Final Draft .fdx export

hi all,

sorry for the newbie question but I just want to export a screenplay (made of separate files for each scene) as a single .fdx file for Final draft. When I export it exports a whole structure and all the scenes separately.

Any help welcome.

thanks

Use the Compile command, not the Export command.

Read the Interactive Tutorial, available from the Help menu. Among other things, it explains what the Compile command is and how it works.

Katherine

There is another approach that avoids some of the challenges in compiling a screenplay. You merge a copy of your documents and export that single file.

Here are the steps:

• Highlight the documents in the Binder that you want to save as an FDX.
• Duplicate them. The copies will be highlighted.
• Merge them using Documents>Merge
• Rename the merged document to the desired FDX title.
• Make sure that only that document is highlighted.
• Select File>Export>Files…
• In the Export dialog box, select Export As Final Draft (.fdx)

The resulting FDX file will have no extra characters or lines between documents as sometimes appear in compiled FDX files.

I’ve automated this process using Keyboard Maestro (required kit for working with Scrivener, IMHO). The macro does the whole process in one keystroke. It asks you at the start to name the FDX file, and then does all the steps and tidies the merged file into the trash at the end.

You can download the KM macro here. It’s deactivated, so you have to click the little trigger checkbox in KM to make it work.

Hope that helps.

1 Like

great thanks for this.

I just exported to FDX and the page found is 76 instead of 86, quite a swing! hopefully, your method will avoid/reduce that.

Still not worked out the workflow back from a single FDX to separate scrivener scenes and sequences for new drafts. Cross that bridge soon I guess.

File ▸ Import ▸ Import and Split…

Awesome, thanks

clearly, I am late to this party!

@huntaaar Would you be able to re-up the KM marco?

Many thanks

Re-upped here.

And locally here:

Export Selected documents to Final Draft.kmmacros.zip (9.7 KB)

You sir, are a gentlemen and a scholar.
I bow.

You’re welcome. Good luck with it. I hope it helps.