Floating Subtitle Window
The floating subtitle window is one of DuRT's most distinctive features. It displays real-time transcription results as an always-on-top overlay that stays visible above every other application on your screen — perfect for meetings, lectures, podcasts, or any live audio scenario.
What Is the Floating Window?
The floating window is a transparent, borderless overlay that shows your live subtitles. Because it sits above all other windows, you can keep reading subtitles while using any other app — a browser, slides, a video call — without switching focus.
NOTE
The floating window only displays text. It does not capture any video content from your screen.
Enabling the Floating Window
- Open DuRT and go to Settings.
- Select the Floating Window tab.
- Toggle Enable Floating Window to turn it on.
- Click Open Preview to immediately see the window on your screen.
The window will appear with placeholder text so you can position and style it before your next recording session.
Primary & Secondary Subtitles
DuRT supports two subtitle rows displayed simultaneously — ideal for bilingual setups.
| Row | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Primary Subtitle | The main transcription line. Usually set to the source language (e.g., the speaker's language). |
| Secondary Subtitle | An optional second line. Typically used for a translated version, a proofread copy, or an AI-processed result. |
You can configure the font, size, and color for each row independently, so it is easy to visually distinguish them at a glance.
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A common setup: Primary = original speech in English, Secondary = real-time Chinese translation powered by an LLM service.
Font Customization
Click Font Picker next to either the Primary or Secondary subtitle to open the system font panel.
- Choose any font family installed on your Mac.
- Adjust the font size to suit your viewing distance.
- Bold and italic styles are supported.
Changes apply instantly to the preview window.
Color & Highlight
Each subtitle row has two color settings:
- Text Color — the default color of the subtitle text.
- Highlight Color — the color used to emphasize newly recognized words when Typewriter Effect is enabled (see below).
Click the color swatch to open the macOS color picker. You can choose any solid color or adjust opacity.
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For dark backgrounds, white or light-yellow text works well. For transparent backgrounds, a dark text with a subtle drop shadow is easier to read.
Typewriter Effect
When Typewriter Effect is enabled, DuRT highlights the most recently recognized words in the Highlight Color you configured. Older, confirmed text reverts to the regular Text Color.
This gives you an at-a-glance indicator of what the ASR engine just transcribed, making it easy to follow fast speech or detect recognition errors in real time.
To toggle this effect, find the Typewriter Effect switch in the Floating Window settings panel.
Background Color
The subtitle window background can be:
- Fully transparent — subtitles float directly over your desktop or any app.
- Semi-transparent — a tinted backdrop improves readability over complex backgrounds.
- Solid color — for maximum contrast, especially useful in bright environments.
Click Background Color to open the color picker and drag the opacity slider to your preferred level.
NOTE
A semi-transparent dark background (e.g., black at 50 % opacity) is a popular choice for readability without fully blocking the content underneath.
Open Preview
Click the Open Preview button in Settings at any time to bring the floating window to the front. This is useful for:
- Repositioning the window by dragging it.
- Checking how your font and color choices look in context.
- Confirming the window appears correctly before a meeting starts.
Lock / Unlock Window Position
Once you have placed the floating window where you want it, click Lock to prevent accidental repositioning.
- Locked — the window cannot be dragged. Click events pass through to the app underneath.
- Unlocked — the window can be freely dragged to any position on any display.
IMPORTANT
Lock the window before starting a recording session to avoid accidentally moving it mid-session.
Always on Top
The floating window uses macOS window level settings to remain above all other applications at all times, including full-screen apps and video call windows. You do not need to do anything extra to enable this — it is the default behavior.
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If you use multiple displays, drag the floating window to the screen where you need subtitles most. The lock setting remembers the position per display.