Modifying Music - Making the most of Wwise

[Nero Clavdivs Germanicvs]

Hi Mackles- so I have finnaly installed Wwise and I can work in it. But I am stucked in a second part where I have to select Music Playlist Container and after that I can see Playlist editor- 3b. And then I have to copy Music Playlist Container into Playlist Editor. But I dont see any Playlist Editor...
Here is what I can see. As you can see, I dont see every window that you have- where they are?

[IMG][/IMG]

[Mackles]

Hmm so I have it setup where it plays the pre buttonclick deploy phase music, but that keeps playing even after I click start battle and right up until the point where I make contact and then it switches to the battle music. I can't figure out how to set it up to play marching music after you click start battle and before the armies actually meet.

For this you'll need the "battle_state" and "battle_intensity" state groups. For deployment create a state path that includes the "prebattle" battle state and "tension" battle intensity options. For marching create a state path that includes the "battle" battle state and "tension" battle intensity options. Make sense?

Hi Mackles- so I have finnaly installed Wwise and I can work in it. But I am stucked in a second part where I have to select Music Playlist Container and after that I can see Playlist editor- 3b. And then I have to copy Music Playlist Container into Playlist Editor. But I dont see any Playlist Editor...
Here is what I can see. As you can see, I dont see every window that you have- where they are?

Did you press F10?

[Nero Clavdivs Germanicvs]

And now I cant even see windows that I had before!! PLS Help! I tried re-installing the program but alwys that same thing...
[IMG][/IMG]

[Nero Clavdivs Germanicvs]

OK I pressed F10 and windows got back so Ill try it again and hope I will have that window

[Nero Clavdivs Germanicvs]

So I pressed F10 at the beginning of my work in wwise and now I press it again but no Playlist editor. Here is pic. Do you know where it can be?
[IMG][/IMG]

[Mackles]

From what I can tell (the service you are using for uploading screenshots is awful!) the big rectangle on the bottom right should be your Music Playlist Editor.

[opock]

For this you'll need the "battle_state" and "battle_intensity" state groups. For deployment create a state path that includes the "prebattle" battle state and "tension" battle intensity options. For marching create a state path that includes the "battle" battle state and "tension" battle intensity options. Make sense?

Yep! Thanks

Really do appreciate all the time you've taken to make this tutorial and answer questions, would be completely lost without it.

[Nero Clavdivs Germanicvs]

Now Im trying to create State Groups and Paths but I dont understand how you could create so many State paths even with their own names.
I can make only 2 and dont know if Im doing it right- this step is too compicated for me or I just dont understand it.... For example: you have Campaign_music_state and 4 paths-None, menacing,prebattle and standard- I dont know how you could create them- I can create only None path. I clicked for example on music switch container (battle music), then I clicked on >> button -State Groups-New( I named it battle_state_group(*) )and clicked on Add Path(s) button.

[Nero Clavdivs Germanicvs]

I dont understand creating these paths. Some pic would be really helpfull because I dont know how to make- for example in battle - correct order of these songs- deployment phase and after clicking on Start Battle it switches into marching song- I dont understand it. I red your message to opock but I dont understand in creating these paths and states and I dont want to give up. Sorry but this is my first attemp to make mod and its quite hard for me

[Mackles]

What you appear to have done so far is only added the state groups to each music switch container. You can add as many state groups as you want to each container, although it's best to keep it to those which you actually need to keep things simple. To add a state path you have to select one option from each state group, then click add path. Like so:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In this example I'm creating a state path for the specific situation of a battle having ended in victory for a barbarian culture based faction.

The battle state is postbattle.
Battle intensity doesn't apply in this situation, though it is needed for other paths in this container. Therefore I simply select the * option.
I'm setting this up for victory music, so I choose win, as opposed to lose or draw. (Not sure what None does )
And this is for barbarians, so the music_culture I select is barbarian.

Once I have set up this particular state path I hit the "Add path(s)" button, and it will appear in the list in the lower half of that screenshot. (In this case I already have this state path so I can't add it again.) Then I apply the specific music playlist for each path.

Then you can apply a playlist to a state path by dragging and dropping, similar to setting up playlists. So what you are doing with a specific state path is creating a custom trigger to tell the game when exactly to play a type of music, with that type of music being whichever playlist you set up and have attached to that state path.

[opock]

Alright I'm working on transitions now, let me try to clarify to make sure I understand the underlying concept properly. In the example you gave about creating a transition from prebattle to ambient so that the music doesn't keep playing if you cancel battle, all you would need to do is set up a transition from prebattle to ambient and uncheck play post-exit from the source right?

[Nero Clavdivs Germanicvs]

How you can have for example under battle_stats- battle,None,postbattle and standard. I can have there only None... This whole thing doesnt make me sense I dont know and I am frustrated... I was trying to find some video tutorial or something like that but without success.

[Mackles]

Alright I'm working on transitions now, let me try to clarify to make sure I understand the underlying concept properly. In the example you gave about creating a transition from prebattle to ambient so that the music doesn't keep playing if you cancel battle, all you would need to do is set up a transition from prebattle to ambient and uncheck play post-exit from the source right?

Unless you do much editing of the individual tracks in Wwise you generally shouldn't need to bother with the pre and post exit check boxes. It's the drop down lists near that which control when a source track should finish (e.g. Immediate, Next Bar, Next Beat, etc).

How you can have for example under battle_stats- battle,None,postbattle and standard. I can have there only None... This whole thing doesnt make me sense I dont know and I am frustrated... I was trying to find some video tutorial or something like that but without success.

You can only choose one at a time - so prebattle is for the deployment phase, postbattle for when you click End Battle, and battle for the big bit in between! You shouldn't just have None, and in any case you won't need to use that.

[Nero Clavdivs Germanicvs]

Maybe its a stupid question but couldnt you make some vid of how you pasting music switch container into music switch container editor and making those paths because I have already red your tutorial and your replies hundred times and still I cant get into it.



This is a picture you sent me- How did you create paths with their own names?( black color) I can see only those which are marked with red color.


And this is my Wwise:

[opock]

Pretty much done, just tweaking volume now. I was wondering if you have a rough guideline for the levels? It's definitely a lot louder by default but I'm not sure how much to lower it to get it back to normal. Your mod seems to have proper levels.

[Mackles]

@Nero - That is... odd. Really odd. I don't know if deleting and then re-adding the state groups might do anything (though I imagine not). Hmmm. I've never seen that before, it's as if it simply failed to install the state groups correctly. You'll probably hate me for suggesting this but maybe... another re-install?

@opock - I found between -12 and -8 to be in the right ball pack when it came to balancing against existing sfx.

[Nero Clavdivs Germanicvs]

So I have to re-install Wwise? No, no you´re great I think that you hate me because I disturb you with stupid questions

[Mackles]

My teacher once told me there are no stupid questions (I think he must have been drunk at the time!) so please carry on As far as I can tell it appears the state groups are missing key files, so perhaps (and I do say perhaps because I'm really not sure) a re-install or re-download and install might solve this? I can't say for certain though.

[Nero Clavdivs Germanicvs]

Mackles, I am frustrated... I did what you have written- uninstalled Wwise, downloaded it again and installed it again, again imported all songs and AGAIN that same problem...
[IMG][/IMG]

[opock]

For the last tip about replacing the ui sounds, I assume that means I can find those files in your Rome mod, then just replace each with those in PFM with my music mod when I finish it?