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Pony files can contain metadata tags and a multiline comment.
The following are the standard tags (comma separated lists may
have whitespace surrounding the comma [,]):
If a pony file contains multiple ponies, it should have a GROUP NAME
tag. The tag is a comma seperated list of the recognised names of the ponies as a
groups, if the list is empty the tag value must be (none). An officiallity
tag should be added to each name.
Every pony file should have this tag, one entry for each pony on the file.
The value of the tag must be the pony’s most common name as used on
the TV show (or other source). If the pony’s name have not been mentioned
the value must be (not mentioned).
If a pony in the pony file has other names then the one in NAME it should
have this take for this pony. Any pony in the file (in case of multiple ponies) that
do not need this tag should use the value (none).
The tag is a comma seperated list of alternative (to NAME names for the pony, each name should have an officiallity tag.
This tag specifies in which episode the pony first appeared. It reasonable to specify it even for ponies that appears in every episode.
For uniformity the format S%sE%e %t[ %P] is recommended; [ ] denotes
and optional part, optional in the sence that it does not apply the every episode,
but it should be used if applyable. %s is the series (season) number
in two digits, %e is the episode number in two digits. %t is the
episode title and should use the standardised title format for the used format
however without surrounding quotes if the used language has that, in the unlike
event that [ or ] is present in the title it should be backslashed
(\[, \]). %P is the part in the format [Part %p], where
[ ] does not denote and optional part but rather is verbatim, and
%p is the part number in one digit (well, if the part number is not 10 or higher).
The standard way to format titles in American English is the same as in British English, however it is not fully standardised. Capitalisation of the first word, and all other words, except for articles, prepositions, conjunctions, and forms of ‘to be’ is recommended.
Be aware that MLP:FiM episodes use American spelling which include a rather uncommon why to write for examples abbrevations (like for example Mr. instread of Mr), this may however not be the case for non-MLP:FiM episodes. And if there are not series (season) the series number defaults to 1, however other numbers and tags (which the part number is) may be added if required.
This tag decribes what kind of pony a pony is, it is a comma seperated lower case list, and it cannot be empty, by it can be (but shouldn’t) skipped for every pony in the image.
Every fitting value should be used, however an alicorn (also known as alacorn, winged
unicorn, acorn, pegasus unicorn, unipeg, unisus, horned pegasus, wing-horn, allacorn,
cerapter pterippus, aquillacorn, pegasos aithiopikos alate unicorns, or pegacorn)
should have the values alicorn andpony, but neither pegasus nor
unicorn or another of the possible therms mentioned. Earth ponies should have
the value pony and earth (not earth pony.)
The standard values are (you may use other ones if fitting): unicorn, pegasus,
alicorn, earth, pony, changeling, crystal, seapony,
animal (applies to Spike) and item (applies to Tom and Pinkamina’s imaginare friends.)
This tag decribes which groups a pony classifies under, it is a comma seperated lower case list, and it cannot be empty, by it can be (but shouldn’t) skipped for every pony in the image.
The standard values are (you may use other ones if fitting):
mare
Adult female pony
stallion
Adult male pony
filly
Female pony child
colt
Male pony child
dragon
Dragon (Spike and the other dragons)
mane
The mane characters (also known as main characters [unponified] or protagonists)
wildlife
Wildlife, for example timberwolfs
pet
A pony’s pet, Spike does not count because Twilight does not play with him during
pony–pet play dates.
royal
Royal pony, either by birth, marriage, or conquer (i.e. the old school style).
Shining Armour is royal by marriage, but is biological family does become royal by this.
villain
Villains, normally minions to antagonists or recurring ponies. Applies to changelings.
antagonist (applies to: nightmare moon, gilda, discord, chrysalis)
Antagonists are also known as archvillians or archenemies.
Nightmare Moon, Discord and Chrysalis are such, but Gilda also counts as one.
deuteragonist (applies to: the cutiemark cruisers)
Deuteragonists are secondary characters, these are (as of series 2) only the Cutiemark
Cruisers. The requirement is that thay are somewhat regular characters with dedicated
episodes, but are not protagonists.
tritagonist (applies to: celestia, luna, cadance, shining armor, spike)
Important characters (excluding Derpy Hooves) that are neither protagonists,
deuteragonists nor antagonists.
background
Background characters are not characters that are neither protagonists, deuteragonist,
tritagonist, antagonist nor pets. They do not need to be strictly background characters,
for example Big Mac and Cheerilee classifies under this group, as they are not too
important to be considered tritagonists (as of series 2).
voiced (only used together with background)
Only background characters can be voiced. The additional requirement is
that they have said something (ponies comics can also be voiced).
imaginary
Imaginary ponies (or other animal).
For each balloon in the file (a pony file can have more than one balloon, but
that is not common) their should one tag entry. There are four values that
can be used: top (the common setup, the balloon is at the top of the image),
bottom (the balloon is at the bottom of the image), right (the balloon
is neither at the top or at the bottom of the image, but is placed to the right of
the pony) and inside (the balloon is somewhere as inside the image.)
Files with only one pony should not use this tag. Specifies to which pony the link is connected, it is a number, starting from 1.
If a file contains Fluttershy and Pinkie (in that order, i.e. Pinkie is to the right of or below Fluttershy) and the link is connected to Pinkie, than the value should be 2.
In the rare case that the file contains multiple links (and multi ponies), the metadata should contains multiple entries of this tag, one entry for each link sorted in the order of the linkes placement in the image, in the same way ponies are ordered.
In the rare case that the file contains multiple links the metadata should contains multiple entries of this tag, one entry for each link sorted in the order of the linkes placement in the image, in the same way ponies are ordered.
The value for this tag must be either regular or mirrored. regular
applies to linkes with NNE–SSW (\) direction. mirrored applies to linkes
with NNW–SSE (/) direction, in version 2.9.1 only rainbowdrag uses this.
The name of the colour (as best estimated by you), in lowercase, that the pony’s coat have. If the creature is (for example) a dragon, the colour of the scales is used. Common colour names are preferable. Only one colour should be named, but the name may describe a colour combination.
The name of the colour (as best estimated by you), in lowercase, that the pony’s mane have. Common colour names are preferable. Only one colour should be named, but the name may describe a colour combination.
The name of the colour (as best estimated by you), in lowercase, that the pony’s eyes
have. Common colour names are preferable. Only one colour should be named, but the name
may describe a colour combination. If the eyes are closed in the picture, use
close in addition the the actual eye colour, separated by a comma.
The name of the colour (as best estimated by you), in lowercase, that the pony’s magic aura have. Common colour names are preferable. Only one colour should be named, but the name may describe a colour combination.
The magic aura is the colourisation around items that are affected by magic.
If the pony file have multiple ponies, some with magicial abilities and some without,
the ponies without magicial abilies should use the value (no magic). If the pony
has magicial abilies but without an aura, use the value (invisible).
Only humans [here we must call ourself humnas rather than ponies, otherwise the sentance does not make sense) can se the magic aura, describe the colour that we humans see, not ponies and other creatures in the TV Show [proof, see S01E11 Winter Wrap Up and S02E25-26 A Canterlot Wedding].
This tag describes how a pony is places in the image. The standard values are: full
(full body), head (just the head), down (upside down), left (pony is
looking to our left), right (pony is looking to our right), front (pony is
looking at us). front can be combined with left and right, but
left and right nor full and head cannot be combined.
The width of the pony image measured in text columns.
The height of the pony image measured in text lines, this include the balloon (occupies one line) even if it the first line with nothing else on that line.
The number of lines at the beginning of the pony image that should be skipped if the balloon is not printed.
The number of lines at the end of the pony image that should be skipped if the balloon is not printed.
One word (preferably) to distinguish the pony files from other pony files with the same MASTER. It is preferable that this is written in bare infinitive. Master files should try to specify this tag but are not required to, however, non-master files (slave files) are required to specify this tag. This tag is important for the extras feature to function.
Either the name of a pony that the pony is based. If the original pony is not
from MLP:FiM, the name a value that pony’s MEDIA tag can used inside brackets,
for example (Tumblr), after the original pony’s name. If the pony is not
based on any pony the value (original) can be used. If the ponies is
based on multiple ponies, make a comma separated list.
This tag refers to the pony file that is not named with extra attributes. For example,
all files where Shining Armor is the (sole) speaking pony the this tag should be
shiningarmor, except for in shiningarmor.pony where this tag may be omitted.
This tag is important for the ponyquotes feature to function.
This tag specifies from where the pony image (not the file itself) originates.
If the source is unknown the value should be (unknown), if a GitHub user
draw it the the value should be that user inside square brackets (in case of
multiple artists, the tag is comma seperated list). Otherwise the source
should be specified in any reasonable manner.
In order the claim authorship (the GitHub user value) it image must have been written from scratch (using templates is okay) or must be a major edit of another image. Just converting (including fixing the colours) an image (for example from the Internet or a screenshot) with or without removing the background is not enough.
This tag must not be used for MLP:FiM ponies, but only for extraponies. It specifies the media from where the pony (not the image) originates.
Which licence applies to the image? Full name and version should be used. In case of multiple license there should be one entry for each license. Omit this tag is the license is not known.
The are two special cases here where this is no license. In which case it
either uses regular copyright, in which case use the value (regular),
or everyone is the copyright holder (for example Public Domain), in which
case use the value (public).
Is the image fully free? (For example Linux-libre is fully free, but not regular Linux.)
The value must either be yes or no, or the tag must be omitted.
This is the most important tag as it helps us build a fully free version that can be officially distributed on GNU endorsed GNU/Linux distributions (GNU/Linux-libre).
Duplicate tags should be ordered in the order of the pony they describe from top-left to bottom-right in the image. It is important that if there are for example three ponies the image then all used tags that depends on the number of ponies in the image is used three times.
‘Officiallity tag’ refers the an annotation added to a tag value’s list element.
If the value is unofficial the string (unofficial) is appended (preferable with
leading whitespace) to the element. If it is official the appended string is of the
format (official, %c) (the brackets are verbatim), where %c is a
comment. For example Chrysalis’ name has not been mentioned in the show, however it
is used in the manuscript, therefore a pony file with Chrysalis should have the
(partial) metadata:
NAME: (not mentioned) OTHER NAMES: Chrysalis (official, in manuscript)
Next: The tool chest, Previous: Optional features, Up: Top [Contents][Index]