For what it's worth, subtitles are traditionally short. Mainly because it's hard to read a very long subtitle. Most films break longer subtitles into two or three separate subtitles.

Apparently, the current version of PD maintains a maximum of 255 characters, including spaces and line feeds for each sub title. As StevenG writes, sub titles are usually short so a limitation to the max does make sense. I have not found any hard max chars in subtitles specs, but I did not look too hard. Recommendations are to keep the max characters per line to 40-42 and not more than 2 lines of text.
PD allows more than 2 lines of subtitle text, a new line is added by simply hit the return.
PD also allows change of the font size which can be used to make the space covered by the sub title larger or smaller.
Should you need more than 255 characters text, I assume that this will not be a real sub title like e.g. the translation of the spoken text, then I would suggest using the regular title option and maybe change the font and position such that it looks like a sub title. This may be the solution you are looking for as long as you don't want to export this text in a sub titles file, and otherwise apply sub title features.

Quote For what it's worth, subtitles are traditionally short. Mainly because it's hard to read a very long subtitle. Most films break longer subtitles into two or three separate subtitles.

Thanks for your reply. I am not trying to put extra long title. I simply cannot pass 32 characters title. I need 3 characters more and I am not allowed. Since I do subtitles to my traveling movies they describe the location or actions. Hitting Enter does not give me extra line which would be useful. JL

Maybe post a screenshot of what's happening on your end.

I can fit 46 characters per row in a 16:9 project, and as was stated above, hitting the <Enter> key (while typing in the Subtitle Text box at the top left in the image) does create a whole new row.

Quote Maybe post a screenshot of what's happening on your end.

I can fit 46 characters per row in a 16:9 project, and as was stated above, hitting the <Enter> key (while typing in the Subtitle Text box at the top left in the image) does create a whole new row.

Thank you for your reply. I am posting a screenshot as requested.

OK. In your first text you talk about sub titles (not in the subject line I admit). So based on that assumption we tried to explain that (in our systems) the sub title texts could be as long as 255 characters and many lines.
Your screenshot however shows that you talk about (normal) titles. This is very puzzling, becasue in principle normal title texts can be much longer. See the screen shot I have included, which only shows the amount of characters that I can fit on one line, with -I recon- the same title specifications as you use. If your PD version does not allow more than 32 characters, then there must be something else wrong.
At this stage I suggest:

• use sub titles instead for the text you want to display (Sub titles can be opened by clicking on the 3 dots left in the screen under the volume pictogram); as we explained it should be possible to insert the characters you want


• Maybe do a screen recording of how you add a title to your project, and explain whether you use any out of the ordinary settings either in PD or in your system

Quote OK. In your first text you talk about sub titles (not in the subject line I admit). So based on that assumption we tried to explain that (in our systems) the sub title texts could be as long as 255 characters and many lines.
Your screenshot however shows that you talk about (normal) titles. This is very puzzling, becasue in principle normal title texts can be much longer. See the screen shot I have included, which only shows the amount of characters that I can fit on one line, with -I recon- the same title specifications as you use. If your PD version does not allow more than 32 characters, then there must be something else wrong.
At this stage I suggest:

• use sub titles instead for the text you want to display (Sub titles can be opened by clicking on the 3 dots left in the screen under the volume pictogram); as we explained it should be possible to insert the characters you want


• Maybe do a screen recording of how you add a title to your project, and explain whether you use any out of the ordinary settings either in PD or in your system

Thanks for that. Obviously we are talking about two different things. I am posting another screenshot where I use titles avaialble from the lefhand side menu (under T option). In Previous version I was not limited to 32 characters and I could use two lines if it did not fit the screen. It was simple and quick. I hope that the screenshot illustrates it.

Quote


Thanks for that. Obviously we are talking about two different things. I am posting another screenshot where I use titles avaialble from the lefhand side menu (under T option). In Previous version I was not limited to 32 characters and I could use two lines if it did not fit the screen. It was simple and quick. I hope that the screenshot illustrates it.

what you show in your screenshot is precisely what I did for my screenshot. My version, I have the latest, 365, PD, does not show any limitations for the title length let alone 32 chars. (Your title has 34, correct?)
As said, maybe look at version number, settings, windows version (everything is suspicious) etc.

Click on the PD icon at the top left corner of the main window and post a screenshot of the version screen. It sounds to me like you might be working with the trial or the new free version.

Here is the version Warry and I are using (and SR is the Software Release number, not any kind of serial number you wouldn't want to share publicly):

Quote what you show in your screenshot is precisely what I did for my screenshot. My version, I have the latest, 365, PD, does not show any limitations for the title length let alone 32 chars. (Your title has 34, correct?)
As said, maybe look at version number, settings, windows version (everything is suspicious) etc.

OP user experience probably related to what's shown in attached pic.

Jeff

Quote

OP user experience probably related to what's shown in attached pic.

Jeff

Thanks for that. You made me realize that I am using PD 20 not 365. I am a hobbyist so there is no point switching to PD 365 for extra cost. Since I cannot use SVRT either and rendering to MP4 is much slower I am incline to go back to PD 19 where I was not limited this way. Upgrading to PD seems to be step back.

Quote Thanks for that. You made me realize that I am using PD 20 not 365. I am a hobbyist so there is no point switching to PD 365 for extra cost. Since I cannot use SVRT either and rendering to MP4 is much slower I am incline to go back to PD 19 where I was not limited this way. Upgrading to PD seems to be step back.

Was that the source of your limited title character issue? If so, I'd classify it as a UI bug that may get corrected sometime.

PowerDirector 20 is the product, 365 is a sales gimmick for the monthly or annual subscription based licensing model that has constant, mostly fluff type updates, fonts, sounds, background dance music, title packs, transitions, pushed patches,...on and on that are not available to the PD20 perpetual license holders. The PD20 standalone perpetual licensed product only gets periodic bug fix patches, often lagging the same PD20 365 license bug patch push substantially. If you used PD19 via a 365 license model, you were probably automatically updated to PD20 with no built in ability to go backwards to PD19.

Jeff

Quote

OP user experience probably related to what's shown in attached pic.

Jeff

Jeff is right of course, the text field top left only accepts 31 or 32 chars, whereas the title field in the video frame can hold many more characters, which strangly enough are also repeated in the text box top left. I would assume that this is not planned behavior and should be put on the list of things to repair.

Quote


Jeff is right of course, the text field top left only accepts 31 or 32 chars, whereas the title field in the video frame can hold many more characters, which strangly enough are also repeated in the text box top left. I would assume that this is not planned behavior and should be put on the list of things to repair.

Thanks for all your contributions. You show me the way to get around the problem. Let's hope somebody is working on it.

Hi All -

Late to the discussion but just wanted to acknowledge Jeff's astuteness (again), putting his finger on the issue... entering text in Title Designer via the top left text box, rather than in the Preview window.

I also wanted to confirm Pivnik's observation that this was not an issue in PDR19. The attached screenshot shows PDR19 & PDR20, which won't allow more than 31 characters to be typed.

Of course, entering text in the preview window doesn't have the same limi8tation.

Cheers - Tony
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