I have already looked at similar threads and they do not particularly pertain to what I am about to ask.
I am working on developing software that would ideally take some extended variant of an MPlayer / Kodi EDL file and convert it to well-formed MLT XML, particularly XML that Shotcut can then read and edit. I say a variant, because the specifications for MPlayer’s EDL format as well as Kodi’s extended version have some but not all of the features I was thinking of supporting.
The basics are a TSV-like file format where the first two fields are the start and end times (or timecodes) and the third is the action. I was also thinking of a fourth field that “explains” what the filter is for. I plan on supporting actions such as muting and skipping, but also blanking the screen, “vignettes” for filling in viewers on skipped scenes, etc. The idea being, open-source software to help censor or “filter” unwanted audio and/or video, similar to Clearplay or VidAngel.
I have looked at the MLT XML DTD, the possibly outdated MLT XML overview, and Shotcut’s MLT XML annotations. (I would have added links but the forum would not let me post more than 2 links yet.)
I looked for, but could not find, a DTD or other schema for Shotcut’s annotations. Is there one somewhere? What would a “minimal” MLT XML file look like, that had, say, a few mute filters throughout? I have analysed some Shotcut-generated files, and it is somewhat confusing what elements are actually necessary or not.