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Virtual Sound Decoder

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VSD File and Configuration

The VSD File is a ZIP archive containing all of the source audio files, plus a Configuration File that tells the Virtual Sound Decoder when and how to use the sound files, plus a License information file license.txt.

An example VSD file is included with the package, more examples are available for download on the web and you can make (and share!) your own.

To open a VSD File you may have to rename the file extension "vsd" to "zip" first.

Configuration File

The config.xml file can be created or edited using a standard text editor or a XML editor.

A value in XML is described as a tag, e.g. <gain>0.8</gain>.

The following sections present some optional configuration features. They are documented as tags, so you can copy and paste it into your config.xml file, if desired.

Auto-Start Engine

Description:
Beside the "Auto Start Engine" option in VSD Preferences you may want to use this advanced option in your config.xml. Since this option is allowed per Engine, you could have auto-start-engines and non-auto-start-engines side by side.
Optional. Must be declared in the tag sound name="ENGINE". Default value: "no"
Since JMRI 4.11.3

Example:

      <auto-start>yes</auto-start>

Engine Start and Stop by a throttle key

Description:
If desired, you may define a throttle button to start and to stop the engine sound.
Optional. Must be declared in the tag sound-event name="ENGINE".
Since JMRI 4.11.4

Example:

      <trigger name="ENGINE_STARTSTOP" type="THROTTLE">
          <event-name>F4</event-name>
          <target-name>ENGINE</target-name>
          <action>NOTHING</action>
      </trigger>

More throttle key functions: Brake-Key, Half-Speed-Key and Coast-Key

Description:
Trigger name for Brake-Key: BRAKE_KEY
Trigger name for Half-Speed: HALF_SPEED
Trigger name for Coast-Key: COAST
All these Triggers are intended for Engine type "steam1".
Optional. Must be declared in the tag sound-event name="ENGINE".
Since JMRI 4.13.3

Important note on Brake-Key and Half-speed: Please setup those keys in Virtual Sound Decoder only, if your DCC decoder supports such features and can be set likewise.
Using a Brake-Key depends on the specification of your DCC decoder. Some DCC decoder support a brake time, which is an optional deceleration-rate and lower than the original one. I recommend to use a throttle key with momentum behavior as the Brake-Key. Don't forget to set the deceleration-rate (both in VSD and in your DCC decoder) to a high value, e.g. 250. If you want to define a brake time in VSD, please do declare (e.g.):

      <brake-time>30</brake-time>

Acceleration-Rate and Deceleration-Rate

Description:
Allows to set an acceleration-rate and a deceleration-rate for Engine type "steam1". Please note that it is necessary to set the accel-/decel-rates for your DCC-Decoder likewise.
Optional. Must be declared in the tag sound name="ENGINE" type="steam1". Default value: 35 / 18
Since JMRI 4.13.3

Example:

      <accel-rate>35</accel-rate>
      <decel-rate>18</decel-rate>

Reference Distance

Description:
It's recommended to setup this value for each sound tag. The reason for this is the sound attenuation model of OpenAL. Sounds with distance to listener position lower than reference-distance will not have any attenuation and the volume of the Audio Source will be as defined by the gain setting.
Optional. Must be declared in the tag sound previous to a gain value. Default value: 1.0
Since JMRI 4.11.4

Example:

      <reference-distance>3.0</reference-distance>

Engine Gain

Description:
This element allows to adjust the engine gain for steam1 and diesel3 engine types.
For engine type steam1 the gain value must be in the range of 0.4 and 1.0.
Optional. Must be declared in the tag sound name="ENGINE". Default value: 0.8
Since JMRI 4.11.7

Example:

      <engine-gain>0.6</engine-gain>

Create XY coordinates output in console for a VSDecoder

Description:
Helpfull option to verify the setup of your VSDGeoData.xml file (see Advanced Location Following).
The JMRI system console output can be copied and edited for printing a route curve. I have tested this with "LibreOffice Calc" and "Gnuplot".
Optional. Must be declared right after the <profile> tag.
Default value: "no"
Since JMRI 4.13.2

Example:

      <create-xy-series>yes</create-xy-series>

Console output:

       vsdecoder.VSDecoder      INFO  - 3(S): -1.5     1.1 [AWT-EventQueue-0]
       vsdecoder.VSDecoder      INFO  - 3(S): -1.489   1.1 [AWT-EventQueue-0]
       vsdecoder.VSDecoder      INFO  - 3(S): -1.4173  1.1 [AWT-EventQueue-0]
       vsdecoder.VSDecoder      INFO  - 3(S): -1.3456  1.1 [AWT-EventQueue-0]
       ...

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