ass2bdnxml – direct ASS to BDNXML+PNG conversion without AviSynth

cubicibo · 19th May 2023, 17:33

ass2bdnxml is a command line software that converts ASS files to BDN XML + PNG assets. It is a clone of avs2bdnxml, except that it interfaces directly with libass and does not need AviSynth or an AVS script and has fewer options.
This software was originally written by mia-0 for a project. I have forked it and made some basic fixes, like supporting embedded fonts and setting pixel ratio to render subtitles for anamorphic content. All credits to mia-0 and ps auxw for the software.

Usage:
Everything is in the readme. Generally, you will not need any advanced options. This should be enough most of the time:

Code:

./ass2bdnxml -f 50 -v 1080i ./subtitles.ass

-f --fps          Sets the FPS. Accepted values: [23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 50, 59.94]         Default: 23.976
-v --video-format Sets the video format. Accepted values: [480i, 576i, 720p, 1080i, 1080p]  Default: 1080p
-t --trackname 	  Sets the human-readable name of the subtitle track.                       Default: Undefined
-l --language 	  Sets the language of the subtitle track.                                  Default: und
-d --dvd-mode 	  Uses 4 colors and increase contrast to make the subs visually pleasant.   Default: Not enabled
-w --render-width  Specify the .ass width to use as frame/storage space.                    Default: video-format width
-h --render-height Specify the .ass height to use as frame space/storage space.             Default: video-format height
-g --hinting 	  Enables soft libass hinting.                                              Default: Not enabled
-p --par          Set the pixel aspect ratio (PAR) to use in libass (e.g anamorphic clip)   Default: libass guess (generally PAR=1)
-x --width-store  ASS storage width to use in libass.         Default: libass guess (generally 1:1 to video-format unless --par is specified.)
-y --height-store ASS storage height to use in libass.        Default: libass guess (generally 1:1 to video-format unless --par is specified.)
-a --fontdir      Additional font directory for font look-up.
-s --split        Perform event splitting across 2 graphic files whenever possible.         Default: Not enabled.

XML + PNG assets are created in the current working directory.

SUP output and splitting
ass2bdnxml does not support exporting to SUP. Conversion to SUP/PGS is done by other softwares like SUPer. In this case, image splitting should not be used as SUPer recalculates the splits internally.

Download
https://github.com/cubicibo/ass2bdnxml

Windows binaries
https://github.com/cubicibo/ass2bdnxml/releases/

HPotter · 2nd June 2023, 18:05

Hi, tried to Build this one from git, but failed.
Could you pls provide builded .exe version for Windows?

cubicibo · 2nd June 2023, 19:32

What error? I don't use Windows but I can build it on macOS and Ubuntu 20.04 without issues (Ubuntu needs libbsd-dev installed and libbsd specified in cflags, also some distrib wants "libpng" rather than "png" in the gcc command line).
Maybe someone knows how to cross compile libass with mingw... I don't.

I would recommend to install WSL so you can use all those nifty doom9 tools and filters on your favorite Windows machine but in a Linux command line window

HPotter · 2nd June 2023, 20:26

Error those:

meson builddir
The Meson build system
Version: 1.1.1
Source dir: \\testproject
Build dir: \\testproject\builddir
Build type: native build
Project name: ass2bdnxml
Project version: undefined
C compiler for the host machine: cl (msvc 19.36.32532 "��⨬��騩 �� Microsoft (R) C/C++ ��ᨨ 19.36.32532 �� x86")
C linker for the host machine: link link 14.36.32532.0
Host machine cpu family: x86
Host machine cpu: x86
Did not find pkg-config by name 'pkg-config'
Found Pkg-config: NO
Found CMake: \Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\Microsoft\CMake\CMake\bin\cmake.EXE (3.26.0)
Run-time dependency libass found: NO (tried cmake)

meson.build:6:4: ERROR: Dependency lookup for libass with method 'pkgconfig' failed: Pkg-config binary for machine 1 not found. Giving up.

A full log can be found at \\testproject\builddir\meson-logs\meson-log.txt
WARNING: Running the setup command as meson [options] instead of meson setup [options] is ambiguous and deprecated.

HPotter · 3rd June 2023, 12:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by cubicibo

What error? I don't use Windows but I can build it on macOS and Ubuntu 20.04 without issues (Ubuntu needs libbsd-dev installed and libbsd specified in cflags, also some distrib wants "libpng" rather than "png" in the gcc command line).
Maybe someone knows how to cross compile libass with mingw... I don't.

I would recommend to install WSL so you can use all those nifty doom9 tools and filters on your favorite Windows machine but in a Linux command line window

Error those:

Code:

meson builddir
The Meson build system
Version: 1.1.1
Source dir: \\testproject
Build dir: \\testproject\builddir
Build type: native build
Project name: ass2bdnxml
Project version: undefined
C compiler for the host machine: cl (msvc 19.36.32532 " Microsoft (R) C/C++ 19.36.32532 x86")
C linker for the host machine: link link 14.36.32532.0
Host machine cpu family: x86
Host machine cpu: x86
Did not find pkg-config by name 'pkg-config'
Found Pkg-config: NO
Found CMake: \Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\Microsoft\CMake\CMake\bin\cmake.EXE (3.26.0)
Run-time dependency libass found: NO (tried cmake)

meson.build:6:4: ERROR: Dependency lookup for libass with method 'pkgconfig' failed: Pkg-config binary for machine 1 not found. Giving up.

A full log can be found at \\testproject\builddir\meson-logs\meson-log.txt
WARNING: Running the setup command as meson [options] instead of meson setup [options] is ambiguous and deprecated.

cubicibo · 3rd June 2023, 13:48

There's no pkg-config on windows. You have to specify the (compiled) library paths for libass and libpng.

I would suggest you to try with msys2, you can get pkgconf (equivalent to pkg-config) and directly compiled libass and libpng ready to use with make.
Else, you could try to setup the project to be like assrender and to follow the build instructions, which lets you build libass. You would have to find your way with libpng.

cubicibo · 24th July 2023, 20:40

Latest version adds event splitting across two graphics whenever possible. This may be handy to reduce PG buffer usage with some authoring tools.

cubicibo · 26th July 2023, 22:03

I have managed to build ass2bdnxml on Windows. The .exe file can be obtained here: ass2bdnxml.exe v0.3.

Emulgator · 27th July 2023, 13:06

Many thanks, cubicibo !

cubicibo · 27th August 2023, 12:05

ass2bdnxml v0.4

This version greatly improve the time accuracy of the output. Combined with SUPer v0.2.0, you can now generate frame accurate masking effects in your (authoring compliant) PGS

In the next version, I will try to add support for libimagequant to output 8-bit palletized PNG for users who want to directly import the PNG in Scenarist BD. At the moment, ass2bdnxml outputs 32-bit images and Scenarist users must execute "pngquant.exe 255 -f --ext .png *.png" on the images.

2nd June 2023, 19:32	#3 \| Link
cubicibo Registered User Join Date: Feb 2022 Posts: 74	What error? I don't use Windows but I can build it on macOS and Ubuntu 20.04 without issues (Ubuntu needs libbsd-dev installed and libbsd specified in cflags, also some distrib wants "libpng" rather than "png" in the gcc command line). Maybe someone knows how to cross compile libass with mingw... I don't. I would recommend to install WSL so you can use all those nifty doom9 tools and filters on your favorite Windows machine but in a Linux command line window Last edited by cubicibo; 2nd June 2023 at 19:38.

27th July 2023, 13:06	#9 \| Link
Emulgator Big Bit Savings Now ! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: close to the wall Posts: 1,406	Many thanks, cubicibo ! __________________ "To bypass shortcuts and find suffering...is called QUALity" (Die toten Augen von Friedrichshain) "Data reduction ? Yep, Sir. We're working on that issue. Synce invntoin uf lingöage..."

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2nd June 2023, 18:05	#2 \| Link
HPotter Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 4	Hi, tried to Build this one from git, but failed. Could you pls provide builded .exe version for Windows?

2nd June 2023, 20:26	#4 \| Link
HPotter Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 4	Error those: meson builddir The Meson build system Version: 1.1.1 Source dir: \\testproject Build dir: \\testproject\builddir Build type: native build Project name: ass2bdnxml Project version: undefined C compiler for the host machine: cl (msvc 19.36.32532 "��⨬��騩 �� Microsoft (R) C/C++ ��ᨨ 19.36.32532 �� x86") C linker for the host machine: link link 14.36.32532.0 Host machine cpu family: x86 Host machine cpu: x86 Did not find pkg-config by name 'pkg-config' Found Pkg-config: NO Found CMake: \Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\Microsoft\CMake\CMake\bin\cmake.EXE (3.26.0) Run-time dependency libass found: NO (tried cmake) meson.build:6:4: ERROR: Dependency lookup for libass with method 'pkgconfig' failed: Pkg-config binary for machine 1 not found. Giving up. A full log can be found at \\testproject\builddir\meson-logs\meson-log.txt WARNING: Running the setup command as meson [options] instead of meson setup [options] is ambiguous and deprecated.

3rd June 2023, 13:48	#6 \| Link
cubicibo Registered User Join Date: Feb 2022 Posts: 74	There's no pkg-config on windows. You have to specify the (compiled) library paths for libass and libpng. I would suggest you to try with msys2, you can get pkgconf (equivalent to pkg-config) and directly compiled libass and libpng ready to use with make. Else, you could try to setup the project to be like assrender and to follow the build instructions, which lets you build libass. You would have to find your way with libpng.

24th July 2023, 20:40	#7 \| Link
cubicibo Registered User Join Date: Feb 2022 Posts: 74	Latest version adds event splitting across two graphics whenever possible. This may be handy to reduce PG buffer usage with some authoring tools.

26th July 2023, 22:03	#8 \| Link
cubicibo Registered User Join Date: Feb 2022 Posts: 74	I have managed to build ass2bdnxml on Windows. The .exe file can be obtained here: ass2bdnxml.exe v0.3.

27th August 2023, 12:05	#10 \| Link
cubicibo Registered User Join Date: Feb 2022 Posts: 74	ass2bdnxml v0.4 This version greatly improve the time accuracy of the output. Combined with SUPer v0.2.0, you can now generate frame accurate masking effects in your (authoring compliant) PGS In the next version, I will try to add support for libimagequant to output 8-bit palletized PNG for users who want to directly import the PNG in Scenarist BD. At the moment, ass2bdnxml outputs 32-bit images and Scenarist users must execute "pngquant.exe 255 -f --ext .png *.png" on the images.