Online editing

• Media files in the online editors
• File versions and creation
• Plint Subtitler manual
• The Report tool: subtitling QC presets
• Supported file output formats

Media files in the online editors

In order for online localization workflows to be performed, a lo-res media/video file (here referred to as a "proxy") is normally required. In the case of subtitling, the same video file is typically used for all jobs within the same part/episode and only needs to be uploaded once. When this is in place, with the correct settings, the online editors will automatically locate and load the file into the player when a job is opened for work. Here are the basic rules.

Media requirements

• Typically, a MP4 file is the best option. You can either:
  • upload a prepared proxy with or without burnt-in timecode
  • upload any file and select an automatic conversion preset
    • More presets can be created under Tools & Data.
• When a file is set to file mode "Media", some additional preparation work begins automatically.
  • These are the steps needed for the media to work in Plint Subtitler. Such as:
    • Generation of audio waveforms and scene change markers.
    • Conversion to M-dash format.
    • If activated for the site, DRM preparation.
  • You can follow this process under Tools & Data / Renders or from the project Filezone.

Media files can be uploaded in several ways, including:

• Directly to the project Filezone
  • In this case some manual editing is required after upload:
  • The file may need to be converted to a format suitable for a proxy.
    • The built-in conversion function can be accessed with the arrow icon. 
  • Set File mode to Media.
  • Link the file to the right Node.
• With a "Media upload" job.
  • If the workflow is set up correctly, the file will then automatically get the correct settings.
    • E.g. a Media upload linked to a certain part will automatically associate the media file to that part in the project. Normally, you would have a Media upload job for each part/episode. 
  • The uploader can also select a conversion preset before submitting the upload form.
• As an automated upload job.

Media selection logic: what gets loaded into the editors?

When a job is opened in an online editing tool (such as Plint Subtitler), the system will look for the "best" media file to load into the player. The best media file is the one meeting these criteria:

• File mode is set to "Media" (see above)
• Most recently added/uploaded, and:
  • Linked to the same Project (available to all parts, unless they have a "better" match)
  • Linked to the same Part/Episode (overrides the above)
  • Linked to the same language (overrides both of the above)
    • The latter case is the most unusual, but if there is a need to provide alternative source media for different target languages, it is possible.

Media from Parent projects

If a Media file is set to "Visible to child projects", it can be loaded into the editor on jobs on child project as well. Apart from that, the same matching logic applies, mapping against with part/language. More information here. 

Media time offset

If the starting time of the media should be offset, for example by 10 hours, this can be set for the file in various ways:

• From the Filezone
  • Users with full project access can edit the properties of a single file, or batch edit the offset value for multiple files. 
• From Media upload jobs
  • The upload form contains a field for offsetting the media start time.

 

File versions and creation

A key concept with the online editing workflows is to minimise the need for file management. You can import a file into Plint Subtitler, for instance, but in an ideal workflow that's often not necessary. 

The file, and its Milestones

When an online editing job is opened (i.e. a user clicks "Go to work"), the system will always look for an existing file linked to the same node (part/language) and project. If one is found, work can simply continue. Changes are saved automatically to the file on the server. The same file will be opened for every job in the same node, for example throughout a sequence of tasks including Translation, QC and Final review. 

Every time a job changes status, a copy of the current state will be saved in an archive along with some information: job owner, time/date and – if added – a general comment. This state is called a Milestone and can be used in various ways (such as comparing versions with "Track changes"). However, it is the main file that will always be loaded when the editor is opened, and it is this one that will be exported: from the joblist, from the "Download subtitles" page and with the automatic file export tools. 

Think of it as a single file moving between different stations or users. When you need to compare it, or revert it, the milestones are there – but the latest version is always found in the same place. 

The file is a structured internal format (JSON) and may contain – besides subtitle clips with in and out times – reference text, comments, annotations, status and general formatting information. 

Creating a new file

If no file is found, a new one will be created in one of two ways:

• A blank placeholder file
  • This will contain a single clip and serves as a starting point for the translator. 
  • The translator may simply begin adding new clips and translations, originating from scratch, or the contents may be replaced by importing a subtitle file using the File menu. 
• A file based on a template
  • If a job is set to "Load template" and there is no previous file available, the system will look for a file connected to the parent job.
    • The parent job is typically linked to an English-language node in the same part. 
  • All subtitle clips from this file, including timing information, will be automatically loaded into the editor.
  • The text, however, will be copied into the reference text fields.
    • This allows a translator to start adding translations into timed blocks, with constant access to the source text as a reference.

Accessing/downloading backups

A user with sufficient privileges (Workbench, Manager) can download the previous versions from within Plint Subtitler. This is done from the "Track changes" window (Review / Track changes). After selecting a milestone/backup to compare to, select "Download JSON" to download a complete copy of the work file.  

Files are independent after creation

Even if a file is created from a template, it becomes a stand-alone file after this point. Changes made to the original template will not be automatically reflected in the "child files".

Starting over

This may for example become necessary if translation jobs have begun based on an incorrect template.  

As a Workbench or Manager user, you can Reset a job in Plint Subtitler. This will delete the existing file linked to the part and language. Depending on the two alternatives above (see "Creating a new file"), a blank file with a placeholder will be created, or one based on a template. (Any previously stored backup versions/milestones will, however, remain in the history. 

 

 

 

 

Plint Subtitler manual

Plint Subtitler lets you subtitle from a timed template or originate subtitles directly from video in the browser. 

https://docs.plint.com/books/plint-subtitler-online-manual

The Report tool: subtitling QC presets

Under Tools & Data / Report tool, administrators can specify QC rules that should be applied in Plint Subtitler's Report tool, for example Maximum characters per line or Characters per second. These rules support exceptions on language level, or language type level, and are grouped under profiles called Report tool presets. Matching rules to jobs works like this:

• When a Plint Subtitler job is opened, the editor first looks for a matching Report tool preset.
  • This is a general profile containing more specific rules. 
  • Matching the preset is done based on Project data, such as Client company and Client keyword. 
    • These values can complement each other to fine-tune the matching further: for example two profiles for the same client company but with separate client keywords: "Trailers" and "Long-form".
  • If no preset matches the Client company or Client keyword, the Default preset will be selected. 
• Once the system knows which preset to use, it will check the current language of the job. For example, Japanese might allow only 20 characters per line, whereas German could allow 42. These exceptions can be language-specific or more general. 
  • The system will first look for a rule matching the specific language (best match). 
    • If none is found, it will look for a rule for the language type (RTL / Double-byte). 
      • Language types are specified when editing language data under Tools & Data
    • Finally, the system will look for a General rule.

Rules

Note: For certain specifications, a single, general rule might suffice. For others (for example those related to number of characters), exceptions typically need to be made. 

Status

There are two statuses, indicating the severity of what is reported. 

• Use "Warning" for problems that the translator should be aware of but can ultimately decide whether or not to adjust.
• User "Error" for problems that need to be addressed before the job can be delivered.

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Client-specific presets can be added

Within the scope of a preset, exceptions on language level can be made

Error types

The list of errors Plint Subtitler can look for is maintained here.

Please note that this list is continuously updated as new options are added. 

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Supported file output formats

From the JSON file stored during online editing in Plint, several deliverables can be automatically generated or downloaded from within the editor itself (depending on job settings). All formats are also available on the Download subtitles page. These are the currently supported formats:

• SRT
• EBU-TT (Standard/Streaming)
• TTML (Standard/Streaming)
• ASS 
• TXT (Plain text with subtitle numbers, no timecode)
• CSV (Tab separated file with all data, including timecode with both frames and milliseconds)

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In the case of SRT, plain text and CSV there are additional options when exporting, in order to meet different degrees of compatibility with formatting and positioning. This type of formatting can be kept or removed when exporting files from Plint. When all formatting is kept, the following may be included (if added during the editing process).

Text formatting tags (html)

• Italics
  • <i>
• Bold
  • <b>
• Underlined
  • <u>
• Superscript
  • <sup>
• Subscript
  • <sub>
• Text color using span tags
  • Example: <span style="color: rgb(208, 2, 27);">

Positioning/alignment codes

The most common example is raised text, but there a nine supported positions/alignments in all which can be selected when editing in Plint Subtitler. This information is not added as HTML tags but as codes on a separate line above the actual subtitle text in SRT files. Depending on the display app/system used, they may be shown either as visible codes onscreen, as intended (invisible but affecting text position) or ignored altogether. 

• {\an8}
  Top center = Raised
•  {\an7}
  • Top left
• {\an9}
  • Top right
• {\an4}
  • Middle left
• {\an5}
  • Middle center
• {\an6}
  •  Middle right
• {\an1}
  • Left bottom
• {\an4}
  • Left center
• {\an3}
  • Right bottom

Sample files

The SRT examples below can be used to try these formatting settings in a system. The subtitle text describes their intended look. 

File 1: text formatting

1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,001
Normal, unformatted text.

2
00:00:04,681 --> 00:00:07,681
<i>All text in italics.</i>

3
00:00:08,401 --> 00:00:11,401
A single <i>word</i> in italics.

4
00:00:11,801 --> 00:00:14,801
<b>This line in bold. </b>
<u>This line underlined. </u>

5
00:00:15,641 --> 00:00:18,641
This text has <sup>superscript </sup>and <sub>subscript</sub>

6
00:00:19,241 --> 00:00:22,241
<span style="color: rgb(208, 2, 27);">This line is in red.</span>
A word on this line is in <span style="color: rgb(74, 144, 226);">blue</span>

7
00:00:22,721 --> 00:00:25,721
{\an8}
This subtitle is raised 
using the following code \an8.

File 2: positioning codes

 1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,001
{\an7}
Top left
positioned text

2
00:00:04,081 --> 00:00:07,081
{\an8}
Top center
positioned text

3
00:00:07,561 --> 00:00:10,561
{\an9}
Top right
positioned text

4
00:00:11,120 --> 00:00:14,120
{\an4}
Middle left
positioned text

5
00:00:14,641 --> 00:00:17,641
Middle center
positioned text

6
00:00:18,441 --> 00:00:21,441
{\an6}
Right middle
positioned text

7
00:00:22,201 --> 00:00:25,201
{\an1}
Left bottom
positioned text

8
00:00:25,881 --> 00:00:28,881
{\an4}
Left center
positioned text

9
00:00:29,481 --> 00:00:32,440
{\an3}
Right bottom
positioned text

10
00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,400
Unpositioned, unaligned text

11
00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,080
{\an8}
Raised text