Importing a Final Draft Script in Storyboard Pro

Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 1.5, now allows you to import your Final Draft scripts automatically without any copying and pasting! This new feature is an amazing time saver as it handles the creation of shots and panels as well as inserting all the text in the proper captions without you having to do a single thing!

In this article, you will learn how to prepare your script for the Storyboard Pro import. We will suggest the settings you need to import successfully.

Preparing your Final Draft Script

Once your script is ready in Final Draft, you will need to export your file as an XML using Final Draft Tagger v7.

To export your script as an XML:

Start the Final Draft Tagger software.
Select File > Import Script, the keyboard shortcut is [Ctrl]+[I]. The Import dialog box opens.
In the browser, select your script file and click on the Open button. Your script will appear in Final Draft Tagger.
Select File > Export to XML.
Close the Final Draft Tagger application.

Importing your Script into Storyboard Pro

Now that your script is exported from Final Draft, you are ready to import it into Storyboard Pro.

First, you must launch Storyboard Pro and then create a new project. Refer to the Toon Boom Storyboard Pro user guide to learn how to create a new project.

Once your project is ready, you can import your script and build your storyboard.

To import your script:

Select File > New Storyboard from Final Draft XML.
The Select Final Draft XML file dialog box opens.
Browse and select your XML file.
The Import from Final Draft dialog box opens.
Select the Actions or Destination caption fields for each script element type. Refer to the Setting your Final Draft Import section below for a settings suggestion.
Click on the OK button.
You are now ready to build your storyboard!

Setting your Final Draft Import

When you import a script from Final Draft, you can choose from many settings when you build your storyboard.

Here are some of the recommended settings.