Can I "attach" the SRT files to the original video clips

[pedzsan]

My drone produces an SRT file that contains the real time GPS coordinates and other telemetry for each video that is shot.  I have a set of video clips with matching SRT files.

My first attempt was to create a sequence (ignoring the SRT files) and then import the first SRT not really realizing what it was doing.  It seems that it is using the SRT file for the sequence and not the video that was in the source monitor which is the same one that was under the play head at the time.

Since these are all just text files, I could probably figure out a way to concatinate the SRT files together to represent what is happening in the final sequence but it would be nicer if I could "attach" the SRT files to the original video clip.  Then when I add the in and out points, etc, it would know which part of the SRT file to display.

I realize I could make a sequence for each video and then another parent sequence and drop the video sequences into the parent sequence but I'm wondering if there is a better way.

TL;DR - how do  you work with multiple SRT files?

[Stan Jones · Accepted solution]

I think this has been requested as a feature, but I don't have a link to upvote.

https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911233-premiere-pro

For now, it would depend on how you want to use this. And whether you are going to use all  your shots or only a few. This is all just brain storming....

Yes, one option is to put each clip in its own sequence, and the "caption" would be attached, but not as a PR caption track, but as a burned in nest.

Another (painful) option would be to put all the clips you want to use in one sequence. Then, as you describe, "import captions from file" for the first clip. Disable that caption track (click the eyeball), and you will see the "import captions from file" again. Do this for the second clip. The first caption track is C1 and the second is C2. Click on the caption in C2 and Ctrl-C (copy). Make sure the C1 for the original caption track is highlighted (targeted), but you don't have to enable it (you can leave the eyeball "off"). Place the CTI at the point you want the clip 2 caption to be. Ctrl-V (paste).

If you only have a few clips to use, not too painful. A hundred? Argh.

When you move a clip, be sure to SELECT the caption with it. It will move to the new position, with the caption in the same position relative to the clip. If you select the clip and caption and drag the clip, the caption will also adjust. (If you drag the caption, only the caption changes.)

I thought combining the srts would not work because the timecodes would be a problem. But is the "caption" in the clip's srt the full length of the clip? There is one caption in each srt, the beginning timecode is zero, and the ending timecode is the end of the clip? That would work. I would use Subtitle Edit and, under "Tools," I think "Joint Subtitles" might work. I am assuming the clips are named in some kind of order. I tested only a group of 3 files and they appeared to be alphanumerical order. Drag the srts to the window that opens, and check "Add end time of previous file." Export the srt.

Add all the clips to a sequence in order. Import the combined srt. The captions should line up. Then use the editing I describe above to keep them associated with their clips. (Save a copy of that original sequence for reference.)

Stan

[pedzsan]

I'm not sure how this will look... the SRT is a sequence of these:

60
00:00:00,984 --> 00:00:01,001
<font size="28">FrameCnt: 60, DiffTime: 17ms
2022-06-01 13:53:37.623
[iso: 100] [shutter: 1/1000.0] [fnum: 4.5] [ev: -1.0] [ct: 5184] [color_md : default] [focal_len: 24.00] [latitude: 29.77067] [longitude: -98.15874] [rel_alt: 1.600 abs_alt: 206.921] </font>

The first few lines appear to be when to display it.  I would need to write a program to muck with those numbers but that wouldn't be hard to do.

Speaking of programming... without diving into the SDK, Photoshop had (perhaps it still has) a way to write what I'll call scripts.  Perhaps they were called "Actions" ?  I can't recall.  Back when my machine was slow as dirt (circa 2003), I would write these actions all the time.  Then I could start a big batch and walk away.  With today's tech, I've not needed such things.  But... it brings up the question, does Premiere (and/or After Effects) have a simple way to specify a set of steps and then have it repeat those steps on different targets?

I'll track down the request and give it an up vote.

[Stan Jones]

When inserted as a caption, PR ignores the font tag, and adds a caption (in my abitrary 29.97 fps sequence ) from time :29 to :29. Calculating timecode from the milliseconds can result in odd frame counts. And the timecode you have is only 17 milliseconds. That is probably one frame in a 59.94 fps.

Anyway, it is very short, so not the length of the clip it is associated with.

60 would  be the caption number in an srt. I don't know what it means here.

Yes, the timecode, arrow, timecode is the start and end time with milliseconds instead of frames.

And the rest is the caption text, with an empty line to separate from the next caption, starting with the caption number.

SRTs can carry font information, but it is often ignored, as PR does here.

PR and AE SDKs:

https://developer.adobe.com/premiere-pro/

https://developer.adobe.com/after-effects/

AE has powerful expressions that can be used without building scripts.

Stan