Difference between revisions of "Positional-Audio"

From Mumble Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
(How does Mumble get informations about the virtual positions of the clients)
Line 22: Line 22:
 
* Position/Heading of the in-game camera
 
* Position/Heading of the in-game camera
 
* A so called "context" uniquely identifying the game (as in server/realm and so on) you are playing on
 
* A so called "context" uniquely identifying the game (as in server/realm and so on) you are playing on
* A so called "identity" uniquely identifying the client amongst other clients with the same "context"
+
* A so called "identity" uniquely identifying the client amongst other clients with the same "context". It is also used to store additional information like team or class depending on the game.
 +
 
 +
The server will only transmit positional audio data to client with matching context information. That means if you play a game on two different servers you will not hear each other positionally. The context and identity information are not forwarded to the other clients though. They can be used by server side applications which could, for example, place players in different channels/groups depending on the server/team they are currently playing on/in.
  
 
== How to activate Positional Audio ==
 
== How to activate Positional Audio ==

Revision as of 23:48, 18 February 2010

Positional Audio

What is Positional Audio

Positional Audio is a feature of Mumble that places the people talking to you in a certain position relative to your own depending on their actual position in the game you are playing. This way you can hear the person like his actual avatar in-game would be talking to you.

If someone is NOT using Positional Audio you would here that audio source always from the same spot, equally loud from each of your stereo speakers.

Shows Audiowaves without Postional Audio in cyberspace

If someone uses Positional Audio you will hear him louder from one speaker than from the other in such a way that correctly represents his angle and distance to you.

Shows Audiowaves with Postional Audio in cyberspace

How does Mumble get informations about the virtual positions of the clients

There are two different approaches for Mumble to get this information.

  • One: The Game itself has a routine that transmits this data from within the program to the mumble client.
  • Two: The Mumble client can use a specially crafted plugin to peek into the memory of a game to get the needed information. This approach is done from outside of the program. If a program gets updated and stores the position on a different memory offset the plugin has to be updated as well to work again.

Either way Mumble tries to gain the following information:

  • Position/Heading of your avatar in-game
  • Position/Heading of the in-game camera
  • A so called "context" uniquely identifying the game (as in server/realm and so on) you are playing on
  • A so called "identity" uniquely identifying the client amongst other clients with the same "context". It is also used to store additional information like team or class depending on the game.

The server will only transmit positional audio data to client with matching context information. That means if you play a game on two different servers you will not hear each other positionally. The context and identity information are not forwarded to the other clients though. They can be used by server side applications which could, for example, place players in different channels/groups depending on the server/team they are currently playing on/in.

How to activate Positional Audio

((add screenshots and descritption of the settings page here))

What Programs/Games does Mumble Support with Positional Audio

see --> Games

How do I create Positional Audio for an unsupported Game

see --> HackPositionalAudio