GRAND THEFT AUTO SOUND EDITOR V1.3
Copyright  Ian Howson 1998
11th February 1998

Using GTASnd
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Using the drive/directory/file list boxes on the left of the window, navigate to one of the SDT files in your GTA\GTADATA\AUDIO directory. Click one and a list of sounds will appear on the right. Click a sound to play it.

Questions & Answers
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How do install GTASnd?

I thought you said this wouldn't work with the demo version of GTA in your last release?

What took you so long getting this out?

(something) doesn't work when I click it. Why? I just keep clicking the button and it does nothing.

The WAV's this program spits out are corrupt! Sound Recorder won't open them! This makes your program totally useless! Fix it!

When I start it, it says it can't find VBRUN300.DLL or CMDIALOG.VBX or COMMDLG.DLL or something else.

When I click an SDT file, it comes up with a list of numbers instead of descriptions of the sounds.

When I click an SDT file, it plays the first sound it the list.

One of the descriptions doesn't match the actual sound. Why?

I have a problem, or really like your program, or I hate you and I want to flame/mailbomb you. How can I get in touch with you?

What if I want to send you a file?

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Q. How do I install GTASnd?
A. Make a directory on your hard drive, chuck all the files in it and make some icons yourself. I might consider doing a setup program later, but don't count on it. I don't particularly like them, especially when the installer ends up bigger/more complex than the program!

Q. I thought you said this wouldn't work with the demo version of GTA in your last release?
A. Hehehe, well... some things don't work out how I planned. Eventually I will make it full-ver only, but you'd be surprised it is to get Visual Basic to figure out the capacity of a disk or the length of a CD track... sorry (although a lot of you cheapskates who haven't yet bought the game will be happier with it like this... BUY IT!)

Q. What took you so long getting this out?
A. 1. My idiot physics teacher, Mr. "I can build a time machine" Sablatura who teaches us by getting us to summarise entire chapters out of the textbook (over 3 hours per chapter) then he reads it and gives us an "Unsatisfactory". So much fun...
2. My brother (9 years old...) who hogs the computer so much that I barely get a chance to play GTA or work on this - he's ahead of me in the game (rather sad really...) Fortunately we have a new computer coming on Monday (16th) so I can spend a lot more time doing this...
3. Being able to think quicker than the computer (486DX2/66) can process doesn't exactly help things either...

Q. (something) doesn't work when I click it. Why? I just keep clicking the button and it does nothing.
A. I haven't put the feature in yet, either because I haven't had time to include it or because I'm still working on getting it to work/fast enough/efficiently. Imports might take a little while since I don't want to simply slap the new WAV's on the end of the RAW file, I want to insert it so it doesn't waste disk space.

Q. The WAV's this program spits out are corrupt! Sound Recorder won't open them! This makes your program totally useless! Fix it!
A. OK, here's the short explanation:
Sound Recorder is fucked.
It's not your particular copy. It happens with everyone's that I've tried this program on. Sound Recorder is fussy when it comes to which files it will and will not open. I know the WAV's work because they will open fine in Media Player and if you assign them to system events like your computer's beep, they will work perfectly. Basically it is Microsoft's fault. I modelled the WAV files on ones that came on the Win95 CD. Sound Recorder won't open them either. I will try to find the problem, but it's not very important so it might be a while.

Q. When I start it, it says it can't find VBRUN300.DLL or CMDIALOG.VBX or COMMDLG.DLL or something else.
A. VBRUN300.DLL is needed by the program to run. I didn't include it in the archive because it is rediculously large compared to the actual program. CMDIALOG.VBX is included in the archive - if the program complains it can't find it, try moving it to your Windows/System directory. COMMDLG.DLL is part of Windows and frankly, you're up shit creek without it. The only other one I can think of that the program needs is MMSYSTEM.DLL which, once again, should be part of Windows. The only reason I can think of that you won't have it is because you don't have a sound card, and you can't use this program without one. Unless you have that nice software that lets you play WAV's through your PC speaker. You still should have it though.

Q. When I click an SDT file, it comes up with a list of numbers instead of descriptions of the sounds.
A. I haven't made a corresponding SDF file yet. The SDF files are files that contain the descriptions for all the sounds in GTA. I'll most likely put one on my web site within a few days.

Q. When I click an SDT file, it plays the first sound it the list.
A. I know. I'll fix it when I get a chance.

Q. One of the descriptions doesn't match the actual sound. Why?
A. I did the descriptions when I only had the demo. I'll redo them now I have the full game. If you disagree with one of them (especially one with a question mark after it) mail me and I'll consider changing it - some of the sounds are hard to describe.

q. I have a problem, or really like your program, or I hate you and I want to flame/mailbomb you. How can I get in touch with you?
A. You can mail me at ianh@geocities.com. I am also on ICQ - my nick is Skarsnik and my UIN is 2223959. I sometimes (rarely) go on Kali - my nick is *Skarsnik*. I use IRC (EFNet) regularly, and I'm usually on #mtg. Just /whois me to find where I am. I will be on Quake Team Fortress regularly after Monday, although I don't know yet if that's a feasable way of contacting me. 

Q. What if I want to send you a file?
A. I would prefer if you ask me first. If you don't want to ask send it to the address above, but try to keep the size under 50k. If you want to send anything bigger, send it to howson@hotmail.com and send me a note at the geocities account saying you've sent me the file. If you don't send me a message I probably won't get your file for at least a month (I don't check my hotmail very often.)

Revision History
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1.3 - Current release. Fixed the about box, added this file, added export feature, better error checking. Not in as much of a rush to get this done, but still rushed. Added hourglass while it was playing sounds so you know it hasn't locked.
1.2 - First release. Pretty crap. Marginally useable by the public I think.
1.1 - Fixed some stuff, added the descriptions.
1.0 - First version. Seen only by Michael Mendelsohn and I think some of the GTA Map Editor team. Very un-user friendly. (How does a 8-16 digit number strike you as describing a sound?)