As I'm not a software programmer, but I have some knowledge on web language, I have the idea to code a player that would create a sample of the soundscape with the parameter included in the .txt files.

Btw, sorry for all those syntax errors, I'm not fully english.

And second from a technical aspect. I don't know how hard it would be to create some sort of player, but I do know that a lot of the time sounds in soundscapes are played coming from specific directions and played at random times. In essence I think you'd have to more or less copy the entire part of the game's source code (or at least copy its end result) that powers the soundscapes and interprets the scripts. Again, don't know how hard that would be, but I think the first paragraph is more important than this one.

I know I sound fairly negative in this post but I'm just stating my opinion.

CAP-ONE wrote:
So, tell me why there are tools like GUI StudioMDL or others like that if the original studiomdl that Valve put in sourcesdk do the same ? Because it's suitable to a large public, and no one want to work with a command prompt, without a proper visual of what you're doing. And technically, it's possible to play a sound in random time. As for the random playing location, in game it is played in a 3d world, but as it's just a preview for a soundscape, we can play it in mono.

Yes, but with GUIStudioMDL you're actually combining several different elements--the SMD file, the QC file, and possibly others [been a while since I compiled a model] along with checkflags, options, etc. It depends on whether you're talking about simply a soundscape previewing program or a soundscape construction program (in which case one already exists; bit buggy, but it exists). I can see your point, but I still think that just opening up a fast instance of the game, loading a random map, and entering the console command is easier, mainly because it's a lot less work than, say, putting a model together with GUIStudioMDL.

However, if one were to write a soundscape previewer--specifically for Portal 2--I imagine it would have to meet a few requirements (and I'm by no means an expert programmer so someone correct me if I'm wrong coughOmnicough). First, it would need to have HLLib included so that it can access the sounds in VPKs and such. Second, it would need to be able to parse the structure of soundscape files, which probably wouldn't be all that hard to deal with considering it's a fairly regular structure. Finally...ah...well, I was going to say it would need the necessary libraries to deal with sound output, but that requirement isn't anything more special than any other program dealing with sound.

So anyway, my two cents, I'm enjoying the discussion already.

Anyway I think a way they could go about it is just by "sampling" the soundscape for a few seconds and then "flattening" it so it's one sound file, then use that in hammer.

Also while we're on the topic, why on earth do vo files no longer play in hammer?

http://source.cap-onefr.com/soundscapeplayer/portal/

There, this is the first version of the Soundscape Player, that I've made during these last days, including for the moment, only the Portal soundscapes.

I've recorded approximately 3 mins of each soundscapes, using Goldwave (and my crappy recording device). I've managed to take the best quality of them, but online, it seems that you can heard a sort of screech, something like that. Anyway, enjoy, I will start shortly the recording of Portal 2 soundscapes, a lot more of work.

CAP-ONE wrote:
I need some replies.

First of all, don't bump a thread after one day.

Second, it's a good start. My only suggestion would be to work on the page design a little bit, but that's really just a cosmetic issue and to be honest I'd actually look into actually writing an application that would play them instead of a web page.

that's great, thank you so much! Since the console command doesn't work for me it's a pleasure to browse the soundscapes like that. Should be linked on the VDC's soundscape page.

Keep it up!