
  the Orange Slice


    A subtitle editor for GTK+ writen in Python.


      Julien PORTALIER

Copyright ? 2003 PORTALIER Julien

$Data: 2003/08/02 $

*Revision History*
Revision 0.0.9.5 	10 August 2003
Some corrections and updates.
Revision 0.0.9.4 	02 August 2003
First edition

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Table of Contents*

Abstract <#abstract>
1. About <#about>

    How does it works ? <#id2795733>
    Why ? <#why>

        Why GTK+ ? <#why-gtk>
        Why Python ? <#why-python>
        Why GPL ? <#why-gpl>

    Addendum <#addendum>

2. Installation <#install>

    Requirements <#requirements>

        Debian packages : <#requirements-debian>
        Win32 (untested) : <#requirements-win32>

    Building <#id2796016>
    Installation <#id2796024>
    Usage <#usage>

        Future <#id2796071>

3. Bugs, Features and ToDo <#bugs-features-todo>

    Features <#features>
    ToDo <#todo>

        Main ToDo <#id2796192>
        Long see ToDo <#id2796227>
        Far see ToDo <#id2796266>

4. Authors <#authors>

    Maintainer <#maintainer>
    Contributions <#contributions>


    Abstract

Introductory information for the Orange Slice software.

http://www.,nongnu.org/orange-slice/ <http://www.nongnu.org/orange-slice/>


    Chapter 1. About

*Table of Contents*

How does it works ? <#id2795733>
Why ? <#why>

    Why GTK+ ? <#why-gtk>
    Why Python ? <#why-python>
    Why GPL ? <#why-gpl>

Addendum <#addendum>

Orange Slice is a subtitle editor, writen in Python/GTK+. It aims at
manipulate different file formats like SSA, ASS, SUB, SRT, etc. Runs
under GNU/Linux, and should run under any *nix and should even run under
WIN32. The application is developped under a Debian GNU/Linux (Sarge),
but i'd like to have it working on any platform available (even
proprietary ones like win32's).

The main goal is to have an easy application to create scripts for
subtitling videos. For the moment it only manages the Sub Station Alpha
file format, and can export to the Advanced Sub Station Alpha format.
But it should be extended to any format available in import/export (help
wanted).

And the real extend i'm thinking about right now is to have an easy file
format for easily working with translations. Because most of the
subtitles are for translating a video from a language to another, so it
would be easier to have the possibility to have many languages in a
single file. Next, having the possibility to have many languages and
many comments for just one subtitle. I'm thinkig about an XML file that
could do the job.


    How does it works ?

Orange Slice permits to manipulates ? scripts ? files that contains
informations about when and what to print on a video : the subtitles.
You can use those scripts with MPlayer (mplayerhq.hu
<http://mplayerhq.hu/>) or Xine (xine.sf.net <http://xine.sf.net/>) for
example. If you're using a WIN32 system, you can use the generated
script to encode your videos with Virtual-Dub (virtualdub.org
<http://virtualdub.org/>).


    Why ?


      Why GTK+ ?

Why not ? , so...

Well, I'm an enjoyed GTK+/GNOME 2 user, and at first : GTK2 is using the
unicode charset (utf-8) as the main text encoding, so it gives many easy
prossibilities for internationalisation. And second, i really like Glade
(glade.gnome.org <http://glade.gnome.org/>).


      Why Python ?

I didn't do any C programming for years, and for me python is light,
fast enough, and have bindings (at least under *nix) for a lot of
libraries, like Gstreamer (gstreamer.sf.net <http://gstreamer.sf.net/>)
i think i'll use someday.


      Why GPL ?

Orange Slice is somehow a Sub Station Alpha (SSA) clone. SSA is a closed
source program only running under a WIN32 system. SSA is left unmainted
since a very long time, and like any other closed-source program, nobody
can make it evolve. In other words : the application is dead. That's one
of the reason why Orange Slice is distributed under the Gnu Public
License (GPL). This way, it takes all the advantages of a free software
application. See gnu.org/philosophy <http://gnu.org/philosophy/> for
more information on free software.

Well, at least the SSA's file format is a text file, easy to read,
understand and even extend. That was the good point.


    Addendum

Sorry if I make any english mistake, it's because i'm french... Of
course, feel free to correct me !


    Chapter 2. Installation

*Table of Contents*

Requirements <#requirements>

    Debian packages : <#requirements-debian>
    Win32 (untested) : <#requirements-win32>

Building <#id2796016>
Installation <#id2796024>
Usage <#usage>

    Future <#id2796071>


    Requirements

    * Python 2.3 (python.org <http://www.python.org/>)
    * PyGTK 1.99.16 (www.daa.com.au/~james/pygtk
      <http://www.daa.com.au/~james/pygtk/>)
    * GTK+ 2.2 (gtk.org <http://www.gtk.org/>)


      Debian packages :

If you're using Debian, you should use those packages.

    * python2.3
    * python2.3-gtk2
    * python2.3-glade2

And if you want to use CJK you'll need that.

    * python2.3-cjkcodecs


      Win32 (untested) :

Win32 is untested for the moment and will not be tested until someone
does it ! I only provide those links for if anybody wants to try it or
to port it to. Bu well i'd like it to work under a win32 system, because
it could replace the closed source SubStationAlpha...

    * PythonWare 2.3 (python.org/download/ <http://python.org/download/>)
    * Gtk+ 2.2 (dropline.net/gtk <http://dropline.net/gtk/>)
    * PyGTK on Win32 (www.pcpm.ucl.ac.be/~gustin/win32_ports
      <http://www.pcpm.ucl.ac.be/~gustin/win32_ports/>)


    Building

There's no need to build the application (python powered). Of course,
you need to have the requirements installed.


    Installation

Just uncompress the tarball to anywhere you want and symlink
orange-slice.py to a common place (eg: /usr/bin/orange-slice). The
application should start without any problem. If not, file a bug with a
description of your problem.


    Usage

Well, once you've started or loaded a script, you just have to click on
a subtitle to have it loaded in the editable fields on top of Orange
Slice. You can use *Enter* to save the current in the list, and
*Ctrl*+*Enter* to update the field, and if you're in the subtitle field
it will automatically go to the next line.


      Future

*Enter* should be bind to save the selected field. In looks to be what's
being done at the moment. But *Ctrl*+*Enter* should be extended to save
ALL the fields from any field we are editing, and jump to the next line
(creating it if unexistant).


    Chapter 3. Bugs, Features and ToDo

*Table of Contents*

Features <#features>
ToDo <#todo>

    Main ToDo <#id2796192>
    Long see ToDo <#id2796227>
    Far see ToDo <#id2796266>

Please submit any orange-slice bugs to < julien AT portalier DOT com
<mailto:julien%20AT%20portalier%20DOT%20com>>. I expect the application
not to crash, but features might be broken or working badly or as
unexpected.


    Features

    * Uses the SSA file format as internal file format.
    * Takes advantages of the unicode charset as internal encoding.
    * Can create load SSA and ASS scripts.
    * Loads saves the SSA and ASS scripts to the current locale.
      Supports mixed encoding SSA files (buggy on shift-jis save).
    * Can select the line break (endline) for saved file: LF (*nix) or
      CR+LF (dos/win).
    *

      Exports to :

          o Advanced Sub Station Alpha
    *

      Internationalisation (using gettext) :

          o English
          o French


    ToDo


      Main ToDo

    * Make use of GtkTreeView instead of deprecated CList.
    * Having a more powerful internal format. Specially designed for
      translation, with notes, comments and even multiple languages
      (unicode).
    * Change the current way to use the program (as described in the
      usage <#> section.
    * Develop our proper file format: XML based and oriented for
      translations with multiple languages comments.


      Long see ToDo

    * More internationalisation.
    * Add something to manipulate the script header (authors,
      translators, timers, video informations, etc.)
    * Add something to manipulate subtitle Styles (like font, color,
      etc.) : started.
    * Importations and exportations from and to many file formats, like
      : SRT, MicroDVD, MPlayer, etc.


      Far see ToDo

    * Use Gstreamer for having audio/video preview, and even make use of
      the audio/video to time the scripts, or something like that.


    Chapter 4. Authors

*Table of Contents*

Maintainer <#maintainer>
Contributions <#contributions>

Please feel free to contact the developers if you have any problem with
the Orange Slice !


    Maintainer

    * Julien PORTALIER < julien AT portalier DOT com
      <mailto:julien%20AT%20portalier%20DOT%20com>>


    Contributions

Patches, suggestions, and other help:

    * none for the moment

Translations

    * none for the moment

