Using PAC files in FAB Subtitler

FAB Subtitler can open PAC files and save PAC subtitle files.

Timecode of first subtitle

PAC files do not contain metadata. Some (but not all) PAC files contain special information in the first subtitle. Generally in such case the first subtitle has the IN timecode 00:00:00:00 and the OUT timecode 00:00:00:08 but also this is not always the case. The first subtitle then contains lines of text in the form keyword: data.

FAB Subtitler will not evaluate the first subtitle as a special subtitle. If you wish to enter special data into the first subtitle then you can do that by creating the first subtitle with the IN timecode 00:00:00:00 and the OUT timecode 00:00:00:08 and any number of lines in the form keyword: data

Vertical positioning

PAC files can contain a maximum of 12 lines of subtitle text. When changing the vertical position of subtitle lines by using Ctrl+ArrowUp and Ctrl+ArrowDown keys the subtitle is moved by the height of one text line. To be sure that the height of one line corresponds to the PAC format please open FAB Subtitler Settings and go to “Subtitle formats” / “Open subtitles” and click on the button for definition of Fonts and then:

  • Change the “Top and Bottom Safe area” values to 77 for the resolution 1920x1080 or 1/14 of total height for any other resolution.

  • Make sure to set the line height so that the number of subtitle rows is as close as possible to 12.

This page was last updated on 2021-05-06