Initializing the Wwise Authoring API

Running the Wwise Authoring API (WAAPI) varies according to your chosen protocol and language. But, regardless of these, you must first run Wwise and enable the Wwise Authoring API to be able to use it:

• In Wwise, select Project > User Preferences. (Default shortcut: Shift + U)
• In the Wwise Authoring API group box, select Enable Wwise Authoring API.
• Click OK and restart Wwise.

This means you can now write some WAAPI code. But, first, be sure to check your Network Security!

Network Security

Since WAAPI allows you to control Wwise remotely, it must be used in a secure environment in order to prevent other people from gaining control of your computer.

Blocking access to WAAPI ports

WAAPI provides access to two ports for WAMP and HTTP (by default: 8080 and 8090). Those ports should be blocked in your firewall configuration, either on your own machine directly or in your company's firewall configuration (in case you wish to use WAAPI on your LAN).

Preventing Cross-Site Scripting

WAAPI provides a security layer against cross-site scripting. Otherwise, when you visit a webpage that contains JavaScript code, for example, that code could theoretically gain access to Wwise by connecting from the loaded webpage. In that scenario, the firewall is not enough.

This WAAPI security layer relies on your browser security settings. By default, WAAPI will only accept connections from local software or, in the case of browsers, only when opening HTML files on the local file system. These default security settings appear in the User Preferences Allowed Origins field as:

• #unknown: Allows connections from a software other than a browser (no Origin HTTP header)
• #file: Allows connections from a webpage loaded from the file system directly (not from a server)

Using WAAPI in a webpage loaded from another host will fail, unless you add the host in the User Preferences. To add a host as a valid origin for WAAPI:

• Click Project > User Preferences, from the main Wwise menu.
• Add your host URI to the Allowed Origins field. For example:
  • http://www.myhost.com, assuming port 80; or
  • http://www.myhost.com:1234, assuming not the default 80, but 1234.
• Click OK and restart Wwise.

Caution: You can add * to allow connections from webpages of any origin. But, this is insecure and, therefore, unrecommended.

See Using the Command Line for information on using "-Waapi" commands from the command line.

Note: Using Multiple Clients WAAPI supports usage from multiple connections at once. The current maximum number of active connections to WAAPI is 20 for WAMP, with another 20 for HTTP POST.

Next Steps

You can now try out WAAPI according to one of the WAAPI Samples, which show you how to get WAAPI running for your preferred language and protocol.

See also:

• WAAPI Samples
• Querying the Wwise Project
• Subscribing to Topics in the Wwise Authoring API
• Importing Audio Files and Creating Structures
• Using the Wwise Authoring API in Wwise Plug-ins