CueT User Manual

CueT is a subtitling software specifically built for live performances, designed to make the tedious process of subtitle arrangement simple and fast. Through an intuitive interface, you can efficiently manage subtitles, styles, and effects, significantly improving work efficiency and ensuring stable broadcasting of performances.

Features

1. Rapid Creation: Paste script text directly to automatically split it into subtitles, eliminating the tediousness of manual page creation.
2. Efficient Management: Supports style grouping, allowing you to adjust the look of all similar subtitles at once.
3. Professional Integration: Supports OSC protocol for seamless reception of trigger commands from external consoles like QLab.
4. Built-in Effects: Integrated dynamic rendering particle system for easy realization of effects such as snow, rain, starry sky, and smoke.
5. Secondary Subtitle Support: Flexible dual-layer architecture for notes or auxiliary content, with independent style customization.
6. SRT Export: Automatically records precise timestamps of the performance, allowing for easy export of SRT files and simplifying post-production.

Core Concepts

Before you start using it, let's understand the constituent elements of CueT:

• Subtitle: The soul of the performance, including general Text, multi-line Blocks, and Empty screens.
• Scenery: The decoration of the screen, including Images, Solid colors, and Built-in dynamic effects.

The CueT screen consists of three layers:

1. Foreground Layer: Displayed at the top; scenery placed in this layer will block subtitles.
2. Subtitle Layer: The core content area where all subtitles are presented.
3. Background Layer: Displayed at the bottom; suitable for background images or atmospheric effects.

Subtitle Arrangement

Rapidly Create Subtitles

After opening a new project, you only need to paste text directly into the Input Subtitle Content block, and the system will automatically split each line into an independent subtitle.

Leverage Style Grouping

Style grouping allows you to batch manage the look of subtitles; modifications will be immediately applied to all subtitles belonging to that group.

Setting During "New Project"

When pasting text, if you want to categorize a specific sentence, just add # (a hash sign followed by a half-width space) at the beginning of the line:

• Use one # , two ## , or three ### to represent different style levels.
• Unmarked sentences will be automatically categorized as the basic style.

Example:

# This is a Main Title (Style 1)
## This is a Sub-title (Style 2)
This is body text (Basic)

Adjusting During "Edit Project"

You can replace the "Style" of a sentence at any time in the subtitle editing interface, or switch to the style grouping panel to add more groups.

Creating Blocks

If you want multiple lines of text (such as poetry) to appear on one screen simultaneously, you can use the "Block" function.

Setting During "New Project"

Enter -- (two hyphens followed by a half-width space) at the beginning of the line for sentences you want to merge. To specify a style for the entire block, combine the style tag after the -- .

Example:

-- ## Text One
-- Text Two
-- Text Three

This block will apply the ## style.

Operating During "Edit Project"

1. In the subtitle list on the left, hold Cmd (Mac) or Ctrl (Win) to select multiple non-continuous subtitles.
2. Or hold Shift to select a range of subtitles.
3. Right-click and select Group to complete the merge.

Inserting Empty Screens

Empty screens are commonly used for transitions or specific moments to clear all subtitles from the screen.

Setting During "New Project"

Enter a single line of @@@, and the system will parse it as an empty screen.

Operating During "Edit Project"

Right-click any subtitle in the list and select Add Empty Screen to insert it after that position.

Adding Secondary Subtitles (Translation)

Secondary subtitles are usually used for translation. Click the menu on the right of the top toolbar to open the Add Secondary Subtitle panel.

• Input: Paste translation text directly; each line will automatically correspond to the main subtitle.
• Import CSV: You can download a CSV template, edit it in Excel or Numbers, and then import it.

!TIP When choosing Input, it is recommended to download the "Main Subtitle TXT file" as a reference for more accurate correspondence.

Style Design

Style Inheritance Rules

CueT uses a flexible three-layer style architecture, with the following priorities from high to low:

1. Subtitle Customization: Special settings for a single subtitle point.
2. Group Style: Settings for a specific style group (e.g., # or ##).
3. Global Style: Basic settings for the entire project.

!NOTE The system looks for setting values from top to bottom. If a single sentence is not customized, it will fallback to the group style, and then to the global style.

Longest Sentence Preview

To avoid unexpected line breaks during performance, use the "Longest Sentence" feature. The system will grab the longest sentence in the group as an example to help you set the appropriate font size.

Block Entry Settings

You can decide how blocks are presented:

• Show Mode: Sets the display mode of the block.
  • Step: One line enters per click until all are displayed.
  • All: All text in the block is displayed simultaneously per click.
• Gap: Adjusts the distance between each subtitle line in the block (in px).

Layout Details

• Main/Secondary Subtitle: Fine-tune color, font, weight, size, line height, and letter spacing.
• Secondary Subtitle Occupies Space:
  • Checked: Main subtitle uses the screen space "excluding secondary subtitle," preventing overlap.
  • Unchecked: Secondary subtitle will be displayed as an overlay on top of the main subtitle.

!TIP It is recommended to enable the Text Box Preview function to more intuitively observe the occupied range of subtitling blocks.

!IMPORTANT Due to font copyright issues, .cuet project files do not include font files. Please ensure the performance computer has the required fonts installed.

Scenery Control

1. Scenery is used to decorate the screen, including images, solid colors, and particle effects.
2. Scenery layer (Foreground/Background) determines its blocking relationship with subtitles.
3. Each scenery can be bound to an independent hotkey, allowing you to control it at will during the show.

!IMPORTANTBindable Key Range:

• Letters A-Z and Numbers 0-9.
• Arrow keys (Up, Down, Left, Right) and Space.

Trigger Methods

• Manual Trigger: After entering performance mode, press the corresponding hotkey to toggle display/hide.
• Auto Trigger (Linked to Subtitles): In Trigger mode, you can select the appearance interval of the scenery directly on the timeline. The scenery will automatically appear when the subtitle enters and disappear when it ends.

Project & OSC Settings

Stage Settings

In Project Settings, you can define the width, height, and background color of the final output. It is recommended to set this according to the resolution of the on-site projector.

Subtitle Display Toggle

If some scenes do not require secondary subtitles, you can switch the Subtitle Display to main subtitle mode in Project Settings.

OSC External Integration

CueT supports the standard OSC protocol for integration with professional software:

• Setting Path: Preferences > OSC Settings.
• Port: Default is 53000.
• Main Commands:
  • /cue/next : Next sentence.
  • /cue/prev : Previous sentence.
  • /cue/go/{index} : Jump to specific subtitle number.
  • /cue/effect/{key} : Trigger scenery associated with the hotkey.

!NOTE OSC settings are "Global Settings" stored on your computer and do not move with the project file (.cuet).

Performance Mode

Quick Jump Subtitles

In performance mode, you can perform quick positioning:

1. Hold the Shift key.
2. Enter the target subtitle number.
3. Press Enter to complete the jump.

Performance Logs & SRT Export

CueT automatically records the entrance and exit timestamps and content of each subtitle during the show. After the show, it is saved as a performance log. You can download the SRT file of that performance from the logs for post-production video work.

Leaving Performance Mode

To leave performance mode, you need to double-press the Esc key. This design prevents accidental interruption of the show.

!NOTE If it's just a rehearsal, use "Preview Mode" to keep the performance logs clean.

Shortcut Keys Summary

Mode Switching

Quick Management

Execution Control

License

CueT is free software, available for download and use by individuals, commercial productions, or professional theatre companies. No license fees or prior applications are required.

• Personal Use: Free
• Commercial/Professional Use: Free
• Modification & Redistribution: Reverse engineering, disassembly, or unauthorized redistribution of the software is prohibited.

This project is independently maintained. If CueT has been helpful to your production, consider supporting its continued development by buying the developer a coffee.