Reciprocal creation of scene cards and script pages

[Brandt]

Hello,

 

I've been using Storist for about a week and am beginning to get a feel for the navigation of the software. I have a lingering issue that I hope is simply a usage issue and not a feature request.

 

If I create a new script page, the software automatically creates a new scene sheet at the bottom of the list of scene sheets. However, when I create a new scene sheet, a new script page is not created. Because of the way that I set up the skeleton of my script, what I would like to see happen is that a script page is created in the same position relative to the position in the scene scene that the new card is created. For example, if I create "scene card 12" after "scene card 11," I'd like to see the matching script page inserted with the script page list.

 

Also, if I move either the script page or the scene card, I'd like to see it's counterpart similarly moved so that their relative position in my work is maintained.

 

The reason for this is that there may be several scenes that have a heading of "INT. STARBUCKS - NIGHT," and finding the right one to move to match the scene card can be a tedious process.

 

Is this doable in the existing software version?

 

Thanks,

Brandt

[marguerite]

Hello,

 

I've been using Storist for about a week and am beginning to get a feel for the navigation of the software. I have a lingering issue that I hope is simply a usage issue and not a feature request.

 

If I create a new script page, the software automatically creates a new scene sheet at the bottom of the list of scene sheets. However, when I create a new scene sheet, a new script page is not created. Because of the way that I set up the skeleton of my script, what I would like to see happen is that a script page is created in the same position relative to the position in the scene scene that the new card is created. For example, if I create "scene card 12" after "scene card 11," I'd like to see the matching script page inserted with the script page list.

 

Also, if I move either the script page or the scene card, I'd like to see it's counterpart similarly moved so that their relative position in my work is maintained.

 

The reason for this is that there may be several scenes that have a heading of "INT. STARBUCKS - NIGHT," and finding the right one to move to match the scene card can be a tedious process.

 

Is this doable in the existing software version?

 

Thanks,

Brandt

Hi, Brandt:

I had just written a set of instructions on how to move the sheets in tandem when I decided to test it and discovered that the instructions didn't work. In version 1, Storyist created scene/section sheets automatically and linked them to their sections, so when you moved one, the other moved as well. And I think I remember it also working the opposite way (if you created a scene sheet, Storyist also created a scene)—although that could be my bad memory; it's been a while since I used version 1.

 

In version 2, we have much more flexibility with sheets: for example, I have just one sheet for each chapter rather than one for every section, so they are not linked. The flexibility is in general a good thing, but it does mean that there is not a simple yes/no answer to your request. I will have to leave it to Steve to say whether you can set up Storyist 2 to do what you want. I thought clicking the link button at the bottom of a second window (the one next to the + sign) would do it, but it just moves the two windows in tandem, not the scenes/sections and their sheets.

Welcome to the forums!

Marguerite

[Steve E]

Hi Brandt and welcome to the forums.

Right. What Marguerite just said...

 

I would only add that I seem to remember Steve making a conscious decision to disengage the Sections/Scenes from their data sheets for exactly the reason M suggests (i.e., flexibility). But I think you have a point when you say that a screenplay has a great many Scene Headings, all with very similar names. I can see how this could be a problem and, perhaps, an optional linking mechanism for Scenes and their data sheets could be valuable.

 

I'm sure Steve will get back to us on this as soon as he can.

- Thoth

[marguerite]

Hi Brandt and welcome to the forums.

Right. What Marguerite just said...

 

I would only add that I seem to remember Steve making a conscious decision to disengage the Sections/Scenes from their data sheets for exactly the reason M suggests (i.e., flexibility). But I think you have a point when you say that a screenplay has a great many Scene Headings, all with very similar names. I can see how this could be a problem and, perhaps, an optional linking mechanism for Scenes and their data sheets could be valuable.

 

I'm sure Steve will get back to us on this as soon as he can.

- Thoth

Thoth, wasn't this the point of scene/section sheet attachment? I thought that if you attached the sheets in the collage, they would move with their scenes. And I thought they were moving when I wrote my script for Script Frenzy, because I moved quite a few things around. But attached sheets aren't moving, either. That was what I realized when I went to check.

 

Brandt may have found a bug.

 

Or a feature. Steve will know.

M

[Steve E]

Brandt may have found a bug.

AAAARRRRGGG!

Squash it!

Squash that bug!

Unless it's really a feature.

-Thoth

[Brandt]

Hi Marguerite and Thoth,

 

Thanks for the welcome and the fast responses. I can see where the flexibility would definitely be an advantage to writing something that isn't structured like a screenplay, and screenwriters will have their own methods.

 

For Steve: I think that a "Link Sections to Scenes" checkbox with an additional "reciprocity" checkbox would be an efficient way to re-enable the option for those who want it. Perhaps it could otherwise be a hard-coded option for a "Save The Cat" template, which is pretty specific in its use.

 

Thanks again

[Joolissa]

I agree. I would like there to be an option that would move scene sheets around when you rearrange the scenes and vis versa. That'd be really nice and save a lot of organizational work!

- Jools

[Brandt]

I know that this is an old topic, but I'm wondering if anyone has heard whether or not Steve has looked into this feature request.

 

Thoth?

[Steve]

I know that this is an old topic, but I'm wondering if anyone has heard whether or not Steve has looked into this feature request.

 

Thoth?

 

Hi Brandt,

 

Thanks for checking back. I have looked into it and it is certainly a reasonable request. There are a couple of components to it:

 

1) Inserting the screen sheet in script order when you create a new scene in the script. (This is relatively simple to implement.)

 

2) Reordering your scene sheets when you reorder the scenes in the script.

 

3) Creating new scenes in the script when you add a scene sheet.

 

4) Reordering your scenes in your script when you reorder your scene sheets.

 

The last three require some effort. The next feature release is a few months away (due mostly to the iPad development), and this feature is a good candidate for it.

 

-Steve

[Brandt]

Thanks for the feedback, Steve, this is good to hear!

[Brandt]

Hi Steve,

Checking in on this set of feature requests. Are they still on the roadmap?

Thanks,

Brandt