5.2 Exporting Data Overview

InqScribe provides a variety of ways to export data for use in other applications.

Basic formats:

Third party formats:

This pages provides an overview of the export process. View the specific format pages for more details that may apply in those cases.

5.2.1 How InqScribe Converts Transcripts to Records

When you choose to export your transcript in a structured form, InqScribe must translate the contents of your transcript from a single, large text field to a series of time-based records.

To do this, InqScribe scans the transcript and notes the location of each timecode. It then assumes that the block of text that lies between two timecodes should "belong" to the first timecode, which indicates the start time of the text block.

In practice, that means that the following transcript:

[00:00.00] Here is some text. [00:15.00] Something happened. [01:00.00] Something else happened.

will be converted to three distinct records as follows:

  • Record 1: start = 00:00.00; end = 00:14.29; text = Here is some text.
  • Record 2: time = 00:15.00; end = 00:59.29; text = Something happened.
  • Record 3: time = 01:00.00; end = 02:00.00; text = Something else happened.

In the above example InqScribe inferred the end time of each record by taking the start time of the next record and subtracting one frame. (The above example assumes 30 fps and a 2 minute clip.). In you prefer, you can be explicit about end times. Such a transcript might look like:

[00:00.00] Here is some text. [00:12.00]
[00:15.00] Something happened. [00:55.00]
[01:00.00] Something else happened. [02:00.00]

In this case, InqScribe notices that some timecodes (e.g. [00:12.00]) don't have any text after them and assumes that they are meant to be end times. This results in the following records.

  • Record 1: start = 00:00.00; end = 00:12.00; text = Here is some text.
  • Record 2: time = 00:15.00; end = 00:55.00; text = Something happened.
  • Record 3: time = 01:00.00; end = 02:00.00; text = Something else happened.

Speaker names

For certain formats (tab-delimited, HTML, and XML), you can also export speaker names for each record. Typically you would have entries that look something like this.

[00:00.00] Jane: Hi there. [00:12.00]
[00:15.00] Dick: Hi. [00:18.00]

You can use the Export Setings dialog to define the symbol (or delimiter) that separates the speaker name from the rest of the text.

5.2.2 The Export Settings Dialog

Use the File > Export menu to select the format that you would like to export. Once you've made your selection, a dialog box appears.

Note that InqScribe will remember your Export settings on a per-document basis until you quit the application. This makes it a bit easier to experiment with different export settings without having to change every setting every time you open the dialog.

Format

Select the format you'd like to use for your exported data. Each of these formats are explained in more detail below.

Options

Each format offers its own set of options. See the documentation for each format for more information.

Some structured formats (XML, HTML, Tab-delimited Text) give you the option to Export Out Points or Export Speaker Names in addition to the In Points and text. Check the appropriate boxes to export the fields you want.

Target

The name of the target export file is shown on this line. You can edit the name of the file directly. By default, the export file will be saved in the same directory as your InqScribe document. (You can see the full path to the file by hovering the mouse over the edit field until a tool tip appears.)

You can also click the Choose... button to define the name and location for the exported file. This is particularly useful if you want to save the exported file in a different diretory.

Replace Existing File Without Asking

Normally, InqScribe will be cautious and, if the target file already exists, ask you to confirm that you want to replace the file. If you'd rather not see this confirmation dialog, you can check this box.

Advanced Settings

The Advanced... button provides access to two less frequently used settings.

Advanced Settings: Text Encoding

By default, InqScribe exports text encoded as UTF-8. You may choose to encode the exported text in another format using the Encoding popup menu.

Note: Byte order marks (BOM) are used for both UTF-8 and UTF-16 exports. If you select UTF-16, InqScribe will export the text in the byte order that matches your system (little endian for Windows and big endian for Macintosh).

Advanced Settings: Line Endings

On occasion, you may need to explicitly define the line endings of your exported file. Normally, InqScribe uses line endings that are appropriate for your platform. Use this setting to override that choice.