The latest update to the Oculus Audio SDK adds the long awaited dynamic audio propagation feature.
The Audio SDK spatializes audio sources in realtime using head-related transfer functions (HRTF). It also allows for volumetric and ambisonic sounds.
The SDK’s spatializer originally simulated audio reflections/reverb by assuming a predefined rectangle around the user. That approach however assumes the user is in the centre of that rectangle. It also obviously doesn’t work properly when moving around a scene. In early 2018 a feature called Dynamic Room Modeling was added. This allows developers to define the current room as a 3D rectangle with a position. When the user changes to a new room the developer can update the rectangle for that room.
This required a relatively large amount of effort on the developer’s part however, and only fully works in perfectly rectangular spaces. It also couldn’t model the transition between different sized spaces- such as going from inside to outside.
How the Audio SDK now ‘sees’ a scene
The new dynamic audio propagation analyzes the game geometry in realtime and accurately models the reflections. The developer simply needs to tag each object with an acoustic material to let it know how it should absord or reflect sound. Materials like carpet will absorb far more than materials like metal.
Valve’s competing Steam Audio has had this feature for almost two years now, so this isn’t new to the PC space. But for Oculus Go and the upcoming Oculus Quest, this feature will take VR audio’s realism to the next level.
Tagged with: oculus audio sdk, Oculus Go, Oculus Quest, oculus rift, oculus sdk, spatial audio, vr audio
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via Mint VR