Game Audio Tutorial - Book - Chapter one Exercises

In order to understand how game audio is implemented and specifically within UDK I have chosen to use "The Game Audio Tutorial" book as a primary research tool to help gain an insight into the process. It is hoped by understanding the processes involved I can better direct a research question aimed at game audio implementation. 

Here I worked through the first chapter of the book which contains hands on tutorials. 


Exercise set 1
101_00 Changing an [AmbientSoundSimple]
101_01 Adding an [AmbientSoundSimple]
101_02 Importing your own sound
101_03 Looping machinery
102_00 Ambient Sound Radii
103_00 Kismet [Trigger] ‘Used’ to toggle sounds
103_01 Kismet [Trigger] ‘Touch’ to toggle sound
105c_00 [AmbientSoundSimple] Test Area
105d_00 Kismet [Trigger Volume] ‘Touch’ Switching for Occlusion
105d_01 [Trigger Volume]s Exercise
105d_02 Listen


Notes:
Exercise set 1 was mainly centred around getting to grips with the way UDK works with sound on a basic level.
The key elements I learned were as follows:
• Using the UDK content browser to import/access content such as actors/materials/sounds.
• Dealing with ambient sound nodes, here I learned how properties of an ambient sound node work. This included adding the node to the game map, understanding the attenuation radius marker (how the sound is heard over a distance), changing the sound that is referenced by the node using the content browser. 
• Using multiple instances of the same sound node to fill a room with sound whilst avoiding sound spilling into other areas. I learned from this exercise that sound projected by a node is unimpeded by walls, floors and ceilings and by using more than one instance of the sound a greater control can be gained on the sound spilling into other areas. Although this comes at the cost of using more voices.
• Using a trigger actor in conjunction with the kismet control panel (a flow chart that sets up series of commands for directing specific action within the game). This included using the triggers within the kismet to toggle between an outside ambient environment sound to an outside ambient sound as the player walks between them.


Basic understanding of the game engine was gained from this task. Next step towards strengthening my skills and understanding in this area is to complete the next chapter of exercises.