Exploring Objects non-visible properties
THEME: Play and Objects
CONTEXT:
Inspired by the way AI in the game Thief: the dark project reacts to sounds in the environment I wanted to explore the idea of materials in digital worlds having more value than the way they look.
The idea was that each of the materials in the world as well as the space itself contributes to the way audio is perceived in the world.
METHOD:
Using Unity, I created a custom Audio Material class which had custom properties for all the surfaces in the world. These materials had trigger zones which when the user entered would change the way audio is perceived by the user.
Any number of materials and zones could overlap to contribute to what the user is currently hearing.
RESPONSE:
The end response is a short interactive piece in which you can walk around and the materials you walk on and that surround you influence the way sound is played.
REFLETCTION:
This was a great way for me to think about how objects have more effect on the world in digital media rather than just appearances. The basic system created here is something that would be useable in any future projects. It would have nice to try and implement Wwise audio and some of it’s advanced features in unity as the main audio driver.
Another thing that I was hoping to try and be implemented was materials blocking sound and a physical visualization of audio in areas
References
Acoustic properties of materials: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_(acoustics)
Audiokinetics Wwise audio system https://www.audiokinetic.com/products/wwise/
War Stories : How Thief's Stealth System Almost Didn't Work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzD9ldLoc3c