface Between Wwise and World Builder Applications (SoundFrame®)

With Wwise, game developers can integrate Wwise functionality directly into World Builder applications by using the SoundFrame API. World Builder applications include 3rd party applications, such as the Unreal Editor (UnrealEd), Maya®, 3ds Max®, or internal proprietary tools.

CONTROL

Take control of your audio pipeline using the following functionality .

Effect Plug-in Support

Using Wwise, programmers can create and integrate proprietary plug-ins to further enhance the audio experience within the game. Wwise ships with 5.1 channel reverbs, parametric EQ, and dynamic effect plug-ins, such as compressor, expander, and peak limiter. This version also ships with a delay plug-in and accompanying SDK source code as an integration example.

Source Plug-in Support

With Wwise, programmers can create and integrate proprietary source plug-ins to further enhance the audio experience within the game. Wwise ships with a sine, tone generator, and an audio input plug-in as well as accompanying SDK source code as integration examples.

Disk I/O and Streaming

The completely open and scalable disk I/O architecture in Wwise offers a total solution for managing extremely demanding audio streams. Using the disk I/O manager, Sound designers can handle and schedule any type of stream required for a game, including graphics and AI, based on a priority management scheme. Also, if desired, designers can easily replace the disk I/O in Wwise with other I/O technology.

Multi-Listener Support

Multi-listener support helps programmers to instantiate, manage, and customize the audio captured by multiple listeners (microphones). This feature meets the needs of split-screen multiplayer games on consoles as well as on more complex implementations, such as sounds captured from a surveillance camera in a single-player stealth game.

Sound Playback Prioritization

Wwise allows for the control of the prioritization of sounds based on The number of sound instances allowed per sound structure and game object, The positioning of the sound in relation to the microphone and game object, The playback priority and order of the sounds currently being played, The volume threshold playback options.. This extends to the concept of virtual voices, a virtual environment where sounds continue to play but are not processed by the sound engine.

Virtual Voice

Virtual voice allows you to save valuable processing power, memory, and bandwidth for streamed sounds by queuing inaudible sounds in a virtual environment.  You can also choose between several options, such as Play from beginning, Resume, or Play from elapsed time, when a sound returns from the virtual voice to the physical voice.

Simulate Game Environment

Wwise allows you to further test prototypes with the Game Simulator and, using the Lua script language, to exactly reproduce how sounds will behave in game. Offering access to all of the functionalities of the sound engine, the Game Simulator makes it easy to validate sound behaviors and to profile the performance of Wwise on each platform.