how to convert the "subtitle track" to a text file?

I've edited a project in FCP 5.1.2, and track V5 consists of outline text comprising the subtitles.
Now I'd like to generate an .srt (or equivalent) text file for all the clips within V5.
I pray that I don't have to cut and paste each piece of text from the viewer controls, and the in and out points too, to a page. That will take a full day and will surely introduce errors.
Is FCP able to spit out the .srt (or equivalent) text file? Or is there independent software for this?
I see the opposite question discussed here -- how to get the FCP subtitles from a text file. I need to get the text file from V5.
Thanks

Dennis Couzin
Berlin, Germany

There is independent software. The most impressive, format-wise, that I've seen is Belle-Nuit Subtitler. It supports SRT for DVD authoring.

I think you'd come out of FCP via XML, import that file into BNS and from there out via SRT. There's a free offline version, try it.

- Loren
Today's FCP keytip:

Toggle your Timeline Filters bar with Option T !

Final Cut Studio 2 KeyGuide? Power Pack.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

Loren, thank you very much for this. I had tried to view the FCP file iself as text but couldn't. I confess I hadn't heard of XML before, and hadn't noticed the FCP option to export as XML. Wow! I see the subtitles in the XML file, and trust that Belle-Nuit Subtitler will finish the job. Thanks again. dcouzin

Dennis Couzin
Berlin, Germany

Let us know how it goes!

- Loren
Today's FCP keytip:

Toggle your Timeline Waveform display with Command-Option W !

Final Cut Studio 2 KeyGuide? Power Pack.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

You can also try my TitleExchange. It allows to use virtually any text generator in FCP.
Use the XML export and TEP to transform your FCP subtitles to several formats - or the other way round.
The free version does only allow to transport FCP XML to Apple/Spruce STL with a limit of 50 titles per run. But you can split and and merge the subtitles to get subtitles into DVDSP or other apps for a feature length movie.

Regards
Andreas

Some workflow tools for FCP [www.spherico.com]
TitleExchange -- juggle titles within FCS, FCPX and many other apps.
[www.spherico.com]

Loren, no success yet. Belle-Nuit hangs up during the xml import. What am I doing wrong? I've tried both xml version 1 and xml version 3. This on my IBM. I'll try using the Belle-Nuit for OS-X.
But I'm not afraid of the job anymore. If necessary I can produce the .srt text file myself straight from the .xml file, using Excel or whatever.

Dennis Couzin
Berlin, Germany

Have you tried TitleExchange? It normally should give you a text list of your titles.

Regards
Andreas

Some workflow tools for FCP [www.spherico.com]
TitleExchange -- juggle titles within FCS, FCPX and many other apps.
[www.spherico.com]

Andreas, I just noticed your word "my" before "TitleExchange". Congratulations!
Since there are 700 subtitles in the 80 minute movie, the 50 title per run won't make use of the free version fun. I think Belle-Nuit also imposes a limit on their free version.

I'm sure your full program is worth 135 Euros, but...

I opened the .xlm file in Excel and put the subtitles, the in points, and the out points into three columns. (I confess I had to deal with the two line titles by hand.) From here I should be able to make any text file. I don't yet know what text file format the DVD producer wants.

Dennis Couzin
Berlin, Germany

Andreas, I just tried TitleExchange and it worked (unlike Belle Nuit)! The limitation to 50 titles is pretty easily worked around, after all. Thanks for this nice software.

Dennis Couzin
Berlin, Germany

Maybe I'm too late, but I have just finished a php online application that could help you. It basically opens a xml file exported from FCP and converts it to .srt and .stl (suitable for DVD Studio Pro). And it's completely FREE!

It's here: FCxmlSubtitleXtractor/

Seems to work! Just not for fcpx users. Slow Speederman.

Dennis Couzin
Berlin, Germany

Haven't tested it yet, but it sounds amazing. Now we need AAF support..



www.strypesinpost.com

Hi Andreas
your email address in your website is not working and i couldn't contact you on your email.
your software was the best solution in dozen software i've tried.
Since i'm from Iran and Iran is not connected to international payment systems, i couldn't donate your website by paypal. please let me know, how can i donate your software. i need full feature of XTE Subtitle Extractor.

Thanks

Hi mehdiebadi,

Sorry to be late with my reply.
All my mail and web stuff was hacked

You can contact me via my normal mail address again now.
If there are still problems use spherico(dot)mail(at)gemail(dot)

Andreas

Some workflow tools for FCP [www.spherico.com]
TitleExchange -- juggle titles within FCS, FCPX and many other apps.
[www.spherico.com]

Andreas-

I'm putting TitleExchange on my solutions list!
Does it work with Premiere Pro CC?

Best, as always.
Loren S. Miller

Today's FCPX Keytip:

Press Command-Q to Quit!

Hello Loren,

TEP doesn't work with PPro yet.

Not sure whether it ever will work - reason: not sure whether PPro ever will work with any kind of captions reliably.

One thing you can do: Download TEP, inside the app's folder you'll find psTitles. This app converts SRT, Spruce STL into FCP XML, EDL, Encore, DVDSP with layered TIFF files as reference.
This process allows to convert FCP XML with those ref files into SRT,STL again.
The subtitles are editable in PPro.
And the app is free.

If your captions or subtitles are simple plain English you can import into PPro as Open Captions.
But be aware that several bugs are still there like character count which could screw up your subtitles from one moment to the other and many other fancy things.
I've created an app for PPro (public beta expires Christmas) which allows to handle subtitles with PPro.

But it is limited by the limits of PPro.
You can convert SRT, VTT, Spruce STL to legacy titles and Essential Titles. Styles are limited by the font options.
Legacy Titles don't work with right-to-left languages.
Essential Graphic Titles don't work with mixed right-to-left left-to-right languages.
PPro additionally has several font problems.
Essential Graphic Titles can be exported to SRT, VTT, Spruce STL.

Link: [www.spherico.com]

Regards
Andreas