[RESOLVED] Theme editor sound

[massop]

Been working on a basic theme over the weekend.

Got this odd issue where when I change a sound (like the intro sound for instance) I can hear it fine in the theme editor, but when I actually open my theme there is no sound at all even from sounds I did not change?

Any ideas

Regards

[Adultery]

Well tbh, instead of making changes in the theme editor, I just write over the old sound files in the theme's folder. I've changed my sounds a bunch of times and it works just fine this way as long as your sound names are the same as the ones in that folder.

[massop]

Still the same issue for me..

I sourced all of these sounds from the same place, maybe its the way they were encoded, ill try getting sounds from different sources.

It is odd that changing just 1 of these files removes all sound from game ex though

[massop]

01:07:18.0  01/06/2011:  GameEx: Version 11.74: Starting Log
01:07:18.0  01/06/2011:  Operating System Platform: Win32NT
01:07:18.0  01/06/2011:  Operating System Name: Windows XP
01:07:18.0  01/06/2011:  Operating System Version: 5.1.2600
01:07:18.0  01/06/2011:  Checking for versions of .net Framework installed
01:07:18.0  01/06/2011:  .net Framework 2.0 Installed
01:07:18.0  01/06/2011:  .net Framework 3.0 Installed
01:07:18.0  01/06/2011:  .net Framework 3.5 Installed
01:07:18.0  01/06/2011:  Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Extreme CPU X9000 @ 2.80GHz, 3070MB
01:07:18.0  01/06/2011:  2.79Ghz - 2 Cores or CPU's
01:07:18.0  01/06/2011:  Running Randomize()
01:07:18.0  01/06/2011:  Loading PlugIns
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Checking for applications to Launch On Startup
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Running Misc startup tasks
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Setting Menu types
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Opening Configuration File
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Getting Configuration Values
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Using Theme: Dark Champion
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Checking for alternate Image Directory for Theme: Dark Champion
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Launching HideOS.exe
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Initialising Video/MNG DLL's
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  GameEx will check for media insertion (may affect performance)
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Hiding Taskbar
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Is Media Center running?
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Checking/Creating LCD Registry values
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Check Media Center Exit/Start Mode
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Media Center Mode 2
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Video previews on. Warning: Only recommended on modern systems
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Snap Delay set to: 2
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Get other settings
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Desktop set to Hide ICONS and set Background to Black
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Set: Find emulator artwork on best match basis
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Start work for Form
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Getting Original Screen Size
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Opening Database Connection
01:07:18.1  01/06/2011:  Initializing Component
01:07:18.2  01/06/2011:  Retrieving resolution setting
01:07:18.2  01/06/2011:  MAME Path is: C:\Emulators\Mame32
01:07:18.2  01/06/2011:  Cannot Find MAME Path: MAME Disabled
01:07:18.2  01/06/2011:  Loading Controls.ini map file
01:07:18.2  01/06/2011:  Loading Custom Emulators
01:07:18.2  01/06/2011:  Loading Emulator 1: [Console] Nintendo SNES (ZSNES)
01:07:18.2  01/06/2011:  Loading Emulator 2: [Console] Nintendo N64 (Project64)
01:07:18.2  01/06/2011:  Using Version 3 Themes Animations
01:07:18.2  01/06/2011:  Using General Font: Architext
01:07:18.2  01/06/2011:  Using Title Font: Architext
01:07:18.3  01/06/2011:  Initialising Direct3D
01:07:18.3  01/06/2011:  Applying GameEx is Loading Image
01:07:18.3  01/06/2011:  Setting Resolution to 1920x1200 32 bit color
01:07:18.3  01/06/2011:  Creating Surfaces
01:07:19.0  01/06/2011:  Creating Primary Surface - Full Screen Mode
01:07:19.0  01/06/2011:  Creating Back Buffer
01:07:19.0  01/06/2011:  Version 2 Theme being used. Loading.
01:07:19.0  01/06/2011:  Loading Button Data
01:07:19.0  01/06/2011:  Loading Font Data
01:07:19.0  01/06/2011:  Loading Layout Data
01:07:19.0  01/06/2011:  Loading Taskbar Data
01:07:19.0  01/06/2011:  Loading graphic Surfaces
01:07:19.0  01/06/2011:  Display is running at: 1920x1200 32bit color, 60hz
01:07:19.0  01/06/2011:  Creating Surfaces Misc and Dialogs
01:07:19.1  01/06/2011:  Creating Surfaces Volume
01:07:19.1  01/06/2011:  Creating Surfaces Arrows
01:07:19.1  01/06/2011:  Creating Surfaces GameEXlogo Text
01:07:19.1  01/06/2011:  Creating Surfaces Toolbar
01:07:19.1  01/06/2011:  Creating Surfaces Backgrounds
01:07:19.1  01/06/2011:  Creating Surfaces Toolbar Controls
01:07:19.1  01/06/2011:  Creating Surfaces GameEx Logo
01:07:19.1  01/06/2011:  Creating Surface Unselected
01:07:19.2  01/06/2011:  Creating Surfaces Snaps
01:07:19.2  01/06/2011:  Creating Surfaces Menu and List Bars
01:07:19.2  01/06/2011:  Creating Fonts
01:07:19.2  01/06/2011:  Creating Game Font
01:07:19.3  01/06/2011:  Creating Game Font Faded
01:07:19.4  01/06/2011:  Creating Title Font
01:07:19.4  01/06/2011:  Restoring Title Font From Cache
01:07:19.7  01/06/2011:  Creating Font Black
01:07:19.7  01/06/2011:  Creating Font Black Small
01:07:19.8  01/06/2011:  Fonts Created Succesfully
01:07:19.8  01/06/2011:  9MB Video Memory Used
01:07:19.8  01/06/2011:  Initialising Bass Audio Library
01:07:19.8  01/06/2011:  Creating instance of global keyboard hook
01:07:20.3  01/06/2011:  Applying Language/Text
01:07:20.3  01/06/2011:  Text/Language: English
01:07:20.3  01/06/2011:  MAME CMD options: -nowindow -joy -skip_gameinfo
01:07:20.3  01/06/2011:  Loading last used Game List
01:07:20.4  01/06/2011:  Creating DirectSound Device
01:07:20.4  01/06/2011:  Trying: Primary Sound Driver
01:07:20.4  01/06/2011:  Loading Sound Files
01:07:20.4  01/06/2011:  Trying: Realtek HD Audio output
01:07:20.4  01/06/2011:  Loading Sound Files
01:07:20.4  01/06/2011:  Unable to Create DirectSound Device
01:07:20.4  01/06/2011:  Initialising DirectInput for Gamepad support
01:07:20.6  01/06/2011:  Using Device Virtual Playstation(3) Joystick
01:07:20.6  01/06/2011:  Using Device Virtual Playstation(3) Joystick
01:07:20.8  01/06/2011:  Initializing MCE Remote
01:07:20.8  01/06/2011:  Initialization OK! Starting GameEx!
01:07:20.8  01/06/2011:  Testing Main Loop Once: Processing Frame
01:07:21.0  01/06/2011:  Testing Main Loop Once: Main Loop ran successfully
01:07:28.4  01/06/2011:  Exiting GameEx!
01:07:28.4  01/06/2011:  Saving Settings
01:07:30.2  01/06/2011:  Disposing Plugins
01:07:30.2  01/06/2011:  Closing database connection
01:07:30.2  01/06/2011:  Checking for applications to Launch On Exit

there is the bugger

01:07:20.4 01/06/2011: Unable to Create DirectSound Device

Just because I add a sound this happens? very odd.

Ill add new sounds in the morning to test, tired now.

[Draco1962]

Not all that uncommon actually. I have found it best to download sounds in MP3 format and then use the Spesoft Free Audio Converter (or converter of your choice) to convert to WAV format. I have encountered the same error in assembling themes before and it is usually a compatibility issue with a WAV file I have downloaded.

[Adultery]

Hmm, a 44.100 wav file should be standard across all platforms. What can be encoded in there that would cause it to crash? There shouldn't be any kind of metadata associated with a wav file afaik.

[Draco1962]

One would think that, but have found that if I convert from MP3 to WAV I have far fewer issues with file compatibility than if I grab a WAV directly from a site. It may meet muster playing in WMP or WinAmp, but will fail within GEX. Not sure if it is anything to do with the bass library in Direct Sound.

[Adultery]

Well I do most of my audio work directly using Sound Forge/recording off the sound card so I guess I wouldn't have noticed an issue anyways. Still strikes me as unusual none the less.

.:EDIT:. Wonder if I could open one of these wav files in Sound Forge and have a look see? We may be talking about a 16 or 22 instead of a 44 which would compress it down to save space, maybe GameEx doesn't support lower quality wavs.

[Draco1962]

That could be. Maybe Tom or Ben could shed some light on the sampling requirements to help us take out some of the guess work.

[Adultery]

Better still, if he just wants me to transcode the wav files in question, i'd be happy to do that too. Zip em up and pop em on MegaUpload or whatever (not rapidshare please) and I'll hook that up.

[massop]

No need to send you these files, you guys sussed it without even looking.

I can tell you right now, if you change the sample rate to anything other than 44,100Hz when converting it will crash the GameEX sound.

I have most of my sounds working now using your lovley audio converter but this bugger will not work in gameEX no matter what (see attached)

focus-.wav

[Sliver X]

Yeah, I ran into this problem a while back as well. I typically use an ancient version of SoundForge (5, to be exact) to mix all the music I write/play, and NOTHING I edited in it would work with GameEx: Bit-rate was correct, etc. Audacity edited files work fine, however, so I make all my theme sounds with it now.

It seems that whatever library GameEx uses for PCM playback is very picky about how the WAV files are formatted.

[Adultery]

It shouldn't be, but who knows? *shrugs*

I myself have never had any issues with Sound Forge files in any environment. However I use a newer version than you, but it's still unusual to me. There shouldn't be any kind of issues with saving sounds in WAV other than bit/sample rate (maybe even track markers which are saved in an external file anyways). But in the end, it has to be something GameEx specific, so....