Deselecting the inline text edit box commits changes:

If this option is not checked (default) changes made to an inline edit box are discarded if you leave the edit box without explicitly committing the changes. This happens for instance if you click outside the current edit box.

If this option is checked changes are committed if you leave the current inline edit box.

Enter key commits changes in the inline edit box:

If this option is not checked (default) pressing ENTER will insert a line break (a.k.a. newline) in an inline edit box. To commit the changes you should hit CTRL+ENTER.

If this option is checked ENTER will not insert a line break. It commits the changes as if you pressed CTRL+ENTER.

Clear Selection after creating or editing an annotation

This option makes ELAN clear the selection after creating or editing an annotation

Clear Selection on single mouse click

With this option checked (default), a selection that has been made in the timeline will be cleared when you click outside of that selection.

Create new annotations on the dependent tiers when a new annotation is created

If this option is selected, annotations on dependent tiers are created automatically when a annotation on a independent(parent) tier is created. By default , this option is not selected.

Creates annotations aligned with video frames

When annotations are created, they can be aligned with the video frames by selecting this option.

Snap Annotations

If this option is checked, you can specify the maximum value to snap annotations in (ms).

Always center the active annotation

This option if checked, always put the active annotation in the center of the viewer in annotation mode.

When copying an annotation, copy:

When you want to copy an annotation as text to an external document , you can either choose to copy the annotation + begintime + endtime, or the annotation only. The default is 'copy the annotation + begintime + endtime'. This will copy the annotation, Tier name, begin and end time.

When copying an annotation use the time format of 'Copy Current Time'

This option refers to the first option in the Media preferences category.

Default language for multilingual content:

Set the preferred default language used in multilingual content, such as controlled vocabularies. When using multiple CVs, the language set here will be the CVs default language. Multilingual content is based on ISOcat data categories (DCR). CMDI metadata is displayed in the set language, if this is available from the ISOcat category.

Specify the width of the edit box (in pixels)

In the text field a minimal width for the edit box can be specified. Useful when the default width cuts off too much of the entry values.

Show CV entry description in the inline edit box

When checked, the CV entries will be shown as a two-column table with the description of each entry in the second column.

Specify the percentage of the width of the first column (the CV entry value column)

In combination with the above option, this determines how much of the width of the box will be reserved for the CV entry values.

Look for CV entries that contain instead of start with the search string

When checked, this option will suggest entries from the CV that contain the given search string. When unchecked, only entries that start with the search string are suggested.

Also look in the descriptions of the CV entries

With this option checked, descriptions of the CV entries that contain the search string are also displayed in the suggest panel.

Ignore case

If this option is checked, case will be ignored when matching the search string entered in the CV suggest panel.

After changes in an ECV, don't update the annotation value but update the reference to a CV entry

When ELAN opens an .eaf file with links to an external CV, it checks by default if the value of each annotation that has a reference to an entry in an external CV, still corresponds to the value of that entry. If the value of the entry was changed, the annotation value is updated accordingly. If the entry is no longer there, the reference is removed.

By selecting this option, the annotation value will always remain unchanged. Instead, the CV will be searched for an entry with a value equal to that of the annotation and the reference will be updated to that entry or removed if there is no such entry.

Media navigation:

Frame forward and frame backward jump to begin of next or previous frame:

If this option is not checked (default) clicking the frame forward button (see Section 1.5.17) will put the crosshair forward by the amount of ms in one frame. So if the crosshair is in the middle of a frame, clicking frame forward will put the crosshair in the middle of the next frame. The same goes for frame backward.

If this option is checked the crosshair is put at the beginning of the next (or previous) frame no matter where it is in the current frame.

Classic (pre ELAN 4.7) frame forward and frame backward behaviour:

If you encounter problems with frame by frame navigation in on-going projects, checking this option will revert ELAN back to the classic behaviour. (unchecked by default)

Video display:

All video's the same size, in a single row:

When there are three or four video's linked, only one of them is displayed big; the others are small. Check this option If you want all video's to be displayed in the same size and in a single row.

Place the video / media in the center:

If selected, then the video is placed in the center and the viewers are on the left and right side of the video. By default the video is the left side of the application.

Media location:

Set default directory for media files

Click Browse... to set a default directory. ELAN searches this directory for a media file if it fails to find it using the absolute or relative path the .eaf file refers to or the same directory the .eaf file is in.

The document's Changed flag is set when the media location has changed With this checked, you will notice when a media file has changed its location.

Media clipping with script:

Prompt for a clip file name

When this is checked (default), ELAN will prompt for a file name to save your clipped media file. You can also choose a location to save the file to. More information on using the script for clipping can be found in Section 1.4.1.18

Use annotation value for clip filename where possible

When this option is checked, in single clip mode the value of the active annotation (if there is one) is used for the output filename, in multiple media file mode the annotation values that are in the exported tab-delimited text file are used for constructing the output filename. Some obvious problematic characters (e.g. /, \, :) in the annotation value will be replaced by underscores, but this can still fail because of an illegal output filename.

Only clip the first media file

This option is unchecked by default. If errors occur clipping multiple video files and a wave file at once, check this and only the first (or master) media file will be clipped.

Clip multiple media files in parallel

This is checked by default. The script will run in multiple instances next to each other when clipping the video files and wave files. When this is causing problems, e.g. incorrect output files, uncheck this option and the script will run each instance after another.

Controls:

Show volume control for individual media players

Check this if you want to see and use the volume controls for each media player in the project. (see Section 1.5.17).

Automatically play media:

When an annotation is activated

When checked, the media will play whenever you activate an annotation, by clicking on it.

When marking current time as begin of new annotation

Shift-enter can be used as a keyboard shortcut to mark the start (or end) of an annotation. When checked, the media will start playing when Shift-enter is pressed.

Check the metadata keys you want to display in the Metadata tab in the main window by default. (See also Section 1.5.11.)

Use screen menu bar: if checked ELAN will use the screen menu bar in Mac OS.

Use Mac Look and Feel: if checked ELAN will use the Mac OS Look and Feel. Otherwise a platform independent (i.e. Java) look and feel is used. Note that if the option Use screen menu bar is checked, ELAN will use the Mac Look and Feel, even if you have Use Mac Look and Feelunchecked.

Use Mac File Dialog: if checked ELAN will use a dialog which is similar to the native Mac OS file dialog. Otherwise a platform independent (i.e. Java) file dialog.

Media Framework: select either

Use Windows Look and Feel: if checked ELAN will use the Windows look and feel. If unchecked, an independent look and feel will be used (default).

Media Framework: select either

Media Framework: select either

Automatic check for updates Selecting this option will enable the automatic checking for new updates, which will run once a month and will inform you of available updates.

Number of backup files: sets the number of backup files ELAN should create when automatic backup is active.

Save transcriptions as old EAF 2.7 format Checking this option will make that your projects are saved in the older 2.7 version of eaf and ensures compatibility with older versions of ELAN. Multi-lingual CVs will not be saved with your project!

Lock EAF files when opening them (creates .lock files, possibly hidden) Locking an eaf file will prevent someone else from opening and editing the same file at the same time (in case the file is in a shared location) or prevent yourself from opening the same file twice. There are two important limitations to keep in mind:

In case of a crash of ELAN, .lock files might have to be deleted manually before the eaf file can be opened again. The .lock file is in the same directory as the eaf file and might not be visible by default in a file explorer.

Preferences location It is possible to specify an alternative directory where preferences (.pfsx) files should be stored. Click Browse... and select the preferred directory for ELAN preferences files. By default a preferences file is stored in the same directory as the eaf file.

Location for other (non-Audio/Video) linked files It is possible to specify a default directory where ELAN can look for missing linked files other than primary media files (e.g. metadata, timeseries files). Click Browse... and select the preferred directory, click the X to remove this preference.

Tier Set:

Number of recent items: select the number of recently edited items ELAN should remember.

Change the UI font size: allows you to set the font size of menus, labels, buttons etc. The slider allows to specify a value between 100% and 200%. This can e.g. be useful on high resolution displays if the font seems too small. This option requires a relaunch of ELAN.

Default font for tiers, annotations and CV entries: it is possible to specify a preferred font, and its size, for tiers, annotations and CV entries, to be used if no other font is specified (e.g. for specific tiers). Initially ELAN either uses the Arial Unicode MS or the (Java) system's standard font. This option is especially useful if the initial font does not provide glyphs for the language or writing system you are working with. This option requires a relaunch of ELAN.

Tooltips: if checked ELAN will show tool tips with information about the data or about the functionality of ELAN, depending on the position of the mouse cursor.

Menu Options: if the Show annotation count box is checked, the number of annotations per tier will be shown in the menus and tier lists in the viewers.

Painting strategy for custom timeline-based viewers and components : this option lets you choose to set unbuffered or buffered painting of components. Imac retina displays can only handle unbuffered (direct) painting, for instance.

Viewers

Timeline:

Subtitles

Select Viewers

If the video is placed in the center, then it is possible to select which viewers should be shown in the left and right pane of the video. Select either Left to the video or Right to the video for each viewer. The order of the viewer in the table also determines their sort order in the tab pane. To sort the viewers use the buttons Move Up and Move Down to rearrange their sort order.