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Once you have designed your audio using the Microsoft Cross-Platform Audio Creation Tool (XACT), you must build the project to generate the resource files that the title programmer needs to integrate the audio design into the title. The XACT provides a project build wizard that automates creation of these resource files.
This topic outlines the process for building an XACT project.
The types of files generated by the build wizard, as well as the names and locations of the generated files, are set in the properties of the project.
To display the project properties
Select the root node, which is your project.
The properties should now be displayed in the property frame (shown in Figure 1).
Figure 1. XACT display of project properties
The Build Properties of the project specify the file names and paths for the header file (.h), global settings file (.xgs) and the cue list. These properties are described in the following table.
| Property Name | Description |
|---|---|
| BuildProjectHeader | When set to True, the build wizard will generate the header (.h) file required by the game programmer. |
| ProjectHeaderFile | The name of the header file generated when BuildProjectHeader is set to True. |
| ProjectHeaderPath | The path of where to place the header file generated when BuildProjectHeader is set to True. |
| BuildCueList | When set to True, the build wizard will generate the text (.txt) file that contains the cue list. |
| CueListFile | The name of the cue list file generated when BuildCueList is set to True. |
| CueListPath | The path of where to place the cue list file generated when BuildCueList is set to True. |
| Name (read only) | The file name of the project. |
| Path (read only) | Location where the XACT file is stored. Note Source wave paths may be relative to this path, so the project file and source content can be moved. |
| WindowsGlobalSettingsFile | The name of the Windows version of the XACT global settings file. |
| WindowsGlobalSettingsPath | The location where the Windows version of the XACT global settings file should be placed. |
Each wave bank has its own set of properties that identify the file name and path for the wave bank (.xwb) file generated by the build wizard.
Similarly, each sound bank has its own set of properties that identify the file name and path for the sound bank (.xsb) file generated by the build wizard.
Note that it is possible for each wave bank or sound bank to be written in a different location on your hard drive if the properties are set that way.
When you have saved the project or specified the properties for your XACT project and for its wave and sound banks, you can run the build wizard to create the resource files. The XACT provides several ways to run the build wizard.
To launch the project build wizard from the toolbar
on the toolbar.To launch the project build wizard from the menu bar
To launch the project build wizard using the keyboard
To launch the project build wizard using the mouse
Once you have launched the build wizard, the XACT displays the dialog box shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. The XACT build wizard dialog
Click Finish to complete the build and exit the project build wizard. The generated files should now reside in the paths designated in the properties, which you can verify by locating them in Windows Explorer.
If the project has changed since the last build, you will be prompted to save the project.