Getting Started

Write your first screenplay in 5 minutes. This guide walks you through the basics.

The Interface at a Glance

When you open a screenplay in OpenDraft, you'll see these main areas:

• Menu Bar (top) — Access all features via File, Edit, Format, View, Tools, and Help menus.
• Toolbar (below menu) — Quick buttons for formatting, element type, font, zoom, and search.
• Editor (center) — The main writing area where your screenplay lives. It looks and behaves like a page of paper.
• Side Panels (left/right) — Optional panels for Scene Navigator, Index Cards, Characters, Tags, and more. Toggle them from the View menu.
• Status Bar (bottom) — Shows your current page count and zoom level.

Step 1: Create a Project

Everything in OpenDraft lives inside a project. A project holds one or more screenplays, assets, and version history.

1. When you first open OpenDraft, you'll see the Projects screen. Click the + New Project button.
2. Give your project a name (e.g., "My First Screenplay") and press Create.
3. Your new project opens. You'll see tabs for Scripts, Assets, and Versions.

Step 2: Create a Script

1. Inside your project, click + New Script in the Scripts tab.
2. Give your script a name and press Create.
3. Click on the script to open it in the editor.

Step 3: Write Your First Scene

Screenplays are built from elements — scene headings, action, character names, dialogue, and more. OpenDraft formats them automatically.

1. Start with a Scene Heading. The editor begins in Scene Heading mode. Type your location:

   INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

   Press Enter to move to the next line. The element type automatically switches to Action.
2. Write some action. Describe what we see:

   A busy coffee shop. SARAH (30s, sharp eyes, messy bun) waits in line, fidgeting with her phone.

   Press Enter twice to move on.
3. Add a character and dialogue. Press ⌘3 to switch to Character mode, then type the name:

   SARAH

   Press Enter — it automatically switches to Dialogue mode. Type what they say:

   Come on, come on... I'm going to be late.

4. Add a parenthetical. Press ⌘5 for a Parenthetical:

   (checking her watch)

   Press Enter to return to dialogue.

Step 4: Save Your Work

OpenDraft offers two ways to save:

• Quick Save (⌘S) — Saves your current work instantly.
• Check In (File > Versions > Check In) — Creates a named version checkpoint. You can view, compare, and restore any checked-in version later. Think of it like a "save point" in a video game.

Neither of those is the same as a backup. Turn backups on and OpenDraft writes timestamped copies of your script into a folder you choose — on your computer, or in Files on a phone or tablet — while you write.

Working In More Than One Window

File > New Window opens a second OpenDraft window, so you can keep an outline or an earlier draft in view while you write. It is available on the desktop, on iPad, and on Android 12L and later — where the menu item is missing, the device cannot show two windows of one app.

• iPad — the new window opens as a second scene; drag the window controls at the top to put the two side by side.
• Android — each window is its own entry in Recents. To see both at once, open Recents, tap the OpenDraft icon above a window, choose Split screen, then pick the other OpenDraft window.
• Desktop — an ordinary second window you can move and resize.

If you open a screenplay that is already open in another window, OpenDraft offers to switch to that window rather than open a second copy — two windows editing one script would save over each other.

Step 5: Explore the Panels

Open side panels from the View menu to access powerful tools:

Panel	What it does	Best for
Navigator	Lists all scenes; click to jump	Quick navigation in long scripts
Index Cards	Visual cards for each scene	Rearranging scenes, adding synopses
Beat Board	Story beats organized by act	High-level story planning
Characters	Rich profiles with images, backstories, roles, and stats	Building your cast, tracking who appears where
Script Notes	Color-coded annotations	Reminders, feedback, research
Tags	Production tagging (props, costumes...)	Pre-production breakdowns

Next Steps

You now know the basics! Here's where to go next:

• Writing Your Screenplay — Deep dive into all screenplay elements and the editor
• Formatting — Bold, italic, fonts, and page formatting
• Characters — Build character profiles and track dialogue
• Keyboard Shortcuts — Speed up your workflow