a solution to import subtitles to Resolve (and Premiere)

Hello,

As many of you, I have been struggling to import subtitles in Resolve.

Fortunately, the latest version of Subtitle Edit (3.4.12) [I wish I could put a link here but the forum forbids me to put the URL here] now let you export your subtitles to a XML+PNG that will open great in Resolve and Première.

To do so, after opening your subtitles, go to File>Export>Final Cut Pro + image...

You'll get to a new menu that let you set your video specifications (resolution, FPS, etc.) as well as the layout of your subtitles (font, font size, space between the lines, border, drop shadow)
Don't forget to select PNG as the image format to preserve the alpha.
Then it is also important to check 'full frame image' otherwise the result will be crappy.
Once 'full frame image' is checked, a new option appears: 'Bottom margin' that let you set how high your subtitles will appear in the screen: this is very useful if you want it in the title safe area.

Then just press 'Export all lines...' create a new folder for the occasion and you'll get a xml file and a series of PNG pictures that will be easy to import in Resolve (Resolve will create a new time line, just copy-paste the content in you working time line)

For my case, the film I was working with was 1 hour 15 min and had 565 lines of text.
It took a minute to render and the final folder is 17 mega, so really easy to work with, to make changes, tests, send over email, etc.

Not to say that Subtitle edit is really awesome to edit the subtitles, retime it, change the FPS, etc...


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I've been delivering subs this way in Premiere for a few years, but tried it in Resolve and I'm getting the timeline okay but it's rendering just the first subtitle text.

Any ideas?

Rent yourself EZTitles Premiere plugin (60 Euro/month)- works like a charm, no fuss etc.

It's very strange. Subtitle Edit works very well with my subtitle supplier who provide an XML.

As mentioned above, the subtitles are generated as individual PNG and import the FCP XML file is fine with all the individual clips numbered correctly, but when importing the PNG media the timeline converts each clip to the same media clip (so they all become 001 rather than numbered from 001 - 099).

I still have a CC account until the end of the year so I can do this in Premiere but there must be a solution in Resolve.

EZTitles sounds very expensive when Subtitle Edit works in Premiere for free.

FIXED!

Import the subtitle media first then import the FCP XML.

EZTitles sounds very expensive when Subtitle Edit works in Premiere for free.

It does, but it depends what you do.

EZ Titles plug-in works like a charm, but for the moment, I have to use it in Avid Media Composer. There isn't a EZ Titles plug-in for Resolve at the moment. Very frustrating !! EZ Titles works so great in Media Composer and Premiere Pro too.

Yep and it's much nicer than FCP XML route as subs behave as single clip, so you can trim, shift etc.
Nice product and works well.

It's a few years since I last used Avid MC but the inbuilt subtitling was excellent - receive the file from the sub company and import with full edit function - easy peasy.

The FCP XML option obviously isn't ideal but it's still light years better than the old days of sending a VHS copy to the subtitler than waiting for approval and a Beta master to return!