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Event Metrics

Event Metrics give you a real-time readability and compliance snapshot for each caption or subtitle event as you work. Rather than waiting for a QC pass at the end of a session, the metrics update continuously as you type, allowing you to catch issues early and maintain consistent pacing standards across the entire program.

Prerequisites​

  • A project is open with at least one Event Group containing events.
  • Event Group settings have been configured with your target style guide constraints (maximum CPS, WPM, characters per line, line count, and duration limits).
  • Inline event metrics: displayed automatically beneath each event's timecode inputs in the editor — no navigation required.
  • Summary panel: accessible from the quick-tools sidebar on the right side of the editor interface; shows an expanded view for the currently selected event.

Understanding the inline metrics panel​

Every event in the editor displays a compact metrics panel directly beneath its timing controls. This panel surfaces five values: words per minute (WPM), characters per second (CPS), duration in seconds, total word count, and a character-per-line breakdown.

The character-per-line breakdown uses a compact notation — for example, (22,18)=40 — which means the first line contains 22 characters, the second contains 18, and the total across both lines is 40. This notation makes it easy to assess line balance and catch lines that exceed your style guide's maximum character count at a glance, without needing to count manually.

Each metric is color-coded against the thresholds configured in your Event Group settings. Values that fall within acceptable range appear in the default text color. Values that are approaching the configured maximum appear in amber as a caution. Values that exceed a threshold appear in red to clearly flag a compliance violation. The WPM display turns red when the value meets or exceeds the Event Group's maximum WPM setting, and amber when it reaches 90% of that threshold. The duration display turns red if the event falls outside the configured minimum or maximum duration range. The character display turns red if any individual line exceeds the maximum characters-per-line setting, or if the total line count exceeds the maximum lines setting.

Understanding the Summary panel​

The Summary panel provides an expanded view of the selected event's metrics and is particularly useful when you want more detail than the inline display provides.

At the top of the Summary panel, a reading-rate meter visualizes the current CPS relative to your Event Group's configured maximum. The meter is divided into three zones. The green zone represents CPS from zero up to the configured maximum and fills up to 75% of the total bar width at the limit — this is the safe working range. A narrow amber zone extends beyond the maximum and represents a small tolerance of up to 5 percentage points over the limit, acknowledging that occasionally a fraction above the threshold is acceptable. The red zone beyond that represents clearly excessive reading rates and is intended as a firm warning.

A vertical white line is drawn at the 75% position on the meter, which serves as a visual marker for the CPS limit. A label above the meter shows the number of characters remaining before you reach the maximum CPS for the event's duration — this is a particularly useful figure when you are editing dense events and want to know exactly how much room you have left.

Beneath the meter, the panel shows WPM, CPS, duration, and line information alongside the event's full timing in three formats: raw seconds, SMPTE timecode (calculated using the project's frame rate and drop-frame setting), and clock time with milliseconds. SMPTE and clock time are especially useful when cross-referencing with a video edit or broadcast rundown.

Configuring metric thresholds​

The color-coded thresholds shown in the metrics panel reflect the settings in your Event Group. To adjust the limits that drive the display, open the Event Group settings for the relevant group and update the maximum CPS, WPM, characters per line, maximum lines, and duration range values. Changes apply immediately and all displayed metrics recalculate without needing to reload the project.

Practical guidance​

The inline metrics are most valuable during the initial captioning pass, when you are establishing pacing across a program. If you notice a pattern of CPS values consistently appearing in amber or red, it may indicate that the underlying text needs to be split across more events rather than adjusted word by word. The Summary panel's remaining-characters display is a reliable guide when trimming text from dense events — it tells you exactly how many characters you can add before exceeding the reading rate target, rather than requiring you to calculate it manually.

CPS is calculated across the full visible text content of the event, including spaces and punctuation. This matches the calculation methodology used by most broadcast style guides.

Troubleshooting​

Metrics are not updating​

Ensure the Event Group settings have valid numeric values for all threshold fields. If a field is empty or set to zero, the corresponding metric will either not display a color warning or may show unexpected results.

CPS reading appears unexpectedly high​

Verify that the event's start and end times are correct. An event with an extremely short duration will produce a very high CPS even for a small amount of text. Use the Summary panel's raw-seconds timing display to confirm the in/out points are accurate.

Thresholds appear wrong relative to your style guide​

Open the Event Group settings and review the maximum CPS, WPM, and character limits. These must be set to match your delivery specification before the color thresholds will be meaningful.

Source notes​

  • Components: src/components/editor/events/EventMetrics.svelte, src/components/quickTools/Summary.svelte