Features

This section provides a comprehensive overview of Audio Inspector's features and capabilities, helping you understand both how to use the tool and how it works under the hood.

Core System Architecture

Audio Inspector is built on an architecture that leverages Unreal Engine's audio engine while providing additional tracking and visualization features:

The system hooks into Unreal Engine's audio subsystem to collect real-time data about all active sounds in your scene, providing you with a live view into what's happening with your audio as you play.

Display and Interface

Dockable Editor Window

The Audio Inspector integrates seamlessly into the Unreal Editor workflow:

• Dockable Tab Interface: View all active sounds without obscuring the game viewport
• Customizable Layout: Dock alongside other editor panels for optimal workflow
• Persistent Settings: Your layout and preferences are saved between sessions

Real-time Sound List

The core of Audio Inspector is its active sound list:

• Automatic Updates: Real-time list of all currently playing sounds
• Configurable Refresh Rate: Adjust the update interval via settings
• Smart Filtering: Quickly find sounds by name with substring filtering
• Multi-column Sorting: Sort by any available property

Sorting

• Click any column header to sort the list by that column
• Click again to reverse sort order
• Shift click a column for secondary sorting

Filtering

The filter box only filters on the Name column.

It is possible to exclude results using - , eg. tree -loop.

Example filters:

• "explosion" - Finds all sounds with "explosion" in their name
• "tree -loop" - Finds all sounds with "tre" in any their name, excluding any sounds with loop in their name

Detailed Sound Information

Audio Inspector provides comprehensive information about each active sound:

• Sound Type Support: Works with waves, sound cues, MetaSounds, and all USoundBase types
• Asset Type Icons: Visual indicators for different sound asset types
• Sound Property Visualization: Color-coded indicators for volume levels
• Footer Statistics: Voice count and master volume output overview

Available Columns

Audio Inspector provides a comprehensive set of columns that display different properties of active sounds. You can right-click any column header to show/hide specific columns.

Sound Identity Columns

These columns help you identify what sounds are playing:

1. Name: Name of the sound asset currently playing

   • Double-click to open the sound asset
   • Shows the actual asset name rather than runtime instance name

2. Sound Class: The sound class assigned to this sound

   • Double-click to open Sound Class editor
   • Determines mixing properties for the sound

3. Base Submix: The submix routing for the sound

   • Double-click to open the Submix editor
   • Shows primary output routing

4. Owner: The actor or component that owns/triggered the sound

   • Added in latest version
   • Double-click to select the owner in the world
   • Helps identify which object is making a sound

Spatial Information Columns

These columns help you understand where sounds are positioned:

1. Distance: Distance from the listener

   • Shows "At Origin" for sounds at world origin (0,0,0)
   • Useful for identifying sounds that may be incorrectly positioned

2. Angle To Listener: Angle between sound and listener (both horizontal and vertical components)

   • Measured in degrees
   • Useful for spatial audio debugging

3. Azimuth: Horizontal-only angle component of the sound

   • Degrees around horizontal plane (-180 to 180)
   • Doesn't change when looking up/down

4. Elevation: Vertical angle component relative to listener

   • Measured in degrees
   • Useful for height-based audio positioning

Sound Processing Columns

These columns show how sounds are being processed:

1. Volume (dB): Current volume level with optional color visualization

   • Can be displayed with VU meter coloring
   • Shows actual decibel value being output

2. Attenuation: The attenuation settings applied to the sound

   • Double-click to open Attenuation editor
   • Helps check if correct attenuation is applied

3. Occlusion Volume Attenuation: How much the volume is attenuated due to occlusion

   • Shows volume multiplier between 0-1
   • Lower values indicate more occlusion

4. Occlusion LPF Frequency: Low-pass filter frequency applied due to occlusion

   • Shows frequency in Hz
   • Lower values indicate stronger filtering

5. Virtualization State: Indicates if the sound is being virtualized to conserve resources

   • Shows "Virtual" for sounds that aren't rendering to save CPU
   • Helps identify if virtualization settings are working properly

Note on Azimuth vs. Angle to Listener

It's important to understand the difference between Azimuth and Angle to Listener values:

• Angle to Listener takes both horizontal and vertical positions into account
• Azimuth only represents the horizontal angle (doesn't change when looking up/down)

For example: If you stand directly in front of a sound, both values show 0. If you go directly above the sound, Azimuth remains 0 but Angle to Listener becomes 90. If you're directly behind the sound, Angle to Listener shows 180, while Azimuth shows either -180 or 180.

Interactive Features

Sound Filtering and Selection

Audio Inspector provides powerful ways to find and select sounds:

• Text Filtering: Quickly filter the list by typing any part of a sound's name

• Sound Highlighting: Selecting a sound will highlight its position in the world

  • Added in latest version
  • Makes it easy to locate a sound visually

• Viewport Selection: Click on a sound to select its owner in the viewport

  • Added in latest version
  • Useful for quickly finding which actor is making a sound

Asset Navigation

Audio Inspector provides quick ways to access and edit sound assets:

• Asset Editing: Double-click to open sound assets in their respective editors

• Content Browser Access: Shift+Double-click to locate assets in Content Browser

• Sound Class Access: Double-click sound class values to open settings

  • Quickly check and adjust mixing properties

• Submix Navigation: Double-click submix values to open submix editor

  • Check effect chains and routing

• Attenuation Editing: Double-click to open attenuation assets

  • Quickly modify distance-based properties

Visual Indicators

Audio Inspector uses visual cues to help you understand your audio state:

• VU Meter Coloring: Optional color scheme for volume levels

• Sound Type Icons: Quick visual identification of sound asset types

• Origin Indicators: Special marking for sounds at world origin

  • Shows "At Origin" for sounds positioned at (0,0,0)
  • Helps identify sounds that may be incorrectly placed

Customization

Audio Inspector can be configured to match your workflow:

Editor Preferences

Access settings via Edit → Editor Preferences → SweejTech:

• Update Interval: Adjust how often the display refreshes (milliseconds)

  • Lower values: More responsive but higher editor overhead
  • Higher values: Less flickering and better performance

• Volume Coloring Mode: Choose how volume levels are visualized

  • VU Meter: Green for normal levels, yellow for hot, red for clipping
  • Priority: Color based on sound priority
  • None: No special coloring

• Column Visibility: Select which columns to show/hide

  • Customize the display to show only information you need
  • Right-click column headers for quick access to visibility options

Debugging Workflows

Here are some effective ways to use Audio Inspector in your audio debugging workflow:

Identifying Problem Sounds

When something doesn't sound right:

1. Pause the game when you hear the issue
2. Sort by volume to find the loudest sounds at that moment
3. Open the sound by double-clicking to check its settings
4. Check the owner to see which actor triggered it

Optimizing Voice Count

If you're hitting voice limits:

1. Check the total voice count in the footer
2. Sort by priority or sound class to identify sounds that might need different limiting settings
3. Look for duplicate sounds that might be unintentionally stacking
4. Check virtualization status to see if sounds are being virtualized properly

Diagnosing Spatial Audio Issues

If 3D audio positioning seems wrong:

1. Check the Distance column to see if sounds are at expected distances
2. Look for "At Origin" flags that might indicate sounds not properly attached to locations
3. Examine angle values to see if sound direction matches visual position
4. Check attenuation settings by double-clicking the attenuation field

Finding Asset References

If you need to find where a sound is being used:

1. Filter by name to locate the sound
2. Check the Owner column to see what's playing it
3. Double-click the owner to locate it in the level
4. Shift+Double-click the sound to find it in Content Browser for additional references