Merge Captions Suddenly Gray and unlcikable

Report · Jun 25, 2023

I am not sure if it is some setting I pushed or a bug. However, I can no longer merge captions after transcribing them. Even when I open older projects that I did this with before, the option is just gray and unclickable.

I highly rely on captions, and I constantly merge and split the auto transcribed ones to fit in my videos. Can someone please help?

Report · Jun 25, 2023

I discovered this the other day, and forgot that I had not posted about it. A change in merge behavior probably occurred with 23.4, but I did not test until 23.5 (and the newest Beta versions). With all the changes in the introduction of Text-based editing, I did not notice it. But when you discover it doesn't work as before, it stops you dead in your tracks. I found it a simple adjustment, and is now more powerful.

Merge no longer becomes active simply by clicking in a second segment. You must select part of at least 2 segments. But you can select multiple segments. For example, if you select the end of Segment 2, all of Segment 3, and the beginning of Segment 4, and then you click merge, it merges all of Segments 2, 3, and 4 together.

Split works as before. But now if you select a bunch of text, it will still split, but still at the cursor position. If you drag from end to beginning of selection, the cursor is at the beginning; if beginning to end, at end. If the cursor position is not a valid split (already at the beginning of a segment), split is not available.

Merge/split are not shown when in sequence view with a source transcript. Can you not do merge/split operations in text-based transcript in sequence view? I don't see how. You go to source monitor view of the source transcript to do split/merge. You can still create a static transcript of the sequence, and split/merge there, but that transcript will not update as you edit.

For captions, you must select two or more adjacent caption segments to get merge to appear. You cannot drag-select in the caption tab. I don't believe you could merge more than 2 previously, but I am not sure about that.

Split appears to work the same way as before, but my notes are not clear. Place the playhead over a caption in the timeline. Click split. It will duplicate the caption text, with the new timecode at the playhead. If a new segment is less than a second, it splits it in the middle. If you designate the caption to split by clicking in the captions tab/text panel, it positions the playhead at the beginning of the segment and splits it in the middle.

Stan

Report · Jun 25, 2023

Thank you for the answer! When I select 2, it can now merge. It was just weird to see it not working as before. However, this change does make it signifigantly less intuitive for me. I really found it quick and easy to just merge as I go though instead of having to click two captions. Hmm...

Anyway. Thank you!

Report · Jun 25, 2023

Stan Jones,

I note the user guide on captions is dated May 2023. (localized versions are dated December 2022)

Is there Adobe documentation on the behaviour you're describing?

R.

Report · Jun 26, 2023

@Incredible_hand16B8,

No, I looked and did not find descriptions of the old or new behavior.

As you have noted elsewhere, documentation is often behind. The caption workflow has evolved very quickly with major and minor changes in almost every release. I think it is a very challenging area for the documentation. But it is also an area that is simply missing some important details.

@Fergus Hammond @Francis-Crossman

Stan

Report · Jul 06, 2023

Stan,

You are definitely the user with the most knowledge of the arcanities of the current TBE ... text based editing ... process.

I would most sincerely dearly love a booklet from you posted on how this all works! There are so many itty bitty but HUGE details I am having trouble keeping track of. That interfere with things just ... working.

Neil