101 réponses à ce sujet

[AlanSJF]

I don't know whether to be excited or exasperated by all this.

I've begun the process of testing animations I used in my 5 cutscenes in the basic 32x32 (and later 192x192) test area I described in one of my posts above. Starting with my first cutscene, 'The Rescue', I've made a note of every animation I used, for every creature/character in the cutscene.

So far I've done the nug and the ogre. Now, in the cutscene, none of the nug animations I used played with sound. So I've created a new nug creature, placed it in the 32x32 area, created a new cutscene using that area, activated the nug and given it exactly the same animations I used for the nug in 'The Rescue'.

Result: every single animation played with sound.

Most of the ogre animations I used in 'The Rescue' also played without sound in-game, so I followed the same process - created a new ogre creature, placed it in the 32x32 area, activated it in the cutscene editor, and gave it the exact same animations I used for the ogre in 'The Rescue'.

Result: as with the nug, every single animation played with sound.

One thing I will note - and this will form the basis of my next test - neither the nug or the ogre I used in 'The Rescue' were custom creatures - both were selected from the game files. I forget which nug I used, but the ogre was ogre_grunt from the Darkspawn/Ogres folder. Both were placed in the area and activated in the cutscene editor. To see if the fault lies with them - i.e., using existing, game creatures/characters rather then creating your own - I need to run some more tests ...

*EDIT*

Scratch what I said in the last paragraph - the problem doesn't seem to be what type of creature you use, at least not when it comes to nugs and ogres.

I checked again, and the game nug I used in 'The Rescue' was nug_a (from the _Core_Creatures/_Test folder), and as I said above the ogre was ogre_grunt.

I've now placed one nug_a and one ogre_grunt into my test 32x32 area, actived both in the cutscene editor, and given them the same animations they were given in 'The Rescue'.

Result - once again, after exporting, every animation played with sound in-game - and these are the exact same animations that played without sound (baring one or two of the ogre's) in 'The Rescue' when I ran that cutscene in-game.
 
So, one 'complex' area used for a long, involved cutscene where the nug and ogre animation sounds did not play, and one ultra-basic 32x32 area used for a comparitively basic cutsene (a single camera, no transitions between or alterations to the animations) where the exact same animations do play with sound.

What are we to make of that?

Modifié par AlanSJF, 11 novembre 2010 - 10:11 .

[TimelordDC]

I assume The Rescue also had these creatures pre-placed in the area?



Technically, the cutscene engine is different from the game engine so I am wondering if the sounds not playing or playing sporadically is due to the delay in loading the sounds when the cutscene loads up.



One way to test this would be to load the cutscene first and then, play it.



Can you try the following?

In your area script, put the following code under the EVENT_TYPE_AREALOAD_PRELOADEXIT event:

string [] arActors;

string [] arReplacements;

LoadCutscene("your cutscene resource name", OBJECT_INVALID, FALSE, arActors, arReplacements, TRUE);



and then, wherever you call your cutscene, use

PlayCutscene();

instead of the CS_LoadCutscene call.

[AlanSJF]

TimelordDC: to answer your first question, yes, all the creatures were pre-placed in the area and activated in the cutscene editor - ditto for all of my cutscenes.

As to your second question - er, at the risk of sounding incredibly dense, I have no idea what any of that means! Could you possibly break it down for me, step by step?

Modifié par AlanSJF, 11 novembre 2010 - 11:27 .

[DahliaLynn]

Just reading your reply Alan, I'm thinking two things. One, What is different in your areas. Two, perhaps there are too many creatures in your other cutscene causing the sounds to be overridden by each other? Perhaps there is a limit to *how many* creatures that will emit sounds from a particular scene? It may sound stupid, but that was what I could come up with based on your answer.

Perhaps you should slowly start building up towards the problematic cutscene's circumstances, noting the differences as you advance.

Modifié par DahliaLynn, 12 novembre 2010 - 01:10 .

[AlanSJF]

DahliaLynn wrote...

Just reading your reply Alan, I'm thinking two things. One, What is different in your areas. Two, perhaps there are too many creatures in your other cutscene causing the sounds to be overridden by each other? Perhaps there is a limit to *how many* creatures that will emit sounds from a particular scene? It may sound stupid, but that was what I could come up with based on your answer.

Perhaps you should slowly start building up towards the problematic cutscene's circumstances, noting the differences as you advance.

No, that makes sense, DahliaLynn, and it's sort of what I have in mind - adding two or three creatures to the test area at a time, giving them the same animations from my previous cutscenes, etc, so each version of the test cutscene becomes progressively longer. There's also multiple creatures performing animations at the same time - right now I'm dealing with each creature one at a time, filming their animations then moving on to the next - plus what effect altering animations and using transitions might have. And on top of all that there's the area itself, changing the terrain, adding models, trees, and so on ... There's a lot to do.

*edit*

couple hours later, and things are getting interesting...
 
Continuing with the test of animations from my cutscene 'The Rescue', I added 5 genlocks to my test area - the same test area where the nug and ogres have been placed - and extended the test cutscene with all the genlock animations.

I exported, ran the extended cutscene in-game and the result is none of the genlock animations played with sound. Not a single one (and yes, these are all animations that have associated audio, as demonstrated in the Animations Events tool). However, the nug and ogre animations did play with sound, as they had before.

Next, I created a new test area based on my basic 32x32 level, placed only the 5 genlocks in this new area, and put together a new test cutscene using the same animations (done by copying and pasting the tracks for each genlock and moving them along the timeline).

I exported this new test cutscene, ran it in-game, and this time all the genlock animations played with sound.

So:
       -1 32x32 test area with 2 ogres and a nug - all their animations play with sound.
       -The same test area with 5 genlocks added - the ogre & nug animations play with sound as before, but the
         grenlock animations do not. 
       - A new 32x32 test area with only the 5 genlocks - now all the animations do play with sound.

Modifié par AlanSJF, 12 novembre 2010 - 09:52 .

[DahliaLynn]

The first sign of a problem is indeed good news!

Would you mind sending me a B2B of your test areas, and test cutscenes? The ones that worked and the ones that didn't. If we work together on parallel testing with both working and non working circumstances we may be able to reach the answer finally. There is always the chance you may have overlooked one setting causing the difference,(we're human and lord knows how many times I hadn't made a setting here or there) so if we work together using the same or similar testing environment, we can share our results

If this is alright with you let me know. On the other hand if you feel you are close to finding the solution that's all the better.

[AlanSJF]

DahliaLynn wrote...

The first sign of a problem is indeed good news!
Would you mind sending me a B2B of your test areas, and test cutscenes? The ones that worked and the ones that didn't. If we work together on parallel testing with both working and non working circumstances we may be able to reach the answer finally. There is always the chance you may have overlooked one setting causing the difference,(we're human and lord knows how many times I hadn't made a setting here or there) so if we work together using the same or similar testing environment, we can share our results
If this is alright with you let me know. On the other hand if you feel you are close to finding the solution that's all the better.

I'd be happy for the help, DahliaLynn - only I have no idea how the whole B2B thing works, so you'll have to talk me through it ...

Meanwhile, some more results to chew over.

After the genlock animation sounds failing to play when I added them to the ogre/nug area & cutscene, and the same genlock animations playing with sound in their own area, I wondered if the problem was the number of creatures I was using. I also wanted to test the hurlocks and the animations I used for them in 'The rescue', so here's what I did:

- I added one test hurlock at a time to the genlock-only area/cutscene (i.e., the one where the genlock animation sounds did play), gave them animations I used in 'The Rescue', and then exported the cutscene - progressively longer each time - to test in-game.

The results were as follows:

-5 genlocks + 1 hurlock = all animation sounds played
-5 genlocks + 2 hurlocks = all animation sounds played
-5 genlocks + 3 hurlocks = all animation sounds played
-5 genlocks + 4 hurlocks = all animation sounds played
-5 genlocks + 5 hurlocks = all animation sounds played
-5 genlocks + 6 hurlocks = all animation sounds played

So, that's a total of 11 creatures in the final cutscene, all with animation sounds playing, wheras when I added the same 5 genlocks and gave them the same animations in the ogre/nug cutscene - a cutscene that takes place in the same basic 32x32 area - making a total of only 8 creatures, the genlock animation sounds did not play but the ogre/nug sounds did. Hmmm.....

[Sunjammer]

Bear in mind that 11 creatures may still only be 2 blueprints (i.e. if you are using multiple instances of the same genlock and multiple instances of the same hurlock). You could try adding a nug and/or an ogre to your genlock+hurlock area.

[DahliaLynn]

Alan: Your results are currently suggesting that length of cutscene doesn't have bearing on sounds playing. Also, it looks like the combo of nug and/or ogre with your previously working genlocks seem to be canceling out audio performance for the genlocks. As Sunjammer suggested, what happens when you add the Ogre/nug to your genlocks scene?

I'll PM you with B2B info

Modifié par DahliaLynn, 12 novembre 2010 - 12:38 .

[AlanSJF]

Sunjammer, the genlocks and hurlocks are all individual creatures, each one created and added to the area after testing the previous one's performance in the cutscene in-game.

As for adding an ogre or nug to the new genlock/hurlock test area - not sure I have to, cos things are getting weird.

I've just gone back to review the ogre/nug scene where the genlock animation sounds did not play - and now they do. I haven't done a thing to the scene, it's exactly as it was when I tested it in-game yesterday. In a word - huh!?

*edit*

& DahliaLynn, I've uploaded the B2B file - hope it's ok!

Modifié par AlanSJF, 12 novembre 2010 - 01:14 .

[John Epler]

Hey folks. Just an update - still waiting on a response! Hopefully I'll have something for you soon.

[DahliaLynn]

Thank you John! We eagerly await a solution



@Alan I think I might be missing your custom level asset files. Can you send them as well?



As far as what you mentioned..was there anything different you did between yesterday and today. Anything at all?

[AlanSJF]

DahliaLynn wrote...

@Alan I think I might be missing your custom level asset files. Can you send them as well?

As far as what you mentioned..was there anything different you did between yesterday and today. Anything at all?

I've just PM'd you re the assets (my noob colours are showing again )

As to the sounds not playing/then playing mystery, I'm stumped. Apart from re-exporting the area and level, I'm positive I didn't do anything to alter them.

[AlanSJF]

Meanwhile, more tests:



I'm now looking into multipe creatures performing animations at the same time. I've created a new test area - again using the basic 32x32 level - and placed 3 test creatures in the area, which I then activated in the cutscene editor.



Next I put together a quick 30 second scene, all 3 creatures drawing weapons and performing a few combat moves simultaneously, and exported.



Result: all animation sounds played.

[DahliaLynn]

The one thing that boggles my mind ( and makes me want to go back to your previous results) is the fact that the first time you came up with the results of the Genlocks and nugs *not* playing sounds together, and the next day they did. This to me sounds like a point that should be looked into.

[Yara C.]

I would be ready for parallel testing too if you have mind.

Seems I have missed here yesterday something. Interesting results, Alan. Some progress.

[AlanSJF]

Yara Cousland wrote...

I would be ready for parallel testing too if you have mind.
Seems I have missed here yesterday something. Interesting results, Alan. Some progress.

Yes, progress, if somewhat confusing progress.

You're more than welcome to take a look at the B2B stuff, though you might want to hold off until DahliaLynn can get the stuff I sent her working without crashing her toolset (we're working on this atm).

[DahliaLynn]

Yara the B2bs are in my cutscene group's associated fileshare project. Alan is going to upload the missing Asset level files now...I smell the likes of a research team slowly evolving

Edit: right..though Maybe Yara can figure that part out as well (though my toolset never crashed because of something like this) We shall see shortly

Modifié par DahliaLynn, 12 novembre 2010 - 07:43 .

[AlanSJF]

DahliaLynn wrote...

Yara the B2bs are in my cutscene group's associated fileshare project. Alan is going to upload the missing Asset level files now...I smell the likes of a research team slowly evolving

Edit: right..though Maybe Yara can figure that part out as well (though my toolset never crashed because of something like this) We shall see shortly

Yup, Yara, the .lvl files are uploaded, so once DahliaLynn tests them and reports back that everything's working the way it should, you can go ahead and download them (+ the B2B file, of course).

[Yara C.]

Okay. I haven´t done B2B before. If a question will come up I will send you a PM, Dahlia.

BTW: yesterday it came into my mind if the use of soundsets could have an impact on this issue. I have no use for chars or soundsets. I have just made a test...but the usual negative result. May it is bit fare-off...only a thought. Do you use soundsets, Alan?

Modifié par Yara Cousland, 12 novembre 2010 - 08:31 .

[AlanSJF]

Yara Cousland wrote...

Okay. I haven´t done B2B before. If a question will come up I will send you a PM, Dahlia.

BTW: yesterday it came into my mind if the use of soundsets could have an impact on this issue. I have no use for chars or soundsets. I have just made test...but the usual negative result. May it is bit fare-off...only a thought. Do you use soundsets, Alan?

When I started out I did give all the creatures I made characters and soundsets, but as I understand things now soundsets are used if you want to use dialogue/conversation, and as I don't use dialogue, now I don't bother with soundsets. So, none of the test creatures I'm working with now have soundsets - yet their animation sounds are playing.

Maybe somebody who does know about soundsets and their proper use can let us know if they have any impact on animation sounds?

Modifié par AlanSJF, 12 novembre 2010 - 08:10 .

[Yara C.]

I was a bit too inpatient. Just had 2 crashes. Waiting for Dahlia´s response.

Edit: Soundsets are not necessary for conversations. You hear the voices if you select an npc or during combat.

Modifié par Yara Cousland, 12 novembre 2010 - 08:37 .

[AlanSJF]

Yara Cousland wrote...

I was a bit too inpatient. Just had 2 crashes. Waiting for Dahlia´s response.

Oh dear.

I'm a novice with the whole B2B thing as well, so hopefully Dahlia can get things on track ...

[DahliaLynn]

Ok I'm uploading a fix for this. Don't use the lvl files, I'm uploading an exported "posted to local already" package you should insert in your mydocs\\\\Bioware...packages\\\\core\\\\ override folder. (or your module core\\\\override\\\\toolsetexport if you are using a new module. This will fix it all up

(it works by the way.) off to the next step of actually testing. Yara let me know if you need help with the B2B thing. I'll do my best.

Modifié par DahliaLynn, 12 novembre 2010 - 08:44 .

[Yara C.]

Thank you, Dahlia. I could not load the module...probably this a connected to the lvl files. I have just run the exterior1 cutscene...had the impression that I have heared sound. I have to run it again...would be the first time for me. (I use the same level with the same audio setting.)