Caption character length?

Report · Jul 22, 2021

I really like the new transcription and caption features.

Cudos on allowing durations up to 6 seconds.

However, it appears that when I create a caption track from a sequence transcript, the maximum length in character is 42. That is dismally short for many of our needs. I don't see a way to increase that.

Or am I missing something?

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Report · Jul 22, 2021

Depending on the format you choose and the screen formatting, there are limits.

Some of the things like the formal closed-captions options do have specific character and placement limitations.

Also, you can select for subtitles whether you want want or two lines, I even get three at times. And you can click on the Program monitor with those and actually manually set the size of the box the text will appear in ... within certain limitations, of course ...

Neil

Report · Jul 22, 2021

When I create a caption track from speech-to-text transcript in 15.4 here is what I'm experiencing:

If I select maximum character length of 42 and then choose "double lines" at the bottom of the Create Captions dialog, then even if I merge many captions, I will get multiple lines of captions, some definitely longer than 42 characters, but the "Set Horizontal Size" slider in the essential graphics tab is not able to increase the length of the lines past where Premiere sets them.

However, if I select maximum character length of 42 and then choose "single line", I can merge many captions and use the slider in the essential graphics tab to set my right margin, and it does then move excess text to a second line.

So, it's counterintiutive, but at least there's a way to make it work as it did in the trial version.

But what I can't get to work in the Create Captions dialog is setting a custom caption style! https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro/can-t-select-caption-style-in-premiere-pro-15-4/td-p/121...

Report · Jul 22, 2021

I tried the Double line option and it's definitely better because it puts more text on screen and makes them longer.

But to have to then go an move things to a single line is rather tedious.

So that's a step in the right direction.

But really adjusting the character length to a longer length would be the best option.

And yes, selecting the inability to select a default style when creating appears to be a bug. But you can always apply a style after they are created. 2 clicks later.

Report · Jul 23, 2021

While the double line option may make the default line lengths slightly longer, there doesn't seem to be a way to increase the length if they're not as long as you want them. For instance, this is how the double line option places this one chunk of text:

You can see the red outline of what the essential graphics panel considers the text box, but even when I crank the right edge of that box all the way to the right with the horizontal size slider the text doesn't change at all.

With the single line option you just highlight and merge the caption blocks you want...

...and then use the horizontal size slider in the essential graphics panel to either get everything on one line

...or spread it out over multiple lines.

I can't find the benefit of using the double line option. It seems to remove flexibility.

Report · Jul 23, 2021

Have you clicked in the Program monitor itself? When I do, a resizable box appears, and I can adjust size by moving the sides of the box. Weird, but the text does then change.

Neil

Report · Jul 23, 2021

Just so I'm clear: when you create a caption track from a transcript using the double line option and then click on one of the caption boxes that happens to have two lines of text in it, you can then click in the program monitor window and adjust the box around the captions so that the text stretches farther to the right on the screen?

When I select a caption in the timeline and then click in the program monitor I can grab the edge of the resize box and stretch it to the right, but the text does not budge. The text only moves if I bring the right edge of the box way left, creating additional lines of caption.

Report · Jul 23, 2021

Sure, I can see the box. But when I've only got 42 characters in the text field, the bounding box is much bigger and fooling with the box size has no effect.

If all the captions are in a long single line, then, yes, I can resize and have the text flow to 2 lines, or more.

Report · Jul 23, 2021

With the double line option, it's just a matter of removing the carriage return in the text block. Maybe the same number of clicks? Thought I do like your way, too.

But all that said, I'm dealing with some 45 minute videos that need to be subtitled. Not having an "automatic" option just adds more time to the project.

Report · Mar 16, 2022

Can somebody make a video about this tips, that would be great

Report · May 05, 2022

I was just helping another user who was having the same issue. They had a version 15.something, while mine was 22.something. The limit of my captions is higher than 42.

Report · May 05, 2022

Correct. The character limit for "Subtitles" (the old Open Captions) in the "create captions" dialogue changed from a max of 42 to 72 with the PR 22 Release (22.0.0). This was never the max characters for subtitles, which depended on the font style and size and whether you maximized the horizontal size of the bounding box.

Stan

Report · Mar 07, 2023

Hi Stan! I selected 42 when I generated my captions, but now I want to change it. Is this possible? I don't see a way to do this in the Essential Graphics panel.

Report · Mar 08, 2023

I don't think you can change that setting after the fact. It is just used for the creation.

You can create captions again, creating a new caption track. You'd lose any changes you've made. You could select your old track and "convert captions to graphics" (as of PR 23.1). Then you could see your new captions and your old captions (now graphics text) as the same time.

If you want to keep the old caption track as captions also, duplicate it before you convert.

Stan