Downloaded the free version of Fusion 2.5 (Windows 7) and eagerly began the Chocobreak example. Got to the point where I needed to add a sound for the 'Start of Frame' using the Event Editor. However, I can only add 'Samples' but not 'Music' because those options are greyed out (unavailable) - this has made it impossible to add the "impact.mid' file.
How can I load the sound file(s), please?
HTML5 probably doesn't support midi playback. You need the music in either .ogg, .wav or .mp3.
Thanks for trying to help RhysD. The sound file format is irrelevant; I cannot choose any of the 'Music' options because they are all greyed out (not enabled).
Surely the 'Music' feature is available in the free version of Fusion 2.5???
Actually, the format is 100% relevant. "Play music" plays MIDI files, which simply aren't supported by HTML5. "Play sample" plays anything else. You can use play sample to play musics too, basically. It can be a little confusing for a first-time user to grasp, I know from experience, but it is indeed the case. If you can convert the MIDI file to a .OGG or .WAV file, then you can play it using "Play sample" as well, which will let you do what you want.
BTW, the "Play Music" action would make the game lag a little whenever the music looped anyway (if I'm remembering things correctly, anyway), whereas the "Play Sample" action tends to not have that issue, even with musics.
Thank you Happygreenfrog and RhysD; I did understand I could use the 'Samples' option, but was concerned to know why the 'Music' options were greyed out. I had a wonderful 20 minutes doing the Chocobreak example and was interested in buying the standard Fusion 2.5 package, but...
Happygreenfrog, are you suggesting that the 'Music' options are no longer valid becauseand this is why they are 'greyed out'!?"Play music" plays MIDI files, which simply aren't supported by HTML5.,
you can use Play Sample for playing your music.
That's what I do as well
To sum up what the others said:
"Play Music" actually means "Play midifile".
Midifiles are what used to be the only reasonable way to have music back in the older days of the Click products. Today midifiles are seldom used to play music. The only benefit with midis is that they have a small filesize, but they are dependent on the soundcard on the machine the app is running on, and may sound completely different from machine to machine.
"Play Sample" can play all kinds of samples and even modules (mod music)
This is the most common way to play both sound effects and music. You can play .wav, .ogg, .mp3 and even modules such as .mod, .xm and .it. The length of the sample doesn't matter, and you have have several samples playing at the same time as long as Multisamples is ticked in the Runtime options of your project (active by default). Some soundformats might not be supported on all runtimes.
Not quite. The full version doesn't just export to HTML5, so it can use them. However, only the Windows runtime actually supports said MIDI files, and HTML5 in general doesn't support MIDI at all to my knowledge (same with a bunch of other things that the various runtimes can export to), so you probably shouldn't use them anyway if you plan on making HTML5, Flash, Android, iOS, etc. games.Originally Posted by BogatySmak
Also, the MIDI format is maybe a few decades old by now and it SHOWS. Just listen to the various MIDI files that come with CF2.5, and compare them with the musics from, say, Minecraft, Portal 2, or some other game with good musics like that, then you'll see what I mean. Even the Super NES quite often had better musics then that. Look at MegaMan X and/or Super Metroid for examples, or pretty much any good Super NES game out there.
In other words, while still valid, they don't work in anything other than Windows, and the format the action plays (MIDI) is around as old as (if not older than) the Sega Genesis or Super NES.
Also, like some other people have said, you can use "Play sample" to play musics as well. The names are actually just to indicate the sound format, not necessarily what the sounds are going to be. "Play music" can't really play sound effects, but "Play sample" can play sound effects and, as long as they are the right file format (anything other than MIDI, basically) musics. As long as you convert the MIDI files to something else, then you can actually play them using "play sample" instead, though I'd recommend against it since MIDI files are old and don't sound great. You should perhaps try your hand at making your own musics instead, using a program such as OpenMPT, which is what I use. Though the instruments it uses defaultly are exactly the same as the ones MIDI files use, it still gives you a little more choice in your musics AND you can always look for more instruments on the internet (there are free ones out there somewhere, I know that from experience).
Too long, didn't read: The full version can use the "Play Music" action, so if you must have it, even though it only works with Windows and can only play a format that is maybe decades old by now, then yes, it is usable. However, you may want to look into making your own musics in the WAV/OGG format instead, by using a program like OpenMPT.
Many thanks for everyone who has offered input to the problem I was encountering.
I have understood what you are saying about various sound formats. I have no problem converting sound files from one format to another, or making my own sound files. I have no problem using the 'Samples' options to play sound files if that is the only method available; I do not have a fixation on using the 'Music' options.
I think there may be a misunderstanding regarding the question I was asking, my apologies if I was not clear.
My concern regards the functionality of Fusion 2.5 as a piece of software. My installation of Fusion 2.5 does not appear to have the 'Music' options enabled - they are greyed out. I do not know why, it may be that I have not checked some preference setting, excuse my ignorance. I was not sure from Happygreenfrog's response if the 'Music' options are only enabled in the paid version of Fusion 2.5.
I would try to reinstall the software. Uninstall it and reinstall it again. They shouldn't be greyed out. The sound files are a big thing to use in the software and a must have. Can you post a picture of the greyed out area or what you see.
Getting back to midi files. If you do want to use a midi file in your game and you like the way it sounds,.you can play the midi file in WMP and record it in a DAW. After it's recorded you just save it as an .ogg or .wav or mp3 and you can use it in any runtime.
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