[kde-linux] No sound with non-kde application

[Lisa Reynolds]

I'm running OpenSuse 10.2 (X86_64) and KDE 3.5.5 release 45
I have an ac97 soundcard as part of the motherboard (K8N4-E).
And I'm new to Linux too.

I have a high-end 3D animation application that I can't get any sound  
out of, neither warning sounds nor audio files.  I have set KDE to  
auto-suspend the sound system if it is idle for more than 2 seconds  
and I have made sure that the sound card is configured as card 0.  
Setting the sound card to auto-detect or ALSA had no impact on the  
application.

What else can I check to see why this happens? It was suggested that  
other programs like Firefox might grab the sound system, but I've  
tried it with no other apps running and still have the same results.  
I'll be communicating with the app's manufacturer about this, what  
questions should I be asking them about how their application handles  
sound?

-Lisa