Quick Start Guide

First things first, you must have a good idea of how to create your effects. You will need to learn (if you haven’t already) the following:

ASS format. As PyonFX is an advanced tool for typesetting and karaoke, it is meant to be used by experienced typesetters who are familiar with the tags Libass supports, as well as how they function. Check the footnote 1 for a complete list of tags.
Python3 scripting language. A programming language like Python allows you to define a set of instructions to be executed by your computer. Compared to softwares with GUI it gives you much more freedom, as you aren’t tied to buttons or sliders. You only need to know the basics for this module. Knowledge on how to use variable, functions, conditions, loops, comparisons, string formatting, lists, and dictionaries is more than enough. You can find a link to some good tutorials in the footnotes[#f2]_.

To use PyonFX, you’ll have to write a Python3 script. Within it you will fully define the process of your KFX or advanced typesetting creation.

If you don’t know how to install Python3, there are resources online that can help you out, like https://realpython.com/installing-python/ for example.

Installation

Installation - Extra Step

This step is not mandatory to start working with the library, but I personally consider Aegisub to be quite old and heavy, so I needed a more comfortable work setup.

That’s why PyonFX integrates an additional way to reproduce your works in softsub faster after each generation, using the MPV player. Installing it should be enough to make everything work if you’re not on Windows.

If you’re on Windows, you will need to add it to PATH after downloading it so the library will be able to utilize it. There are several guides for that, like this one.

You need to add the folder that contains the .exe of mpv, generally ‘C:\Program Files\mpv’.

Starting out

Before starting, you may want to make sure everything works as intended. I suggest you to try running some of the examples in the official GitHub repository of the project.

To run a script in python, execute the following command:

python namefile.py

Or if this for some reason doesn’t work (like if you’re not on Windows and both Python2 and Python3 are installed):

python3 namefile.py

I highly suggest you generate and study every single example in the examples folder (download always up-to-date here). These are meant to help out beginners to advanced users by explaining all the relevant functions of the library and how they work in detail.

Tips

Don’t make KFX in one go. Take breaks, go for a walk, obtain inspiration from your surroundings;
Pick elements of the video. Your effects should ideally blend in with the video;
Consider human recognition. Humans notice motion first, then contrasts, then colors. Too much of any of this can result in headaches, but too little can be boring to look at;
Use modern styles to impress (light, curves, particles, gradients) and old ones for readability (solid colors, thick borders, static positions);
When backgrounds are too flashy, try to insert a panel shape to put your text on ‘safe terrain’;
Adjust to karaoke timing and voice. Fast sung lines will have very short syllable durations for effects, and may not always be visible.

Footnotes

1

List of all ASS tags with usage explanation: https://web.archive.org/web/20200722050630/http://docs.aegisub.org/3.2/ASS_Tags/

2

Suggested tutorials for learning Python3: