Release — Templater 3.5.0

[Jeff]

The Dataclay team has just released Templater version 3.5.0, which adds some amazing new functionality, improvements, and bug fixes. Thanks for your patience, and Happy Rendering!

WHAT’S NEW IN TEMPLATER 3.5.0

Templater 3.5 contains the exciting new Dynamic Essential Properties feature as well as significant enhancements to the Dynamic Subtitles utility introduced in the 3.4 release. It also includes UI updates and several bug fixes.

• New Feature: Dynamic Essential Properties

  Templater now supports using data to change and control values of properties promoted to the Essential Graphics panel in After Effects. While you can dynamically update the values of essential properties on nested pre-comp layers (layers within a composition), it is not possible to change values within the primary composition itself, as indicated by the following image:

  

  Using After Effects’ built-in tools, you can build a primary composition with a manually configured set of essential properties. You can then nest an instance of that primary comp into a new timeline and have Templater adjust parameter values within the “Essential Properties” group for that “pre-comp” layer.

  The nested comp starts with the essential properties at the default values set in the primary comp. But because the nested comp is now a layer, you can change the “instanced” values in one of two ways:

  • From within the “Essential Properties” group on the layer

  • By selecting the pre-comp layer, going to Window > Properties, and finding the Essential Properties

  The values in that pane can be adjusted using a data source.

  This feature also allows Templater to support Motion Graphics (.mogrt) templates. Users often purchase these templates because of their high design quality. The templates are designed to be customized, and producers can now do so quickly, easily, and iteratively using Templater.

• Dynamic Subtitles Improvements

  Work from a Floating or Docked Palette

  You can now launch Dynamic Subtitles and choose whether to dock the palette or keep it a floating palette. Previously, only the floating palette was available.

  Edit Subtitle Content for SRT Rig

  You can now open and edit an SRT file from within the Dynamic Subtitles utility. Templater opens the file for the current comp using your system’s default application for the SRT file extension. Changes to the SRT file are saved and appear as soon as you reload the comp in Templater.

  Edit Subtitle Timings for an SRT Stack

  You can now edit the timings of individual subtitles by adjusting specific layers within an SRT Stack. This allows editors to fine-tune when subtitles appear, and how long they stay on-screen, in each iteration of a video. The feature is especially helpful when adjustments are needed for subtitles in different languages.

  Sync Changes from an SRT Stack to an SRT File

  When you make changes to subtitle content, timings, or both, you can now sync those changes back to the appropriate SRT file from within the Dynamic Subtitles utility. Sync is available from the SRT Stack pane, even if content changes were made on the SRT Rig and no SRT Stack was created. The sync operation is one-way.

  Export Changes from an SRT Stack to an SRT File

  The new Export feature in Dynamic Subtitles lets you export a copy of the SRT file for the current job to a local directory. This is useful when the original file is accessed via URL and you need a local copy. If you have made changes to subtitle content, timings, or both, these changes are automatically synced to the SRT file before it is exported. There is no need to sync and then export as two separate steps. Export is available from the SRT Stack pane, even if content changes were made on the SRT Rig and no SRT Stack was created.

  New Text Layer Options When Creating an SRT Rig

  Dynamic Subtitles now supports both Point Text and Box Text options for the dynamic text layer in an SRT Rig. The default setting is box text.

  Create an Anchor Position for Subtitle Text in SRT Rig

  Anchor Position is based on the x-height of your selected font and is the point from which your text scales. If you select box text, it is also the point from which your text wraps. You can choose from Top, Middle, or Bottom, giving you greater control over how your subtitles appear.

  New Box Text Settings When Creating an SRT Rig

  For SRT Rigs that format the text layer as box text, additional new settings enable editors to:

  • Set a Base Threshold: Controls how far down in the video the box text can appear. Editors can move the box on individual layers in an SRT Stack, but never below the base threshold.*

  • Set a Wrap Margin Threshold: Controls text wrapping within box text to ensure the desired margins are maintained.*

  • Remove new line characters: Sets a preference for handling hard returns in the SRT file. When selected, hard returns in the source file are removed so that new lines are controlled by text wrapping only. This is a global preference.*

  These settings flow through to the SRT Stack if one is created. They cannot be edited after the rig is created unless the editor detaches the layer and uses AE tools to do so manually.

  Settings Available in AE Essential Graphics Panel

  The user experience for editing Dynamic Subtitles has been greatly enhanced. Now, when an SRT Rig is created, all of the associated settings are automatically promoted to the AE Essential Graphics panel. This makes it dramatically easier for editors to adjust settings and immediately see the effects of their changes on the current job.

  Support for HTML bold and italic tags in SRT Files

  Editors can now apply faux bold, faux italics, or both to individual subtitles by editing SRT files to include HTML markup. The markup (for example, <b>Date</b>or <i>Timestamp</i>) can be seen in the subtitle layer markers. You can only apply HTML markup to the entire subtitle; in other words, you cannot apply bold to part of a subtitle and italics to another part.

  HTML markup is applied at the SRT Rig layer and carries through when an SRT Stack is created. The markup is also saved when you use the new sync or export features.

• User Interface (UI) Updates

  In Adobe After Effects 2025, the ScriptUI was updated to enhance accessibility. All Templater dialogs have been updated to correspond to these changes.

FIXES in Templater 3.5.0

• The following issues have been fixed in this release:

  • Google Sheets documents sometimes failed to retrieve on Windows machines.

  • Spreadsheet cell values that contain operands are now interpreted as strings.

  • Templater now correctly handles null values in a dynamic footage layer as “faulty”.