Importing scripts

This guide assumes The basics.

CineLog never applies an import blind. It parses the file in memory, compares it with the script you have open, and shows you every difference before anything changes. You decide what lands, row by row if you want to. That matters most on a script that’s already locked and distributed, but it’s also just a nicer way to bring in a rewrite.

Starting an import

Click Import in the Script Editor’s top menu bar. It carries the Cmd / Ctrl + I hotkey, which starts an import whenever the shortcut isn’t busy italicizing selected text. On the phone it’s the import icon in the app bar. The supported formats are FDX, Fountain, PDF, TXT, and RTF. A PDF gets one extra step first, a small dialog for how the text is pulled in.

Importing into a fresh project

If the project still holds the untouched starter script, CineLog skips the ceremony and shows one dialog with the file’s title and size, like “46 scenes · 512 lines”. Import replaces the starter script in one go. Review first takes you to the review screen anyway, where each scene collapses to one line with a Skip / Include choice, in case you want to leave some scenes behind.

The moment you’ve typed a single character into the starter script, it stops counting as untouched and every import goes through the full review.

The review screen

The review screen lists every difference between the file and your current script, grouped with pinned headers and a running counter at the top, like “58 changes · 4 conflicts · 2 unresolved”.

On a wide window each row shows three columns: the element type, In the file, and In the editor. When both sides are a single line, the changed words themselves are highlighted, green for what the file adds and red for what the editor loses. On narrow windows the two sides stack.

Each row carries an Accept / Reject control. On an unlocked script every row starts accepted, and an Accept all button sits in the top bar. Rows that only report a scene sitting at a different position are informational, because position changes aren’t applied automatically.

Back to editor cancels the whole staging. Nothing has been applied yet.

When the script is locked

Rows that touch locked material start with nothing selected, and the apply button reads Resolve N until every one of them has a decision. That’s the point of the lock: changes to issued material need a human yes.

Pressing Resolve N offers three ways out: Review scrolls you to the first unresolved row, or you can Accept all remaining / Reject all remaining in one move.

Locked conflicts carry a padlock and a note about the consequence, for example that accepting a deletion marks the scene OMITTED rather than removing it. Omitting is how a locked script sheds scenes, so numbers hold. See Script lock & revisions.

Importing into a revision

On a page-locked script, the top bar adds a revision target: start a new revision round with the changes, or merge them into the current one. Merging into an issued round gets a warning first, because the distributed pages would no longer match what was sent out. You can also skip ahead to a later color if this production has burned colors elsewhere.

Adopting the file’s scene numbers

When your scenes are locked and the file carries real production numbering (letters, gaps, holes rather than a plain 1, 2, 3), the top bar offers a switch: Use the file’s scene numbers. Banner rows preview the outcome, like “Scene 12 will be renumbered to 14”.

Because renumbering a locked script breaks every call sheet and schedule that referenced the old numbers, CineLog confirms it separately and in plain terms. No scene is deleted, omitted scenes keep their tombstones, only the numbers change. This is also the sanctioned way to renumber a locked script, since there is no unlock.

Applying

The primary button applies your decisions: Import on a fresh project, Apply otherwise. You get a plain result message, like “Import applied — 12 changes”, or “Nothing applied — every change was rejected” if you rejected everything.

Imports ride the editor’s own editing pipeline, so breakdown tags, locked pages, and scene history survive an import instead of being orphaned by it.

If this isn’t working

“Cannot import” with a format list. The file’s extension isn’t one of the five supported formats. Export to FDX or Fountain from the other tool and try again.

“This file is identical to the current script.” There’s nothing to review. That’s the whole message.

The Apply button is stuck on “Resolve N”. N rows touching locked material still have neither Accept nor Reject. Use Resolve N → Review to jump to the first one.

I don’t see “Use the file’s scene numbers”. It appears only when your scenes are locked and the file carries production-style numbering. A file numbered 1..n in a plain run has nothing to adopt.