ABSTRACT
When creating Events in FMOD, you are given the option to make a sound 2D or 3D – but don’t get 3D sound confused with surround sound.
A 3D Event is one that can be localized. It has an origin point in the game world. When the player moves closer towards the sound source, it gets louder. As the player turns towards the origin, the sound will pan towards the center.
A 2D Event does not change in position as the player moves around the game.
Most diegetic sound will be 3D, and most non-diegetic sound will be 2D – but this is not always the case. For example, if your footsteps always retain their relative position to the listener, do they need to be 3D?
In this chapter, we’ll see where and when to use each type, as well as showing how to convert between them.
We’ll introduce the FMOD Sandbox, where the Reader can experiment with 3D localization of their Events, and explain how to use the Spacializer (which controls how the sound will behave in 3D space).
