Alternative to a Built-in parameter on group?

FMOD Studio
1

I have a bunch of in-game objects that I want to put an automated low pass filter on, with a built in distance parameter opening and closing as you approach.

My first idea was to send all those objects to a group, with the built-in parameter on it,
but as im sure you know, that only works with global parameters.

Can someone please educate me on the workaround for this?

<3

ty

2

If you want each event instance to be able to have a different distance from the listener, there can be no workaround for this. You must place the lowpass filter and its automation inside the events you want to affect, not on a bus in the mixer.

This is because each bus creates a submix of all the signals routed into it, and any effects on that bus affect that submix, rather than the individual signals used to create the submix’s signal. If you want to affect those individual signals differently, you must place the effect at a position in the signal chain when those signals were still distinct and separate; thus, if you want to affect individual event instances differently, you must place the effect inside the event.

If you’re looking for a way of saving the effort required in duplicating the same effect and automation in multiple different events, I recommend using a preset effect (in FMOD Studio version 2.02) or a shared effect (in FMOD Studio 2.03).

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4

u da man joseph.

one last question. Can I use the same built in parameter across multiple events for in-game objects? For example. I have 4 events, each with different television audio for in-game. Each will have the same built in distance parameter effecting the LP filter, and will have the same settings. Can I use the one parameter across those events, or should each have its own built in parameter?.. meaning there would be like… 1000 built in parameters lol

Or should each object have its own built in parameter

5

In that case, you’ll only need one distance built-in parameter for all of your events. In fact, if you make the lowpass filter a shared effect, you’ll only need to automate that effect on the parameter once in order to use that effect and its automation on that parameter in all your events.

This is because all built-in parameters are local parameters. Unlike global parameters, every instance of a local parameter has its own value, and one instance of that parameter is created for each instance of an event that uses that parameter - so every event instance will have its own value for that parameter, allowing every instance of the event to be unique even though the effects, automation, and parameters in those events are all the same.

6

Sorry yes how do I use that LP as a shared effect? I was trying to do that in the mixer with a group hehe
thx joseph

7

Assuming you’ve already created the effect and added it to one of your events, the exact process differs slightly depending on which version of FMOD Studio you’re using.

If you’re using FMOD Studio version 2.02.xx:
You need to make the effect a preset effect. (Preset effects are what shared efffects are called in versions of FMOD Studio prior to 2.03.00.) To make an effect a preset effect, right-click on the effect and select “Convert to Preset” from the context menu.

Then, to add that effect to another event…

  1. In the event editor window, navigate to the event yu want to add the effect to, and select the track of that event you want to add the effect to so that its signal chain is displayed in the deck.
  2. Select “Window > Preset Browser” to open the preset browser window.
  3. In the preset browser window, click the “Effects” tab. This brings up a browser containing all the preset effects in your project.
  4. Click and drag the preset effect from the effects browser onto the deck in the event editor window.

If you’re using FMOD Studio version 2.03.00 or later:
You need to make the effect a shared effect. (Preset effects were renamed to “shared effects” in FMOD Studio 2.03.00 to better reflect their purpose and function.) To make an effect a shared effect, right-click on the effect and select “Convert to Shared Effect” from the context menu.

Then, to add that effect to another event…

  1. In the event editor window, navigate to the event you want to add the effect to, and select the track of that event you want to add the effect to so that its signal chain is displayed in the deck.
  2. Select “Window > Shared Effects Browser” to open the shared effects browser window. This brings up a browser containing all your project’s shared effects.
  3. Click and drag the preset effect from the effects browser onto the deck in the event editor window.

Every instance of a shared (or preset) effect uses the same automation curves for every instance of that effect, so every every event you add the shared effect to will be automated on the same parameter(s) with the exact same automation curve(s) - but, because that parameter is local, it’s able to have a different value in every event instance, as I described above.

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