Sound effects include ambient point sounds
(.sound_scenery), volumetric ambient sounds (background sound), and
volumetric DSP sound effects (sound environment). These are all
combined to create the background sounds and sound behaviors in the
level. They are added in the level using Halo 2 Sapien.
An ambient point sound is a .sound_scenery. You
add a .sound_scenery as you would any other object in the
level.
To add a .sound_scenery
1.
In the Hierarchy Pane, click the Mission folder, the Objects folder, Sound Scenery, and then Edit Palettes.
2.
In the Select
Object Type window, select Sound Scenery in the Object Class drop-down list, and
then click Add.
3.
Browse to the sound scenery you want to add (typically,
in \tags\sounds\ambience\sound_scenery),
click Add Tags, and
then click Done.
4.
In the Game
Window, right-click to place the sound object.
5.
In the Properties
Palette, assign a type to the sound object.
There are several attributes for the
.sound_scenery that can be adjusted. In the Properties Palette, you
can adjust the following values (visual representations of most of
these values will update in the Game Window in Halo 2 Sapien):
Rotation: Changes the cone angle
direction.
Override
Distance Bounds: Adjusts the distance of the maximum and
minimum influence sphere of the sound.
Override
Cone Angle Bounds: Determines the cone angles (common values
are 90 to 120).
Override
Outer Cone Gain: Adjusts the gain or amplification of the cone
(this will effectively increase the volume).
Background Sound
An ambient sound volume is known as a background sound and is applied
to a volume or zone in the level. A zone is defined by portals. All
zones can have individual background sounds assigned to them.
Changes to the portaling of the level will result in changes in the
assignment of the background sound; therefore it is a good idea to
make sure that the portaling in the level is complete or near
complete so that the background sound assignments for each portal
zone do not have to be redone.
To set up background sounds in a
level
1.
In Sapien, open the scenario.
2.
In the Hierarchy pane, click the Mission folder, the Structure Data folder, the
Cluster Palettes folder,
and then Background
Sound.
3.
To create a new Background Sound Palette, click New Instance.
4.
In the Properties
Palette, modify the name and other properties of the Background Sound Palette
object.
5.
Browse to the background sound you want to add
(typically, in \tags\sound\ambience\turf\old_mombasa\new_mombasa.sound_looping),
and then click Open.
6.
In the Game
Window, right-click to place the background sound on an
available zone.
7.
To set up more background sounds, repeat steps 3 through
6..
8.
Save your .scenario file, create a new .map cache file,
and then run the level in the game to test the background sounds in
the level.
Sound
Environments
A volumetric DSP sound effects volume is known as
a sound environment and
is applied to a zone in the level. A zone is defined by portals.
Each zone in a level can have a unique sound environment volume
applied to it. All sounds the player hears in the zone are affected
by the sound environment properties (e.g., reverb, reflection) of
the assigned sound environment.
To set up sound environments in a
level
1.
In Sapien, open the scenario.
2.
In the Hierarchy pane, click the Mission folder, the Structure Data folder, the
Cluster Palettes folder,
and then Sound
Environment.
3.
To create a new Sound Environment Palette, click
New Instance.
4.
In the Properties
Palette, modify the name and other properties of the Sound Environment Palette
object.
5.
Browse to the sound environment you want to add
(typically, in \tags\sound\dsp_effects\reverb\city.sound_environment),
click Open.
6.
In the Game
Window, right-click to place the sound environment on an
available zone.
7.
To set up more background sounds, repeat steps 3 through
6..
8.
Save your .scenario file, create a new .map cache file,
and then run the level in the game to test the sound environment in
the level.
