Custom Audio Trigger?

[NJCurmudgeon]

I don't know if this is at all possible, but here's my idea...would it be possible to make a trigger that would play a custom audio clip? I was thinking if it could, I could pre-record some radio communications chatter that would be appropriate for a given situation that would play when the train hits the associated trigger - say, as a train pulls out of a yard, it gets clearance to enter the main, or a warning as it approaches an emergency track repair (invisible speed markers and horn triggers could be employed to make the train slow down as it passes, give a warning horn, and then resume speed when clear). Free audio manipulation software like Audacity can be used to tweak pitch to make different voices, add a "radio" effect, etc.

I know this is sort of possible since that's what the defect detectors do - play an audio clip when a train crosses it. But what I'm thinking is more something where by cloning the asset and changing the source audio file in config, it can be customized to a specific message.

Thoughts?

 

[justinroth]

Good idea. Maybe a modification of Boat's clickety clack trigger?

 

[nicky9499]

Boat's trigger uses a script for the sounds. The config only references the script and has nothing to do with the audio.

 

[justinroth]

so the audio it references is built in?

 

[nicky9499]

Built into the script (gs file), yes. One would need knowledge on how to edit those.

 

[NJCurmudgeon]

Ideally, this would enable the user to link the trigger to an audio file on their own computer. That way, it could be customized for the user's layout and reference specific train numbers, locations, stations, yards, milepost or blocks, etc. On my own layouts, for example, I could see using it for the kinds of scenarios I mentioned above - emergency track work requiring moving to a different track, reducing speed, etc. Listening to real world railroad radio communications, occasionally there are warnings about "police activity" - usually meaning they're chasing someone who ran on the tracks. I can think of a couple scenery assets that could be used to make a scenario where the train passes the end of a police chase!

Anyway...if someone could create such a trigger, there are any number of creative scenarios that could be created to keep layouts fresh and interesting to play.

 

[nicky9499]

Trainz cannot fetch any data beyond the database. Whatever sound you want to play, it has to be inside the asset.

 

[NJCurmudgeon]

So the audio would need to be turned into a kuid that the trigger would "fetch" in the same way a locomotive uses a specific kuid for the horn sound?

 

[Dap]

You could have multiple sound tracks in the asset and then a pop-up screen that you can select from when you place the trigger in Surveyor.

Or it could be a Rule asset where you match a specific trigger to a specific sound file. With this set-up you could used the standard trigger.

I'm sure there are other ways to skin this cat as well.

 

[gary6204]

Is there a way you could set this up like the Multiple Industry New? If someone could make it act like that but remember the sound everytime you open the route, something like boats atls assets how you can save them to the map, then that would be cool

 

[RacerTodd]

This is fairly easily done without the need for any custom scripts, etc.

You first need a sound file of the "radio chatter", recorded in mono at a sampling rate of 22Khz. You create an HTML asset to put the sound file in. Place a trigger where you want the sound clip to play. Use the Check Trigger rule followed by the Play Sound rule to play the file. The Check Trigger rule can be set so only a specific loco or driver will trigger it, that way you will not hear the file when an AI train hits the trigger.

A couple of months ago, someone was wanting a "Train approaching, please remain behind yellow line" sound to play prior to arriving at a station. Check out this thread: http://forums.auran.com/trainz/show...aching-please-remain-behind-yellow-line-sound . Starting at post #5, I gave a long tutorial on how to make an HTML asset, place the trigger, etc. complete with screenshots and full instructions. I made a HTML-asset that includes the sound file of that announcement, it's on the DLS (kuid 299076:5001) if you want to use it to experiment with.

My "The Goldsboro Local" session for the "Wilsons Mills & Mt. Olive" route is on the DLS and features exactly the sort of radio chatter you mention. In the session, each time "Dispatch" gives instructions to the crew it is done via text and custom-made audio clips. I feel it adds a certain extra bit of realism to the session.
I placed 5 different sound clips in the HTML-asset, playing each at specific places during the session.

You do need to either do real voice recordings or use a speech engine (as I did) to make the clips. I added the "squelch" sound in between each "transmission" by recording the sound of my radio scanner as I turned up the squelch up and then editing that in. Makes it sound more like a real radio transmission.

Todd