How to import subtitles with special features into DVD-Lab Pro 2?

[majin_buu]

A lot of the subtitles I'm working with use (sometimes overuse) special features like different colors, unusual positioning, or overlapping subs when two characters are talking. The only satisfactory method I've found for dealing with these subs is to display them while reencoding--so I end up with a hardsubbed video.

I sometimes edit the subs in Subtitle Workshop (and again in DVD-Lab), but it takes 15-30 minutes and doesn't work with every sub. Sometimes the timing of overlapping subs is difficult to work out, or it happens too often. Sometimes there are subs positioned directly over a cell phone screen or notepad while dialogue runs beneath, making it impossible to separate out the overlapping subs. I suppose I could edit the subs to a "barebones" version, hardsubbing only the portions where special features are required, leaving the rest of the subs selectable, but that would require a helluva lot of work--including watching the whole video before I even start.

Even without special features, it can be a pain to import subtitles. A lot of them don't include line breaks or contain lines with too many characters--most of my selectable subs contain lines where a few letters are cut off because I didn't realize this. (That's why the two-step process. I use Subtitle Workshop first for the auto-linebreak feature, then finetune in DVD-Lab.)

I would greatly prefer to have the subtitles look exactly as they do on my computer's video player and be selectable.

If I had a reliable process for this it would not only make special features a non-issue, it would also make it easier to import normal subs: Just convert to .bmp subs--exactly as they would appear in Windows Media Player or BS Player.

I found a thread dealing with this issue, but the offered solution looks to be as bad as what I'm dealing with now. There has to be an easy (or at least consistent) way to do this.

DVD-Lab Pro with .sst or.son: How do I do it?
https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=314109&highlight=

Is there a better way, or should I just give up on making these special subs selectable?

[guns1inger]

I would be asking this at the mediachance forums, if you haven't already. More likely to get a detailed response.

[majin_buu]

I tried, but their messageboard won't let me register.

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That came up in both Firefox and IE7.

[sunmanking]

hi,

unless that proggies has been recently improved concerning subs, it's a big down. if you import a say .srt you will have to add special features such as bold and italic for each subtitle one by one! so it's ok as far as just if you want your subs to be plain.

regards,