OpenAL

OpenAL, short for Open Audio Library, is a special set of instructions computers use to handle sounds. It works on many different kinds of computers and is made to create realistic 3D sounds, like you might hear in a video game. This means it can make sounds seem like they are coming from far away or close by, and it can change how sounds sound based on how fast something is moving.

OpenAL was created to be a free and open way to handle 3D sounds, instead of using special sound systems that only worked on certain computers. Even though the main version of OpenAL is no longer updated, there are other free versions people can use, such as OpenAL Soft.

This system helps make games and other programs feel more real by letting sounds behave just like they would in the real world.

History

OpenAL began in 2000 when Loki Software created it to help change Windows games so they could work on Linux computers. After Loki Software stopped, kind people in the free software and open source community kept working on it. It was mostly developed by Creative Technology until around 2012.

Since version 1.1 in 2009, the main version of OpenAL became private, but people can still find older free versions. There is another version called OpenAL Soft that many people use, and it is still being updated. OpenAL was supposed to have a group to review its design, but that group was never created. Instead, people talk about OpenAL through emails on a public list. The original group for OpenAL stopped in 2012, but a new group started in 2014 and is still used today.

API structure and functionality

OpenAL uses special tools called source objects, audio buffers, and a listener. A source object holds information about the sound, like where it is and how loud it is. The listener object shows where the listener is and how all sounds are heard overall. Buffers store the actual sound data.

When everything is set up right, sounds in an OpenAL application feel very natural as you move around in a 3D world. For programmers, it doesn’t take much extra work to add this to a game that already uses OpenGL for graphics.

Limitations

OpenAL is designed for one listener, like a single person hearing sounds. This makes it less useful for things like robot simulations or group music performances, which need multiple listeners. Also, OpenAL doesn’t consider how long it takes for sound to travel; it only changes how loud sounds are based on distance.

To get the best performance from OpenAL, you often need special software for your computer’s sound system, which isn’t always available. On some computers, OpenAL works by using the computer’s built-in sound systems instead of its own special methods. This can limit how well it performs on newer versions of Windows.

Supported platforms

OpenAL works on many different devices and operating systems. You can use it on Android, iOS, Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, and more. It also supports gaming consoles like the GameCube, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii.

Applications

Games

Many popular video games use OpenAL to make sounds more realistic. Some of these games include:

• 0 A.D.
• Alpha Protocol
• America's Army: Operations
• American Truck Simulator
• Amnesia: The Dark Descent
• Armed Assault
• Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
• Battlefield 2
• Battlefield 2142
• BioShock
• Bit.Trip
• Colin McRae: DiRT
• Doom 3
• Euro Truck Simulator 2
• FlightGear
• ioquake3
• Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
• Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
• Mari0
• Mass Effect (video game)
• Minecraft (through LWJGL)
• OpenArena
• Penumbra: Overture
• Postal 2
• Prey
• Psychonauts
• Quake 4
• Race Driver: Grid
• Regnum Online
• Running With Rifles
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
• System Shock 2
• The Dark Mod
• TrackMania Forever
• TrackMania 2
• Trackmania Turbo
• Tremulous
• Unreal II: The Awakening
• Unreal Tournament 2003
• Unreal Tournament 2004
• Unreal Tournament 3
• War§ow
• Wurm Online

Other applications

OpenAL is also used in other software, such as:

• Blender – Uses OpenAL for its video editor
• 3DMark06 – Gamer's benchmarking tool
• Dolphin (emulator) – GameCube and Wii emulator
• Vanda Engine – uses OpenAL 1.1 to simulate 2D and 3D sounds
• Croquet Project
• Bino - Video player software that has support for stereoscopic 3D video and multi-display video

Implementations

OpenAL has several different versions that work on various computers and systems. One version, called OpenAL Soft, is free to use and works on many types of computers. It can handle different types of sound, from simple mono to more complex surround sound.

Another version, AeonWave-OpenAL, uses special software to make 3D sounds faster and better. There is also a version made by Apple for their macOS and iOS systems, and a tiny version called MojoAL that works with a system called SDL2. Each version has its own features to help make sounds in games and other programs more realistic.