All Strata collections use the Universal Category System (UCS) file naming convention for all media and rendered files. This system ensures unique file names that are readable to both humans and machines. After you become familiar with UCS, you can quickly identify the following information in the file names:
A brief description of the sound
The creator of the sound
The category and subcategory to which the sound belongs
The project or collection it was made for
Sound effect database programs can parse the file name and derive metadata that facilitates categorization, searching, and finding sounds. You can also localize UCS file names. It is quickly becoming a global standard that many audio designers are familiar with.
UCS uses several blocks to form file names in a standard format according to the following pattern:
CatID-UserCategory_VendorCategory-FXName_CreatorID_SourceID_UserData
Some of the blocks are required while others are optional. Strata uses five blocks by default. Refer to the following table for more information on each of the UCS blocks.
|
Block Name |
Required |
Used in Strata by Default |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
CatID |
Y |
Y |
Abbreviated category or subcategory, as defined by the UCS. |
|
UserCategory |
N |
N |
Optional user-defined tail extension of the CatID block, such as a microphone, perspective, and so on. |
|
VendorCategory |
N |
Y |
Optional head extension of the FXName block that vendors can use to define specific collection categories. For example, specific names of firearms, vehicles, locations, and so on. |
|
FXName |
Y |
Y |
Brief description or title (fewer than 25 characters). |
|
CreatorID |
Y |
Y |
Sound designer, recordist, or vendor. In most Strata collections, this is a concatenation of abbreviations that represent the collaborators. For example, in several collections the CreatorID is AKBOOM, which combines Audiokinetic and BOOM Library. This value is visible in the REAPER Project Settings dialog in the Notes tab in the Author field, and it's used as the value of the $author REAPER wildcard in the file name string. |
|
SourceID |
Y |
Y |
Project, show, collection name, or abbreviation. |
|
UserData |
N |
N |
Optional block for user-defined information such an ID or number to ensure that file names are unique. You can also use it to list microphone type, location, perspective, and so on. |
Strata uses five blocks with the appropriate mandatory block delimiters.
CatID
_VendorCategory
-FxName
_CreatorID
_SourceID
The following example file name demonstrates real values inserted into the corresponding blocks:
GUNAntq_Pistol Muzzleloader-Shot 01 Composite_AKB00M_Historical Firearms.wav
In this example, the value of CatID is GUNAntq, the value of SourceID is Historical Firearms, and so on.
The UCS allows the use of whitespace and has specific rules for the use of the underscore (_) and hyphen (-) delimiters:
- Prefix UserCategory
_ Suffix CatID if no UserCategory
_ Suffix UserCategory
- Suffix VendorCategory
_ Prefix CreatorID
_ Prefix SourceID
_ Prefix UserData
These delimiter characters must not be used anywhere else in the file name. Correct usage is essential for computer software such as sound effect library databases to parse the UCS names correctly.
For detailed information, refer to the Universal Category System website.
You can set up Strata subprojects to name rendered files and embed metadata using your own convention. Because REAPER generates file names and metadata based on the information specified in the Data Region Name as well as some project settings, you can modify those values and your changes will propagate to file names and metadata when you subsequently render files.
If you have not already chosen a file naming convention for your project, we strongly recommend adhering to the UCS convention, which Strata uses by default. To maintain a UCS file name, ensure you add content to the data region name in the correct locations and with the correct delimiters according to the following format:
CatID-UserCategory_VendorCategory-FXName_CreatorID_SourceID_UserData
By default, the data region name in Strata subprojects doesn't include UserCategory or UserData values, but you can add these values to the data region name if you want to include this information in the rendered file names. You can also modify existing values in the data region name, such as the SourceID.
To add or modify values in the data region name:
From the REAPER menu bar, click View > Region Marker Manager.
Double-click the black data region name. The data region name has the following format: CategoryFull=;Category=;SubCategory=;CatID=G;UserCategory=;VendorCategory=;SourceID=;UserData=;Explanations=;Synonyms=;OpenTier=;
Position the cursor after the desired block and add a value, or modify the existing value, using the appropriate delimiter:
For example:
To add a UserCategory, use the following format: UserCategory=- <MyCategoryName>; For example: UserCategory=-FPS;
To add UserData, use the following format: UserData=_ <MyData MyNumber>; For example: UserData=_Version 1.00;
To modify the SourceID, use the following format: SourceID=_ <MySourceID>; For example: SourceID=_My Custom Collection;
Press Enter. The values you added appear in the file names of all regions you subsequently render.
In the wildcard formula, most of the wildcards start with $region. This means their value is taken from either the data region name or the region selected to render, depending on the rest of the wildcard. The CreatorID is the only exception. Its wildcard is $author, so its value comes from the Author project setting.
To modify the CreatorID:
From the REAPER menu bar, click File > Project Settings (Alt+Enter).
In the Project Settings dialog that opens, select the Notes tab.
Replace the text in the Author field with the name you would like to use and click OK.
The name you entered appears in the file names of all regions you subsequently render.
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