FSC

FSC files are sound playback (Freshness Score) levels files, originally developed for SimCity 3000. They are also known as, and listed in Reader as LEV files. Note, however, that not everything listed in Reader as a LEV file is actually one, some are XA files, and vice versa. In general, FSC/LEV files are in the range of 300-700 bytes and compressed.

Format

FSC/LEV files consist of global data, and repeating entries for individual sounds, in the following format.

version 7 (in plain text)
Global Headers
Global Values
Individual Entry Headers
Individual Entry Values

Headers

The headers for the Global Block are:

#     - Begin Global Block
vol   - Global Volume for the Files group
pri   - Sound Priority
min   - Optimum Min Tracks to play at a time (target #)
max   - Optimum Max Tracks to play at a time (target #)
rows  - Usable Active Lev Rows (seems to control if all lines in a LEV can be used)
cols  - Usable Active Lev Cols (doesn't seem to work)
tempo - Tempo to play these sounds at
BPB   - Beats per bar (determines frame reference for sound)
SelX  - Selective Processing (how far sound is heard) (Horizontal)
SelY  - Selective Processing (how far sound is heard) (Vertical)
QuanX - Quantization Modifier (Horizontal)
QuanY - Quantization Modifier (Vertical)
DifX  - Diffusion Modifier (Horizontal)
DifY  - Diffusion Modifier (Vertical)

The headers for the Individual Entry Block are:

#     - Begin Entry Block
vol   - Volume for this sound
rand? - random volume? - bool 1/0
LR    - split amount for left right channels out of 1024
FB    - front and back channels split of 1024 (standard for both LR and FB is 512
rand? - random left right front and back channel splitting? bool 1/0
fin   - fade in time in ms
fout  - fade out time in ms
dly   - Starting delay in ms
rand? - random starting delay? bool 1/0
loop  - Number of times to loop the sound
loop? - Loop sound infinitely
quant - Audio Quantization Value
prob  - Playing probability of this sound as opposed to others in the file.
pitchL - Low Pitch sound modifier (value to modify low pitch sound by)
pitchH - High Pitch Sound modifier (value to modify high pitch sound by)
fast?  - Do fast play of sound? bool 1/0
groupID - Control Group ID
stereo? - play sound in stereo? bool 1/0
filename - The true filename for this sound (lost with dat but still has IID)
exclusion cells - Sound Exclusion Cell Coordinates. Format : (x,z) (x,z) etc

Normally blank rows are left between either groups of sounds inside a levels file or at the end of the file to mark out various grouping types. Properties are in a table format under a line for their respective block header and column text labels.

Levels are linked to their respective XA files by Group ID. Before compilation of the SC4 engine, files were linked via file names inside the levels file.