First of all. I love the proigram. Have been religiously using Final Draft for years and have fallen in love with this program. Everything is right there at your finger tips. It’s beautiful.
I do, however, have a few questions/requests.
I work in for a curriculum company where the majority of users are still using Final Draft version 7.
When I export to a Final Draft 7 format, it does not keep the same formatting rules and it adds a bunch of weird characters into the document. This only occurs with the .fdr format.
Also, Page numbers. All of our scripts are required to be within a certain page limit, and in order for me to see how long it is, i have to export the document into a file format that supports page numbers. Believe it or not, this is the #1 reasons why the ten other writer’s I work with will not switch to Scrivener.
And my last, somewhat strange request is…is there anyway we can print off the index cards as individual index cards. We use creative boards in planning sessions and I would love to be able to print these cards to put up on a creative board so the entire staff can see and manipulate them. Not a HUGE deal, but it would be nice.
ANyway, I am trying to get converts over to the Scrivener side. Love this program. Continue to lok forward to any changes and updates you make to the program. Awesome job!!
Thanks for the kind words. To answer your questions:
When you export to FCF, be sure to check “Convert ellipses to triple period” and “Straighten smart quotes” in the Compile Draft Text Options tab. FCF requires plain text so ellipses and smart quotes come out as strange characters. (FCF is a very basic format and does not support all of the features of FDR or FDX - Final Draft were kind enough to let us use it, though, for FD7 users, while providing us with the FDX specs for FD8 users, which is a much, much better solution should you decide to upgrade to FD8 - FD8 is much nicer in general though.)
As for page numbers, Scrivener 2.0 will feature a page layout mode for scriptwriters (although of course anyone can use it), given that scriptwriters do rely on page counts. Of course, the idea of pages in Scrivener is still a little meaningless given that your script could be cut into any number of smaller parts, but there is also View > Statistics > Project Statistics which will give you the printed page count of your draft.
Finally, Scrivener 2.0 will provide the ability to print index cards, whether on Avery index card paper or on regular card with guidelines for cutting them out. You’re not the only one to have asked for this!
You might want to search the forums for the official answer to that.
In the mean time let me provide a summation. No.
KB gets into the details in his official answer. Wizlord is working on an app that will provide some level of writing environment. It looks good from what I have followed.
If you are a bit like me you can just use the iPhone notes app and copy the notes over to scrivener after syncing. But then I am lazy.
Hmm, that depends what you mean. 2.0 is set up so that it can print to Avery index cards (Letter-sized card which has three perforated index cards on it that you push out after printing) or any other card (it provides cutting guides in the latter case). I’m don’t know of any printers that print single index cards, although I fear you’re going to tell me you have one.
All the best,
Keith
Many inkjet printers that handle photo paper can be coerced into printing on loose index cards - I’ve done it with my HP OfficeJet 7400. I believe my LaserJet m2727 multi-function printer can also be coerced into printing on loose index cards, though its paper feed mechanism is just unreliable enough to discourage me from trying.
I could have sworn that I ran across a printer in a store that had a separate feed for snap-shots that went down to 3x5, but I can’t find any evidence of such a printer feature on any new printer. I must have been delusional.
However, there are plenty of printers that are designed to handle 4x6, which is also a popular size for index cards. I’ve tried printing on those cards for a few projects, and found the setting of margins in various word processors to be difficult at best. Mostly, they almost forced me to have a 1" top an bottom margin, which is a lot to give up on a 4x6 piece of paper.
In any event, I’d be grateful if Scrivener made printing on 4x6 cards easy at the least. And if I do find that mythical 3x5 printer, being able to make adjustments to print the cards on that form factor would be awesome.
I have resurrected this thread from the grave, for the purposes of harrowing KB’s soul. (You did say,
(emphasis mine)
Well, I don’t own one yet, but I’ve found a few HPs that allow for printing as small a 3x5. Here are three as an example: h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01785846.pdf (scroll to page 16. Under “Cards” you’ll see 3x5 officially supported.)
And another one just for good measure: shopping.hp.com/product/prin … 1A%2523B1H
“Supported paper sizes
Tray: Letter; legal; statement; executive; 3 x 5 in; 4 x 6 in; 5 x 7 in …”
Under “Features”, you’ll find “Print in a range of sizes, from 7.6 x 13 cm to 32 x 48 cm (3 x 5 inches to 13 x 19 inches).”
I have to replace my printer at some point, so I’m probably going to go with one of these. Do you think that at some point (maybe post 2.0?) you could make it easy to print in individual index cards?
Poptart has just asked the same question, the other day. If you do a search forprint index cards the answers there, second or third item. Its yes. I dont know how in depth an answer youll find if you delve deeper, but Grumpy sound unequivocal in his response to the question.
Take care,
Vic
Interesting facts all. Scrivener 2.0 will not support single index card printing, though; only Avery size, or in fours for cutting yourself.
Best,
Keith
I have an HP2100M laser printer that easily prints 3x5 index cards. I use them for all kinds of things.
AppleWorks 6 is what I use for adding text to the cards, it also allows me to rotate the text so I can can write lists that read horizontally, in the usual way. Or I can turn the card so its narrow side and place the text top to bottom. Either way, I use about a 1/4" margin. Over many years I can count on one hand the paper jams I’ve experienced, using any kind of paper.
With Scrivener 2.0 maybe it will be possible to write an AppleScript which will copy text from Scriv’s index cards, then move to a program that will allow that text to be pasted and printed on regular 3x5 cards.
It’s a pity about the decision to not support real 3x5 cards. It seems a shame to dole out money for Avery’s silly and expensive perforated cards or to spend hours with the scissors when the simple solution is at hand. The GTD crowd has been printing on real live genuine 3x5 cards for years now, their favorite printer being the Canon iPXXXX series. I picked up a Canon iP4700 for around 70eu just to print index cards and it’s amazing. Fast. Simple. Never had a jam. Currently I have to cut and paste text from Scrivener to NeoOffice Impress to print. As silly and time wasting as that sounds, it’s probably faster than pulling out the scissors.
Okay, because I can’t bear to hear the yowling of grown adults, and because I am a Very Kind Human Being (but mainly because, looking at the index card printing code I had, I realised I could achieve it very easily), I have added the ability to print single index cards. Just don’t come running to me when it stuffs up your printer - I just tried printing onto a regular 5 x 3 index card using my Brother printer, which is supposed to support it, but the index card just got jammed every time I tried. So it’s an At Your Own Risk feature - you’ll most likely need a specialist printer, and the other options are still going to be more useful I think.
Plus, there’s something nice about cutting out the index cards - it feels like you’re getting something done, when really it’s just calming procrastination.
