Every ELAN project consists of at least two files: one (or more) media file(s), and one annotation file.
One (or more) media file(s):
zero or more video file(s) (*.mpg
,
*.mp4
etc.)
and/or one (or more) audio file(s) (*.wav
etc.)
The video file allows you to view the video and listen to the sound. If
you want to view the waveform as well, you might need to create an additional
*.wav
file through a conversion program that converts the audio
data from a video file into a *.wav
format. As of version 6.1 for
Windows and macOS and 6.4 for Linux, attempts are made to show the waveform directly
from the audio track of the video (but a *.wav
file can still be
more accurate and perform better). In the case of multiple video files, the audio of
the first selected video file is played (audible). The kind and number of supported
video formats depend upon the media framework you are using. If your media framework
supports a format, the same probably goes for ELAN.
The following media frameworks are known to work:
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Which frameworks are actually available depends on the ELAN variant and the operating system. |
Windows (in order of preference, DirectShow/Microsoft Media Foundation being the best solution):
JDS (Java Direct Show)
Java - Microsoft Media Foundation (.mp4, .m4a,. m4v (win 7 and higher), .wmv, .wma, .asf)
JavaFX Media Framework (.mp4, .wav)
VLC Player Library (Java wrapper for VLC Player 3.x)
Java Sound (.wav)
MacOS (in order of preference):
Java - AV Foundation Framework
JavaFX Media Framework (.mp4, .wav)
VLC Player Library (Java wrapper for VLC Player 3.x)
Java Sound (.wav)
Linux (in order of preference):
VLC Player Library (Java wrapper for VLC Player 3.x)
JavaFX Media Framework (.mp4, .wav)
Java Sound (.wav)
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|
One annotation file:
an annotation file created by ELAN ( *.eaf
, “EUDICO
Annotation Format”)
or an imported annotation file. See the the section called “Import from” section for the supported formats.
All information (e.g., the tier setup, the time alignment, the annotations) is saved to the annotation file only – never to the media file(s).
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Take care when editing a media file. Afterwards you probably will want to resynchronize its alignment with the corresponding annotations, as described in (the section called “Synchronizing video files”). |
Although it's not compulsory it is a good practice to use a common name for media
files and the annotation file. So, it is recommended to use e.g.
a.eaf
next to a.mp4
and
a.wav
.
Imported files also do not need to have the same name as their media files, and
they can be located in different directories. All imported files can ultimately be
saved as ELAN files ( *.eaf
).
All annotation files ( *.eaf
) can be exported as text,
FLEx, Toolbox etc.