I was out walking in windy Oklahoma City, and I was really paying attention to the wind for the first time. I noticed how loud the wind can be in my ears, and how easily I could hear things when I turned my head to the side. I wanted to see if I could recreate this effect using the UDK, as well as create an easy way not only to change aspects of the wind (direction, intensity, obstacles to block the wind) but to make these aspects easily modifiable. I've made some good progress I think, and maybe this could be used tactically in mods, or even as a way to further immerse the player in realism.
The Interactive Wind Kismet system is designed to allow any sound or level designer using the Unreal Development Kit to easily input variables to change aspects of the naturally sounding wind to apply in their own mod or map creation.
The user will input a variable in degrees for wind direction (0/360 degrees being wind out of the north, and 180 degrees out of the south, in a clockwise fashion). Then the user may input variation for the wind (negative degrees and the same degrees in the positive) to allow a variation to the wind direction. Finally, the user will create zones behind obstacles (trigger volumes) that would represent zones where one would not be affected by the wind. In these cases a relevant wind sound will be heard as it whips through the obstacle blocking the wind's path to you. These trigger volumes will be placed in the designated area in the Kismet system and linked to a switch set up for that purpose.
WIND SOUND TO THE PLAYER:
The player is set up to hear a realistic wind linked to his location as well as rotation. To achieve this end, the Kismet system attaches 5 "actors" to the player from where the wind sounds will emanate. Another actor in the level will provide an ambient wind buffeting sound with a Low Pass Filter applied.
-Two actors will always be between the player and the user-designated wind direction. As the player faces the wind direction, the actor playing the high wind sound (buffeting wind over the ears) will be closest to the player, and therefore heard by the player. As the player turns to 180 degrees from the wind, the actors will trade places linked to the player rotation and the player will only hear the sound designated for wind from behind.
- One actor will come into hearing range when the player faces away from the wind source, and it is to simulate a low frequency buffeting sound not affected as much by the ears.
-The other two actors will be always to the left and right of the player, linked to player rotation. As the player turns 45 degrees from the wind source, the actor on the opposite side moves in to range and back out as the player hits 90 degrees. This is to simulate wind whipping around the head and buffeting the opposite ear as you turn your head. The ear closest to the wind source will then hear a buffeting with the high frequencies cut out (Low Pass Filter) to simulate the lack of the ear resistance on that side.
WIND VARIATION IN ORIGINATION AND INTENSITY:
The variation math in the Kismet system moves the front two actors left and right on a circle around the player given the variation degrees supplied by the user. It is random between the negative and positive, but always returns "home" between random assignments. It moves at a varied speed between points as well, to simulate random wind patterns.
There are three user designated wind intensities (low, moderate, high). Each of these intensity levels variates randomly between a set number of wind volumes assigned to that intensity. Gusts of wind are also implemented to come at random times.
BUFFETING WIND SOUND DAMPENING:
As the player faces the wind, the sound of all else is dampened to simulate the volume of the wind. This attaches to player rotation, and as the player enters a roughly 35-40 degree zone from the wind source, all level volumes (voices, sound effects, music) are reduced by half to simulate wind buffeting directly in the ears.
ACTOR ATTENUATION:
The front two actors are attenuated (closer = louder) but are not spatialized (sounding from a certain point in the map). As the wind is all around you. The side actors are spatialized though. This is because only one ear at a time is buffeted as you turn your head from the wind, if only for a split second.
DYNAMIC WIND BLOCKING OBSTACLES:
After the user implements zones (trigger volumes) into the level, along with the necessary items required by the kismet system, the system automatically rotates these zones around obstacles depending on the direction of the wind. A simple change in the wind direction will allow the player to put the object between himself and the wind source and notice an audible change in wind interaction to simulate a real world scenario, no matter the direction of the wind.
Here is an image of the input section for wind factors:
This video represents what the image shows. Wind from the North, 10 degrees in variation of wind direction, highest wind intensity, and wind when the level starts:
This video is wind from the South (180 in direction) and a wind intensity of 2. You'll notice in this intensity, the sounds are not dampened from facing the wind. As well, cover at the pillars has changed automatically to the opposite side. This will change in real time along with wind direction variation as well:
The Interactive Wind Kismet system is designed to allow any sound or level designer using the Unreal Development Kit to easily input variables to change aspects of the naturally sounding wind to apply in their own mod or map creation.
The user will input a variable in degrees for wind direction (0/360 degrees being wind out of the north, and 180 degrees out of the south, in a clockwise fashion). Then the user may input variation for the wind (negative degrees and the same degrees in the positive) to allow a variation to the wind direction. Finally, the user will create zones behind obstacles (trigger volumes) that would represent zones where one would not be affected by the wind. In these cases a relevant wind sound will be heard as it whips through the obstacle blocking the wind's path to you. These trigger volumes will be placed in the designated area in the Kismet system and linked to a switch set up for that purpose.
WIND SOUND TO THE PLAYER:
The player is set up to hear a realistic wind linked to his location as well as rotation. To achieve this end, the Kismet system attaches 5 "actors" to the player from where the wind sounds will emanate. Another actor in the level will provide an ambient wind buffeting sound with a Low Pass Filter applied.
-Two actors will always be between the player and the user-designated wind direction. As the player faces the wind direction, the actor playing the high wind sound (buffeting wind over the ears) will be closest to the player, and therefore heard by the player. As the player turns to 180 degrees from the wind, the actors will trade places linked to the player rotation and the player will only hear the sound designated for wind from behind.
- One actor will come into hearing range when the player faces away from the wind source, and it is to simulate a low frequency buffeting sound not affected as much by the ears.
-The other two actors will be always to the left and right of the player, linked to player rotation. As the player turns 45 degrees from the wind source, the actor on the opposite side moves in to range and back out as the player hits 90 degrees. This is to simulate wind whipping around the head and buffeting the opposite ear as you turn your head. The ear closest to the wind source will then hear a buffeting with the high frequencies cut out (Low Pass Filter) to simulate the lack of the ear resistance on that side.
WIND VARIATION IN ORIGINATION AND INTENSITY:
The variation math in the Kismet system moves the front two actors left and right on a circle around the player given the variation degrees supplied by the user. It is random between the negative and positive, but always returns "home" between random assignments. It moves at a varied speed between points as well, to simulate random wind patterns.
There are three user designated wind intensities (low, moderate, high). Each of these intensity levels variates randomly between a set number of wind volumes assigned to that intensity. Gusts of wind are also implemented to come at random times.
BUFFETING WIND SOUND DAMPENING:
As the player faces the wind, the sound of all else is dampened to simulate the volume of the wind. This attaches to player rotation, and as the player enters a roughly 35-40 degree zone from the wind source, all level volumes (voices, sound effects, music) are reduced by half to simulate wind buffeting directly in the ears.
ACTOR ATTENUATION:
The front two actors are attenuated (closer = louder) but are not spatialized (sounding from a certain point in the map). As the wind is all around you. The side actors are spatialized though. This is because only one ear at a time is buffeted as you turn your head from the wind, if only for a split second.
DYNAMIC WIND BLOCKING OBSTACLES:
After the user implements zones (trigger volumes) into the level, along with the necessary items required by the kismet system, the system automatically rotates these zones around obstacles depending on the direction of the wind. A simple change in the wind direction will allow the player to put the object between himself and the wind source and notice an audible change in wind interaction to simulate a real world scenario, no matter the direction of the wind.
Here is an image of the input section for wind factors:
This video represents what the image shows. Wind from the North, 10 degrees in variation of wind direction, highest wind intensity, and wind when the level starts:
This video is wind from the South (180 in direction) and a wind intensity of 2. You'll notice in this intensity, the sounds are not dampened from facing the wind. As well, cover at the pillars has changed automatically to the opposite side. This will change in real time along with wind direction variation as well:
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