Won't export closed captioning for YouTube

Marco-Stucchi wrote on 5/24/2019, 10:36 AM

Hi there, great community! I'm sure it's my fault, and Vegas can export srt subtitles, as well as now it's so easy now to import them using "Insert subtitles from files".

And that's what I've done! I had Youtube to make my transcription, imported the .srt file in Vegas, modified and synched...

And now?
Now we should be able to export those perfect subtitles... but using the script "export closed captioning for YouTube" I get the dialog for the file name but Vegas doesn't write any file!

I've downloaded the Vegasaur trial, confident that in 30 days I'll fix this issue, but even here, my ignorance, I cannot create Markers that import the text inside the caption (the text inside "Vegas titles and text")... my damnation...

A ray of light?

thank you so much!

Marco

 

Comments

Former user wrote on 5/24/2019, 12:29 PM

Subtitles and Closed Captioning are two different things. If you imported them as Subtitles, they do not exist as Closed Captions,, which is what you are trying to export.

Marco-Stucchi wrote on 5/24/2019, 4:01 PM

Thank you Dot.

I have found a solution, I'm sharing it here because it could maybe be useful for other professionals. While describing it, I will also overcome the phylosophical distinction between closed captions and subtitles, in favor of a more pragmatic, utilitaristic approach.

A) My need: I need to have a video with titles for people who won't be listening to it, because they'll be watching my video without audio (I've found statistics saying it happens on more than half of the online videos, in this online and mobile era). I will publish on YouTube, where I want to post my video and a separate file, for subs, so that youtube watchers can choose wether to activate them or not, but I will be publishing the video on another platform, where my subs will be embedded.

B) Generating speech to text titles: I simply upload my video on YouTube, define the language of it, so that, after a few minutes or so, YouTube can automatically generate the appropriate subs. YouTube is not perfect, tough, but I edit them first on YouTube, because it makes very easy to strip one subtitle in two separate parts, keeping them in synch, thanks to its algorithms. The more precise editing will be done in Vegas, where, starting from Vegas 16, it's very simple to "Insert - Subtitles from File". YouTube often generates overlapping subtitles, and in that case I would use AHD Subtitles Maker Professional, with its "Auto Fix" function, that also fixes overlapping subtitles (prior to importing them in Vegas).

 

C) Final edit in Vegas, then export. Using "Insert - Subtitles from File" I get my subs embedded with "Vegas Titles & Text". I can define (while importing) the face of the titles, and some effects. While on my timeline, I can precisely synch them with my footage.

D) Exporting back to YouTube. That's where the problems happen. Vegas can't export (as far as I know, but ignorance is my weakness) text embedded in Video Media Generators. Using a script (Tools - Scripting) you can export closed captions to a file. But you just imported your text into something different from closed caption. Here, at the beginning of my search (one full afternoon) I've stumbled upon Vegasaur. Install it, and you'll find in its menu the submenu "Timeline > Text Generation Wizard". You choose "Export text events", select tracks, events, and voilà! You have a file (sub, sbv, srt) back with your subtitles, or closed captions, wathever you might need.

 

So now there's a workaround to both export titles from Vegas and then import in Vegas.

FINAL question. I'm really sick of wasting my afternoons looking for solutions to what I see as a simple problem that a professional software should handle. I keep asking myself a risky question "what if I had FCX? Would that job be easier? Wouldn't I forget about drivers, compatibility, external software, to find everything I need in one, simple to use, place? This doubt is devouring me...

 

ciao a tutti

MarcoProvaTutto

 

 

 

 

Former user wrote on 5/24/2019, 5:04 PM

Every software has its advantages and its limitations. One has to find the software that suits their workflow with limitations they can either live with or workaround. As you found, Vegas has many workarounds (in this case, Vegasaur). I find it suits my style and needs the best. I have used other versions of Final Cut, but not FCX. The main issue being that I am PC based and do not want to jump into the expensive world of Apple hardware. But again, it is a personal issue and I can't say if FCX fits your style better than Vegas.

Marco-Stucchi wrote on 5/25/2019, 2:06 AM

I find myself in what you wrote about jumping from PC to the expensive MAC world. I bought an i7 PC, with nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) for about 900€. Buying a monitor, mouse, usb hub, card readers... very cheap for PC.

But Vegas can't leverage my Nvidia card, so ONE track with a cross fade in 1080p creates a jerky preview. I've spent one month trying to figure out myself, now 2 weeks waiting for Magix assistance.

But Vegas can't directly export subtitles so I have to spend 100€ more for Vegasaur (those guys deserve it, it's a wonderful piece of software).

What about a new macbook pro, where I'll "waste" 2600€ but then... no problems?

What I need is to focus on producing content, not solving the NLE problems...

BTW I use Vegas from about 20 years now, I really like it, version 16 is one big step forward... but it crashed at a rate of 3 times per hour...

 

Have a nice day, thanks for your thougths

Marco