Mastering HieroEditor — Tips & Shortcuts

HieroEditor Workflows: From Setup to ExportHieroEditor is a powerful tool for editing, organizing, and exporting subtitle and caption projects. Whether you’re preparing subtitles for film, TV, streaming platforms, or web video, an efficient HieroEditor workflow saves time, reduces errors, and improves consistency across projects. This article walks through a complete workflow — from initial setup and project organization to polishing, quality control, and final export — with practical tips to make each stage smoother.

Understanding HieroEditor and when to use it

HieroEditor focuses on timeline-based subtitle editing, handling timecodes, styling, and export formats suited for professional delivery. Use HieroEditor when you need precise control over timing, conditional styling (different streams or languages), and exports to industry formats such as STL, TTML, SRT, or MXF ancillary subtitles.

Key scenarios:

• Broadcast or film subtitle preparation where timecode accuracy and format compliance matter.
• Multi-language projects that require consistent style and placement rules.
• Projects needing character/line length constraints and forced narration cues.

1) Project setup and import

1. Create a consistent folder structure:

   • /ProjectName
     • /Sources (video, audio)
     • /Subs (working files)
     • /Exports (final deliverables)
     • /Assets (fonts, graphics) This keeps media, intermediate files, and deliverables clearly separated.

2. Start a new HieroEditor project:

   • Set the project frame rate and timecode to match your source video (important for LTC/VITC). Mismatched frame rates cause drift.
   • Import the source video or reference proxy. If the original file is large, use a proxy with the same timecode metadata.

3. Import subtitle scripts or source files:

   • Acceptable starting points: transcriptions, existing SRT/ASS/TTML files, or raw dialogue lists.
   • When importing from SRT, verify that timecodes map properly to your project’s frame rate.

4. Create language streams/tracks:

   • Add separate subtitle streams for each language or purpose (e.g., captions, SDH, forced).
   • Define default styles per stream (font, size, color, shadow).

2) Structuring and aligning subtitles

1. Break dialogue into subtitle items:

   • Use sentence-level segmentation as a starting point, then refine for reading speed and screen time.
   • Keep line length under recommended limits (typically 32–42 characters per line depending on font size).

2. Align timecodes to picture and sound:

   • Position start times on clear audio or visual cues (e.g., breath, mouth movement, slate markers).
   • Avoid subtitle “pops” by allowing a small lead-in and lead-out (100–250 ms) when appropriate.

3. Use snapping and nudging tools:

   • Snap subtitle edges to frame boundaries to prevent micro-shifts during conforming.
   • Nudge items in small increments for fine alignment.

4. Maintain continuity for multi-line dialogues:

   • Combine or split subtitle items to preserve speaker turns and avoid mid-sentence splits where possible.

3) Styling and positioning

1. Create and apply consistent styles:

   • Define styles for speaker labels, sound effects (SFX), on-screen text, and emphasis.
   • Use bold or italics sparingly; prefer color or placement for differentiation when allowed by specs.

2. Positioning rules:

   • Bottom-center is standard for dialogue; top placement reserved for on-screen text or blocked HUD elements.
   • Avoid overlapping important on-screen graphics or faces; use safe margins.

3. Handling multilingual layout:

   • Design styles per language taking into account script direction (LTR vs RTL), line length differences, and typographic conventions.

4) Automation and shortcuts to speed work

1. Keyboard shortcuts:

   • Map commonly used actions (split, join, playhead transport, nudge) to easily accessible keys.
   • Learn stream-specific shortcuts to move items between streams quickly.

2. Use templates and presets:

   • Save style presets, export templates, and layout presets for recurring project types.

3. Batch operations:

   • Apply mass timing adjustments, renumbering, or style changes across a selection of subtitles.
   • Use find-and-replace for repeated text fixes (e.g., punctuation, spacing).

4. Scripting and macros:

   • If HieroEditor supports scripting, automate repetitive quality checks (overlaps, too-short durations) and small corrections.

5) Quality control (QC)

1. Visual QA:

   • Review subtitles in context with video, checking for timing, overlap, truncation, and readability.
   • Check for collisions with on-screen graphics or credits.

2. Technical checks:

   • Run automated checks for illegal characters, line-length violations, reading speed (CPM/characters per minute), and consecutive identical timecodes.
   • Verify timecode continuity and that no items exceed duration limits defined by deliverable specs.

3. Linguistic QA:

   • Proofread for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
   • Verify speaker attribution and cultural/localization accuracy.

4. Compliance checks:

   • Confirm the final file adheres to client/spec requirements (font embedding rules, burn-in vs. data subtitle, required formats).

6) Review cycles and collaboration

1. Export review copies:

   • Create watermarked or low-res timed-export files (e.g., MOV with burn-in subtitles or MP4) for client review.
   • Use distinct filenames with versioning: Project_Client_v01_20250902.mov.

2. Implement feedback:

   • Track reviewer comments and apply changes in a separate revision stream to preserve a history of edits.
   • Use comparison tools to see diffs between versions when available.

3. Locking and sign-off:

   • After client approval, lock the approved subtitle stream and create a signed deliverable package.

7) Exporting — formats and best practices

1. Choose the correct format:

   • SRT for simple web captions.
   • STL/TTML/DFXP for broadcast and streaming platforms requiring styling and metadata.
   • MXF ancillary or SCC for certain broadcast workflows.
   • Burned-in (hardsub) video for platforms that do not support sidecar captions.

2. Export settings checklist:

   • Match frame rate and timecode settings to the delivery spec.
   • Embed required metadata (language codes, creation notes).
   • Confirm character encoding (UTF-8 vs legacy encodings) especially for non-Latin scripts.
   • Verify line breaks, maximum characters per line, and maximum lines.

3. Validate outputs:

   • Open exported sidecar files in a validator or target platform to ensure compatibility.
   • Test burned-in video on devices with varying aspect ratios to ensure legibility.

8) Archiving and delivery

1. Package deliverables:

   • Include final subtitle files, review videos, scripts, style guides, and a changelog.
   • Use clear naming conventions and a README describing formats, timecodes, and any special notes.

2. Long-term archive:

   • Store master project files and source media in a secure archive.
   • Keep at least one editable master (HieroEditor project) and one export per major format.

Common pitfalls and quick fixes

• Drift from mismatched frame rates — always confirm project/frame rate match to source.
• Overlong lines — split sentences or reduce font size only if permitted.
• Subtitle collisions with on-screen text — reposition or shorten lines.
• Incorrect encoding for non-Latin scripts — export as UTF-8 and test.

Example quick workflow (30–60 minute short project)

1. Create project, set frame rate, import proxy (5–10 min).
2. Import SRT and map to timeline (5–10 min).
3. Quick timing pass and line breaks (10–20 min).
4. Apply styles, run automated QC checks (5–10 min).
5. Export review burn-in and SRT (5–10 min).

Final notes

An efficient HieroEditor workflow balances automation with careful manual checks. Standardize your templates and QC routines to reduce errors and speed delivery. For complex localization or broadcast projects, invest time upfront in project setup and style guides — it pays off during revisions and client reviews.