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Portals in pictures.

Unity screenshots of Portals, with scene states, sound graphs, and steps to try.

09 / A little elsewhere. Travel between two tiny worlds. Their sounds have owners, so leaving a world can stop its sounds together. Compare a departure echo that stops with its owner with one allowed to finish.

These are real Unity captures with the scene’s own models, camera, and controls. Select a picture to enlarge it, or open Try this in Unity below it for the steps. The graph close views explain individual parts of the full graph.

All screenshot galleries · Read how owners control sound lifetimes

Read the complete Portals walkthrough for controls, graph flow, and code.

In the scene

Section titled “In the scene”

Start in Mint Meadow

The first world owns its ambience and portal hum. An owner groups their lifetime with that world.
Portals in Unity: start in Mint Meadow. The real scene controls and status readouts are visible.

The first world owns its ambience and portal hum. An owner groups their lifetime with that world.

Try this in Unity
  1. In Unity’s Project window, open Assets/DEV505/SoundManager/Samples/09-Portals/Demo.unity. Enter Play Mode and click the Game view so it receives your keyboard input.
  2. Begin in Mint Meadow and leave Echo lingers enabled.

Step through the portal

The player is partway through the crossing animation. The departure echo has started while the old world still exists.
Portals in Unity: step through the portal. The real scene controls and status readouts are visible.

The player is partway through the crossing animation. The departure echo has started while the old world still exists.

Try this in Unity
  1. In Unity’s Project window, open Assets/DEV505/SoundManager/Samples/09-Portals/Demo.unity. Enter Play Mode and click the Game view so it receives your keyboard input.
  2. Leave Echo lingers enabled and choose Step through.
  3. Capture early in the crossing animation, before the destination changes.

Let the departure echo linger

After the old world owner is destroyed, the departure echo is still alive. Detach allows that sound to finish at the departure position.
Portals in Unity: let the departure echo linger. The real scene controls and status readouts are visible.

After the old world owner is destroyed, the departure echo is still alive. Detach allows that sound to finish at the departure position.

Try this in Unity
  1. In Unity’s Project window, open Assets/DEV505/SoundManager/Samples/09-Portals/Demo.unity. Enter Play Mode and click the Game view so it receives your keyboard input.
  2. Leave Echo lingers enabled and choose Step through.
  3. Capture just after the world changes to Crystal Cove, while the departure echo is still alive.

Arrive in Crystal Cove

The second world has appeared with its own ambience and portal hum. The arrival cue marks the completed trip.
Portals in Unity: arrive in Crystal Cove. The real scene controls and status readouts are visible.

The second world has appeared with its own ambience and portal hum. The arrival cue marks the completed trip.

Try this in Unity
  1. In Unity’s Project window, open Assets/DEV505/SoundManager/Samples/09-Portals/Demo.unity. Enter Play Mode and click the Game view so it receives your keyboard input.
  2. Choose Step through from Mint Meadow.
  3. Wait until the crossing finishes in Crystal Cove.

Stop the echo with its owner

Echo lingers is off for the return trip. When the old world owner is destroyed, the Stop-policy departure play ends instead of continuing.
Portals in Unity: stop the echo with its owner. The real scene controls and status readouts are visible.

Echo lingers is off for the return trip. When the old world owner is destroyed, the Stop-policy departure play ends instead of continuing.

Try this in Unity
  1. In Unity’s Project window, open Assets/DEV505/SoundManager/Samples/09-Portals/Demo.unity. Enter Play Mode and click the Game view so it receives your keyboard input.
  2. Travel once to Crystal Cove with Echo lingers enabled.
  3. Turn Echo lingers off and travel back. Capture just after the old world is removed; the departure echo now stops with it.

In the graph and Inspector

Section titled “In the graph and Inspector”

A graph connects blocks called nodes to control a sound. The Inspector holds the event’s playback settings. The pictures below show the saved graph and settings; a full graph is an overview, so use the close views to read smaller fields.

World ambience

Each world starts this event with its own clip and gain. The continuous ambience belongs to that world's owner.
Portals in Unity: world ambience. The graph nodes and their connections are visible.

Each world starts this event with its own clip and gain. The continuous ambience belongs to that world's owner.

Try this in Unity
  1. Exit Play Mode.
  2. In Unity’s Project window, double-click Assets/DEV505/SoundManager/Samples/09-Portals/PortalWorld.soundgraph.
  3. Use the mouse wheel to zoom and drag the graph background to bring the relevant nodes into view.
  4. Frame the entire graph for an overview. Use the close views on this page for small labels.

The portal's nearby hum

This loop follows the portal in 3D and belongs to the world. Destroying the world also stops its hum.
Portals in Unity: the portal's nearby hum. The graph nodes and their connections are visible.

This loop follows the portal in 3D and belongs to the world. Destroying the world also stops its hum.

Try this in Unity
  1. Exit Play Mode.
  2. In Unity’s Project window, double-click Assets/DEV505/SoundManager/Samples/09-Portals/PortalHum.soundgraph.
  3. Use the mouse wheel to zoom and drag the graph background to bring the relevant nodes into view.
  4. Frame the entire graph for an overview. Use the close views on this page for small labels.

A departure that can linger

The departure echo uses variation and plays at the departure position. Its owner-loss policy is Detach, shown separately below.
Portals in Unity: a departure that can linger. The graph nodes and their connections are visible.

The departure echo uses variation and plays at the departure position. Its owner-loss policy is Detach, shown separately below.

Try this in Unity
  1. Exit Play Mode.
  2. In Unity’s Project window, double-click Assets/DEV505/SoundManager/Samples/09-Portals/PortalEcho.soundgraph.
  3. Use the mouse wheel to zoom and drag the graph background to bring the relevant nodes into view.
  4. Frame the entire graph for an overview. Use the close views on this page for small labels.

A departure that stops

This alternate departure event uses Owner Loss: Stop. The demo chooses it when Echo lingers is off.
Portals in Unity: a departure that stops. The graph nodes and their connections are visible.

This alternate departure event uses Owner Loss: Stop. The demo chooses it when Echo lingers is off.

Try this in Unity
  1. Exit Play Mode.
  2. In Unity’s Project window, double-click Assets/DEV505/SoundManager/Samples/09-Portals/PortalCut.soundgraph.
  3. Use the mouse wheel to zoom and drag the graph background to bring the relevant nodes into view.
  4. Frame the entire graph for an overview. Use the close views on this page for small labels.

Mark the arrival

A short cue plays at the destination to mark the new world's arrival, then ends.
Portals in Unity: mark the arrival. The graph nodes and their connections are visible.

A short cue plays at the destination to mark the new world's arrival, then ends.

Try this in Unity
  1. Exit Play Mode.
  2. In Unity’s Project window, double-click Assets/DEV505/SoundManager/Samples/09-Portals/PortalArrival.soundgraph.
  3. Use the mouse wheel to zoom and drag the graph background to bring the relevant nodes into view.
  4. Frame the entire graph for an overview. Use the close views on this page for small labels.

Owner loss: Detach

PortalEcho uses Detach. Losing the owner leaves this play running so its departure sound can finish.
Portals in Unity: owner loss: Detach. The saved event values are visible in the Inspector.

PortalEcho uses Detach. Losing the owner leaves this play running so its departure sound can finish.

Try this in Unity
  1. Exit Play Mode.
  2. In Unity’s Project window, select Assets/DEV505/SoundManager/Samples/09-Portals/PortalEcho.soundgraph.
  3. In the Inspector, expand Playback & lifetime. Read the values shown here; no changes are needed.

Owner loss: Stop

PortalCut uses Stop. Losing the owner stops this play; it does not keep a detached departure echo alive.
Portals in Unity: owner loss: Stop. The saved event values are visible in the Inspector.

PortalCut uses Stop. Losing the owner stops this play; it does not keep a detached departure echo alive.

Try this in Unity
  1. Exit Play Mode.
  2. In Unity’s Project window, select Assets/DEV505/SoundManager/Samples/09-Portals/PortalCut.soundgraph.
  3. In the Inspector, expand Playback & lifetime. Read the values shown here; no changes are needed.
DEV505 / SOUND LABChecked with Unity 6000.6.0f1 · Revision 746a1cc