MovieMagic Import

I’m on Scrivener 1.11 Demo and searching for the screenplay writer’s holy grail - possibly one that writes the story for me. However, I do have a half written script in Screenwriter 6 and have imported it to Scrivener - several times. I’ve tried the suggested method for learning script formats, but still all the imported text is of General Text. It looks to be correctly formatted, but it isn’t correct because everything is of the same type.

Has anyone found a way of doing this properly and is there a template on this forum I could download?

Hi,

Take a look at the scriptwriting section of the Help file. Basically, you’ll have to set up your own script format that matches the imported scripts. I think Lord Lightning, one of the users of both apps, posted a format that did this some time ago but I cannot find it now. The Scriptwriting section of the Help file gives details on setting up what you need, though - see in particular, “Importing a Script from Final Draft and Other Programs”.

All the best,
Keith

Keith, many thanks for the quick response. I have followed the procedure described in the Help, but without success. It all finishes up as General Text.

You mean you have selected ranges of text in the imported document and used “Use current font & paragraph settings” in the Script Settings… utility panel to define your own script elements and it hasn’t worked? Could you please give full details of what you have tried?
Thanks,
Keith

Keith, I’m convinced I’ve done exactly that. Please could you take a look at the attached example files, so you can see for yourself?
Screenwriter6Format.zip (26.9 KB)

I am having the same experience - neither the Final Drafty 7 template nor the one I create following the excellent, detailed instructions in the manual yield anything but General Text.

Okay, I’ve finally had time to look into this (thanks for the attached project), and I see what you mean. Looking into it, it seems that there is a rounding error in Scrivener, so that it isn’t comparing the formatting quite correctly in certain cases (in this case, because the tail indent of the elements is a fraction - e.g. 239.2 points - Scrivener isn’t recognising them because internally it is rounding the tail indent to which it is comparing the original, so when you select “Use current font and paragraph settings”, it is rounding that 239.2 to 239… So it never gets recognised). I’m afraid the only way to work around this is to go through the script and reapply each element. I have (hopefully) fixed this for the next update, but that won’t be out for at least two months so it isn’t going to help you right now… Sorry.
All the best,
Keith

Hi, I know this topic has been sitting around since June or so, but I’ve just recently discovered this program and LOOOOOVE it, and intend to use it for screenwriting… there’s just the one hiccup with importing FDR RTFs and getting them to format properly.

Apologies in advance if you’ve been pestered by this question incessantly since then, but is this going to be fixed in an update sometime soon?

TIA,

-K

The next update of Scrivener supports Final Draft FCF format, so getting files in and out of Final Draft will be fairly easy, without any of the current formatting problems. The next update isn’t due until early next year, though, I’m afraid.
All the best,
Keith

that’s great for final draft users, but real men use screenwriter (scriptthing).

Well, THIS real man used to use Final Draft, and now intends to use Scrivener for practically EVERYTHING, because it radiates sheer awesomeness.