XACT Differences from Version 1.0

Microsoft Cross-Platform Audio Creation Tool (XACT) 2.0 is a unified system for development of games to run on Windows® and Xbox 360 platforms. This is intended to allow designers to author their audio resources once for multiple platforms, just as a game title can be built for multiple platforms. For programmers, the XACT API set is equivalent on each platform, wherever possible.

• Interfaces are instantiated to manage Wave Banks, Sound Banks and Cues. The SoundSources API that was available in XACT 1.0 is no longer available.
• XACT no longer supports Windows Media Audio (WMA) playlists, and the WmaPlayList API is no longer available. Playlists and their associated audio files are now managed exclusively through Media Player (XMP).
• XACT now supports multiple instances of cues.
• Functions for 2D and 3D audio are unified within the XACT API.
• The XACT graphical design tool now generates a Global Settings (XGS) file that contains information on categories, variables, and run-time parameter controls.
• Zero-latency streaming remains a feature of XACT, but is no longer exposed to the audio designer. The decision to use zero-latency methods with streamed audio is now entirely within the jurisdiction of the game title programmer.

See Also

XACT Overviews, XACT Reference, XACT Audio Authoring