Neha Patil (Editor)

FMOD

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Original author(s)
  
Firelight Technologies

Website
  
www.fmod.org

License
  
Various

Platform
  
Microsoft Windows, OS X, iOS, Linux, Android, BlackBerry, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Google Native Client

Type
  
Game middleware Game development tool Digital audio workstation

FMOD is a sound effects engine for video games and applications developed by Firelight Technologies, that play and mix sound files of diverse formats on many operating systems.

Contents

Features

The FMOD sound system is typically supplied as a single C++ library which consists of the sound playback and mixing engine. However, since version 3.75, the FMOD sound system has been split into 4 technologies:

  • FMOD Ex - The sound playback and mixing engine.
  • FMOD Studio - An audio creation tool for games, designed like a digital audio workstation. Succeeds FMOD Designer.
  • FMOD Designer 2010 - An audio designer tool used for authoring complex sound events and music for playback.
  • FMOD Event Player - An auditioning tool in conjunction with FMOD Designer 2010.

    • The FMOD sound system has an advanced plugin architecture that can be used to extend the support of audio formats or to develop new output types, e.g. for streaming.

    Licensing

    FMOD is available under multiple license schemes:

  • FMOD Non-Commercial License, which allows software not intended for commercial distribution to use FMOD for free.
  • FMOD Commercial License, licensed on a per-platform basis. Intended for commercial software and games.
  • FMOD Casual License, a variant of the commercial license intended for electronically distributed titles, such as those distributed via the Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, Nintendo WiiWare, Windows and Mac OS X via download, as well as various mobile application distribution channels.

    • Platforms

    FMOD is written in portable C++, and can thus run on many different PC, mobile and gaming console platforms including: Microsoft Windows (x86 and x86-64), OS X, iOS, Linux (x86 and x86-64), Android, BlackBerry, Wii, Wii U, 3DS Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, and Google Native Client.

    FMOD contains support for AMD TrueAudio, and Sound Blaster hardware acceleration.

    File formats

    FMOD Ex can play back the following audio formats: AIFF, ASF, ASX, DLS, FLAC, FSB (FMOD's sample bank format), IT, M3U, MIDI, MOD, MP2, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, PLS, S3M, VAG (PS2/PSP format), WAV, WAX (Windows Media Audio Redirector), WMA, XM, XMA (only on the Xbox 360), as well as raw audio data.

    Game Engines

    FMOD has been integrated as a primary sound-effects system into the following video game engines:

  • Unity from Unity Technologies
  • Unreal Engine 3 from Epic Games
  • Unreal Engine 4 from Epic Games
  • CryEngine from Crytek
  • Torque Game Engine from GarageGames
  • BigWorld Technology from Bigworld Technology
  • Scaleform from Scaleform Corporation
  • Havok Vision Engine
  • Havok Project Anarchy
  • Source from Valve Corporation
  • HeroEngine from Idea Fabrik Plc.

    • Games using FMOD

    FMOD has been used in many high-profile commercial games since release; this is a partial list.

    References

    FMOD Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA