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Scenario Editor
CMP Sound Converter

The SWAT CMP Sound Converter

What Is It?

The SWAT CMP Sound Converter is an easy-to-use drag and drop utility that compresses .wav sound files into SWAT3's native .CMP sound format, gaining a 3:1 compression ratio and protecting sounds from being "ripped" and used for other applications. The .CMP files that are exported by this program can be dropped into mods or missions for use in SWAT3 right away.

Why Do I Need It?

The SWAT3 CMP Sound Converter offers you two main advantages; that of size reduction and that of security. 

Size Reduction

The SWAT3 CMP sound file format is only 1/3 as big as a 16-bit, 22 kHz, mono .wav file of the same content. This makes your entire mod or mission package that the sound is included in smaller, therefore decreasing transfer time on the internet and allowing people to get right into your mod or mission faster.

 

Security

The SWAT3 CMP sound file compression not only provides the benefit of size reduction but also provides a type of encryption on the sound data itself; those that work to create exciting sounds for use in their mod or mission deserve the added bonus of protection. The .CMP file format provides this, as the Converter does not support backwards conversion; .CMP's cannot be converted back into .wavs and used somewhere else. The .CMP's can be used in SWAT3 only.

 

How Do I Use It?

First Things First...

It is important that any sound to be played in SWAT3 be of the correct format; incorrect formats may sound distorted, garbled, or may simply be a mass of static. Before even considering converting .wav files into .CMP's, care must be taken to insure that the .wav files are the proper format.

SWAT3 .wav Format Is
16-bit, 22,050 kHz, Mono

This format must be preserved in your .wav files, even if you feed them through the CMP Sound Converter! The Converter will compress any .wav file you feed it, regardless of if it's in the correct format or not.

For information on how to control the format of your .wav files, refer to the documentation in your audio recording/editing program.

 

Running The Converter

Click the Start button on your taskbar and browse to the SWAT3 folder in your Start Menu. From there, choose the Tools folder, and inside you will find the CMP Sound Converter. Click on it to begin a sound conversion session.

 

First Time Users...

Will be prompted to specify a folder on your computer to place compressed files that the program exports. You will be shown your folder structure, and asked to choose a folder. If you don't have one all ready to go, never fear! Just click Cancel, and the program will close, allowing you to go to your computer and create a folder. When you're ready, just run the program again and choose your directory.

From this point forward, once you have chosen your directory, the Converter will remember where you want your exported files to be placed. You can always change the directory by selecting the Options menu tab in the program window and choosing the "Select Output Folder..." option.

 

Compressing A .wav File

It's easy! There are two ways to go about it. The first is to click on the File menu and select the "Convert Files..." option. A window will pop up, asking you to locate the file on your computer that you wish to convert. Browse to the folder where the sound is located and click it. You may select multiple files by holding the control button while you click on the file names you want. When you have the file(s) you want selected, click the "Open" button and conversion will begin!

The second (and much more fun) way is to simply drag and drop .wav files or entire folders right onto the main window! They will be queued up and compressed automatically. If you drop folders, the folder structure will be recreated in the output directory with all .cmp files in their correct subfolders.

ZIP WARNING

Should a mission or mod contain any sound files in the SWAT3 .cmp compressed sound format, note that these files are pre-compressed! Further compression may corrupt these files. To safely include these files in your .zip, add them to your zip file with NO COMPRESSION selected. Refer to your zip program's documentation on information on selecting compression methods.

 

The Progress Bar

The Progress Bar is a small dialog box that will appear during the compression process of a sound file or sequence of sound files. Note that the Progress Bar only reports on the status of a group of files, it will not update during the compression sequence of a single file. Therefore, should you put in a single .wav file, the progress bar will appear to stand still and not update. Do not panic! The file is being compressed. You will receive confirmation when the compression process is complete.

 

Where To Store The .cmp Files

Note that, depending on your target directory, the .cmp files will probably not be dropped off at their final destination. Be sure to browse to your target directory and move the converted .cmp files to their final destination; if they are to be included in a mod, put them in the mod directory or .zip file. Custom chat .cmp files should be placed in the main SWAT3 directory.

 

Is There Anything Else I Should Know?

Nope. It's that easy; no tricks, no hidden keys, just drag and drop. Enjoy!

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