Plint Subtitler: error reporting
Common errors can be reported automatically in Plint Subtitler. They are defined by rules which are set centrally, for example by a project manager. A rule may be: "On this project type, the maximum number of characters per line is 38". The rules are loaded automatically for the job when you go to work so that Plint Subtitler can help you find potential issues.
Live error reporting (LER) is a feature that checks for certain problems and provides visual feedback/warnings in real time as you work. Other errors are only checked for when you actively run a report, for example as a final step before changing status.
When Plint Subtitler flags errors, there are two degrees of severity:
- Warning (yellow): less severe, can be ignored in certain cases
- Error (red): this is considered a blocking issues and should be fixed before changing status
For example: "Empty clip" might be allowed – if the translator elects not to translate a sign or line – which makes it a good candidate for Warning. Exceeding "Maximum lines", on the other hand, is very rarely permissible and will typically be considered an Error. However, severity degrees are ultimately determined by administrators and project managers.
Configuring which errors/problems to flag, and how to set the severity, is explained here.
Issues are reported in three different ways.
1. Live error reporting
The live subtitle information is shown just above the target language box and displays character count, reading speed and separation information live while you type. It helps you spot the most common errors right away. Below, the Reading speed is too high and the second line has too many characters.
Note that fixing an error may create a new one. In this case the "Count" error is replaced by "two many lines".
2. Report Tool
Select Review/Report tool to run the "Report Tool" and summarise all errors and warnings in a single view. This tool will look for all types of errors, including where a translation may differ from the template/reference text. The result will be presented in a concise manner, grouped by error type.
The categorised information allows you to quickly go through each category. The number after the error name indicates how many errors of this type the file contains. By clicking a specific subtitle in this window, the subtitle will also be selected. You can then make any necessary changes, and also see more information on the "Error" tab (see below).
3. The Errors tab
Errors for the currently selected subtitle are also shown on the "Error" tab in the top left corner of the editor. This includes both those found by live reporting and those found when running the Report tool. After selecting this tab you can cycle through all subtitles with errors using the arrow buttons. The area below shows an explanation of the error(s).
Please note that fixing an error may not automatically remove the warning, until you run the Report tool again or reopen the job. The error report is a temporary log which is created when you use the tool. If you leave the job and open it later, you need to run the report again to show all errors.
Error types explained
"(LER)" = flagged by live error reporting.
Empty clip
Indicates that the text box is empty.
Reading speed (LER)
This rule indicates how quickly a subtitle is presented for the viewer. It can have both a max (too fast) and a mini (too slow) value. Gives instant feedback on the Error tab, as well as by changing the font color for the ”Reading speed” value box above the text field.
The mathematical formula for this rule: Characters / (Frames/FPS) = CPS
Maximum characters per line / Count (LER)
indicates if you have too many characters on a line. Provides instant feedback on the Error tab, as well as by changing the font color for the concerned line(s) in the ”Count” value box above the text field.
The value set for this rule also affects the behavior for Auto line-break.
Index discontinuity
This rule indicates if there is a discontinuation for the clips index. It also gives a warning/error if the index start value is wrong. You can solve this issue:
- inside the Report tool by an option
- or by renumbering all clips on the timeline (right click)
- or in the drop-down menu (Clip>>Renumber all clips).
Extra spaces
This rule checks if there are unnecessary spaces. It looks for three different types of extra spaces: Leading, trailing and double. All of them can be solved inside the list of the Report tool.
Match value
This rule compares Reference text with the translated text, looking for a correct numeric value in the subtitle clip’s text for the current time span. If there is a mismatch or missing value against the reference subtitle clip in the current time span, there will be an error/warning. It looks mainly for numbers (0-9) but it can also be configured to look at other values, such as ½, ², ³.
Empty lines
This rule looks for empty lines. In the Report tool you will get an option to remove these.
Clip duration (LER)
This rule checks for clips with too high or too low running times. Clips below the minimum value or above the maximum value will be flagged.
Raised text
The Reference text is raised, but not the translation.
Italic
The Reference text is completely or partly italicized text, but not the translation.
Allowed hyphens
Only certain characters, such as n-dash or hyphen, may be allowed as dialogue dashes. This rule helps you spot where other characters are used.
Dual speakers
This rule helps you check if the correct rules for dialogue dashes are used in scenes with dual speakers.
Maximum lines per clip (LER)
Does the text exceed the max number of lines? (Typically, no more than two.)
Clip separation
How many frames should be left between adjacent clips? This rule will not only flag errors but also affects editor behaviour when using certain functions and shortcuts, such as fix clip time-in and time-out.
Allowed punctuation
Which punctuation marks are allowed? Can be specifically set for before, inside and after words.
Repeated word
Helps you spot when a word has been typed twice. Can be set to ignore repeated words separated by punctuation marks.
Paired punctuation
Ensures that both characters in a paired punctuation combo are present within the subtitle (for example, start and end parenthesis). This rule can also be set to allow paired punctuation to span multiple subtitles.
Forbidden characters
With this rule you can forbid certain characters in the subtitles. In the settings for this rule, one ore more forbidden characters are specified. When such a character is used in a matching job, the user gets a warning/error in the Report tool.
Mixed case inside word
This rule gives the user a warning/error if a word has a mix of lower and uppercase characters inside a word. In the settings for this rule, you are only able to enable or disable the rule.
Capital letter
This rule will give the user a warning if capital letters are not respected after the use of punctuation. In the settings for this rule, you can specify one or more punctuation marks. If a capital letters isn't used after such a punctuation mark, you get a warning. It is also possible to add exceptions, for example when the punctuation mark is adjacent to a number.
Punctuation spacing
This rule will give both a warning/error message and a highlight in the clip if punctuation isn't treated in the allowed way.