Ok so am at the point now with WidowsPeak where I'm implementing sounds. I have a few basic questions that I couldn't find the answer for on the Valve Dev site.

I understand that I have to have a soundscapes text file named exactly as my map, but this is what I'm not clear on yet:

1) In the following script, what is the significance of where it says "Generic OutIndoor"? Does this name reference anything or can you call it whatever you want? Because I also noticed in the official maps that they all start with the map name and then another name like: "Donner.AlliedSpawnAmbient"


-------------------------------
// This plays a single looping sound, with a generic reverb (room type 1)
"GenericIndoor"
{
"dsp" "1"
"playlooping"
{
"volume" "1"
"pitch" "100"
"wave" "ambient/areas/air_exchange/indoor2.wav"
}
}
------------------------------

2) Do you have to compile your map everytime you want to make a change in your soundscapes file?

3) Is the major difference between an ambient generic and a soundscape that the ambient generic will just always play in the bacground, but a soundscape is triggered?

4) And finally, regarding the paths in the soundscape files, I noticed that all the official maps say for example: "ambient/lightwindcreaks.wav"

but the sound files start in the "sound/ambient.../ folder. Do I need to specify the "sound" folder first, and not just "ambient" ?

Thanks a lot. I can't get my sounds to play so that's why I'm asking.

Interlopers (http://www.interlopers.net/) has a 4 part tutorial on creating soundscapes:

Part 1 (http://forum.interlopers.net/viewtopic.php?t=2252&highlight=soundscape)

Part 2 (http://forum.interlopers.net/viewtopic.php?t=2253&highlight=soundscape)

Part 3 (http://forum.interlopers.net/viewtopic.php?t=2254&highlight=soundscape)

Part 4 (http://forum.interlopers.net/viewtopic.php?t=2543&highlight=soundscape)

You can also try out aKilling|Source tutorials as well:

http://www.akilling.org/akg/tutorials/wiseSound.asp

:)

1. its a personal preference ie here si one from smallhill
"soundscapes.tophill"
{
"dsp" "0"
"playlooping"
{
"volume" ".5"
"pitch" "100"
"wave" "smallhill/night1.wav"
}
use some thing that is right for the area your placing the entity.

2. No

3. ambient generic is best used for trigger, i e again in smallhill i used a explosion triggered by a button, plus if your going to use cusyom sounds ambient generic will not work(see my previous posts on this)
, you can also use one for the general background sound and just have a looping wav, but your better off using soundscapes for background sounds.

4. paths are need from the sound folder within dod, so if you going to use cusom sound use a new folder within the sound one and use that path ie
{
"dsp" "0"
"playlooping"
{
"volume" ".5"
"pitch" "100"
"wave" "smallhill/night1.wav"
}

use the sound browser in hammer to see the correct paths to the sound you want to use.


hope all that helps

ps
make sure you use the full name of the map for the script file, ie
soundscapes_dod_smallhill_rc1.txt

Awesome, thanks for the tips gents'.