Sound branch (2.5)

General Forums Blender and CG Discussions
#1

Greetings!

I’m new to blender development and took up the task of refactoring the sound internals of it.

As my development is now that far, that you notice something as user, I decided to post here.

I have written down all information on this page: http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/User:NeXyon/Sound

So if you do a checkout now and compile, sound should work in the Game Engine (you will have to create a test file with 2.4x to try out!).
What doesn’t work in GE is: 3D and CD sound, as well as most of the audio settings, that’s not implemented yet.

I’d like to get a lot of responses if it works or if there are errors. Please include some basic systems specs as well as the build system you used.

Regards,
neXyon

#2

This sounds really interesting. Will there be any benfit also for animation as well? For example to “add” sound file to some object in a 3d scene. This object would act as a sound source. During rendering the sound would be updated as a 3d sound according to the camera position?

#3

Well yes, the first target is to restore 2.4x functionality as far as possible. I guess CD Audio and the Audio window will be dropped, the anyway non-functional ping-pong looping maybe too.

If everything is working so far, I already thought about several extensions that could be made, one of them is exactly that what you mentioned above. Another would be sound editing with nodes, you could for example add an echo effect or whatever. Many people also would like to have a jack audio backend, that should also be done easily as soon as the system is ready for extensions.

Regards

#4

Hi neXyon

You should get in contact with someone named Jorge Bernal, he’s also interested in improving sound on the GE side of Blender, he also made the patch in this thread
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=160447

If possible you two could work together on improving the sound system to something that truly could be considered world class.

#5

Yep thanks, he already got in contact with me :slight_smile:

BTW, playing other sound formats already works! So you can play every sound file supported by ffmpeg, but as there is no sound UI yet, you have to do a little hack: create a test file with 2.4x and the copy another file over the wav file (so that it has the same path and filename), mp3s, oggs, etc. should work, even video files shouldn’t be a problem.

Regards!

#6

Is this affiliated with the GSoC “Blender Audio System Cleanup and Upgade”? I looked at the wiki page, and is says:

This project is still running (2008.08.21).
Don’t know if it will help, but here is a link to the wiki:
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/User:Hcube/SummerOfCode2007

Thanks for contributing! I always get excited about new Blender Devs!

#7

Hi there!
are you planing on making a tool like “audio waves to key frame”?
would be usefull for some animations…

thanks!

#8

Man I love you :smiley:

#9

Well, 2008.08.21 and you have heard nothing since then? I’ve been working for 2 weeks now, I already have sound in GE running and I am not working full time, like GSoC students have to!

I’d appreciate it if you could explain that a little more in detail!

To the Mac, Windows and Linux 64 bit users out there: I’d really love to have some people for testing!

Regards,
neXyon

#10

Well, 2008.08.21 and you have heard nothing since then? I’ve been working for 2 weeks now, I already have sound in GE running and I am not working full time, like GSoC students have to!

I’d appreciate it if you could explain that a little more in detail!

To the Mac, Windows and Linux 64 bit users out there: I’d really love to have some people for testing!

Regards,
neXyon

#11

Hmm, my post from about 12 hours ago hasn’t gotten accepted by a mod yet, so I write again, but without links…

Well, it says it’s alive on 2008.08.21… I’ve now got sound running in the GE within 2 weeks and I am not working full time like a GSoC student hast to… and btw. my wiki entry has a FAQ where this questions is also answered with some explanation why I don’t use this as a base.

Could you explain that a little more detailed?

To all: I’d really like to have some people testing the branch! Especially on Windows, Mac and Linux 64 bit, as I only have a 32 bit Linux!

Regards,
neXyon

#12

something like this:

but less confusing and more user friendly =]

#13

Don’t think mods check those posts any more. These here be dangerous waters. I’m pretty sure your message is lost in the Bermuda Triangle of Blender Artists. You’ll never see your message again. Argh!

After you’ve posted a certain number of times, you’ll be allowed to include links.

#14

This sounds great and great timing ! :smiley:

Personally I am wondering about the capabilities for linking sounds to objects as well, but not for the GE, but for surround sound (5.1 / 7.1) animation/movie.

Besides there should be an option for audio-translation files.
To easily render out several "layers"or “versions”, i.e.

  1. one (surround sound) ambient audio; (plays allways)
  2. english spoken (surround sound) audio; (on default)
  3. german spoken (surround sound) audio. (if selected)

So it can be used on dvd’s /bd’s to set and switch languages.
I do not know how this can be done yet.

I’m just started switching to Blender, and am complete new to linux as well, so building etc. will be a hassle for the upcoming period, but got 2 start somewhere.
I’m willing to run a test on a 64 bit linux system, but I need some help to get started using/building blender on linux. I might be able to run a test on vista 64 bit as well.

Good luck with this great initiative!

#15

Thanks for all the suggestions, but we have to postpone them. We first need to restore old functionality as far as possible.

The current status is that I got a basic support of both GE and sequencer. Builds for linux and windows are available on graphicall:

Windows: SoundSystem branch - Blender 2.5 win32 r21868
Linux: Blender2.5 SoundSystem Branch (r21863)

I’d post links, but I’m sure my post won’t be displayed then…

Would be really cool if some of you could test the builds and report errors! I’m not very sure how compatible they are, I think the linux build for example needs python 2.6.

HD strips from 2.4x aren’t read yet, but you can add those already. If you try the GE sound actuator, you have to load a sound before, but there’s no panel yet in the buttons window, so you should do that by adding a sound strip in the sequence editor, the sounds added there should also show up in the sound actuator then.

Regards,
Jörg

#16

Windows: SoundSystem branch - Blender 2.5 win32 r21868

Linux: Blender2.5 SoundSystem Branch (r21863)

I see what I can do, do not expect much, but I’ll will spend some time 4 sure.
thnx 4 the links

#17

Reading this and the commits in the mailing lists I agree with anyone saying the new sound system is a huge step for Blender and especially the BGE, the sound has often been the achilles heel with many things done in the BGE and this pretty much fixes that.

Good work on tackling this, the commits towards this system makes this look very promising indeed.

#18

In my opnion, it is most huge in the Blender Video Sequence Editor. Great job!

#19

Cool man! Yeah, that’s great news!

It work on 64bit Linux build, but sound playback is still not as good as on Blender 2.4x. I know it’s still a lot to do, but just to let you know…

I have a question: Will be Blender sound finally compatible with the PulseAudio and Jack?

Here is Linux 64bit build. Cheers!

#20

GTWillemsen: Thanks for posting the links!

popski: Thanks for the 64 bit version! Could you please describe with a bit more detail, why exactly sound playback is still not as good as in 2.4x!

Regards