Custom export formats

What is a custom export format?

Many subtitle file formats exist. Subs Factory can natively export subtitles using only some of them. However, if you would like to export subtitles in another format, Subs Factory can still help: you can create a custom export format.

Create a custom export format

To create a custom export format, once your subtitles are ready, click on the "Export" button in the "Actions" palette.

In the popup that opens, the "Format" menu allows you to select an export format.
It is divided into three parts: at the top, the default formats included in Subs Factory; then, custom formats; and finally, the "Create custom format..." item. Choose the last one.

You can also click on the "+" button next to the menu, it does the same thing.

The window below then appears.

In its top part, you can simply enter the name of the format to be created, as well as the extension that the file will have (for example, you could enter "srt" for the SubRip (.srt) format).

In the main part of the window, on the left are three text fields. In those, you can compose the format itself:

• The first field shall contain the file header. What you enter here will appear once, at the beginning of the output file.
• The second field shall contain what will be repeated once for each subtitle to export. This will therefore appear in the output file as many times as there are subtitles.
• Finally, the third field shall contain the file footer, which will appear once at the end of the output file.

In those fields, you can simply write text, or enter any character. But you will also have to add specific items, which will be replaced on export by the corresponding value of the document you want to export: the subtitles count, export date, or, of course, for each subtitle, its text, start time, end time,... To add these items, simply drag the corresponding blue rectangle into the text field, at the suitable location.

Beware, items in the "For each subtitle" section, being meaningful only for a given subtitle, shall only be added to the "For each subtitle" field. Others can be used in any field.

Some blue items, identified by a little arrow on their right side, will display a popup menu when clicked. It lets you choose how the item will be turned into text. For example, timing elements let you choose the time format (hours-minutes-seconds-milliseconds, hours-minutes-seconds-frames,...)

On the right side of the window, there is a live preview of the generated file. It can be used to check that it conforms to what you want.

When you have finished defining your format, simply click on "Save". Then, you only have to click on "Export" to export your subtitles in the newly created format (it is automatically selected in the "Format" menu after creation).

Manage custom export formats

To delete or modify a custom export format, just display the export popup by clicking on "Export" in the "Actions" palette. Select the format in the "Format" menu, then click on the "-" button to delete it (you will be asked for confirmation), or on the button with a pen to modify it.

Default formats included with Subs Factory can be neither deleted nor modified. However, they can be visualized with the eye button. It may help you create new ones.