What is JACOsub?

Special Features of JACOsub

Non-sequential events. Title time ranges may overlap. Unlimited indepenedent title sequences may be displayed simultaneously.
Fully integrated text-based script editor with optional user interface for title appearance attributes. If needed, video titles may be positioned graphically with the mouse.
Handles all kinds of time units: SMPTE, PAL, 1/100 second units, etc.
Extremely flexible timing script file format, allowing comments, blank lines, text directives, and global configuration commands. Scripts can be as simple or as complex as you want. Scripts may even include other scripts, so you don't have to re-time parts that you use over and over again.
Complete script-based control over text position, margins, font, style, colors, palettes, backshadow, word-wrapping, and justification. You can even generate anti-aliased outlines and shadows on mono-color text. Text appearance can be controlled through line directives or with C-style escape code inside the subtitle text.
Real-time script timing procedure allows you to time your script in small sections, and in independent tracks. The program offers intelligent calculation of title end times and forced gaps, leaving you free to concentrate only on title start times during timing. End times may be also timed separately from start times.
Display graphic images with the text. Time ranges for graphic images may overlap also. Graphics (IFF pictures or brushes) may be positioned anywhere on the screen. If you do not need to generate text over graphics, you can load IFF pictures independently of JACOsub's display. JACOsub supports AGA graphics.
Support for transition effects (for example, wipe, iris, blinds, roll), and smooth scrolling titles.
Support for Karaoke colored-wipe timing!
Multi video buffering and page switching. Many titling programs create a display in a hidden buffer, then blit it to the visible foreground at the proper time. But the duration of a multi-bitplane blit can be up to 3 video frames. This can cause disconcerting "flashing" or tearing effects. Many PD/shareware titling programs have this problem. JACOsub has a better way: It uses video-page switching rather than blitting, to move displays to the foreground. Images appear instantaneously during the vertical CRT blank interval. Blitting is only used to copy data between up to 7 hidden video buffers, never on the visible display.
You can make time shift and drift adjustments "on the fly" while your script is playing. You can even save all your on-the-fly correction events to apply to the times in your script later, for those pesky 3rd-party scripts that don't have a constant time drift.
ARexx support -- other programs can issue commands to JACOsub, and your JACOsub scripts can execute ARexx scripts while playing. You can even control JACOsub's editor through ARexx.
You can control the Digital Creations SuperGen genlock faders directly from your script! GVP and Video Toaster genlock fades may be controlled indirectly through ARexx scripts.
Robust compiler diagnostics for tracking down problems in your scripts.
Support for 3rd-party script formats: TurboTitle (.tts), Phoenix Japanimation Society (.pjs), generic (.tim), Panimator (.pan), Subtitle (.sub), ZeroG (.zeg), and MacSubtitler (.scr). The Jconvert utility is provided to convert all these formats to JACOsub (.js) format. JACOsub can read .tts, .pjs, and .tim scripts without prior conversion.

System Requirements

JACOsub will run on any model Amiga computer, either PAL or NTSC.

Recommended hardware requirements:

At least 1 megabyte RAM, preferably more than 1.5 megabytes
Two storage devices (2 floppy drives, hard disk and floppy, or single drive plus RAM disk [requires extra memory])

Recommended software requirements:

AmigaDOS 2.0 or greater (program will run under 1.3 with minor limitations described in the documentation)
Your "libs:" directory should contain:
- asl.library or req.library (for file requesters)
- iffparse.library (for IFF file support; a 1.3-compatible version exists)
- supergen.library and copinint.library (if you have a SuperGen genlock)
The program will still run without any of these libraries.

Additional hardware needed for video work:

Amiga-compatible genlock (for overlaying computer images onto video)
Source video device, preferably a laserdisc player
Videocassete recorder for making master recordings
Second video monitor is useful but not required.