Creating a game assets graph using pivot tables

As I am now comfortable with the implementation of sounds with Wwise and have experimented with the different layouts and routings through the DAW it is now time to organise my sound assets into a workable graph as of which can be edited when necessary. This will allow me to keep track of the sounds I have recorded, implemented and finished without having to open Wwise itself to check. There are also other bonus' to this as it will allow me to layout a structured approach to what sounds are exactly needed and how many variations will be required to record or source from elsewhere if not possible to record. I first needed to understand what sounds are being triggered by the game in order for me to take that information and implement it into the graph. I gathered all this information by using the profiler in Wwise and started the game with the profiler running. This gave me all the information as was needed and even gave me the option of filtering certain sounds that I could then transfer over to an excel worksheet. Using the export .txt option in Wwise I was then able to transfer this data over to a worksheet in Microsoft Excel. From this worksheet I was able to then create a pivot table that would allow me to understand what sounds and the number of times each sound was triggered by the game. This is useful information as I then have a clear indicator of every sound that would need to be sourced and also gives me the option to then input this information into a workable graph.

This workable graph is known as an asset list, and is a great way for game sound designers to put all the sound information that needs to be gathered into a table that shows information such as how many variations and revisions have been done to the particular sound.

The video below will show briefly the profiler and the asset list. You can see the profiler displaying the game information and using the filtering system I was able to then depict the certain sounds that were needed to go into an asset list.

https://vimeo.com/353119414

As I mentioned previously, this asset list will be a viable way for me to understand the sounds that need to be recorded and/or sourced from elsewhere. I will then ensure that the sounds are kept in a suitable and organised folder that will allow me to easily access the sounds for implementation into the game. I have already edited the footsteps and I now just need to record the other sounds.

Below shows the different folders that I created for each asset so that I can keep everything organised and structured properly. This will help when it comes to inserting the sounds into the game as I will know exactly where to look.