I've just started using scriptsmart, as my first scriptwriting software and have been very impressed. Just as I was getting used to it though, it's now decided to play silly buggers. It either crashes for no reason, or gives me a message 'error! reference source not found!'

If I open an existing script that I've used it for, it opens fine but won't let me 'save as' to use the template that way.

And yes, I am saving the download as a template, and working from that, not working on the template directly. And it asks me automatically if I want to disable macros so I don't think it's that.

I've even deleted all the script smart files and reinstalled it, but that's not helped either. Any suggestions? Even for another free script programme cause I've got tons to do and trying to do it on word is a huge pain in the arse. Thanking you.

Celtx is what I use and it's free and great and I can't recommend it more.

There's also Final draft, which I find clunky and annoying and it's very expensive.

Can't help you with Scriptsmart I'm afraid as I never got on with it.

Quote: willie garvin @ April 16 2008, 3:21 PM BST

I've just started using scriptsmart, as my first scriptwriting software and have been very impressed. Just as I was getting used to it though, it's now decided to play silly buggers. It either crashes for no reason, or gives me a message 'error! reference source not found!'

If I open an existing script that I've used it for, it opens fine but won't let me 'save as' to use the template that way.

And yes, I am saving the download as a template, and working from that, not working on the template directly. And it asks me automatically if I want to disable macros so I don't think it's that.

I've even deleted all the script smart files and reinstalled it, but that's not helped either. Any suggestions? Even for another free script programme cause I've got tons to do and trying to do it on word is a huge pain in the arse. Thanking you.

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Willie

I only get that message if I forget to give what I'm working on a name at the start of the piece (ie when opening a new project). If you haven't got a name just give it a number or somthing or some *** then fill that in later.

Hope this helps but I'm not the world's greatest computer geezer. But I have no probs with Scriptsmart. I think it's excellent

Quote: Griff @ April 16 2008, 3:36 PM BST

Can you export your stuff from Celtx into Word once it's all finished, cos lots of producers only want stuff in Word format ?

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I'm not sure? I think that has been a request to the makers for a long time, so maybe they have included it? You can export to PDF, so maybe you can then import that PDF into Word?

Quote: Griff @ April 16 2008, 3:36 PM BST

Can you export your stuff from Celtx into Word once it's all finished, cos lots of producers only want stuff in Word format ?

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No; however you can save it in .pdf format.

If want to be able to use word then I'd recommended looking at this... http://www.datahighways.co.uk/dhl/toolkit.htm

I've never had any problems with it and it does all that scriptsmart does and a whole lot more...

kjs

Is willie using a Mac..?

kjs

or willie be using a Mac?

No?

Ok then.

I'm all about the Mac, should have mentioned that. Cheers Blenkinsop, yes I was just leaving the title blank, putting in a placeholder seems to work.

Ah, spoke too soon. Just started on a new sketch and after a few lines and a cavalier press of the enter key it crashed again. Balls. Downloaded Celtx but I'm not happy about not being able to save as a word document. Griff, I downloaded Scriptsmart gold for Mac off the writers room site http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scriptsmart/scriptsmart_gold.shtml

Good luck, let me know if you have problems with it.

Regrettably I had to forgo comverting my Scriptwriters Toolkit for MS Word on the Mac. It would take £2000 to £3000 worth of effort and there was no way that I could ever get paid for it.

There simply was not enough demand; over the last 3 or so years only about 20 writers with Macs have asked for a Mac version, so at the low "admin fee" of around £13, that would only recover £260.

Scriptsmart is part of my problem.. it's inferior but totally free (but now totally unsupported because the creator left the BBC) and its got unjustified priority listing on the BBC website. My toolkit is actually much older than Scriptsmart (it was originally designed for and used by Marks & Gran to write the well known Alomo sitcoms & drama: Birds of a Feather, Love Hurts etc).

Scriptsmart sort-of works on the Mac, but even on the PC it doesn't do all that my Toolkit does and Scriptsmart is tedious to use. Scriptsmart tries to do all the formats in a single template, so you have to remember different keys for formatting depending on what type of script you are writing.

In contrast I designed the Scriptwriters Toolkit so that you decide beforehand what format you want, then all the keystrokes are consistent, regardless of what script format you are creating. Also the paragraph styles have consistent names, which means that to some extent you can reformat a script into an alternative format, simply by attaching it to a different template in the set.

Alas as well as not working fully on the Mac, my Toolkit also does not work fully on the new MS Word 2007, so if it is to continue I will need to re-vamp it yet again, but actually if I do so I will likely re-do it for free Open Office instead of Microsoft Office,, and as I believe Open Office is available for Apple OS/X as well as Windows and Linux, you might finally get a fully working Scriptwriter's Toolkit for the Mac.

Why does one need a script formatter?
On words, I just set the format to 'centre page' etc

It's probably best to let someone else answer, but I suppose it has to do with spacing and that? Fit more on a page, ect.

Quote: Griff @ April 16 2008, 4:03 PM BST

No but I use a Mac and I'm still baffled as to what to use to write scripts with.

Although most pro writers I know just use Word and format it manually, so that's good enough for me.

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I just re-write over old scripts.

Quote: billwill @ April 16 2008, 6:26 PM BST

Alas as well as not working fully on the Mac, my Toolkit also does not work fully on the new MS Word 2007...

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It does Bill... I run MS Office Word 2007 on Vista home premium...

When you open a template it asks if you want to enable macros and then I save as Word 97-2003 and everything is hunky-dory...

most docs have to be saved as 97-2003 .doc anyway because no one can open them if you send them a 2007 .docx

strangely I can't get any version of scriptsmart to work on 2007...

kjs