While you write, Screenwriter can recognize certain text you have typed as matching an item in one of its User Lists, and format it as the appropriate element automatically.
For example, typing “ext.” on a blank line tells Screenwriter that you're starting a new Scene Heading. It automatically formats your entry as “EXT.” and pops up a Scene Body Text User List showing previous Locations in this document.
These drop-down lists, or User Lists, contain text items that can be entered by typing the first letter or two instead of typing the whole text, saving you time and effort.
Selecting a Location from the Scene Body Text User List enters it in your document and pops up the Time-of-Day User List. Typing the first letter (or underlined QuickLetter) of a Time-of-Day enters it in your document and moves the cursor to a new Action element.
NOTE: Transitions are an exception. Any text that ends with TO: is recognized as a transition, whether or not the text is in the Transition User List.
Screenwriter can also recognize abbreviations for text that you use often. Typing the first letter or two of a word tells Screenwriter to enter the full text, complete with any element, formatting, margins, etc.
Entering an abbreviation, or Alias Text, in an element's User List lets Screenwriter know it should auto-format that abbreviation using that element's settings.
As an example, you could assign “I.” as the alias text for the Scene Heading Initial Text “INT.” Typing “I.” on a blank line would tell Screenwriter to expand that abbreviation to “INT.” and format the line as a Scene Heading element (just as if you'd typed “INT.”)
The number of items in a User List is determined by Element, as follows:
Element |
Maximum Items |
Character Names: |
15* |
Extensions: |
10 |
Initial Scene Text: |
10 |
Scene Body Text (Locations): |
10* |
Shot Text: |
6 |
Time-of-Day: |
12 |
Transitions: |
8 |
Act Break/Scene Label: |
3 |
Prologue Text: |
5 |
Tag Text: |
1 |
End of Act Text: |
1 |
FADE IN Text: |
1 |
Substitution Text: |
15 |
*User Lists for Character Names & Scene Body Text (Locations) are only used to supplement what Screenwriter puts on its drop-down list and uses in Auto Text Recognition. Before Screenwriter pops-up User List text for Character Name or Scene Body Text, it first scans the document to find existing text in those elements. Then it adds text from the User List and displays.
You only need to add to either of these User Lists if you.
• |
Write more than one document with the same Characters or Locations (for example, for multiple episodes of a TV series,) and want them to display automatically. |
• |
Want Alias Text for specific Character Names (for example, typing “vk” to have the program enter “Von Karajan”). |
• |
Already typed in lists of this text elsewhere (such as in an outline or a separate story development program) and want to re-use this work. |
User Lists for Act Break/Scene Label and End of Act Text have Alias Text that is only used for auto text-recognition. The actual text is used for drop-down lists and for replacing the Alias Text.
