The main purpose of the second subtitle track is to keep and properly display subtitles with overlapping timing which should naturally be displayed simultaneously on the screen. The most common examples include scenarios in which both vertical and horizontal text need to be displayed on screen at the same time, text must be displayed both at the top and bottom of the picture.
Whenever the input file contains two subtitle tracks (.ezt, .eztxml) or has subtitles with overlapping timings, second subtitle track will be started:
Note: Please mind that if you're intending to use two subtitle tracks with the Watch Folder or Command Line converters, you need to activate the respective Detect second subtitles track options for the Watch Folder or set the DetectSecondSubtitlesTrack=1 attribute in the command line's config.cfg file.
The first or main track will be filled with the subtitles running in synchronized order, while the subtitles which overlap with others will be inserted into the secondary subtitle track. Respectively the two subtitle tracks will be clearly visible in the Preview list to the right:
To switch between subtitles in the secondary and main tracks you may simply click on the Preview list or instead use the respective Select Track drop-down to the top of the editor:
Operations in the Secondary Subtitles Track
It is important to mention that operations such as the Check Subtitles, Fix Subtitles or Find/Go To can be used for subtitles with two tracks.
There's a slight difference, however, in the way they are used from the EZConvert's GUI, Command Line and Watch Folder.
When using EZConvert's GUI the respective subtitle track must be selected in advance because the executed command will only work for the currently selected track. For example performing a set of predefined Checks must be invoked twice - once for the subtitles in the Main track and another for these in the Secondary track.
Quality Control or Fix Subtitles operations will executed simultaneously for both tracks when performing automated conversion with the Watch Folder and Command Line tools.
Exporting subtitles with two tracks
Projects with two subtitle tracks can currently be exported as Videotron Lambda CAP, WebVTT (.vtt), DLP XML, DCDM (SMPTE 428-7) XML, TTML v.2 Timed Text, Apple iTunes .itt, DVB, DVD Images and MS Excel (.xls, .xlsx) as well as they can be saved and preserved in the EZTitles proprietary formats: .ezt and .eztxml.
Please mind that for all other available export formats, only the currently selected subtitle track will be exported in the output file.
Forced Narratives
Subtitles in the secondary track can be also used as Forced Narratives. Currently, Forced Narratives can be exported in the following formats: IMSC v.1 Timed Text, Netfilx Timed Text, Applie iTunes Timed Text and as Blu-ray BDN XML and Images.