vdd_settings.xml Reference

The vdd_settings.xml file is the primary configuration file for the Virtual Display Driver. It controls all aspects of the driver’s behavior, from basic monitor settings to advanced HDR and color management.

Location: The driver looks for vdd_settings.xml in C:\VirtualDisplayDriver\vdd_settings.xml.

File Structure

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<vdd_settings>
  <monitors>...</monitors>
  <gpu>...</gpu>
  <global>...</global>
  <resolutions>...</resolutions>
  <logging>...</logging>
  <colour>...</colour>
  <cursor>...</cursor>
  <edid>...</edid>
  <edid_integration>...</edid_integration>
  <hdr_advanced>...</hdr_advanced>
  <auto_resolutions>...</auto_resolutions>
  <color_advanced>...</color_advanced>
</vdd_settings>

Basic Driver Configuration

Monitor Count

monitors.count

integer

default:"1"

Number of virtual displays to create. Each virtual display appears as a separate monitor in Windows.Valid Range: 1-16Example:

<monitors>
  <count>2</count>
</monitors>

GPU Assignment

gpu.friendlyname

string

default:"default"

Specifies which GPU the virtual display should be attached to.Options:

default - Automatically select the primary GPU
GPU name (e.g., NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090)

Example:

<gpu>
  <friendlyname>NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090</friendlyname>
</gpu>

Use the Driver Control App or PowerShell scripts to list available GPUs on your system.

Resolution Configuration

Global Refresh Rates

global.g_refresh_rate

integer

Global refresh rates applied to all defined resolutions. You can specify multiple rates.Common Values: 24, 30, 50, 60, 75, 90, 120, 144, 165, 240, 360Example:

<global>
  <g_refresh_rate>60</g_refresh_rate>
  <g_refresh_rate>120</g_refresh_rate>
  <g_refresh_rate>144</g_refresh_rate>
</global>

Resolution Definitions

Show Resolution Configuration Structure

Each resolution is defined with width, height, and refresh rate:

<resolutions>
  <resolution>
    <width>1920</width>
    <height>1080</height>
    <refresh_rate>60</refresh_rate>
  </resolution>
  <resolution>
    <width>2560</width>
    <height>1440</height>
    <refresh_rate>144</refresh_rate>
  </resolution>
  <resolution>
    <width>3840</width>
    <height>2160</height>
    <refresh_rate>120</refresh_rate>
  </resolution>
</resolutions>

resolutions.resolution.width

integer

required

Horizontal resolution in pixels.Valid Range: 640-7680

resolutions.resolution.height

integer

required

Vertical resolution in pixels.Valid Range: 480-4320

resolutions.resolution.refresh_rate

integer

required

Refresh rate in Hz for this specific resolution.Valid Range: 24-360

If global refresh rates are defined, this resolution will also be available at those rates.

Logging Configuration

logging.SendLogsThroughPipe

boolean

default:"true"

Enable sending logs through the named pipe for real-time monitoring by the Driver Control App.Recommended: true for easier troubleshooting

logging.logging

boolean

default:"false"

Enable standard logging to file.Log Location: Driver installation directory

logging.debuglogging

boolean

default:"false"

Enable verbose debug logging. Creates large log files.

Debug logging can create very large log files (100+ MB). Only enable when troubleshooting specific issues.

Color Format Configuration

colour.SDR10bit

boolean

default:"false"

Enable 10-bit color depth for SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) content.Requirements: GPU and monitor must support 10-bit output

colour.HDRPlus

boolean

default:"false"

Enable enhanced HDR processing.Note: Requires HDR10 configuration in hdr_advanced section

colour.ColourFormat

string

default:"RGB"

Output color format for the virtual display.Options:

RGB - Full RGB (recommended for most use cases)
YCbCr444 - YCbCr 4:4:4 (lossless chroma)
YCbCr422 - YCbCr 4:2:2 (chroma subsampling)
YCbCr420 - YCbCr 4:2:0 (maximum compression)

Example:

<colour>
  <ColourFormat>RGB</ColourFormat>
</colour>

Cursor Configuration

cursor.HardwareCursor

boolean

default:"true"

Enable hardware cursor support for better performance and reduced latency.

cursor.CursorMaxX

integer

default:"128"

Maximum cursor width in pixels.Valid Range: 32-256

cursor.CursorMaxY

integer

default:"128"

Maximum cursor height in pixels.Valid Range: 32-256

cursor.AlphaCursorSupport

boolean

default:"true"

Enable alpha channel (transparency) support for cursors.

cursor.XorCursorSupportLevel

integer

default:"2"

XOR cursor support level (0-2).

This setting is loaded but not currently used by the driver implementation.

Custom EDID Configuration

edid.CustomEdid

boolean

default:"false"

Use a custom EDID binary file (user_edid.bin) instead of the driver’s default EDID.Requirements: Place user_edid.bin in the driver installation directory

See EDID Files Reference for creating custom EDID files.

edid.PreventSpoof

boolean

default:"false"

Prevent modification of manufacturer ID in the EDID.When true, preserves the original manufacturer ID from the EDID without spoofing.

edid.EdidCeaOverride

boolean

default:"false"

Override the CEA extension block with the driver’s hardcoded CEA data.Useful for adding HDR support to custom EDID files that don’t have proper CEA extensions.

EDID Integration System

Show EDID Integration Overview

The EDID integration system allows automatic configuration from a monitor_profile.xml file, which can be generated from real monitor EDID data.Workflow:

Extract EDID from a real monitor using the EDID Parser utility
Generate monitor_profile.xml from the EDID
Enable EDID integration in vdd_settings.xml
Driver automatically configures resolutions, HDR, and color settings

edid_integration.enabled

boolean

default:"false"

Enable the EDID integration system.Requirements: Valid monitor_profile.xml file must exist at the specified path

edid_integration.auto_configure_from_edid

boolean

default:"false"

Automatically apply all settings from the monitor profile XML.When enabled, resolution and color settings are loaded from the profile.

edid_integration.edid_profile_path

string

default:"EDID/monitor_profile.xml"

Path to the monitor profile XML file, relative to the driver installation directory.Example:

<edid_integration>
  <edid_profile_path>EDID/monitor_profile.xml</edid_profile_path>
</edid_integration>

edid_integration.override_manual_settings

boolean

default:"false"

Determine priority between EDID profile and manual settings.

false - Manual settings take priority (recommended)
true - EDID profile overrides manual settings

edid_integration.fallback_on_error

boolean

default:"true"

Use manual settings if EDID profile loading fails.Recommended: true for reliability

HDR Advanced Configuration

HDR10 Static Metadata

hdr_advanced.hdr10_static_metadata.enabled

boolean

default:"false"

Enable HDR10 support with static metadata.

HDR10 requires compatible GPU, display capture application, and proper configuration.

hdr_advanced.hdr10_static_metadata.max_display_mastering_luminance

float

default:"1000.0"

Maximum display mastering luminance in nits (cd/m²).Common Values:

400.0 - Entry-level HDR
1000.0 - Standard HDR (recommended)
1600.0 - High-end HDR
4000.0 - Peak HDR monitors

Valid Range: 50.0-10000.0

hdr_advanced.hdr10_static_metadata.min_display_mastering_luminance

float

default:"0.05"

Minimum display mastering luminance in nits.Typical Range: 0.0001-1.0

hdr_advanced.hdr10_static_metadata.max_content_light_level

integer

default:"1000"

Maximum content light level (MaxCLL) in nits.Recommended: Match or slightly exceed max_display_mastering_luminance

hdr_advanced.hdr10_static_metadata.max_frame_avg_light_level

integer

default:"400"

Maximum frame average light level (MaxFALL) in nits.Typical Range: 200-600 (usually 40-60% of MaxCLL)

Color Primaries

Show Color Primary Configuration

Color primaries define the color gamut of the virtual display using CIE 1931 chromaticity coordinates.Standard Color Spaces:sRGB/Rec.709 (Default):

<color_primaries>
  <enabled>true</enabled>
  <red_x>0.640</red_x>   <red_y>0.330</red_y>
  <green_x>0.300</green_x> <green_y>0.600</green_y>
  <blue_x>0.150</blue_x>  <blue_y>0.060</blue_y>
  <white_x>0.3127</white_x> <white_y>0.3290</white_y>
</color_primaries>

DCI-P3:

Red: (0.680, 0.320)
Green: (0.265, 0.690)
Blue: (0.150, 0.060)
White: (0.3127, 0.3290)

Rec.2020 (Wide Gamut):

Red: (0.708, 0.292)
Green: (0.170, 0.797)
Blue: (0.131, 0.046)
White: (0.3127, 0.3290)

hdr_advanced.color_primaries.enabled

boolean

default:"false"

Enable custom color primaries configuration.

hdr_advanced.color_primaries.red_x

float

default:"0.640"

Red primary X chromaticity coordinate.Valid Range: 0.0-1.0

hdr_advanced.color_primaries.red_y

float

default:"0.330"

Red primary Y chromaticity coordinate.Valid Range: 0.0-1.0

hdr_advanced.color_primaries.green_x

float

default:"0.300"

Green primary X chromaticity coordinate.Valid Range: 0.0-1.0

hdr_advanced.color_primaries.green_y

float

default:"0.600"

Green primary Y chromaticity coordinate.Valid Range: 0.0-1.0

hdr_advanced.color_primaries.blue_x

float

default:"0.150"

Blue primary X chromaticity coordinate.Valid Range: 0.0-1.0

hdr_advanced.color_primaries.blue_y

float

default:"0.060"

Blue primary Y chromaticity coordinate.Valid Range: 0.0-1.0

hdr_advanced.color_primaries.white_x

float

default:"0.3127"

White point X chromaticity coordinate (D65 standard).Valid Range: 0.0-1.0

hdr_advanced.color_primaries.white_y

float

default:"0.3290"

White point Y chromaticity coordinate (D65 standard).Valid Range: 0.0-1.0

Color Space Settings

hdr_advanced.color_space.enabled

boolean

default:"false"

Enable advanced color space configuration.

hdr_advanced.color_space.gamma_correction

float

default:"2.2"

Gamma correction value.Common Values:

2.2 - Standard sRGB gamma (recommended)
2.4 - Rec.709 pure power gamma
1.0 - Linear (no gamma correction)

hdr_advanced.color_space.primary_color_space

string

default:"sRGB"

Primary color space identifier.Options:

sRGB - Standard RGB (recommended)
Rec709 - Rec.709 (same primaries as sRGB)
Rec2020 - Rec.2020 wide gamut
DCI-P3 - DCI-P3 cinema gamut

hdr_advanced.color_space.enable_matrix_transform

boolean

default:"false"

Enable color matrix transformation.

This is an experimental feature. Leave disabled unless you have specific requirements.

Auto Resolution System

auto_resolutions.enabled

boolean

default:"false"

Enable automatic resolution generation from EDID modes.When enabled, resolutions are generated from the monitor profile instead of manual definitions.

auto_resolutions.source_priority

string

default:"manual"

Resolution source priority.Options:

manual - Use only manually defined resolutions
edid - Use only EDID-derived resolutions
merged - Combine manual and EDID resolutions

EDID Mode Filtering

auto_resolutions.edid_mode_filtering.min_refresh_rate

integer

default:"24"

Minimum refresh rate for EDID modes.Valid Range: 1-500

auto_resolutions.edid_mode_filtering.max_refresh_rate

integer

default:"240"

Maximum refresh rate for EDID modes.Valid Range: 24-500

auto_resolutions.edid_mode_filtering.exclude_fractional_rates

boolean

default:"false"

Exclude fractional refresh rates (e.g., 59.94 Hz, 29.97 Hz).

auto_resolutions.edid_mode_filtering.min_resolution_width

integer

default:"640"

Minimum resolution width in pixels.

auto_resolutions.edid_mode_filtering.min_resolution_height

integer

default:"480"

Minimum resolution height in pixels.

auto_resolutions.edid_mode_filtering.max_resolution_width

integer

default:"7680"

Maximum resolution width in pixels (8K support).

auto_resolutions.edid_mode_filtering.max_resolution_height

integer

default:"4320"

Maximum resolution height in pixels (8K support).

Preferred Mode Settings

auto_resolutions.preferred_mode.use_edid_preferred

boolean

default:"false"

Use the preferred mode from the EDID profile.When false, uses the fallback mode settings.

auto_resolutions.preferred_mode.fallback_width

integer

default:"1920"

Fallback preferred mode width.

auto_resolutions.preferred_mode.fallback_height

integer

default:"1080"

Fallback preferred mode height.

auto_resolutions.preferred_mode.fallback_refresh

integer

default:"60"

Fallback preferred mode refresh rate.

Advanced Color Processing

Bit Depth Management

color_advanced.bit_depth_management.auto_select_from_color_space

boolean

default:"false"

Automatically select bit depth based on color space.When false, uses the forced bit depth setting.

color_advanced.bit_depth_management.force_bit_depth

integer

default:"8"

Force specific bit depth per color channel.Options:

8 - 8-bit (24-bit RGB, recommended)
10 - 10-bit (30-bit RGB, requires hardware support)
16 - 16-bit (48-bit RGB, experimental)

color_advanced.bit_depth_management.fp16_surface_support

boolean

default:"true"

Enable FP16 (half-precision floating point) surface support.Recommended: true for compatibility with modern rendering pipelines

Extended Color Format

color_advanced.color_format_extended.sdr_white_level

float

default:"80.0"

SDR white level in nits.Standard: 80.0 nits (recommended)Valid Range: 40.0-200.0

Complete Example Configuration

Show Example: High-End Gaming Setup with HDR

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<vdd_settings>
  <!-- 2 virtual displays -->
  <monitors>
    <count>2</count>
  </monitors>

  <!-- Target RTX 4090 -->
  <gpu>
    <friendlyname>NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090</friendlyname>
  </gpu>

  <!-- Global refresh rates for all resolutions -->
  <global>
    <g_refresh_rate>60</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>120</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>144</g_refresh_rate>
    <g_refresh_rate>240</g_refresh_rate>
  </global>

  <!-- High-performance resolutions -->
  <resolutions>
    <resolution>
      <width>1920</width>
      <height>1080</height>
      <refresh_rate>240</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
    <resolution>
      <width>2560</width>
      <height>1440</height>
      <refresh_rate>165</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
    <resolution>
      <width>3840</width>
      <height>2160</height>
      <refresh_rate>144</refresh_rate>
    </resolution>
  </resolutions>

  <!-- Logging for troubleshooting -->
  <logging>
    <SendLogsThroughPipe>true</SendLogsThroughPipe>
    <logging>true</logging>
    <debuglogging>false</debuglogging>
  </logging>

  <!-- HDR with 10-bit color -->
  <colour>
    <SDR10bit>true</SDR10bit>
    <HDRPlus>true</HDRPlus>
    <ColourFormat>RGB</ColourFormat>
  </colour>

  <!-- Hardware cursor for performance -->
  <cursor>
    <HardwareCursor>true</HardwareCursor>
    <CursorMaxX>128</CursorMaxX>
    <CursorMaxY>128</CursorMaxY>
    <AlphaCursorSupport>true</AlphaCursorSupport>
    <XorCursorSupportLevel>2</XorCursorSupportLevel>
  </cursor>

  <!-- No custom EDID -->
  <edid>
    <CustomEdid>false</CustomEdid>
    <PreventSpoof>false</PreventSpoof>
    <EdidCeaOverride>false</EdidCeaOverride>
  </edid>

  <!-- EDID integration disabled (using manual config) -->
  <edid_integration>
    <enabled>false</enabled>
    <auto_configure_from_edid>false</auto_configure_from_edid>
    <edid_profile_path>EDID/monitor_profile.xml</edid_profile_path>
    <override_manual_settings>false</override_manual_settings>
    <fallback_on_error>true</fallback_on_error>
  </edid_integration>

  <!-- HDR10 configuration for 1000 nit display -->
  <hdr_advanced>
    <hdr10_static_metadata>
      <enabled>true</enabled>
      <max_display_mastering_luminance>1000.0</max_display_mastering_luminance>
      <min_display_mastering_luminance>0.05</min_display_mastering_luminance>
      <max_content_light_level>1000</max_content_light_level>
      <max_frame_avg_light_level>400</max_frame_avg_light_level>
    </hdr10_static_metadata>
    <color_primaries>
      <enabled>true</enabled>
      <red_x>0.708</red_x>      <!-- Rec.2020 -->
      <red_y>0.292</red_y>
      <green_x>0.170</green_x>
      <green_y>0.797</green_y>
      <blue_x>0.131</blue_x>
      <blue_y>0.046</blue_y>
      <white_x>0.3127</white_x>  <!-- D65 -->
      <white_y>0.3290</white_y>
    </color_primaries>
    <color_space>
      <enabled>true</enabled>
      <gamma_correction>2.2</gamma_correction>
      <primary_color_space>Rec2020</primary_color_space>
      <enable_matrix_transform>false</enable_matrix_transform>
    </color_space>
  </hdr_advanced>

  <!-- Manual resolution control -->
  <auto_resolutions>
    <enabled>false</enabled>
    <source_priority>manual</source_priority>
    <edid_mode_filtering>
      <min_refresh_rate>24</min_refresh_rate>
      <max_refresh_rate>240</max_refresh_rate>
      <exclude_fractional_rates>false</exclude_fractional_rates>
      <min_resolution_width>640</min_resolution_width>
      <min_resolution_height>480</min_resolution_height>
      <max_resolution_width>7680</max_resolution_width>
      <max_resolution_height>4320</max_resolution_height>
    </edid_mode_filtering>
    <preferred_mode>
      <use_edid_preferred>false</use_edid_preferred>
      <fallback_width>3840</fallback_width>
      <fallback_height>2160</fallback_height>
      <fallback_refresh>144</fallback_refresh>
    </preferred_mode>
  </auto_resolutions>

  <!-- 10-bit color depth -->
  <color_advanced>
    <bit_depth_management>
      <auto_select_from_color_space>false</auto_select_from_color_space>
      <force_bit_depth>10</force_bit_depth>
      <fp16_surface_support>true</fp16_surface_support>
    </bit_depth_management>
    <color_format_extended>
      <sdr_white_level>80.0</sdr_white_level>
    </color_format_extended>
  </color_advanced>
</vdd_settings>

Monitor Profile XML

Learn about the monitor_profile.xml format for EDID integration

EDID Files

Create and use custom EDID binary files

HDR Configuration

Comprehensive guide to setting up HDR

Resolution Setup

Configure custom resolutions and refresh rates

Configuration Reference

PowerShell Scripts

Utilities

Driver API

vdd_settings.xml Reference

vdd_settings.xml Reference

File Structure

Basic Driver Configuration

Monitor Count

GPU Assignment

Resolution Configuration

Global Refresh Rates

Resolution Definitions

Logging Configuration

Color Format Configuration

Cursor Configuration

Custom EDID Configuration

EDID Integration System

HDR Advanced Configuration

HDR10 Static Metadata

Color Primaries

Color Space Settings

Auto Resolution System

EDID Mode Filtering

Preferred Mode Settings

Advanced Color Processing

Bit Depth Management

Extended Color Format

Complete Example Configuration

Monitor Profile XML

EDID Files

HDR Configuration

Resolution Setup

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Configuration Reference

PowerShell Scripts

Utilities

Driver API

​vdd_settings.xml Reference

​File Structure

​Basic Driver Configuration

​Monitor Count

​GPU Assignment

​Resolution Configuration

​Global Refresh Rates

​Resolution Definitions

​Logging Configuration

​Color Format Configuration

​Cursor Configuration

​Custom EDID Configuration

​EDID Integration System

​HDR Advanced Configuration

​HDR10 Static Metadata

​Color Primaries

​Color Space Settings

​Auto Resolution System

​EDID Mode Filtering

​Preferred Mode Settings

​Advanced Color Processing

​Bit Depth Management

​Extended Color Format

​Complete Example Configuration

​Related Documentation

Monitor Profile XML

EDID Files

HDR Configuration

Resolution Setup

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

vdd_settings.xml Reference

File Structure

Basic Driver Configuration

Monitor Count

GPU Assignment

Resolution Configuration

Global Refresh Rates

Resolution Definitions

Logging Configuration

Color Format Configuration

Cursor Configuration

Custom EDID Configuration

EDID Integration System

HDR Advanced Configuration

HDR10 Static Metadata

Color Primaries

Color Space Settings

Auto Resolution System

EDID Mode Filtering

Preferred Mode Settings

Advanced Color Processing

Bit Depth Management

Extended Color Format

Complete Example Configuration

Related Documentation