OpenAL is a cross platform audio API developed by Creative Labs to efficient rendering and multi-channel positional audio in three dimensions. It is intended for use in video games and the style and conventions of the code is similar to OpenGL.
The API is available for the following platforms: Mac OS, Linux (both OSS to ALSA), * BSD, Solaris, Irix, Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo GameCube.
Unlike the OpenGL specification, the specification of OpenAL is divided into two sections: the core, consisting of function calls, and the ALC API, used to manage rendering contexts, use and resource locking, and so on. on a platform.
With the intention of adding extra functionality in the future, OpenAL uses a mechanism based on extensions. Each can include your own extensions in the distribution of OpenAL, a common occurrence to teach or proprietary hardware add functionality. Extensions can be promoted to a status ARB (Architecture Review Board), indicating a standard extension which will be maintained with backward compatibility. ARB extensions can be added to the core of the API after a certain period of time.
The overall operation can be divided into OpenAL source objects, listeners and audio buffers. A source object contains a pointer to a buffer, plus a number of attributes like speed, position, direction or intensity of emitting sound. A listener contains information about the speed, position and orientation of the reference system, in addition to the overall gain applied to all sound. There can be a listener. The buffer contains the information of the sound in PCM format, either 8 or 16 bits, mono or stereo format. The rendering engine handles all the necessary calculations as attenuation, doppler, etc..
Games that use OpenAL
Engines based on id Software
Doom 3
Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Quake 4
Prey
Tremulous
Based on Unreal engine
Unreal 2
Unreal Tournament 2003
Unreal Tournament 2004
Unreal Tournament 3
Postal 2
America’s Army
Hitman 2
Other
Battlefield 2
Freedom Fighters
Psychonauts
Armed Assault
Race Driver GRID
Regnum Online
SuperTux 0.3.x
