Converting MKV with ASS soft subtitles to your favorite format with hard subtitles that retain their size, position, etc

1.First thing is MediaPlayer must be able to play the video because Media Player uses Windows 7DirectShow filters to play the video and these same filters will be used byAVISynth to ‘Serve’ up the video to Format Factory. This method workswell for many other converting software programs as well so this is the basicstep.
2.Install AVISynth https://www.videohelp.com/tools/Avisynthto it’s own directory (default install) since it will be thego-between in the middle of the files and the Conversion software (FormatFactory.)
3.You will need Directvobsubto allow you to specify the subtitle file in AVISynth so download Directvobsubfrom here https://www.videohelp.com/tools/VSFilter-DirectVobSub and install. It installs to afolder usually called programsx86\DirectVobSub. Inside theDirectVobSubfolder you will find a file called VSFilter.dll.This is the DLL for subtitles. Copy andpaste it inside the AVISynth\pluginsfolder if there is not one there already.
4. **ONLY needed if you run MKVMerge instead of MKVExtractGUI-2 in step 9 ** Download Aegisub https://www.videohelp.com/tools/Aegisub and install this. This is agreat tool for creating, editing, and importing MKS and text files to createSSA/ASS subtitles.
5.Download Toolnix https://www.videohelp.com/tools/MKVtoolnix since this will extract your subtitles and video-subtitles.
6 Download MKVExtractGui-2 Version 2.2.2.9 https://www.videohelp.com/tools/MKVExtractGUI-2 and place the MKVExtractgui.exe inthe toolnix folder. Make a shortcut foreasy access.
7. Download Format factory, firstdownload and install it of course from https://www.videohelp.com/tools/Format-Factory.
8.Run MKVExtractGui-2 and load yourvideo inside. It should show all the tracks(Audio,vido,language,subtitles, etc.
9.Uncheck Audio and videoand save the subtitles as an ASS file(default).
Ifyou ran the MMG.exe file instead it will only save MKS file which would needimported into Aegisub and resaved as ASS.

10.Now uncheck subtitles and checkaudio and video. This will copy your video minus the subtitle track.
11.Once this is all done,create a small text file called <something>.AVS. The AVS extension isused to call AVISynth to do the decoding of your video with your Directshowcodecs. Inside the file type:

Directshowsource(“<path to video>\<video name>“) e.g. Directshowsource(“C:\user\Bud\Desktop\[Chihiro].MKV”)
textsub((“<path to subtitle file>\<subtitle name>“) e.g.(“C:\user\Bud\Desktop\chi.SSA”)

IMPORTANT: Make sure for Format Factory, Yoursubtitles, video, and AVS file all have different names or else Format Factorywill automatically pick up subtitles and convert how IT wants which is one sizefits all and large white letters.

12. Open format Factory and dragthe AVS text file as if it were a real video file to Format Factory. Itshould hesitate a little as AVISynth feeds the information to FormatFactory. Click all to MP4 if this is your choice. You can set thesetting such as bit rate if you right click the video name and choose outputsettings. I use Mediainfo to check the bitrate and adjust thedefault setting to near what MediaInfo says for original to keep quality nearwhat it was. Encode 2 pass will also make the video better quality with a lower bitrate also.

IMPORTANT: If you happen tofind the line under settings for additional subtitles, do NOT enter your subtitles there or again you’ll getboth Large white and custom subtitles overlaying each other.

To preview, right clickthe file in Format Factory and select Options. It should open a window andbegin to preview/play with subtitles shown. If it does not play after afew seconds, something is probably spelled wrong in your AVS file or the pathis wrong, etc. THIS IS THE BIGGEST SNAG TO WORKING. These are allWRONG:

Longpaths/Filenames may cause errors
Remote Harddrives may cause errors
Characterssuch as []{}<>/- etc may cause errors

Direct showsource(“C:\user\Bud\Desktop\[Chihiro].MKV”) ßgaps in directshowsource
textsubs(“C:\user\Bud\Desktop\[Chihiro].ASS”) ß Close! It’s textsub not textsubs
Directshowsource(“C:\user\Bud\[Chihiro].MKV”) ß left out desktop as part of correct path
Directshowsource(C:\user\Bud\Desktop\[Chihiro].MKV) ß left out quotes and some command windowsdo not like if name has space or over 8 characters and not enclosed in quotes.

Hit F2 andset ouput path. Then hit start and wait for convert.