Save Dialog No Longer Shows Progression Bar

[Tommy Lee]

As of v1.4.8 (1.4.8)

Problem:

When using either 'command/s' or 'File/Save', ...the 'Save Dialog' window no longer shows the blue progression bar. Because of this, it can make the app appear non-functioning, as well as making any saves in the app appear even longer.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Open Subler
2. Use 'File/Open' to add a .mp4 movie file created with HandBrake
3. Use the 'Search' button to find the related movie details
4. Use the 'Add' button to add the movie details
5. Choose a movie poster after adding details from the poster dialog window
6. Use either 'command/s' or 'File/Save' to add the metadata to the .mp4 file

Subler Version:

v1.4.8 (1.4.8)

Operating System:

macOS High Sierra Version 10.13.3 (17D102)

System

MacBook Pro - Quad Core i7 2.4GHz - 512Gb SSD - 16Gb RAM

Error Message or Error Dialog:

None

[David Munch]

I see the same behaviour, introduced with 1.4.8. In my case I add MKV from MakeMKV, select subtitles, and then Save As..., so it appear to be a general issue.

It is not on a per-file basis, as I can quit Subler and restart with the same file, and sometimes have it complete successfully.

[Damiano Galassi]

Can you still use Subler when the dialog do not appear or is the UI stuck?

[Damiano Galassi]

Try https://subler.org/downloads/Subler-Test.zip please

[Tommy Lee]

Hi Damiano, ...to answer your question;

1. Yes, you can still use Subler successfully.
2. No, neither the dialog nor the UI are stuck.
3. The 'Save' dialog window simply no longer produces a blue progression bar during the save process.

I've downloaded the test.zip you've provided, and will give it a try today, ...as in the next few hours. I'll post my results here when done testing.

Thank you, Tommy Lee

[Damiano Galassi]

Ok, I think I understand now. Should be fixed in https://subler.org/downloads/Subler-Test2.zip

[Tommy Lee]

Hi Damiano,

So, I had a chance to test your latest .zip (Subler-Test2.zip), and unfortunately it DOES NOT resolve the issue.

It does now show the blue progression bar during the save, but it shows the entire bar as blue instantaneously. Meaning, ...there is no progression of the blue bar moving left to right as the file is being saved.

You choose to save the file, it shows the save dialog window with the progression bar completely blue, and stays there until the file is saved. In v1.4.7, you choose to save the file, it shows the save dialog window with the progression bar starting blank, and then turning blue from left to right as the save progresses.

Something changed between 1.4.7 and 1.4.8 that impacts how the save dialog window and progression bar are displayed in relation to the actual progress of the file being saved.

Let me know if you would like me to test another, and thank you for the help. Tommy Lee

[Damiano Galassi]

Are you saving the whole file or just editing metadata in place? Because there has never been a progress bar for metadata/chapters, but only for audio/video tracks. And it works on my computer.

Anyway, I'll add some debug log message and upload a new build to test.

[Tommy Lee]

Hey Damiano, ...tell ya what. I'll do a screen recording tomorrow using both 1.4.7 and 1.4.8, to process copies of the same .mp4 file, therefore allowing you to see what I'm talking about first hand. FYI, ...I'm on California time (GMT -7)

[David Munch]

I only save the subtitles, and I see it happen some of the time.

[Damiano Galassi]

Any news?

[David Munch]

I am unsure if something as changed in 1.4.10, but I haven't seen the bug in quite a while now.

[Tommy Lee]

Hi Damiano, ...my apologies for being dormant for some time now. Much travel and work of course. In any regard, I revisited this issue, and whatever thought process I was previously on at the time has been lost. I can no longer seem to duplicate my original issue with the save dialog blue progression bar. Originally, I was certain when processing a file, that the save dialog blue progression bar did exactly that, ...it progressed slowly from left to right while processing the file.

However, even reverting back to v1.4.7, I can no longer duplicate this. v1.4.7 behaves as v1.4.11. When processing a file, the save dialog box appears with the blue bar already solid blue, with no progression from left to right. It just appears, sits there for a bit, and then disappears. Therefore, if there is no animation of the actual file processing, then, that is where the confusion sets in.

Of issue is this, ...there is no documentation on the use of your program. For myself, I was looking for a piece of software to edit the metadata of my .mp4 files. I previously used an app called MetaZ, ...but was left unimpressed due to the length of time involved to process the file. MetaZ can't seem to edit the metadata without completely decompressing and then recompressing the file. I then found your app subler, which works so much faster.

The only thing I want to edit on my .mp4 files is the associated text, in the case of a movie, tv show, etc., and the JPEG image file as in the movie poster. I don't want anything done with the audio at all. This is another area your program is confusing. How do I simply edit the associated text, and add an image file for the movie poster, without touching anything else in the .mp4?

For instance, ...look at this screen shot that covers audio under Preferences>Advanced;

If I don't want subler to change anything about the audio of my .mp4 file, ...do I simply uncheck every option I can? ...and what of the options that can not be unchecked? ...like the 'Downmix audio to:'?

Also, ...from the main screen of the subler app;

If all I want to do is add associated metadata text for movie title, description, JPEG, etc, ...should I uncheck everything here except 'Video Track'?

If I knew the software well enough, I would write the 'How to use subler' documentation myself, ...unfortunately I don't.

I just wanted to make sure I got back to you, now that I am back in town, and have the time once again to pursue this further. Thank you for all of your work on this app Damiano, and I would be more than glad to make a donation for your efforts, if I could simply get any kind of guidance on using the app.

[Damiano Galassi]

Subler doesn't convert anything if you just open a mp4. The conversions options are for the file import window (in which you can manually choose the conversion) and for the queue (when you use with a source file that's not a mp4).

If you just open a mp4 in Subler, no track will be converted. The checkboxes are there to enable/disable a track. A disabled track is still in the mp4 file, but it won't played back. You can just ignore it. If you want to learn something more about it, check the mp4 file format documentation.

Either way, you can make a copy of your file and play with it to see what happens.

[Tommy Lee]

Hi Damiano, ...again, thank you for your hard work. One of my biggest concerns with subler is the UX (aka, user experience). I would be willing to bet you have a lot of potential donators (like myself) simply looking to use your software to edit metadata only, and from that perspective, both the UI and UX are confusing.

You speak in your response of nothing being converted if I 'open' a .mp4 file in subler to edit the metadata. If this is indeed the case, then great.

You also speak in your response that unless a file is imported via the 'FIle>Import' menu, that nothing is converted, yet in your latest release that menu option is greyed out? I see four choices;

• Search metadata online...
• Search chapters online...
• Metadata...
• File...

...all of which are unclickable and greyed out. So how would someone import a file? It still has to be opened first for these menu options to work. And in that since, it contradicts what you told me.

If I open a .mp4 file, and then choose 'File>Import>Metadata...' ...then according to your own words above, because I used 'File>Import' my .mp4 is going to be converted, which then brings the 'Advanced' preferences question back, where there is no option to completely disable any and all audio editing. You can uncheck all the boxes under 'Preferences>Advanced', but then the 'Downmix Audio to' is still enabled. I don't want or need the audio to be downmixed.

For you, there is no confusion at all, because you wrote the software and know it inside and out. However, from a user perspective, even a Network Engineer of 20+ years like myself, ...both the UI and UX are again unfortunately confusing.

If I may offer a suggestion from a user experience standpoint, ...I am sure you have a potential large user base out here looking to edit metadata data only using your software. People like myself, doing everything from working on my personal Plex server, to making training videos, etc.

It would be great if your software offered a feature to do just that, ...edit metadata only, and nothing else. I would pay for that.

And if your telling me that subler can already do just that? ...then I'm confused as to how, when the UI of your software contradicts such a statement.

Thank you again for all your hard work, and I hope you don't take offense to the suggestions and information I've offered here. As a Network Engineer, I've worked with many dev teams over the years, as well as end users. I'm simply trying to pass on those years of knowledge and information, which I humbly feel could improve what you've created.

[Damiano Galassi]

Have you ever used Microsoft Word or another document based app? You need to have a document open to do something, so either open an existing document or create a new one.

It converts something only if you import a mp4 in a new document or in a existing document, and it asks you exactly which tracks to convert. I don't understand why would you thing that importing metadata form Internet would convert the existing tracks. Totally unrelated functions.

I wrote this software for myself. If I wanted to make a living out of it I would sell it for a price and add more features I don't use, not giving it away for free.

[Tommy Lee]

No worries, ...thank you for your time.

[David Munch]

I just experienced this bug both with 1.6.13 (Latest stable release), and a recent prior version (Not sure which one, as I forgot to make a note of it), so there appears to have been a regression, as I haven’t seen it for quite some time. I only use Subler to OCR subtitles from MakeMKV Blu-ray rips.

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And to add to Tommys reply early in the thread, I can interact with Subler, but I can’t do anything with the actual window other than move it around and interact with the windows stop light icons. The dialog is just blank and stuck, and never goes away. All toolbar icons are greyed out, as I assume Subler thinks the process/dialog is still running. If I close the window, and reopen the M4V file, Subler has successfully finished the OCR of the subtitle I was processing, and I can export the file to SRT without issues as expected. So the process finishes, but Subler doesn’t recoignize it properly and instead blanks the dialog.

Edit: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 on a 2011 iMac, since I see Tommy also initially reported it on HS, in case that is important.

Edit2: Making things more clear.