vehicles.awc size limit?

[Arxhive 64]

Hey guys.

I'm currently trying to build my own siren mod, and I'm in the process of replacing the airhorn (0x0EA58C7C) with a manual tone. The issue is upon booting up the game, no sirens/horns at all are played/audible. What am I doing wrong? My vehicles.awc used to be 15.75MB, and upon adding my manual tone it's at 15.77MB, a mere .02 jump. Could there be something I'm overlooking with import openformats? I've even tried rebuilding the archive, but to no avail. Any help would be appreciated. I'm trying to avoid shortening the file as much as possible (it's only 2 seconds long as it is.) 

*The new 0xEA58C7C file is 112 KB*

Edited September 17, 2015 by M3Creepsta

[Ethan Rubinacci 125]

Quick question, I've not made sirens myself but from what I understand they can be only a certain length. I dont think the airhorn needs to be 2 seconds, also I dont think its a matter of it being to big, its just a matter of perhaps the airhorn is too long.

[Arxhive 64]

That could be it, but if that's the case I hope there's a workaround. I know @PimDSLR made a rumbler siren for V that replaces the airhorn with a manual tone, but it's very short.

[Ethan Rubinacci 125]

Yah, the airhorn isnt meant to be something like that, hence the reason were all anticipating ELS for V (seems like Lt. Caine has dropped off the radar though) so we can have longer, and better sirens like RL. So I'd try shortening it because of C***stars stupid rule type things

[Arxhive 64]

So can somebody verify that it's the length or is it the filesize? 

[MrGhostman 56]

So can somebody verify that it's the length or is it the filesize? 

It's probably the filesize that's over 15.75MB or sometimes it's the longer length compared to the vanilla length. Maybe even both in some cases. 

[GravelRoadCop 1,335]

My horn tone is only a fraction of a second that loops. So yeah, file size in the game is delicate to handle.

[MrGhostman 56]

My horn tone is only a fraction of a second that loops. So yeah, file size in the game is delicate to handle.

True that. I've recently revised my Federal Signal PA-300 older D&R Intimidator siren mod and I had to slightly reduce the wail looping length by a few milliseconds to make the .awc file size not go over 15.75MB. Trust me, it was a pain in the arse to work with even with audacity.

[TakeYaBackToStation4BumVio 56]

We still don't get sound strings. I mean does anyone understand?

Edited January 2, 2019 by TakeYaBackToStation4BumVio

[Wilhelm 208]

The vanilla vehicles.awc is in a compressed format and sits at 15.75MB. However whenever you make any changes or modifications to it, the file is decompressed from its original state. This will use up some space on top of whatever the size of the new file you include is.

 

The trick here is to use as short a clip as possible with as little noise as possible (as in background noise, hums and so on). Although I'm not particularly well versed in audio modifications, I'm sure there are other tricks you can pull off to reduce the size of the files you're trying to add in.

 

And just to confirm as mostly everyone in the thread has, yes there's a size limit!

[TakeYaBackToStation4BumVio 56]

On 1/7/2019 at 6:30 PM, WillUnderscore said:

The vanilla vehicles.awc is in a compressed format and sits at 15.75MB. However whenever you make any changes or modifications to it, the file is decompressed from its original state. This will use up some space on top of whatever the size of the new file you include is.

 

 

I hear what you're saying. So you think the reason a standard *fresh* vehicles.awc from installing GTA V is over the 15.7 limit is because it is compressed? It is actually an issue with openIv. When repacking awc via OpenFormat it doesn't compress as well and has headers. To get around this IMPORT LIMIT (it's not a limit in GTAV PEOPLE! how can you be modding rage for years and years not know this? I am like the first to post it here on this site) all you have to do is make an OpenIV installer file and have the OpenIV import function add and replace the sounds 1 by 1 in vehicles.awc without ever needing to unpack it. 

 

Again, the file size limit is: NONE

The import and compression limit is EXACTLY: 15.826mb

[Wilhelm 208]

3 hours ago, TakeYaBackToStation4BumVio said:

 

 

I hear what you're saying. So you think the reason a standard *fresh* vehicles.awc from installing GTA V is over the 15.7 limit is because it is compressed? It is actually an issue with openIv. When repacking awc via OpenFormat it doesn't compress as well and has headers. To get around this IMPORT LIMIT (it's not a limit in GTAV PEOPLE! how can you be modding rage for years and years not know this? I am like the first to post it here on this site) all you have to do is make an OpenIV installer file and have the OpenIV import function add and replace the sounds 1 by 1 in vehicles.awc without ever needing to unpack it. 

 

Again, the file size limit is: NONE

The import and compression limit is EXACTLY: 15.826mb

 

Thanks for your feedback and your insight into the openFormat's OpenIV editor.

 

What I'm referring to is the size of the file that OP is attempting to import. Conventionally speaking, there is an effective size limit, as OpenIV is more or less the only publicly available tool to perform this kind of operation. Further to this, it is more or less the standard import format used when it comes to siren modifications (consider the main mega-packs).

 

You may well be right in saying that the file size limit is not the issue, and that its down to file size and compression. However, to the user it appears to be a file size limit.

[TakeYaBackToStation4BumVio 56]

1 minute ago, WillUnderscore said:

 

Thanks for your feedback and your insight into the openFormat's OpenIV editor.

 

What I'm referring to is the size of the file that OP is attempting to import. Conventionally speaking, there is an effective size limit, as OpenIV is more or less the only publicly available tool to perform this kind of operation. Further to this, it is more or less the standard import format used when it comes to siren modifications (consider the main mega-packs).

 

You may well be right in saying that the file size limit is not the issue, and that its down to file size and compression. However, to the user it appears to be a file size limit.

Well it's upped to 16.2 megs now so be happy! (check my forum posts)

[Drift_91 4]

On 1/9/2019 at 7:26 AM, TakeYaBackToStation4BumVio said:

all you have to do is make an OpenIV installer file and have the OpenIV import function add and replace the sounds 1 by 1 in vehicles.awc without ever needing to unpack it.

And you do this, how, exactly? Could you provide an example assembly.xml?

I've tried the following:

Spoiler

	<content>
		<archive path="x64\audio\sfx\RESIDENT.rpf" createIfNotExist="False" type="RPF7">
			<archive path="vehicles.awc" createIfNotExist="False" type="RPF7">
				<add source="AIRHORN_EQD.wav">AIRHORN_EQD.wav</add>
				<add source="AMBULANCE_WARNING.wav">AMBULANCE_WARNING.wav</add>
				<add source="POLICE_WARNING.wav">POLICE_WARNING.wav</add>
				<add source="SIREN_2.wav">SIREN_2.wav</add>
				<add source="SIREN_FIRETRUCK_QUICK_01.wav">SIREN_FIRETRUCK_QUICK_01.wav</add>
				<add source="SIREN_FIRETRUCK_WAIL_01.wav">SIREN_FIRETRUCK_WAIL_01.wav</add>
				<add source="SIREN_PA20A_WAIL.wav">SIREN_PA20A_WAIL.wav</add>
				<add source="SIREN_QUICK_01.wav">SIREN_QUICK_01.wav</add>
				<add source="SIREN_WAIL_01.wav">SIREN_WAIL_01.wav</add>
			</archive>
		</archive>
	</content>

as well as

	<content>
		<archive path="x64\audio\sfx\RESIDENT.rpf" createIfNotExist="False" type="RPF7">
			<add source="AIRHORN_EQD.wav">vehicles.awc\AIRHORN_EQD.wav</add>
			<add source="AMBULANCE_WARNING.wav">vehicles.awc\AMBULANCE_WARNING.wav</add>
			<add source="POLICE_WARNING.wav">vehicles.awc\POLICE_WARNING.wav</add>
			<add source="SIREN_2.wav">vehicles.awc\SIREN_2.wav</add>
			<add source="SIREN_FIRETRUCK_QUICK_01.wav">vehicles.awc\SIREN_FIRETRUCK_QUICK_01.wav</add>
			<add source="SIREN_FIRETRUCK_WAIL_01.wav">vehicles.awc\SIREN_FIRETRUCK_WAIL_01.wav</add>
			<add source="SIREN_PA20A_WAIL.wav">vehicles.awc\SIREN_PA20A_WAIL.wav</add>
			<add source="SIREN_QUICK_01.wav">vehicles.awc\SIREN_QUICK_01.wav</add>
			<add source="SIREN_WAIL_01.wav">vehicles.awc\SIREN_WAIL_01.wav</add>
		</archive>
	</content>

 

 

Would really appreciate some guidance on how to get it done. I really want to get these sirens I've assembled to work on my client but they go over the size limit; And I'm pretty sure it's due to OpenIV recompressing the entire archive like you said.

[TakeYaBackToStation4BumVio 56]

On 11/5/2019 at 2:43 PM, Drift_91 said:

And you do this, how, exactly? Could you provide an example assembly.xml?

I've tried the following:

  Reveal hidden contents

	<content>
		<archive path="x64\audio\sfx\RESIDENT.rpf" createIfNotExist="False" type="RPF7">
			<archive path="vehicles.awc" createIfNotExist="False" type="RPF7">
				<add source="AIRHORN_EQD.wav">AIRHORN_EQD.wav</add>
				<add source="AMBULANCE_WARNING.wav">AMBULANCE_WARNING.wav</add>
				<add source="POLICE_WARNING.wav">POLICE_WARNING.wav</add>
				<add source="SIREN_2.wav">SIREN_2.wav</add>
				<add source="SIREN_FIRETRUCK_QUICK_01.wav">SIREN_FIRETRUCK_QUICK_01.wav</add>
				<add source="SIREN_FIRETRUCK_WAIL_01.wav">SIREN_FIRETRUCK_WAIL_01.wav</add>
				<add source="SIREN_PA20A_WAIL.wav">SIREN_PA20A_WAIL.wav</add>
				<add source="SIREN_QUICK_01.wav">SIREN_QUICK_01.wav</add>
				<add source="SIREN_WAIL_01.wav">SIREN_WAIL_01.wav</add>
			</archive>
		</archive>
	</content>

as well as

	<content>
		<archive path="x64\audio\sfx\RESIDENT.rpf" createIfNotExist="False" type="RPF7">
			<add source="AIRHORN_EQD.wav">vehicles.awc\AIRHORN_EQD.wav</add>
			<add source="AMBULANCE_WARNING.wav">vehicles.awc\AMBULANCE_WARNING.wav</add>
			<add source="POLICE_WARNING.wav">vehicles.awc\POLICE_WARNING.wav</add>
			<add source="SIREN_2.wav">vehicles.awc\SIREN_2.wav</add>
			<add source="SIREN_FIRETRUCK_QUICK_01.wav">vehicles.awc\SIREN_FIRETRUCK_QUICK_01.wav</add>
			<add source="SIREN_FIRETRUCK_WAIL_01.wav">vehicles.awc\SIREN_FIRETRUCK_WAIL_01.wav</add>
			<add source="SIREN_PA20A_WAIL.wav">vehicles.awc\SIREN_PA20A_WAIL.wav</add>
			<add source="SIREN_QUICK_01.wav">vehicles.awc\SIREN_QUICK_01.wav</add>
			<add source="SIREN_WAIL_01.wav">vehicles.awc\SIREN_WAIL_01.wav</add>
		</archive>
	</content>

 

 

Would really appreciate some guidance on how to get it done. I really want to get these sirens I've assembled to work on my client but they go over the size limit; And I'm pretty sure it's due to OpenIV recompressing the entire archive like you said.

 

Wow dude this was nearly 1 year ago I haven't touched sounds in V since.

 

I am pretty sure I can advise you a different way (even though I read my posts from Jan I still don't remember ahaha)

 

If I was you I'd just make another sound smaller, like the undercarage of a train (the largest file in vehicles.awc), but if you really really can't do that, use the command assembly I did (Is still gonna break the chunk reference and make all vehicles silent unless you adjust the headroom. Use the files supplied in my mod here. I know for a fact they work because 2500 people said so

 

 

Edited November 7, 2019 by TakeYaBackToStation4BumVio

[Drift_91 4]

7 hours ago, TakeYaBackToStation4BumVio said:

Wow dude this was nearly 1 year ago I haven't touched sounds in V since.

 

I am pretty sure I can advise you a different way (even though I read my posts from Jan I still don't remember ahaha)

 

If I was you I'd just make another sound smaller, like the undercarage of a train (the largest file in vehicles.awc), but if you really really can't do that, use the command assembly I did (Is still gonna break the chunk reference and make all vehicles silent unless you adjust the headroom. Use the files supplied in my mod here. I know for a fact they work because 2500 people said so

I've already tried reverse engineering your mod and I can't figure out how you made the vehicles.awc to begin with. Did you shorten other sounds to make everything fit like everyone suggests, or is there another way around it? Your earlier posts come across to me as you suggesting there's a way to better compress the awc library. For now I'll try dropping the bits-per-sample of the train undercarriage and hope GTA doesn't freak out over the encoding. Not sure what 8-bit will sound like though.

[Drift_91 4]

Alright, ended up finding a solution. I'm putting together a pack for personal use using other authors' sirens. What I didn't notice was that these authors had used sample rates well above what Rockstar uses in the vanilla sound files. Once I noticed that the files were all in 44.1KHz and 48KHz 16-bit PCM I realized I could dramatically reduce the file sizes by resampling them to 32KHz. It didn't quite do the job but it got me close enough that all I had to do was resample the vanilla train undercarriage sound to 24KHz and was well under the size limit.