Importing fountain syntax to Scrivener question

Scrivener Markdown & LaTeX
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I am on Windows 10 : Scrivener 3

I am able to import .fountain syntax markdown files to a Stage Play (US format) template in Scrivener and it is converting the Scenes, Characters, dialogue correctly but not action.

in fountain I used:

(some action here on its own line)

or action entered like this with nothing above or below

I also tried with putting ! in the front, which supposedly forces it to be action in fountain syntax.

So far the action is importing using incorrect font and wrong positioning, which is going to be a pain to go through and change.

Anyone able to give concise recommendations for fountain syntax that will work using import & split when importing it in. I default it to UTF on the import as recommended, as I can’t see anything else that would be more suitable.

EDIT: I have been running some tests. Pretty much nothing else imports properly except what I mentioned. So I tried exporting a correctly formatted Stage play Scene out from Scrivener as a .fountain file, and when I imported it back in, same issue. So something is up.

EDIT: The action syntax in .fountain is being imported as “General text” instead of action, I think is the problem.

EDIT: problem is with the Stage Play US template. If I import .fountain to a Screenplay or Stage Play UK template it works. The issue seems to be Stage Play US template doesnt recognise some things like Action on import from fountain. So my question now is how I do improve the Stage Play US template so it will recognise Action and Set Description in import?

WORKAROUND: Not sure if this is a bodge or the solution, but for Stage Play US template, in FORMAT\Scriptwriting\Script Settings, I added a new element called “Action” and immitated the settings for the existing “Scene Action”. Saved it, updated the scrivener project when I did. And after that importing .fountain also converts the Action syntax. I presume this means that it uses the naming of those elements to decide if it converts on import. If that makes sense.

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There’s a section in the manual on working with Fountain. Have you read it?

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yes. why do you think I came on here? have you read it? Its not clear on why it didn’t work and I am still not sure exactly what naming convention is needed for a lot of the fountain syntax. but I’ll spend today figuring that out and posting it on here because it wasn’t in the manual. Hopefully it well save someone else the time it took me to figure it out.

I dont get comments that only ever say “have you read the manual”. Obviously everything is in the manual somewhere but this forum exists because a problem of this nature is like asking a novice to look for a needle in a haystack.

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Actually, you would be amazed how many people claim to have “looked everywhere” for answers but turn out not to have read the manual. Hence the question.

As the manual explains, Fountain is designed for screenplays and is known to be unreliable with other formats. The solution is to do exactly what you came up with: to edit the Script Settings for the template you want to use to make sure the element names are what Fountain expects.

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I wouldnt doubt it. I believe you. But the answer wasn’t in the manual. Or it was partially, but it wasn’t very clear.

Anyway, I posted my findings to a blog. I presume I can link that post here without it being considered an issue. If not I’ll post what I found out so far.

After putting in the missing Elements to the Script settings in Scriv, I have it working enough to be useable for my purposes, but there are a couple of things that I would love to know how to get working. As it stands, it looks like Scrivener only partially honours Fountain syntax, but its enough for me for now.

Here’s the link to where I got with it so far: Stageplay writing using Fountain and Scrivener – Mark DK Berry Blog

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