# Design and Evaluation of a Web- and Mobile-Based Binaural Audio Platform for Cultural Heritage
## 4 PlugSonic Suite
### PlugSonic Soundscape Create  
As illustrated in the previous sections, PlugSonic Soundscape Create was developed for the curation of interactive 3D audio narratives and soundscapes. To do so, a user proceeds with the creation of a new exhibition through the PLUGGY social platform. After selecting _Soundscape_ as the exhibition's type and setting its title and description the user is presented with the Soundscape Create UI, allowing them to proceed with the curation.  
The UI, shown in Figure 12, is divided into three main sections: (1-3) the \"room\", which shows the physical/virtual space described in the soundscape and includes icons that represent sound sources and listener; (4-7) the top bar, hosting playback control buttons; and (8-12) the dismissable side menu, containing all the controls and options to modify the soundscape.  
The curation process would typically proceed as follows. The user starts by setting shape (round/rectangular) and size (width/depth/height) of the room and, if desired, choose an image to be used as floor-plan (_room_ tab--Figure 3C). After uploading the sound sources--using the _search_ tab (Figure 3A)--the user sets the options for each sound source (_sound sources_ tab--Figure 3B). Appendix B includes a complete description of all the options available for each sound source, here we limit our description to what we believe are the most interesting and useful controls: _Position_--absolute or relative to the listener; _Loop_--to choose if the sound source will loop or play only once; _Reach_--to control the interaction between listener and sound source (when ON the listener will be able to hear the sound source only when inside the interaction area); _Reach radius_--to set the size of the interaction area; and _Timings_--to set an order in the reproduction of any sound source by constraining the playback to the reproduction of another sound source.  
At any point during the soundscape's creation, the user can explore the soundscape to verify the results. It is also possible to take a recording while navigating the soundscape in real-time and export it as a.wav audio file, which will include all the properties of the 3D audio rendering in a standard stereo audio file.  
The exhibition's properties (Figure 12) can be modified if necessary and the soundscape saved to the social platform and published. There are also buttons available to export the soundscape's metadata. This is to allow the user to keep a local copy of the soundscape. Furthermore, the metadata can be imported into any application capable of interpreting it. In the case of PlugSonic, the metadata can be imported back into Soundscape Create or it can be opened with Soundscape Experience Mobile (see Section 4.4). There are two formats available to export the soundscape. The simple metadata, which requires an internet connection to access PLUGGY's social platform and retrieve the audio files, or the metadata including the assets, in which case, the soundscape can be experienced off-line as the audio files' data is added to the exported soundscape file.  
The UI presented here is the result of both a complete redesign and extension, as well as the outcome of the expert's evaluation described in [45]. For a complete description of the controls and features available in Plugsonic Soundscape Create we refer to Appendix B.