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diff --git a/research.tex b/research.tex index 1f55d70..228f3ac 100644 --- a/research.tex +++ b/research.tex @@ -354,45 +354,50 @@ for audio some options could be: FMOD, Wwise, or iirKlang \subsection{Conclusion} -% TODO: this entire section \section{Audio} -% should audio research be scoped down to SDL2 (if that's what we're going with) or -% standalone libraries only (for modularity?). - -The game engine is required to have an audio system with support for playing multiple -audio streams (i.e.~tracks or samples) simultaniously. Since writing a custom live -audio mixing engine is outside the scope of this project, this section compares -various standalone audio engines that could be used in the engine. +The game engine is required to have an audio system +\autocite[\ref{req:audio}]{crepe:requirements}. Since writing a custom real-time +audio mixing engine is outside the scope of this project\mref, this section compares +various standalone audio libraries for suitability in the engine. + +\subsection{Libraries} +\label{sec:audio:libs} + +After searching for libraries (search terms: `dynamic/adaptive audio', `real-time +audio', `audio library', `game audio engine'), several libraries were found. These +libraries were checked against the audio engine requirements +\autocite{crepe:requirements} and then tested by writing the same benchmark-style +\gls{poc} using the remaining qualifying libraries:\noparbreak +\begin{enumerate} + \item Load a background track (Ogg Vorbis) + \item Load three short samples (WAV) + \item Start the background track + \item Play each sample sequentially while pausing and resuming the background track + \item Play all samples simultaniously + \item Stop all audio and exit +\end{enumerate} + +Of these libraries the following were determined to be unsuitable for use in this +project due to various reasons:\noparbreak +\begin{description} + \item[FMOD \autocite{lib:fmod}] Is proprietary (violates \cref{req:lib:license}) + \item[PortAudio \autocite{lib:portaudio}] Does not handle mixing + \item[miniaudio \autocite{lib:miniaudio}] With finished \gls{poc}, but dropped due + to very limited codec support (WAV, MP3 and FLAC only); Also does not have an + \gls{api} reference (only programming manual) + \item[YSE \autocite{lib:yse}] Attempted to write \gls{poc}, but CMake configuration + in repository is broken; This project seems to have been abandoned +\end{description} -% TODO: requirements first! +The only library that remained after these tests is SoLoud \autocite{lib:soloud}. It +is Zlib/LibPng licensed and provides a high-level object-oriented C++ \gls{api}. -% REQ ~ is cross-platform -% REQ ~ supports multiple audio formats (TODO: which) -% REQ ~ supports simultanious playback / mixing -% REQ ~ has an open-source license -\begin{table} - \centering - \begin{tabular}{llc} - \toprule - \textbf{Library} & \textbf{License} & \textbf{API}\\ - \midrule - miniaudio & MIT-0 & C\\ - YSE & EPL & C++\\ - SoLoud & Zlip/LibPng & C++\\ - \bottomrule - \end{tabular} - \caption{Audio engine library comparison} - \label{tab:audio-engines} -\end{table} -% TODO: ref https://miniaud.io/ -% TODO: ref https://www.attr-x.net/yse/ +\subsection{Conclusion} +\label{sec:audio:conclusion} -Not considered further: -\begin{description} - \item[FMOD] is proprietary - \item[PortAudio] requires manual mixing -\end{description} +Due to a severe shortage of libraries that fit our requirements, SoLoud appears to be +the most suitable (and only) audio library for use in this project. \section{Physics} |