SubConv

Subconv is ASS to SRT subtitle format converter that merges overlapping subtitles.

Installation

You can download the latest version from the releases page.

Usage

Quick start

Let's say we have the following subtitle file movie.ass:

...
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
...
Dialogue: 0,0:00:59.04,0:01:02.71,Eng,,0,0,0,,{\blur4.5}{\fad(489,0)}I've still got a lot of years ahead of me
Dialogue: 0,0:00:59.04,0:01:02.71,Roma,,0,0,0,,{\blur4.5}{\fad(489,0)}Kono omoi wo keshiteshimau niwa
...
Dialogue: 0,0:05:26.01,0:05:28.51,Default,Roy,0,0,0,,But you claimed that you would be able to-
Dialogue: 0,0:05:27.47,0:05:31.06,Default-alt,Ed,0,0,0,,Yeah, yeah, I get it. My mistake.
...
Dialogue: 1,0:08:38.57,0:08:42.53,Stock,,0,0,0,,{\blur0.6\pos(960,875)\fad(700,0)}Central Prison
Dialogue: 0,0:08:41.91,0:08:45.71,Default,Kimb,0,0,0,,That's the funniest joke I've heard in a while.
...

It contains styles:

• Default - default speech
• Default-alt - when someone interrupts
• Stock - titles
• Eng - English translation of song lyrics
• Roma - karaoke

SRT format does not have style information so we need to distinguish non-speech subtitles. Let's wrap Eng and Roma styles in { } and wrap Stock in [ ].

Also we need to specify vertical layout of merged subtitle entry:

1. Default, Default-alt
2. Eng
3. Roma
4. Stock

We want titles to be on the lowermost level. Song lyrics should be located above it and karaoke should always be under English lyrics. Speech should be on the upper level.

To achieve all these requirements we can run the following command:

subconv movie.ass -t w:Eng,Roma;{;} w:Stock;[;] m:Default,Default-alt;Eng;Roma;Stock

After -t option goes list of subtitle transforms:

• w:Eng,Roma;{;} - wrap styles Eng and Roma in { }
• w:Stock;[;] - wrap style Stock in [ ]
• m:Default,Default-alt;Eng;Roma;Stock - merge overlapping subtitles with vertical layout: Default, Default-alt / Eng / Roma / Stock. Default,Default-alt can be replaced with * which means 'all other styles': m:*;Eng;Roma;Stock.

It will generate movie.srt file:

...
16
00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,710
{I've still got a lot of years ahead of me}
{Kono omoi wo keshiteshimau niwa}

...

86
00:05:26,010 --> 00:05:27,470
But you claimed that you would be able to-

87
00:05:27,470 --> 00:05:28,510
But you claimed that you would be able to-
Yeah, yeah, I get it. My mistake.

88
00:05:28,510 --> 00:05:31,060
Yeah, yeah, I get it. My mistake.

...

149
00:08:38,570 --> 00:08:41,910
[Central Prison]

150
00:08:41,910 --> 00:08:42,530
That's the funniest joke I've heard in a while.
[Central Prison]

151
00:08:42,530 --> 00:08:45,710
That's the funniest joke I've heard in a while.
...