Shooting the $%#! dog

[tarzan]

Does anybody know how to get rid of the sound file of the 'barking dog' in CMBN scenarios?

I'm not sure if it the sound comes with the game as part of the background ambiance or what - there also is an owl that kind of makes it owl-hoots noise but I can live with the owl.

The dog has got to go. This is unfortunate - I actually love dogs but usually end up with a husky mix that doesn't bark.

I only have some of Mords Interactive voices and some gun sound mods installed so I think that file must come as standard with the game.

Once again CM kind of proves it's realism - I bet the percentage of many 'enemy dogs' that get shot in war for barking all night was probably about 100% if someone could get a bead on them.

[Lethaface]

Hahaha I've never really noticed any dogs or owls, I need that stuff your smokin! ;-)

[LUCASWILLEN05]

Not until Battlefront do Combat Mission Kursk. Then I expect to see Russian Mine Dogs. Sorry Shepski but for you ze var is over":D With apologies to all dog lovers on the forum - don't blame me - it was the d*** Bolsheviks!

[Childress]

Does anybody know how to get rid of the sound file of the 'barking dog' in CMBN scenarios?

Chocolate bars... Works like a charm.

[A Canadian Cat]

The dogs are kinda like the surrendering enemies - you cannot directly target them.

I honestly have not noticed that there are barking dogs. Are you sure it is not a dog in your neighborhood? I promise to not eat chocolate for a few days and listen more carefully.

[Lethaface]

Chocolate bars... Works like a charm.

And make sure to leave it in low places!

[agusto]

Does anybody know how to get rid of the sound file of the 'barking dog' in CMBN scenarios?

1. Explode all of the stock Normandy vXXX.brz and Normandy vXXX Commonwealth.brz files in your Data folder using rezexplode.

2. Look for the sound file that contains a barking dog.

3. If the barking dog is an independent sound file, create a new (empty) sound file that has the same name and file extesnion as the barking dog sound file and put it in your Z folder. Under Windows XP, you can do so by Rightclick on Desktop->New->Microsoft Wave Sound Format and renaming the created file to the same name as the barking dog sound file.

4. If the barking dog sound is part of a larger sound file like the background ambience noise, you will have to cut it out. You can use the Windows Movie Maker (WMM) wich comes togather with Windows to do that. After cutting the barking dog sound out and saving the file with WMM, you can convert the file you just created to .wav (wich is the only sound file extension the game accepts in my experience) with this free tool:

http://audio.online-convert.com/convert-to-wav

Now copy the converted and renamed modded file you just produce into your Z folder and you should be good to go without the barking dog.

5. Upload to the file produced in 3. or 4. to the Repository so others who hate the dog can can use it too.

Hope i could help.

[Vanir Ausf B]

http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=314&func=fileinfo&id=2195

I use a different background sound mod that has no combat sounds, just birds and an occasional buzzing fly, but it appears to have been removed from the repository.

[tarzan]

Thanks Agusto, Vanir and all - I'll search thru those files

[mjkerner]

I have that one, Vanir, but it has a train station sound in it...an old fashioned train bell, actually, which is OK for urban fights, but out of place in the country with no RR tracks on the map.

[Vanir Ausf B]

I'm pretty sure the one I use does not have a bell in it. It's all nature sounds as far as I can tell.

[Zane]

Found the Barking dog and Owls sounds. It's in my SFX_1e Sound folder. in the background folder called background night combat sounds.

Zane

[Sequoia]

Are we talking about the "No explosions in background-day" sound mod? I put that up. It was originally an alternate sound file that came with CMSF. It's still in the repository. I never noticed a train bell.

[mjkerner]

You know, the more I think about it, it could be a distant church bell, but the first thing that comes to my mind is the way some trains sound when they arrive at a station, with a clanging bell (as opposed to the airhorn sound when they come to a road crossing). I'll have to listen more closely tonight.

[dieseltaylor]

Europe! Train bells? 1944?

Were is the resident train grog? Also we might consider what are the chances of any loco being within 20 miles of the action.!

[tarzan]

@Zane /others

Hey - thanks a lot for finding that 'Barking dog' - I'm kind of retarded with this and so far have only managed to find a SFX_1c (that's a 'c' instead of the 'e' you found - and I looked in every file and folder that's in my Data Folder) brz file in a file I had previously named 'Z Folder' within my Data Folder

I'm stuck now getting the SFX_1c open to see if that's the one that has the dog -

OK - so for the first time I read up on the RezExplode info in the 'Mod Tools Read-Me' file - looks easy - but darn if I haven't been able to use it successfully to open up my SFX_1c brz file yet.

1- I copy the SFX_1c brz file onto the RezExplode Icon, and within a few seconds a folder named 'exploded' appears, but damn if it's not completely empty.

2- I've tried it a number of times and it's as if the SFX_1c 219K brz file just disappeared into a black box RezExplode and doesn't want to give me anything out of it.

Anyway - any helpful suggestions would be appreciated - I can't imagine the RezExplode Icon thingee 'doesn't actually work'. I checked out the CMBN FAQs/Knowledgebase etc and didn't see anything pertaining to mods

It doesn't really sound like a HelpDesk ticket-type problem , either

[agusto]

How to use RezExplode:

1) Copy the .brz file into the "input" folder within your "RezExplode" folder. If there is no "input" folder, create one.

2) Double click on the RezExplode icon. A folder named "-in progress-" is now automatically created. The name of the "-in progress-" folder changes automatically to "exploded" as soon as the exploding of the files is completed.

3) Now open the "exploded" folder. If everything went right, you will see a bunch of sub-folders and/or files.

[tarzan]

Perfect, Agusto!

That was the trouble - there was no 'input' folder in my 'RezExplode Folder' - I had been throwing my SFX_1c file right onto the 'RezExplode icon'.

Successs! Thanks everybody - I found the dog in the SFX_1c and it is no more

[tarzan]

PS Agusto - the SFX_1c had a file size of 219mb - that free online tool (audio.online-convert.com/convert-to-wav) only will convert files of 100mb or less for free - anything higher and they wanted me to pay. I had to get rid of the whole file instead of just the dog

I might want to try to find some different free tool that will convert my 219mb file - I haven't looked around yet - but I have a copy of my original file in case I eventually find one and use your instructions to just cut the dog out

Thanks for your detailed instructions - Hanzel and Gretel made it out of the forest this time without too many witches

[agusto]

If i understand you right, the .wav file that contains the dog sound is 219 mb in size and the free audio converter only accepts input files smaller than 100mb (i wasnt aware of that, the largest input file i have ever tried to convert with that converter was around 6 mb).

If you use the Windows Movie Maker to cut out the dog though, this shouldnt be a problem. The biggest possible output file the WMM will give your from a 219 mb input file will probably be about 20 to 50 mb (the WMM isnt capable of producing the large .wav format, only the much smaller .wmv), small enough that it should be accepted by the free anything-to-wav converter.

There could only be a problem IMO if the 100mb maximum file size of the free audio converter is not the size of the input file but the size of the output file - in that case, you will have to use another converter.

[tarzan]

@agusto -

It's a miracle! - it all worked! Thanks a lot - now I just have non-dog non-owl night sounds (just crickets and faraway guns)

My problem, which you bridged me over, was that I had also tried to drag my whole unexploded 219mb file onto Movie Maker, which didn't want to take it. Once I was able to drag my post-RezExploded much smaller 15mb 'background combat night' file onto the Movie Maker - that was fine and it accepted it and I was able to trim/clip it.

Do think I should try to post my trimmed 'No Dog No Owl - Crickets and Guns Only Night sounds' file up on the repository? - I sure wouldn't want to be the one giving anybody directions on how to use it hahahahah

They might do better coming here and reading your directions. I'm probably the only one with the 'dog problem' anyway

Thanks again for your patience with the 'illerati'

Lance

[Erwin]

Good idea to post at Repository and CMMODS as well.

[tarzan]

I loaded the file into the UPLOAD section at the Repository and went thru all the steps - it doesn't give me much feedback that it 'uploaded' successfully

I guess the file is 'checked' by somebody before it will appear. If I can get it to appear after a while I'll post a note that there is a 'new file at the repository'

[Sequoia]

You're right, someone checks it. It may take a day or two sometimes. You can also upload it to Green as Jades Combat Mission Mod warehouse.