GraphicsDataDefinition

GDD - Graphics Data Definition

Link to this repo on github.

Table of contents

Getting started

The GDD Schema can either be defined in a separate JSON-file, or inline in the HTML-template-file:

HTML Graphics file, “example.html”:

The <script name="graphics-data-definition"> tag refers to a JSON-file that contains the GDD Schema definitions. The src="" is a relative path to the Schema json file.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <script
      name="graphics-data-definition"
      type="application/json+gdd"
      src="example.json"
    ></script>
  </head>
  <body>
    *** HTML content ***
  </body>
</html>

JSON file, “example.json”

{
  "$schema": "https://superflytv.github.io/GraphicsDataDefinition/gdd-meta-schema/v1/schema.json",
  "title": "One-Line GFX Template",
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "text0": {
      "description": "Text content",
      "type": "string",
      "maxLength": 50,
      "gddType": "single-line",
      "gddOptions": {}
    }
  }
}

HTML Graphics file, “example-inline.html”:

The <script name="graphics-data-definition"> tag can also contain the GDD Schema definitions inline:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <script name="graphics-data-definition" type="application/json+gdd">
      {
        "$schema": "https://superflytv.github.io/GraphicsDataDefinition/gdd-meta-schema/v1/schema.json",
        "title": "One-Line GFX Template",
        "type": "object",
        "properties": {
          "text0": {
            "description": "Text content",
            "type": "string",
            "maxLength": 50,
            "gddType": "single-line",
            "gddOptions": {

            }
          }
        }
      }
    </script>
    <script type="text/javascript">
      // This is optional, but often helpful.
      // Expose the gddSchema globally:
      window.gddSchema = JSON.parse(
        document.querySelector('head > script[name="graphics-data-definition"]')
          .innerHTML
      );
    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
    *** HTML content ***
  </body>
</html>

Example data

{ "text0": "Hello world!" }

General Definition

The GDD is a subset of the JSON-schema definition, with a few exceptions, see below.

It supports all the basic JSON types (such as strings and numbers) but also extends them with GDD Types, which can be used by Graphics client GUIs to auto-generate input forms for the data.

All GDD Types are designed to gracefully degrade in case the GUI can’t handle that particular type. One example is the ["string", "RRGGBB"] type which (when supported) can provide a color-picker in the GUI, but if not supported will gracefully degrade to a simple text input.

The GUIs are expected to validate the form-data before submitting it to the GFX Clients. Examples of how to validate can be found here: —TODO—

Schema

{
  "$schema": "https://superflytv.github.io/GraphicsDataDefinition/gdd-meta-schema/v1/schema.json", // [optional] Reference to the JSON-schema
  "title": "", // [optional] string, a short name of the GFX-template. Used for informational purposes only.
  "description": "", // [optional] string, a description GFX-template. Used for informational purposes only.
  "authorName": "", // [optional] string, name of the author.
  "authorEmail": "", // [optional] string, email to the author.
  "type": "object", // MUST be "object"
  "properties": {
    // MUST be an object
    // Properties goes here:
    "myProperty": {}
  },
  "required": [] // [optional]
  "gddPlayoutOptions": { // [optional]
    // Contents described under "Playout options" below
  }
}

Property

All properties share these definitions: (JSON-schema definition)

{
  "type": string-enum, // See below
  "label": string, // [Optional] Short label to name the property
  "description": string, // [Optional] Longer description of the property
  "gddType": string, // [Optional unless required by GDD Type] A string containing the GDD Type name, see below
  "gddOptions": object // [Optional unless required by GDD Type] An object containing options for a certain GDD Type, see below
}

The type property

In the standard JSON-schema definition, the type property is allowed to be either a string or an array containing any combination of the basic types "boolean", "string", "number", "integer", "array", "object" or "null". To reduce the complexity for the GDD GUI implementation however, the valid values for the type are reduced to these:

Basic Types

Here follows a list of the basic JSON types supported in GDD.

All of these types are supported by all GUIs

Boolean

{
  "type": "boolean",
  "default": boolean // [Optional] default value
}

String

JSON-schema definition

{
  "type": "string",
  "default": string, // [Optional] default value
  "maxLength": number, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
  "minLength": number, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
  "pattern": Regular Expression, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
}

Number / Integer

JSON-schema definition

{
  "type": "number", // or "integer"
  "default": number, // [Optional] default value
  "multipleOf": number, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
  "maximum": number, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
  "exclusiveMaximum": number, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
  "minimum": number, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
  "exclusiveMinimum": number, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
}

Array

JSON-schema definition

{
  "type": "array",
  "items": { // Contains a definition of the items in the array
    "type": "string" // example
  },
  "default": array, // [Optional] default value
  "maxItems": number, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
  "minItems": number, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
  "uniqueItems": boolean, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
  "maxContains": number, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
  "minContains": number, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
}

Object

JSON-schema definition

{
  "type": "object",
  "items": { // Contains a definition of the items in the array
    "type": "string" // example
  },
  "default": object, // [Optional] default value
  "maxProperties": number, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
  "minProperties": number, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
  "required": boolean, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
  "dependentRequired": object, // [Optional] See JSON-schema definition ^
}

GDD Types

A GDD Type is an extension of one of the basic types described above, intended to be displayed to the user in a certain way.

The GDD Type is identified by the gddType property, a string on the form "basic-type/advanced-type", containing more and more specialized GDD Types, separated by "/".

The GDD Types are designed in such a way to allow graceful drgradation. If a GUI doesn’t support the display of a specific GDD Type (such as gddType: "multi-line/rich-formatted-text"), it will instead pick the next best thing (gddType: "multi-line", or perhaps even the most basic type: "string").

Below follows a list of the GDD Types, which provides more advanced functionality in GUIs.

Note: All type-properties below can be defined as optional by defining it as ["myType", "null"].

Single-line text

A variant of the text input, which specifically is a single line.

{
  "type": "string",
  "gddType": "single-line"
}

Example data: "Hello World!"

Multi-line text

A variant of the text input, which specifically is a multi-line.

{
  "type": "string",
  "gddType": "multi-line"
}

Example data: "Hello World!\nI'm alive!"

File path

Lets the user pick a file from disk

{
  "type": "string",
  "gddType": "file-path",
  "gddOptions": {
    "extensions": ["txt", "json"] // [Optional, Array of strings] . Limit which files can be chosen by the user
  }
}

Example data: "C:\images\myFile.xml" or "folder/myFile.zip"

Image File path

Lets the user pick an image file from disk

{
  "type": "string",
  "gddType": "file-path/image-path",
  "gddOptions": {
    "extensions": ["jpg", "png"] // [Optional, Array of strings] Limit which files can be chosen by the user.
  }
}

Example data: "C:\images\myImage.jpg" or "folder/myImage.png"

Select

Lets the user select from a limited number of options (this is often done from a dropdown menu).

Please note that the type for this can be either of "string", "integer" or "number".

{
  "type": "string",
  "enum": ["one", "two", "three"],
  "gddType": "select",
  "gddOptions": {
    "labels": {
      "one": "Label for one",
      "two": "Label for two",
      "three": "Label for three"
    }
  }
}
{
  "type": "integer",
  "enum": [1, 2, 3],
  "gddType": "select",
  "gddOptions": {
    "labels": { "1": "Small", "2": "Medium", "3": "Large" }
  }
}
{
  "type": "number",
  "enum": [1.2, 3.5, 9.0],
  "gddType": "select",
  "gddOptions": {
    "labels": { "1.2": "Small", "3.5": "Medium", "9.0": "Large" }
  }
}

Example data: "one", 1 or 1.2

Color - RRGGBB

Let’s the user pick a color.

{
  "type": "string",
  "pattern": "^#[0-9a-f]{6}$",
  "gddType": "color-rrggbb"
}

The value is stored as a string on the form “#RRGGBB”, eg "#61138e".

Color - RRGGBBAA

Let’s the user pick a color with transparency.

{
  "type": "string",
  "pattern": "^#[0-9a-f]{8}$",
  "gddType": "color-rrggbbaa"
}

The value is stored as a string on the form “#RRGGBBAA”, eg "#61138eff".

Percentage

A number presented as a pecentage

{
  "type": "number",
  "gddType": "percentage"
}

The value is stored as a number, eg “25%” -> 0.25

Duration in milliseconds

A duration value, to be presented in a human readable format (like “HH:MM:SS.xxx”)

{
  "type": "integer",
  "gddType": "duration-ms"
}

The value is stored as a number in milliseconds, eg “1m23s” -> 83000

– Private GDD Types –

Under the GDD schema, it is allowed to extend the offial GDD Types listed above with your own, custom GDD Types. Thanks to the graceful degradation of the GDD Types, a schema containing custom GDD Types is still a valid GDD Schema and will work in any GUI, the unsupported GDD Types will simply degrade to their closest type.

Example:

{
  "type": "string",
  "gddType": "single-line/my-custom-formatted-text" // Will degrade to be "single-line" or simply a "string"
}

For GUI Developers

Getting started

npm install graphics-data-definition

See README for the npm-library for how to use.

About implementing GUIs

When implementing a GUI to support the GDD definitions, you don’t have to implement support for all GDD Types - since the GDD Types are designed to degrade gracefully. The only types that are mandatory to implement are the basic types "boolean", "string", "number", "integer", "array"and "object".

To degrade gracefully, it is recommended that you follow these practices when implementing the GUI:

function determineComponent(prop) {
  // List of supported GUI components, starting with "longest gddType" first:
  if (prop.gddType.match("file-path/image-path"))
    return componentImagePicker(prop, allowOptional);
  if (prop.gddType.match("file-path"))
    return componentFilePicker(prop, allowOptional);
  if (prop.gddType.match("rrggbb")) return componentRRGGBB(prop, allowOptional);

  // Fall back to handle the basic types:
  const basicType = Array.isArray(prop.type) ? prop.type[0] : prop.type;
  if (basicType === "boolean") return componentBoolean(prop);
  if (basicType === "string") return componentString(prop);
  if (basicType === "number") return componentNumber(prop);
  if (basicType === "integer") return componentInteger(prop);
  if (basicType === "array") return componentArray(prop);
  if (basicType === "object") return componentObject(prop);
  if (basicType === "null") return null;

  return null;
}

Please have a look at a reference GUI implementation here, and its live demo here.

Also, give the CHANGELOG a read.

Playout Options

In the Schema, there is an option to add the gddPlayoutOptions object with various properties therein. These properties can be read by the playout client in order to modify how it’ll display / use / play the template.

Note: All of the properties inside of gddPlayoutOptions are optional.

{
  "$schema": "https://superflytv.github.io/GraphicsDataDefinition/gdd-meta-schema/v1/schema.json",
  "title": "My GFX Template",
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "myProperty": {
      // ...
    }
  },
  "gddPlayoutOptions": {
    /** This object contains options that aren't tied to a specific playout server */
    "client": {
      /**
       * The suggested duration of the template (in milliseconds)
       * null means that it is manually taken out
       * undefined should be treated as null
       * (This is ignored if steps=0)
       * Defaults to null
       */
      "duration": integer | null

      /**
       * Number of steps in the template
       * 1 means that there are no steps (ie there's only "the default step").
       * 2 or more means that it can be "stepped" (ie 2 means it can be stepped once).
       * -1 means "infinite" number of steps.
       * 0 means that the template is "volatile" / "fire and forget" (template really has no duration, like a bumper).
       * Defaults to 1
      */
      "steps": integer,

      /**
       * How the data should be formatted.
       * This is mostly used for the older CasparCG flash-based xml data format.
       * Defaults to "json"
       */
      "dataformat": "json" | "casparcg-xml"
    },

    /** This object contains options related to the rendering of the GFX template */
    "render": {
      /**
       * This property contains an array of the supported resolutions of the GFX Template.
       * The array must contain at least one resolution.
       * This can be used by the client to determine whether a template is compatible with the current renderer or not.
       * Examples:
       * * A template which only supports a fixed resolution and framerate:
       *   "resolutions": [{ "width": 1280, "height": 720, "framerate": 50 }]
       * * A template which supports 720p50 and 1080p50:
       *   "resolutions": [{ "width": 1280, "height": 720, "framerate": 50 }, { "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "framerate": 50 }]
       * * A template which supports any resolution above 500x500 (and any framerate):
       *   "resolutions": [{ "width": { min: 500 }, "height": { min: 500 } }]
       *
       */
      "resolutions": [
        {
          "width": {
            "min": number
            "max": number
          } | number,
          "height": {
            "min": number
            "max": number
          } | number,
          "framerate": {
            "min": number
            "max": number
          } | number,
        }
      ]
    },

    /** This object contains specific options for the various playout server types (CasparCG, Viz, vMix etc..) */
    "playout": {
      "**type-of-device**": {
       // See Appendix for the device-specific options
      }
    }
  }
}

Details on the CasparCG XML format are described in Appendix: CasparCG XML

Details for the device-specific options are described in Appendix: Playout Options