Worklog for Gabriel
3D Sound Library
Return to Worklogs
| ||
|
Ok, well one day in and I have completed the basic library wrap. I
might have to fiddle a bit with the callbacks because those are a little
bit odd and I may have to wrap them with internal fixed callbacks which
call the user callbacks. I'm hoping to avoid that but it's only for
errors, so it's not something which is speed critical anyway. I've converted a simple C++ code sample to BlitzMax and it plays just fine, so that's a good start. I have another few samples to convert later, and then once that's done I'll see about releasing a few samples and getting some feedback on compatibility, etc. Assuming we actually have a forum by then. Star Sentinel Tactics Shades of Violet TV3D Module |
| ||
|
I've been putting off making a decision on an audio library for a long
time now, and the situation hasn't really improved. IrrKlang came along
and briefly looked like a strong contender, but then when it went
commercial, the pricing was not particularly good value. Sorry, but when
I can buy probably a dozen different commercial grade 3D engines for
under $500 each, and some of them under $200, I just don't see the value
in paying over $500 for a simple audio library. Now granted that FMod,
Miles and Bass are all much more expensive still, so IrrKlang is cheap
by comparison, but I just have this fundamental personality fault which
is that I refuse to bend over when I'm told to. So I decided that I'd have a go at wrapping OpenAL and making a little library of my own. It's about the only API left for 3D sound now, so it's the logical option. Anyway, I found someone else had already done the hard work for me, so all I had to do was write some BlitzMax bindings ( and possibly some Objects as it's a fundamentally procedural API ) and that should be that. It'll support Ogg and Wav, and it will not under any circumstances play MP3. So there's no danger of having Thompson beating on your door for a few grand for an MP3 license. It'll support 3D positional audio, EAX, all those presets, doppler, velocities, all that gubbins. It will support streaming audio, of course, a major failing of BMax's inbuilt audio which desperately needs solving. It will certainly be Windows only, although I guess with all the source code, Mac and Linux wouldn't be too difficult if anyone cared to. Haven't really decided what I'm going to do with it yet. I'll probably either keep it to myself or release it under some kind of obscure license I write myself which means you get it for free, but you're obliged to test with it and report back on any bugs, notes, improvements etc in return for it. Because if I'm going to release it, I don't want money, but I do want to know how well it's going to work in my game. So yeah, one of the two. And I definitely won't be documenting it or supporting it, even if I do release it, because I just don't have time for that. Star Sentinel Tactics Shades of Violet TV3D Module |