Audio Assets

The Hytale audio system manages sound effects, music, ambient audio, and audio processing. This page covers the asset files that configure audio behavior.

Asset Locations

Directory	Purpose
Assets/Server/Audio/SoundEvents/	Sound event definitions
Assets/Server/Audio/AudioCategories/	Volume categories
Assets/Server/Audio/ItemSounds/	Item sound sets
Assets/Server/Audio/SoundSets/	Block sound sets
Assets/Server/Audio/Reverb/	Reverb presets
Assets/Server/Audio/EQ/	Equalizer presets
Assets/Server/Audio/AmbienceFX/	Ambient effects
Assets/Common/Sounds/	Audio files (.ogg)
Assets/Common/Music/	Music files

Sound File Formats

Format	Extension	Usage
Ogg Vorbis	.ogg	Sound effects and music
Hytale Audio	.lpf	Hytale-specific audio format

Sound Events

Sound events in Assets/Server/Audio/SoundEvents/ define when and how sounds play.

Sound Event Schema

Field	Type	Description
Parent	string	Parent event for inheritance
Layers	array	Sound layers (multiple sounds)
Volume	number	Volume in dB (0 = max)
Looping	boolean	Whether sound loops
PreventSoundInterruption	boolean	Prevent overlap
MaxInstance	number	Maximum concurrent instances

Layer Properties

Field	Type	Description
Files	string[]	Audio file paths
Volume	number	Layer volume in dB
Looping	boolean	Layer-specific looping
RandomSettings	object	Randomization settings

RandomSettings Properties

Field	Type	Description
MinVolume	number	Minimum volume variation
MinPitch	number	Minimum pitch variation
MaxPitch	number	Maximum pitch variation

Sound Event Examples

Simple Sound

Chest_Open.json

{
  "Layers": [
    {
      "Files": [
        "Sounds/Items/Chest/Chest_Wooden_Open_01.ogg"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "Volume": 2.0,
  "Parent": "SFX_Attn_Quiet"
}

Looping Sound

Chest_Legendary_Loop.json

{
  "Layers": [
    {
      "Files": [
        "Sounds/Items/Chest/Chest_Legendary_LOOP.ogg"
      ],
      "Looping": true
    }
  ],
  "Volume": -4.46,
  "Parent": "SFX_Attn_Quiet"
}

Randomized Sound

Item_Drop.json

{
  "Layers": [
    {
      "Files": [
        "Sounds/PlayerActions/Pickup/Player_Item_Drop_01.ogg"
      ],
      "RandomSettings": {
        "MinVolume": -1.94,
        "MinPitch": 0,
        "MaxPitch": 0
      },
      "Volume": -4.44
    }
  ],
  "Volume": -19.0,
  "PreventSoundInterruption": true,
  "MaxInstance": 15,
  "Parent": "SFX_Attn_Moderate"
}

Attenuation Templates

Attenuation templates define distance falloff for sounds:

Template	Description
SFX_Attn_VeryQuiet	Very short range
SFX_Attn_Quiet	Short range
SFX_Attn_Moderate	Medium range
SFX_Attn_Loud	Long range
SFX_Attn_VeryLoud	Very long range

Use Parent field to inherit attenuation settings.

Audio Categories

Audio categories in Assets/Server/Audio/AudioCategories/ define volume groups.

Category Schema

AudioCat_Music.json

{
  "Volume": -14.0
}

Standard Categories

Category	Base Volume	Purpose
AudioCat_Music	-14 dB	Background music
AudioCat_Weapons	0 dB	Weapon sounds
AudioCat_Footsteps	0 dB	Footstep sounds
AudioCat_Inventory	0 dB	Inventory UI sounds
AudioCat_NPC	0 dB	NPC sounds
AudioCat_Discovery	0 dB	Discovery/unlock sounds

Item Sound Sets

Item sound sets in Assets/Server/Audio/ItemSounds/ define sounds for inventory interactions.

ItemSoundSet Schema

ISS_Weapons_Blade_Large.json

{
  "SoundEvents": {
    "Drop": "SFX_Drop_Weapons_Blade_Large",
    "Drag": "SFX_Drag_Weapons_Blade_Large"
  }
}

Standard ItemSoundSet Events

Event	Description
Drop	Sound when item is dropped in inventory
Drag	Sound when item is dragged

Available ItemSoundSets

Armor:

• ISS_Armor_Cloth - Cloth armor
• ISS_Armor_Leather - Leather armor
• ISS_Armor_Heavy - Metal armor

Weapons:

• ISS_Weapons_Blade_Large - Large blades
• ISS_Weapon_Blade_Small - Small blades
• ISS_Weapon_Blunt_Large - Large blunt weapons
• ISS_Weapons_Blunt_Small - Small blunt weapons
• ISS_Weapons_Stone_Large - Large stone weapons
• ISS_Weapons_Stone_Small - Small stone weapons
• ISS_Weapons_Wood - Wooden weapons
• ISS_Weapons_Wand - Wands
• ISS_Weapons_Shield_Metal - Metal shields
• ISS_Weapons_Shield_Wood - Wood shields
• ISS_Weapons_Arrows - Arrows
• ISS_Weapons_Books - Books

Blocks:

• ISS_Blocks_Stone - Stone blocks
• ISS_Blocks_Wood - Wood blocks
• ISS_Blocks_Gravel - Gravel
• ISS_Blocks_Soft - Soft blocks
• ISS_Blocks_Splatty - Splatty blocks

Items:

• ISS_Items_Metal - Metal items
• ISS_Items_Leather - Leather items
• ISS_Items_Cloth - Cloth items
• ISS_Items_Ingots - Ingots
• ISS_Items_Gems - Gems
• ISS_Items_Bones - Bones
• ISS_Items_Potion - Potions
• ISS_Items_Paper - Paper items
• ISS_Items_Foliage - Foliage items
• ISS_Items_Seeds - Seeds
• ISS_Items_Clay - Clay items
• ISS_Items_Shells - Shells
• ISS_Items_Chest - Chests
• ISS_Items_Gadget - Gadgets
• ISS_Items_Splatty - Splatty items

Reverb Presets

Reverb presets in Assets/Server/Audio/Reverb/ define room acoustics.

Reverb Schema

Field	Type	Description
DryGain	number	Direct sound level (dB)
Gain	number	Overall reverb level (dB)
ModalDensity	number	Echo density (0-1)
Diffusion	number	Diffusion amount (0-1)
DecayTime	number	Reverb decay in seconds
HighFrequencyGain	number	High frequency level (dB)
HighFrequencyDecayRatio	number	HF decay multiplier
ReflectionGain	number	Early reflections (dB)
ReflectionDelay	number	Reflection delay (seconds)
LateReverbGain	number	Late reverb level (dB)
LateReverbDelay	number	Late reverb delay (seconds)
RoomRolloffFactor	number	Distance rolloff
AirAbsorbptionHighFrequencyGain	number	Air absorption (dB)
LimitDecayHighFrequency	boolean	Limit HF decay

Reverb Example

Rev_Cave.json

{
  "DryGain": 0,
  "ModalDensity": 1,
  "Diffusion": 1,
  "Gain": -15,
  "HighFrequencyGain": -39,
  "DecayTime": 11,
  "HighFrequencyDecayRatio": 1.3,
  "ReflectionGain": -10.4,
  "ReflectionDelay": 0.2,
  "LateReverbGain": 0,
  "LateReverbDelay": 0.02,
  "RoomRolloffFactor": 0,
  "AirAbsorbptionHighFrequencyGain": -0.05,
  "LimitDecayHighFrequency": false
}

Available Reverb Presets

Preset	Description
Rev_Default	Default outdoor
Rev_Cave	Cave acoustics
Rev_Forest	Forest environment
Rev_Forest_Snow	Snowy forest
Rev_Forest_Desert	Desert forest
Rev_Forest_Fog	Foggy forest
Rev_Plains	Open plains
Rev_Plains_Snow	Snowy plains
Rev_Plains_Desert	Desert plains
Rev_Plains_Fog	Foggy plains
Rev_Mountain	Mountain
Rev_Mountain_Snow	Snowy mountain
Rev_Mountain_Fog	Foggy mountain
Rev_Swamp	Swamp
Rev_Swamp_Foggy	Foggy swamp
Rev_Temple	Temple interior
Rev_Temple_Grand	Large temple
Rev_Village	Village area
Rev_Mineshaft	Mineshaft
Rev_Mage_Tower	Mage tower
Rev_Reflective_Slap	Hard surfaces

Equalizer Presets

EQ presets in Assets/Server/Audio/EQ/ modify frequency response.

EQ Schema

Field	Type	Description
LowGain	number	Low frequency gain (dB)
LowCutOff	number	Low band cutoff (Hz)
LowMidGain	number	Low-mid gain (dB)
LowMidCenter	number	Low-mid center (Hz)
LowMidWidth	number	Low-mid bandwidth
HighMidGain	number	High-mid gain (dB)
HighMidCenter	number	High-mid center (Hz)
HighMidWidth	number	High-mid bandwidth
HighGain	number	High frequency gain (dB)
HighCutOff	number	High band cutoff (Hz)

EQ Example

EQ_Underwater.json

{
  "LowGain": 0,
  "LowCutOff": 300,
  "LowMidGain": -17.19,
  "LowMidCenter": 1000,
  "LowMidWidth": 1,
  "HighMidGain": -17.9,
  "HighMidCenter": 1500,
  "HighMidWidth": 1,
  "HighGain": -17.9,
  "HighCutOff": 4000
}

Available EQ Presets

Preset	Description
EQ_Default	No modification
EQ_Underwater	Muffled underwater effect

Sound Categories by Type

Common/Sounds Directory Structure

Directory	Description	Examples
Blocks/	Block interaction sounds	Breaking, placing
Crafting/	Crafting sounds	Bench sounds, completion
Effects/	Special effects	Impacts, environmental
Environments/	Ambient environment	Wind, water, nature
Events/	Event sounds	Discovery, achievements
Items/	Item sounds	Pickup, use
Magic/	Magic effects	Spell casting, elements
Movement/	Movement sounds	Footsteps, jumping
NPC/	NPC sounds	Vocalizations, attacks
PlayerActions/	Player action sounds	Eating, drinking
Projectiles/	Projectile sounds	Arrows, thrown items
Tools/	Tool sounds	Mining, chopping
UI/	Interface sounds	Clicks, notifications
Weapons/	Weapon sounds	Swings, impacts

Using Audio in Items

Items reference audio via ItemSoundSetId:

Example item with sound

{
  "Id": "Weapon_Sword_Iron",
  "ItemSoundSetId": "ISS_Weapons_Blade_Large",
  "Interactions": {
    "Primary": {
      "Effects": {
        "WorldSoundEventId": "SFX_Sword_T2_Swing",
        "LocalSoundEventId": "SFX_Sword_T2_Swing_Local"
      }
    }
  }
}

Sound Types in Interactions

Field	Description
WorldSoundEventId	Sound heard by all players
LocalSoundEventId	Sound heard only by player
SoundEventId	General sound reference

Creating Custom Audio

Step 1: Create Audio File

Save audio as .ogg format in Assets/Common/Sounds/:

• DirectoryMyPlugin/Sounds/

  • DirectoryWeapons/

    • Custom_Sword_Swing.ogg
    • Custom_Sword_Impact.ogg
  • DirectoryItems/

    • Custom_Pickup.ogg

Step 2: Create Sound Event

SFX_MyPlugin_Sword_Swing.json

{
  "Layers": [
    {
      "Files": [
        "MyPlugin/Sounds/Weapons/Custom_Sword_Swing.ogg"
      ],
      "RandomSettings": {
        "MinVolume": -2,
        "MinPitch": -0.1,
        "MaxPitch": 0.1
      }
    }
  ],
  "Volume": -3.0,
  "Parent": "SFX_Attn_Moderate"
}

Step 3: Create ItemSoundSet (Optional)

ISS_MyPlugin_Weapon.json

{
  "SoundEvents": {
    "Drop": "SFX_MyPlugin_Weapon_Drop",
    "Drag": "SFX_MyPlugin_Weapon_Drag"
  }
}

Step 4: Reference in Item

MyPlugin_Weapon.json

{
  "Id": "MyPlugin_Weapon_Custom",
  "ItemSoundSetId": "ISS_MyPlugin_Weapon",
  "InteractionVars": {
    "Swing_Effect": {
      "Interactions": [{
        "Effects": {
          "WorldSoundEventId": "SFX_MyPlugin_Sword_Swing"
        }
      }]
    }
  }
}

File Structure

• Directorymy-plugin/

  • Directoryassets/

    • Directoryserver/

      • Directoryaudio/

        • Directorysoundevents/

          • Directorysfx/

            • Directoryweapons/

              • SFX_MyPlugin_Sword_Swing.json
              • SFX_MyPlugin_Sword_Impact.json
        • Directoryitemsounds/

          • ISS_MyPlugin_Weapon.json
    • Directorycommon/

      • Directorysounds/

        • Directorymyplugin/

          • Directoryweapons/

            • Custom_Sword_Swing.ogg
            • Custom_Sword_Impact.ogg

Audio Best Practices

1. Use appropriate attenuation: Match Parent template to sound type
2. Normalize audio files: Keep peak levels consistent (-3 to -6 dB)
3. Add randomization: Use RandomSettings for variety
4. Limit instances: Set MaxInstance to prevent audio overload
5. Use categories: Assign sounds to appropriate categories
6. Test in-game: Verify volumes and distances in actual gameplay
7. Optimize file size: Use appropriate quality (44.1kHz, mono for most SFX)
8. Prefix IDs: Use plugin name prefix for all custom audio

Volume Guidelines

Sound Type	Typical Volume (dB)	Distance
UI sounds	0 to -5	Local only
Footsteps	-10 to -15	Short
Weapons	-3 to -8	Medium
Ambience	-15 to -25	Long
Music	-12 to -18	Global
NPC vocalizations	-5 to -10	Medium

Related

• Asset System Overview - General asset documentation
• Items Overview - Item sound sets
• Plugin Manifest - Including audio assets