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I posted this to the unmoderated list, but was warned off in no uncertain terms.
What's wrong with it?
Anyway here goes: I am just trying to get to grips with Movie Maker Screenwriter.
In many respects it is way ahead of Final Draft, but does seem to have a few fairly irritating anomalies.
1) It seems to want to make backups only on the floppy a: drive,which my computer just doesn't have. Even when I set it to save backups to the C: drive, despite dire warnings. (Which I confidently ignore, because I save my documents to a network drive.)

2) It insists on putting a double space at the end of sentences,even when that's not the British way to do things and I'm using it set to British.

3) It seems to insist on bleeping at the end of each word, evenif they are all correct.

4) For some reason it wants to save my script files in the MovieMagic folder under the Program Files directory.

5) The scroll wheel also move the cursor. According to myknowledge of Windows standards, it must be possible to scroll through your document without actually losing your cursor position. When I'm translating scripts (which I do) I want to see ahead, hence my dependence on the scroll wheel.
6)

Are these common problems, or is there some way around them? (I also posted these two technical support, but hope for some peer- group feedback.)
Regards
Martin

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]I posted this to the unmoderated list, but was warned off in no uncertain terms. What's wrong with it?[/nq]
Beats me, dude. I think you would have been better off at mws. What half-wit suggested you post here?

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]1) It seems to want to make backups only on the floppy a: drive, which my computer just doesn't have. ... position. When I'm translating scripts (which I do) I want to see ahead, hence my dependence on the scroll wheel.[/nq]
6) The search function can only be activated with Alt-O or themouse... why not enter?
Rgds
Martin

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I posted this to the unmoderated list, but was warned off in no uncertain terms. What's wrong with it? Anyway ... In many respects it is way ahead of Final Draft, but does seem to have a few fairly irritating anomalies.[/nq]
I use the Macintosh version of Screenwriter so your mileage may vary.
[nq:1]1) It seems to want to make backups only on the floppy a: drive, which my computer just doesn't have. ... to the C: drive, despite dire warnings. (Which I confidently ignore, because I save my documents to a network drive.)[/nq]
Contact their tech support if no on ehas the answer here. Screenwriter tech is very responsive.
[nq:1]2) It insists on putting a double space at the end of sentences, even when that's not the British way to do things and I'm using it set to British.[/nq]
I know you can adjust the double spaces to single spaces in the Mac Preferences.
[nq:1]3) It seems to insist on bleeping at the end of each word, even if they are all correct.[/nq]
No idea. But I'll bet there's some setting that you can set that makes it spell check as you type if it's on switch it off.
[nq:1]4) For some reason it wants to save my script files in the Movie Magic folder under the Program Files directory.[/nq]
That's the default. YOu can specify a particular folder the first time you save, and thereafter it will save to that folder for that script.
[nq:1]5) The scroll wheel also move the cursor. According to my knowledge of Windows standards, it must be possible to ... position. When I'm translating scripts (which I do) I want to see ahead, hence my dependence on the scroll wheel.[/nq]
Tech support beyond me.
[nq:1]6) Are these common problems, or is there some way around them? (I also posted these two technical support, but hope for some peer- group feedback.) Regards Martin[/nq]
"I write with one hand, but I fight with both."
Victor Hugo

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I know you can adjust the double spaces to single spaces in the Mac Preferences.[/nq]
That is weird. I can't see any such option on the PC version.
[nq:2]It seems to insist on bleeping at the end of each word, even if they are all correct.[/nq]
[nq:1]No idea. But I'll bet there's some setting that you can set that makes it spell check as you type if it's on switch it off.[/nq]
But that apparently also seems to turn off the red underlining. I don't mind the red underlining, but I don't want it bleeping at me as I type..
[nq:2]4) For some reason it wants to save my script files in the Movie Magic folder under the Program Files directory.[/nq]
[nq:1]That's the default. YOu can specify a particular folder the first time you save, and thereafter it will save to that folder for that script.[/nq]
This is even weirder. The program files directory is - as the name suggests - intended for program files. Documents should obviously be kept in the documents area of your computer. This has certainly been the way Windows has been intended to work ever since Windows 95. If you want to do it different, at least give people an option of keeping documents and program separate. (I obviously want to keep backups, but only of my documents, not of my programs. Those can be reinstalled.)
Regards
Martin

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I know you can adjust the double spaces to single spaces in the Mac Preferences.[/nq]
[nq:1]That is weird. I can't see any such option on the PC version.[/nq]
I can only assume it's there maybe you're not looking in the right place.
[nq:2]No idea. But I'll bet there's some setting that you ... as you type if it's on switch it off.[/nq]
[nq:1]But that apparently also seems to turn off the red underlining. I don't mind the red underlining, but I don't want it bleeping at me as I type..[/nq]
I just checked the Prefs on my Mac (maybe it's called "Settings" in Windows not sure) and I can choose to have underline on or off, and I can choose to have the beep on or ofI independently of each other. I find it very hard to believe you can't do the same in Windows.
[nq:2]That's the default. YOu can specify a particular folder the ... it will save to that folder for that script.[/nq]
[nq:1]This is even weirder. The program files directory is - as the name suggests - intended for program files. Documents ... separate. (I obviously want to keep backups, but only of my documents, not of my programs. Those can be reinstalled.)[/nq]
But you can save your docs wherever you want to at least in the Mac.
It's just that the default is to save the docs in the program folder. But you can override it.

"I write with one hand, but I fight with both."
Victor Hugo

Usenet · Answer

PS: one of the things I like about Screenwriter is how custoimizable it is all kinds of variations are possible.
My biggest beef with them is that not everything is where you would expect it to be and there seem to be 3 or 4 places you need to go to make these adjustement instead of just one.

"I write with one hand, but I fight with both."
Victor Hugo

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]1) It seems to want to make backups only on ... to see ahead, hence my dependence on the scroll wheel.[/nq]
[nq:1]6) The search function can only be activated with Alt-O or the mouse... why not enter?[/nq]
Back when the product was called ScriptThing, the interface was pretty dorky. If it wasn't for the fact that it had so many other great features I'd have stopped using it. But they keep improving, and they are very responsive to input from users. Stephen Greenfield who I think is the President/Owner of Movie Magic, used to solicit input from us on MWS, and has been very responsive to constructive criticism.

The search interface is the one thing that bothers me most as well. I think Dena Jo publically asked Stephen to fix it and he said he would must have been 6 or 8 months ago. There hasn't been a new release since then, but maybe it will be addressed when there is one.

Anyway, your other complaints stem from either the fact that they support so many different styles of screenwriting that it's sometimes hard to wade through all the options, or the problems stem from issues in the older interface which they've been slowly but steadily addressing.
Anyway, for the beeping, look under File/Program Options, especially in the "Smartcheck", "Spelling" and "Miscellaneous" tabs, and turn off all the beeping you find. My copy (Version 4.7 under Windows XP) doesn't bother me with any beeps at all.
As far as backup drives, switch it to whereever you want under Startup/Files, and in the same dialogue box tell it to stop warning you to take backups. Then remember to take your own backups, of course...

Don't know about the double-spacing between sentences. It does it to me as well and I've just learned to accept it because it's the American style anyway. I too wish the program saved to the document tree automatically, but it doesn't another carryover from the Windows 95 days...
I guess the pod people have taken over my brain because I've decided that in spite of its problems it's the best thing going, and I use it exclusively now. I'm switching my primary machine over to a Mac this week and I'm hoping the interface there is as good or better.

Alan Brooks
~~
A with an Underwood
The club of loyal whingers.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I guess the pod people have taken over my brain because I've decided that in spite of its problems it's ... my primary machine over to a Mac this week and I'm hoping the interface there is as good or better.[/nq]
It's OK, but it has irritations things that I think of as Tools are under the Layout menu, for example. And the global document formatting is in a different place from the element formatting and the cover page formatting is in a different place again just not very intuitive. But most of that stuff has to be set only once, and just about every program I use has its own quirks.

"I write with one hand, but I fight with both."
Victor Hugo

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I guess the pod people have taken over my brain ... I'm hoping the interface there is as good or better.[/nq]
[nq:1]It's OK, but it has irritations things that I think of as Tools are under the Layout menu, for ... of that stuff has to be set only once, and just about every program I use has its own quirks.[/nq]
And by the way, you can assign any command or Element Style to any keystroke. The process is badly designed, at least in the Mac, but it can be done relatively easily.

"I write with one hand, but I fight with both."
Victor Hugo

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]But you can save your docs wherever you want to at least in the Mac. It's just that the default is to save the docs in the program folder. But you can override it.[/nq]
BTW, on the Mac version, does anyone know how to stop it from creating the Movie Magic folder in Documents? I changed my default to a different folder, but it still keeps creating that folder every time I open the program.
That, and the fact that every time I start the program anew it goes back to the default "Search from cursor position" instead of "Search the entire document" which is what I always want, are my only complaints about the program.

Stephen Mack
"Nobody's smart enough to be wrong all the time." -Ken Wilber

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