Final Draft Format Asst Problem

lordmanji · 12-06-2010, 10:32 AM

when I run format assistant, it goes line by line instead of just skipping to the errors. anyone know how to fix this?

ComicBent · 12-06-2010, 02:56 PM

Will check on this later today if nobody answers your question in the meantime.

I never use that feature, so I cannot say what the problem is without taking a look at Final Draft, which I do not have on this computer.

ComicBent · 12-06-2010, 08:46 PM

Well, I took a look at Format Assistant.

I wonder if you somehow have a blank space at the start of each line. That seems unlikely, but it is the only thing I can see that ought to make Format Assistant stop on each line.

If you cannot figure it out, please feel free to send me the script, or at least some pages, and let me look at it (Windows only; no Mac files, please).

ComicBent
(For my email, just click my avatar picture at left. Then scroll down to my Contact Info and get my email address from there.)

planetcaravan · 12-06-2010, 09:56 PM

When it stops, what does it say the error is?

lordmanji · 12-06-2010, 10:26 PM

i talked to final draft's live chat and cleared it up. format assistant will go line by line if there are no format errors. i was confused because in version 7 there were usually format errors after i finished the script and would skip to each problem of double lines or missing dialogue, but i think version 8 this has been cleared up.

lordmanji · 12-07-2010, 02:18 PM

just found a sentence missing a period despite running format assist. i changed my mind: there really is something wrong with this program. version 7 would have found this. im sorry i upgraded.

ComicBent · 12-07-2010, 05:45 PM

Okay, here is my interpretation of these events ...

First, about FD 7 ...

I left a period out at the end of a sentence at the end of a paragraph. Format Assistant in 7 did not notice this error. This is not the kind of thing that the Format Assistant would find.

As for version 8 ...

If you have no errors, it just says "No Errors Found" or something like that, and the first paragraph is selected. It looks as if you are going line by line, but in reality the program has already checked the whole script.

Try putting in a blank space at the start of a line somewhere, and you will see that FD8 will flag this as an error.

Version 8 works just fine.

12-06-2010, 10:32 AM	#1
lordmanji Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,127	Final Draft Format Asst Problem when I run format assistant, it goes line by line instead of just skipping to the errors. anyone know how to fix this?

12-06-2010, 02:56 PM	#2
ComicBent Administrator Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3,118	Re: Final Draft Format Asst Problem Will check on this later today if nobody answers your question in the meantime. I never use that feature, so I cannot say what the problem is without taking a look at Final Draft, which I do not have on this computer. __________________ "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." — ComicBent.

12-06-2010, 08:46 PM	#3
ComicBent Administrator Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3,118	Re: Final Draft Format Asst Problem Well, I took a look at Format Assistant. I wonder if you somehow have a blank space at the start of each line. That seems unlikely, but it is the only thing I can see that ought to make Format Assistant stop on each line. If you cannot figure it out, please feel free to send me the script, or at least some pages, and let me look at it (Windows only; no Mac files, please). ComicBent (For my email, just click my avatar picture at left. Then scroll down to my Contact Info and get my email address from there.) __________________ "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." — ComicBent.

12-06-2010, 09:56 PM	#4
planetcaravan New User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: California Posts: 3	Re: Final Draft Format Asst Problem When it stops, what does it say the error is?

12-06-2010, 10:26 PM	#5
lordmanji Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,127	Re: Final Draft Format Asst Problem i talked to final draft's live chat and cleared it up. format assistant will go line by line if there are no format errors. i was confused because in version 7 there were usually format errors after i finished the script and would skip to each problem of double lines or missing dialogue, but i think version 8 this has been cleared up.

12-07-2010, 02:18 PM	#6
lordmanji Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,127	Re: Final Draft Format Asst Problem just found a sentence missing a period despite running format assist. i changed my mind: there really is something wrong with this program. version 7 would have found this. im sorry i upgraded.

12-07-2010, 05:45 PM	#7
ComicBent Administrator Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3,118	Re: Final Draft Format Asst Problem Okay, here is my interpretation of these events ... First, about FD 7 ... I left a period out at the end of a sentence at the end of a paragraph. Format Assistant in 7 did not notice this error. This is not the kind of thing that the Format Assistant would find. As for version 8 ... If you have no errors, it just says "No Errors Found" or something like that, and the first paragraph is selected. It looks as if you are going line by line, but in reality the program has already checked the whole script. Try putting in a blank space at the start of a line somewhere, and you will see that FD8 will flag this as an error. Version 8 works just fine. __________________ "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." — ComicBent.

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