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Methods for Generating Motion

At a very basic level, motion data is generated in Wwise from a source. This source can either be an existing media file, a new media file, or a plug-in signal generator.

After you have decided which motion devices will be supported by your game, you must then decide which method you will use to generate motion. In Wwise, there are two different methods for creating a motion source:

  • Using an existing audio signal.

  • Using a motion-specific source.

Generating a motion signal from an existing audio signal

An easy way to generate motion is to use an existing sound and use an auxiliary send to an Auxiliary Bus parented under a motion bus. The motion bus is simply a regular Audio Bus with a motion device set as its Audio Device. The audio signal will be converted to a low-frequency signal suitable for the hardware by the motion device plug-in. The original sound remains unaffected, as it is for any Send.

Since the motion source is generated from an existing audio source, the motion is tied to the audio playback in game. This means that the motion source does not require a separate Event to be triggered in game. It also means that the motion source is affected by the same properties, behaviors, game syncs, and so on as the audio structure.

Generating motion from an exclusive source

Another way to generate motion is by creating dedicated Wwise objects for motion purposes only. These are like any other sound objects, but will use a source plug-in dedicated to generating motion instead of relying on transforming audio data.

Otherwise, these objects behave like regular sounds. You can build sophisticated motion structures, using Containers and Actor-Mixers, to define the properties and behaviors of your motion effects. Since these motion effects are not necessarily tied to the audio in your game, they can be triggered at any point in game by their own Events.

Of course, there will be situations where one method will be preferred over another. For a further discussion on the benefits of each of these methods, refer to Creating Motion for Your Game.

Motion processing pipeline

The motion processing pipeline takes the motion signal generated from both types of sources and mixes them together before passing this mix through a special motion bus. The following illustration demonstrates how Wwise processes both types of motion sources and how the motion pipeline fits into the audio processing pipeline.


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