Question: How to adjust the position of ASS subtitle format?

[FulciLives]

Hello !!!

I have a MKV file that I am converting to standard DVD Video format.

I am using AviSynth for this along with the VSFilter.dll and TextSub commands to "burn" the subtitles into the video image while doing the video conversion to DVD Video format.

This works but the subtitles are very low in the image and will get "cut off" on a standard TV due to TV OVERSCAN so I want to adjust the position of the subs to make them higher up in the image than they are.

My script looks like this so far:

LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files\DirectVobSub\VSFilter.dll")
vid=DirectShowSource("C:\ZZZ\DMC\DMC01.mkv")
aud=WavSource("C:\ZZZ\DMC\DMC01.wav")
AudioDub(vid,aud)
LanczosResize(704,480)
AddBorders(8,0,8,0)
TextSub("C:\ZZZ\DMC\DMC01.ass")
ConvertToYUY2()

So is there a way with the TextSub command to adjust the position of the subs or do I have to open them up into a Subtitle program to adjust them and if so how do I do it?

I do have some limited Subtitle Workshop experience ... mostly with the SSA subtitle format. Does Subtitle Workshop handle the ASS subtitle format and do what I want?

In fact ... come to think of it ... the subs are a bit on the "big" side as well so it would be nice if I can make them a bit smaller as well as adjust the position.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
I never heard of ASS subtitles until now ... what does the ASS stand for? For instance I know SSA stands for Sub Station Alpha etc.

[Midzuki]

I never heard of ASS subtitles until now ... what does the ASS stand for? For instance I know SSA stands for Sub Station Alpha etc.

.ASS stands for Advanced SubStation(Alpha). Best managed by Aegisub.

No, Subtitle Workshop does not like SSA very much :-(

There are two ways to control the position, the color, the font and the size of your subs:

1) direct edition of the SSA script (try TextPad or even Notepad if you don't want to use
Aegisub);

2) execute rundll32 "C:\Program Files\DirectVobSub\VSFilter.dll, DirectVobSub", which will call an applet to configure the work of VSfilter.

http://www.perlfu.co.uk/projects/asa/ass-specs.doc

===

{EDIT}

LanczosResize(704,480)
AddBorders(8,0,8,0)

Choose either 720x480 or 704x480, but without adding vertical borders
that will be completely overscanned anyway
(unless you really want a small distortion of the image...)

{ANOTHER EDIT}

Assuming that your .MKV already is 4:3 Aspect Ratio,
and if you would like to not allow overscan to remove a pixel
from it, then you might want to try this:

LanczosResize(648,432)
AddBorders(36,24,36,24)

or this:

LanczosResize(576,384)
AddBorders(72,48,72,48)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[FulciLives]

@Midzuki

Thanks for the heads up about Aegisub ... I downloaded it and was able to adjust the font size to a smaller size as well as adjust the position relative to the bottom as well as the sides.

Since I am converting this MKV to standard DVD Video format (with burned in subs) it is important that the subs not get too close to the bottom nor the sides as one must account for TV OVERSCAN and using Aegisub I was able to do all of that without too much fussing about.

So thanks again. I've used Subtitle Workshop but had never heard of Aegisub and it definitely was the program for this particular job.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman