Wheel Tire Noise Component

WheelTireNoiseComponent

WheelTireNoiseComponent produces the continuous rolling noise of tires in contact with the surface. This is the ambient tire sound during normal driving, separate from skid sounds.

Overview

The sound plays continuously while wheels are grounded and rolling, with volume and pitch scaling based on vehicle speed. This creates realistic road noise that varies with terrain type and driving speed.

How It Works

Surface-Based Audio

  • Automatic Clip Switching - Audio clips and settings are defined per-surface in SurfacePresets
  • Surface Detection Integration - Uses the dominant surface from Ground Detection system
  • Different Sounds Per Surface - Unique rolling sounds for asphalt (smooth hum), gravel (crunchy), dirt (rough), grass (soft rustling), etc.
  • Real-Time Updates - Automatically switches clips when the dominant surface changes

Volume & Pitch Calculation

The component dynamically adjusts audio based on:

  1. Vehicle Speed - Faster speeds produce louder and higher-pitched sounds
  2. Wheel Count - Combines audio from all grounded wheels
  3. Surface Properties - Each surface preset has configurable volume and pitch multipliers
  4. Slip Sensitivity (Optional) - Volume can increase with tire slip on certain surfaces

Slip-Sensitive Mode

When slipSensitiveSurfaceSound is enabled in the SurfacePreset:

  • Volume increases as wheels slip (useful for loose surfaces like gravel or dirt)
  • Simulates increased tire-surface interaction during sliding
  • Distinct from skid sounds - represents rolling friction variation

Configuration

Surface Preset Settings

For each surface, configure in the SurfacePreset:

  • Surface Sound Clip - Audio clip for rolling on this surface
  • Play Surface Sounds - Toggle to enable/disable tire noise for this surface
  • Surface Sound Volume - Volume multiplier (0-1, default 0.3). Final volume scales with speed
  • Surface Sound Pitch - Pitch multiplier (default 1.0). Final pitch increases with speed
  • Slip Sensitive Surface Sound - Toggle volume increase with tire slip

Audio Mixer

  • Routed to Surface Noise Mixer Group
  • Priority: 90 (high - tire noise should be clearly audible)
  • Loop: Yes
  • Play On Awake: Yes

Setup Guide

  1. Ensure Ground Detection is configured with proper surface presets
  2. Assign surface sound clips to each surface type in SurfacePresets:
    • Asphalt: Smooth, continuous tire hum
    • Concrete: Similar to asphalt but slightly rougher
    • Gravel: Crunchy, textured rolling sound
    • Dirt: Rough, granular rolling sound
    • Grass: Soft, rustling vegetation sound
    • Sand: Soft, shifting sound
  3. Configure volume (surfaceSoundVolume):
    • Adjust base volume multiplier per surface (0.2-0.7 typical)
    • Final volume automatically scales with speed
    • Balance with engine sounds
  4. Configure pitch (surfaceSoundPitch):
    • Set base pitch multiplier per surface (0.8-1.2 typical)
    • Final pitch automatically increases with speed
  5. Enable component in SoundManager
  6. Test at various speeds on different surfaces

Tips

  • Subtle But Present - Tire noise should be noticeable but not dominate the soundscape
  • Surface Variation - Make surface differences obvious (smooth asphalt vs. rough gravel)
  • Speed Response - Pitch and volume should clearly increase with speed
  • Volume Balance - Should be quieter than engine sounds but louder than ambient effects
  • Looping Audio - Use seamless loops to avoid audio clicks or repetition artifacts

Common Issues

No tire noise while driving:

  • Check that Ground Detection is enabled and has a valid preset
  • Verify the current surface preset has a surface sound clip assigned
  • Ensure "Play Surface Sounds" is enabled in the surface preset
  • Confirm wheels are grounded (check wheel visualizers)

Tire noise too loud/quiet:

  • Adjust surfaceSoundVolume in the surface preset
  • Check Surface Noise Mixer Group volume
  • Balance with engine sound component volumes

Sound doesn't change with surface:

  • Confirm Ground Detection is correctly identifying surfaces
  • Check that different surfaces have different sound clips assigned
  • Verify surface maps are properly configured

Pitch doesn't change with speed:

  • Verify vehicle speed is actually changing (check speedometer)
  • Try different surfaceSoundPitch values for variation (e.g., 0.8 or 1.2)
  • Check that audio source is not pitch-locked by other components

Comparison to WheelSkidComponent

Feature WheelTireNoiseComponent WheelSkidComponent
Trigger Wheels grounded and rolling Wheels skidding/slipping
Use Case Normal driving Hard braking, drifting
Volume Based on speed Based on slip amount
Sound Type Continuous ambient noise Sharp, intense squeal
Surface Clips surfaceSoundClip skidSoundClip

Tip: For realistic results, use high-quality looping audio clips recorded from actual vehicle tire noise. The clip quality significantly impacts immersion.