dMZX Forums: Adding volume parameter to SAM command -> Rejected Requests -> Tracker

I think adding a new parameter to the SAM command to play the given sound file at a certain volume, much like you have the VOLUME # command for music, could be a very handy thing to have to save on several copies of the same sound file, but each with a different volume. This could be used i.e. enemy footsteps further away sounding more softly than close by, adding the need to hear what's around you in a stealth game or something.

A possible syntax could be

SAM 0 "sound.ogg" 255

Where the 255 would represent the playback volume. The input would then range from 0 (perfectly silent, or very, very softly) to 255 (the original sound volume).

I've always wanted this kind of thing. I was thinking it'd work with counters setting the channel your adjusting, then counters for volume/pan, whatever else is plausible... if any of it is.

play_sample() could be easily modified to take an optional per-sample volume multiplier.

Adding commands isn't something we do lightly, but when I was looking for VOLUME I did find something strange. It looks like there are two VOLUME commands in bytecode, both treated identically. I guess we can't just override VOLUME2 but maybe we could convert VOLUME2->VOLUME for legacy worlds and use the VOLUME2 command henceforth for your SAM variant. OTOH there might be better uses of that spare command.

--ajs.

To simplify it we could drop the frequency parameter (since everyone uses 0 anyway) and maybe make the new command more obvious as to what it does (nobody uses SAMs anymore and MZX converts them anyway)

sound "sound.wav" (0 to 255) (-100 to 100)

Or we could save the panning bit for debytecode. I'm sure it'd be used but if we're only looking at one available command it might not be worth the added clutter.

edit: What about changing volume and panning on a currently-playing sound effect? What about looping sound effects? aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadhsjhg

Lachesis, on 23 July 2013 - 05:32 AM, said:

I am actually using the frequency parameter in my current project, in order to make even more variations of the same sound.

Personally I dislike the idea of a global sound effect VOLUME command, as I would need per-sound volume changing. I thing this would also prove much more useful and efficient, as you wouldn't need to change VOLUME2 every time you need to play a sound with a lower volume, then change it again to make all other sounds play as they should.

I do like the idea of panning, however. These three parameters (Frequency, volume and panning) would give people nearly all options they really need regarding sound effect playback. (Although I must say being able to change these parameters again mid-sound is also an interesting thing, but I guess that would become a bit too much.)

So in the end the command could become something like this:

sound (0 to something) "sound.wav"  (0 to 255) (-100 to 100)

The first parameter being, like with the SAM command, frequency, the second volume, and the third panning.

This post has been edited by A-Guymzx: 30 July 2013 - 11:04 PM

Updating status to: Rejected

a new command isn't happening any time soon; this is better suited to built-in counters. please turn your attention here and have a nice day

Moving to: Rejected Requests