The OP also said the drawback of using a plugin like glaxnimate is that it breaks the edit flow, so every time you want to make a change you have to go outside kdenlive and re-import your design. He wanted to be able to style and edit content separately. CSS allows that.
It seems to me all you would need to do would be to design the html page format for the new text tool and implement the UI to output content + CSS into that format. The CSS could be saved separately as importable templates. You could even import existing web pages and render them directly without the text tool.
Once you have the html the rendering is done. litehtml could be compiled into the existing project.
But that feature doesn’t fulfil my use case. As far as the docs say, it only allows editing the contents of one measly text field. There’s no way to tweak its size, position, color, etc., let alone have multiple editable text fields, like side-by-side translations or title/subtitle combo title cards.
@racitup
Thanks, that’s a great idea! I didn’t know about litehtml — it looks exactly like the kind of solution that could help.
I’m not looking for animation — just the ability to apply rich CSS styles (shadows, layers, outlines, gradients, 3D effects) to plain text, while keeping it editable.
If a minimal CSS render engine like litehtml could interpret this and output directly to a transparent PNG or render inside a title clip, that would solve almost everything — no need for SVG, Glaxnimate, or full browser overlays.
Super lightweight Easy to embed Reusable for both title templates and subtitle overlay in the timeline
@Ron
Thanks for the honest and deep analysis — I see your concerns.
You’re right: CSS was not built for video overlays, and I understand that full CSS engines are heavy and mismatched.
But I wasn’t suggesting full CSS spec implementation. I was talking about a simple subset, like:
text-shadow, color, font, stroke
some 3D-ish layering effects (purely visual, no interactivity or DOM)
predefined styles you can apply on plain text
This isn’t to replace templates or animation engines — just to offer a quick and visual option that lowers the barrier for new users.
Even if the engine is not “pure CSS”, something CSS-inspired could still help creators style titles easily, copy/paste from examples, and share themes.
Kdenlive’s current text tool is functional — but it’s not “beautiful” by 2025 standards. And I think we can agree there’s room for a middle ground.
Thanks again for considering this with critical thought — really appreciated!
@Ron
Thank you again — you are absolutely right that tools like Glaxnimate and Friction are powerful and already working. I’m not denying that.
But my proposal was not to replace them — it’s to add a lightweight method for everyday use, especially for:
Editable text styles (CSS-like, just for visual appearance)
Simple titles that don’t require vector curves or SVG
A faster workflow — no round-trip between apps
You’re right: Glaxnimate is the better animation tool.
But for text-only use cases, sometimes opening another app just to add shadow and font style feels too much — especially for new users.
And about CSS:
I’m not proposing full web-level CSS with DOM logic.
Just a CSS-inspired styling layer (even if custom), that can be:
Applied in timeline to titles
Saved as templates
Edited easily without external tools
“We need something better than the current title tool” — yes!
Maybe this CSS idea isn’t the final solution, but I hope it sparks the right direction.
Thanks again for your time and feedback — I really appreciate the dialogue.
@racitup
Exactly! That’s the heart of the idea. Thank you for summarizing it so clearly.
Yes — the point is not to replace Glaxnimate, but to avoid breaking the editing flow when you just want a styled title without opening another tool.
The model you described is perfect:
Text + style separated
CSS saved as template
Rendered with something like litehtml (static is enough — no need for animation)
And the best part: Users could reuse styles easily, just by pasting or importing from the web (e.g. CodePen, or hand-written).
That’s what I meant by “editable and styled”.
If we can define a basic HTML+CSS format just for titles, with clear limitations, it can become a very powerful feature — without needing a whole animation engine.
Thanks again for reinforcing the idea — you captured it perfectly.
@Ron
Totally understand — asking for a PoC is reasonable.
I just want to clarify that I’m not a developer — my role is only to present the user need and a possible direction based on existing tools (like CSS for styling text).
I’m very grateful to @racitup for stepping in with technical suggestions and outlining a potential path.
If someone from the dev side is interested, I’d be happy to collaborate as a tester or provide mockups and visual references (like from CodePen, etc.).
My goal isn’t to demand a feature — it’s to spark a conversation that could inspire a better solution for styled, editable titles in the future.
@racitup
Totally get it — time is always the toughest part!
But just the fact that you explained the possible direction and gave technical insight is already a big help. It creates a foundation for future work, and maybe someone else in the community can pick it up down the line.
@HaleyHalcyon
Yes, exactly! That’s one of the core problems I’ve been trying to highlight since the beginning.
The current title tool is very limited — just one basic text field, very few formatting options, and no way to define reusable layouts like title + subtitle or side-by-side translations.
What I’m proposing (with examples like CodePen) is a more flexible and modern system:
Multiple editable text fields
Rich style control (position, size, shadow, stroke, etc.)
Based on something familiar like CSS for styling
Optional templates to reuse styles easily
It’s not just about animations — it’s about improving the workflow and creative freedom for all users, even those without design or coding experience.
Thank you for pointing this out clearly. We’re on the same page!
Super lightweight
Easy to embed
Reusable for both title templates and subtitle overlay in the timeline
