FMOD vs OpenAL
Author
I''m making a cross platform game, and my two main choices for sound API are FMOD and OpenAl.
What are the major differences between the two?
Is FMOD worth its license cost, and if so, because of which features it has that OpenAL doesn''t?
Thankyou.
First off, fmod doesn''t necessarily cost anything, check their different licenses.
I found it easier to get things done in fmod. Originally I was using OpenAL, and random things would happen like the game crashing when the window lost focus. With fmod things came a lot easier, and I found their documentation a lot better.
I found it easier to get things done in fmod. Originally I was using OpenAL, and random things would happen like the game crashing when the window lost focus. With fmod things came a lot easier, and I found their documentation a lot better.
I''m always amazed how people compare OpenAL with FMod.
FMod is a high-level library for audio. OpenAL is low-level; like an OpenGL for audio (obviously). It''s like comparing RenderWare with OpenGL.
FMod is a high-level library for audio. OpenAL is low-level; like an OpenGL for audio (obviously). It''s like comparing RenderWare with OpenGL.
quote:Original post by MikeMJH
I''m always amazed how people compare OpenAL with FMod.
FMod is a high-level library for audio. OpenAL is low-level; like an OpenGL for audio (obviously). It''s like comparing RenderWare with OpenGL.
I''ve used both extensively and this is simply not true. For 3D sound, they are basically the same -- only the API is different.
I recommend FMOD -- it is more mature and has more support.
quote:Original post by Anonymous Posterquote:Original post by MikeMJH
I''m always amazed how people compare OpenAL with FMod.
FMod is a high-level library for audio. OpenAL is low-level; like an OpenGL for audio (obviously). It''s like comparing RenderWare with OpenGL.
I''ve used both extensively and this is simply not true. For 3D sound, they are basically the same -- only the API is different.
I recommend FMOD -- it is more mature and has more support.
I admit, for some things, our friendly (for once) AP is correct. However, for items such as streaming the actual sound data, OpenAL is very much more like OpenGL than FMod.
Mike: How high a level *is* FMOD? Does it have e.g. a channel/source allocation manager/prioritiser built in?
aph3x: yes, but you can manage your own channels and priorities instead if you want (why you would thought I don''t know - FMOD''s system is designed to perfectly suite FMOD).
Bah, I'm in the middle of writing my own source manager for OpenAL, and it aint easy I'm tellin ya! 
Spose OpenAL *is* free, although looking at the LGPL license I'm not sure exactly *how* free...:o
[edited by - aph3x on May 11, 2004 7:39:44 AM]
Spose OpenAL *is* free, although looking at the LGPL license I'm not sure exactly *how* free...:o
[edited by - aph3x on May 11, 2004 7:39:44 AM]
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