dav files in game

[xcrosswitch]

Hi All,

I spent some time making a new radio chatter file and saved as 16 bit mono wav file. I tried converting it to dav via the Davdecoder exe file. It converts it okay but after putting them under the Audio entry of SD70, ES4E and Dash9 folders, they don't seem to play.
I was wondering if there is an audio playback program that I can test the dav files in before putting into the game. I tried VLC but that seems to playback Video Dav files of certain brand video cameras but not the audio dav files.
The other question I have is - has anyone managed to get the 'Convert2dav.exe program to work? I double click it and it doesn't open. I thought it may operate like the Serz file and be drag and drop but nothing happens when you drop a mono wav file into it.
I can't find any info in the Developer docs on the process of building and converting audio files.
Would it be better (easier) to edit the proxy files of the locos and change the file extention to wav?

Any advice from the sound gurus would be appreciated

Rob Kenning

[XDriver]

"Would it be better (easier) to edit the proxy files of the locos and change the file extention to wav?"

That's the way I always do it. I think it's the easiest way in the long run. My two cents..
I don't know why anyone would even want radio chatter to begin with. Distracting noise. All my radios are silent. Again. That's my two cents.. LOL!

[HankySpanky]

Definitely change to wav for a couple of reasons. Firstly it is simple to record and change audio files in wav and share them (see Krellnut's horns) without making your friends go coo-coo (not choo-choo) like you are doing by fussing with the very unpopular dav files. Secondly, sometimes there are long gaps in radio chatter and by using a simple free audio editor you can take out those long gaps, add auto monitor reports, have a conductor (or wife) shouting at you, change the volume, even mix in some background music if you want.

[barnez]

As far as I know convert2dav.exe is called by the blueprint editor to convert source .wav files into asset .dav files on export. I don't know if there's any way to access it outside of that context.

I'll have to poke around to see if I have a dav player ...

-barnez

[xcrosswitch]

I ended up going with the wav file and proxy edit route. I made backups in the three main cab audio folders of the ES44, Dash9 and SD70. The file is in 8 bit mono, not 16 bit. The volume is a little lower so it's not as loud or distracting as the original.
No more foreman Romero and Dan Hernandez for me.

[Chacal]

You should have searched the forums. I posted an easy solution recently for getting rid of foreman Hernandez.

[xcrosswitch]

Hi Chacal,

Thanks for the advice. I checked your past post solutions to getting rid of the chatter and will copy out relevant info for future reference.
I'm happy to have the chatter in the background, and will eventually create a series of chatter files in wav format that I can drop in from time to time to have some variety.

Rob

[Chacal]

Audacity has a great feature for that, it lets you automatically compress the silent parts of a sound file.
So you can record live railway radios on the net, and make them more interesting by reducing all silent intervals down to, say, 2 minutes maximum.

[bnsf9580]

Any idea if you could get live feed from Railroad Radio and put it in instead? That way there is always something going on, different every minute, and it wouldn't repeat itself. I just wonder if that would work or how you would pull it off. It would be neat for sure. And you could probably find feed local to the area if you run a locomotive on a specific route.

[HankySpanky]

@bnsf - If you run the game in windows mode, one way you can do it right now is open a new window with this link http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/2422/web, adjust the volume in the on screen player, minimize that window, then run the game in another window. The radio will always has new stuff but of coarse will play in all game views - but that's okay with me because there is so much game noise outside that when you are in the cab you can hear the radio clearly.

[Chacal]

That's what I do. I select a feed from railroadradio.net that is close to the route I'm playing.

[bnsf9580]

I think my problem is you still have the TS radio chatter in the background being annoying. I'm sure you could just put a "sound recording" of the same name and file type, but just have no sound, like you record nothing for maybe 1 second and it can loop all it wants. So the file is still there but the sound isn't. And then you could use that. I wish I lived in a busy area for rail traffic. I could use my AUX cable and plug it in the headphone jack on my scanner and the mic jack on my laptop, and let it record for like 4 or 5 hours and throw that in if I wanted too. At least it would be long enough I wouldn't really notice repeats, and I know it would be realistic in terms of what is said and the intervals at which they speak. I feel like Railworks took a bunch of random scanner clips or generated them themselves and put them in close together to keep something going. Not very realistically but yeah, it's something.

[Chacal]

I'm sure you could just put a "sound recording" of the same name and file type, but just have no sound, like you record nothing for maybe 1 second and it can loop all it wants.

Already done. Search the forums for "chatter", you'll find my post with included files and instructions.

[HankySpanky]

You don't have to have a working audio file. Just rename it to something like "REM-radio". Then if you want it back just rename it again back to "radio". Very simple to do.

[Chacal]

I wish you were right.
However this won't work for engines distributed inside .ap files, such as the Kuju RailsimulatorUS ones (F7, SD40-2, ES44).
The correct method is the one I provided.