VSD_File_Definition

• The VSD FIle
  • The Configuration file: config.xml
  • The License file: license.txt
  • The Sound Files
  • Optional Content

The VSD FIle

The VSD file is a ZIP archive with the filename extension (optionally) changed to .VSD to indicate its use. Within the VSD file are the following required and optional elements:

• Configuration file config.xml
• License information file license.txt
• Sound files, in WAV format, arranged in a suitable subdirectory structure
• Optional text file(s) with descriptive information

The Configuration file: config.xml

The config.xml file contains the definitions and descriptions that tell the Virtual Sound Decoder how to manipulate the included WAV files to create the required sound effects. Each config file can describe one or more profiles, each of which defines a particular type of locomotive (perhaps an EMD F7 or a GE AC4400CW). The file is in standard XML format, and the matching XML Schema is included within the JMRI package files (xml/schema/vsdecoder/vsdecoder-config.xsd). The file can be created or edited using a standard text editor or any XML editing package.

Details about config.xml construction are on the [VSD_Config_File_Definition] page.

The License file: license.txt

The License file contains human-readable licensing information that applies to all of the WAV files within the VSD file, as well as the information contained in the config.xml file and any optional information included. The VSD file creator is free to apply any licensing scheme he chooses, but he "must" include a license.txt file describing these terms within the VSD file.

The following additional restrictions apply:

• Any VSD file distributed as part of the JMRI package "must" have "all" of its components release under the GNU GPL2 or equivalent licensing scheme.
• Any VSD file "must" have legitimately obtained appropriate usage rights from the original coypright holder of any WAV files included in the file.

VSD file creators are encouraged to provide their content under a "free" license, in the spirit of the JMRI project, but are not required to do so.

The Sound Files

The sound files included within the VSD archive can be arranged in any fashion that is meaningful to the VSD file creator. It is suggested that at a minimum the WAV files be stored in a "sounds" sub-folder, and more hierarchical arrangements are encouraged. For example, sounds unique to each included profile might be stored in profile-specific subfolders ("sounds/loco_a", "sounds/loco_b") while common, shared sounds are combined into a shared folder ("sounds" or "sounds/common").

Any arrangement of folders will work, as long as the relative paths are correctly specified in the corresponding entries within the config.xml file.

Optional Content

The VSD File creator may include any optional additional information within the archive that he wishes. Suggestions include:

• Textual information about the modeled locomotives, in human-readable or XML or similar format
• Images or icons relevant to the modeled locomotives
• Personal or contact information about the author

Please do not include any executable content within the VSD File.