Chapter 3: Script and Panels

A complete storyboard is not only made of drawing panels, but also includes valuable written directions and information, such as action notes, dialogue, and more. In Storyboard Pro, the editing of these text fields, called captions, is as easy as a drag and drop. You can also reorder, rearrange and modify your panels and scenes very easily, without having to go back to the photocopy machine, scissors, and tape.

Importing a Script

If your script is in *.txt or *.rtf file format, you can use the Import Caption command to import it into the Script caption.

To use the Import Caption command to import your script:

  1. In the Storyboard view, click the Caption Menu button and select Import Caption.

The Import Caption browser opens.

  1. Select your *.txt or *.rtf file and click Open.

The script appears in the Script caption field.

 

Adding Text to Panel Captions

The quickest and easiest way to add text to your caption fields is to drag and drop it. For example, if you imported your script into the Storyboard view’s Script caption field, you can select the text you need and drop it in the desired panel’s caption field.

To drag and drop text from your imported script:

  1. (Optional) Switch to the Vertical workspace by clicking the Vertical Workspace button or selecting Windows > Workspace > Workspace > Vertical.
  1. In the Thumbnails view, select the panel to which you want to add text to a caption.
  1. In the Storyboard view:
In the Vertical workspace, the Storyboard view is on the right side of the screen, under the Panel view. Click the Storyboard tab to switch to this view.
If the Storyboard view is not displayed in your workspace, select Windows > Storyboard.
  1. In the Script caption field, highlight the part of the text you want to drag and drop.
NOTE: You can drag and drop text from any caption field to another; it does not absolutely have to be from the Script caption.
  1. In the Script caption, click and drag the selected text and drop it in the destination caption of your panel.

  1. Repeat this until you have copied all the necessary text into your project’s caption fields.
NOTE: You can also copy and paste text from external applications such as Microsoft sWord or from a PDF files.

Creating Panels

When you are creating a panel, the new panel is added after the current panel.

To create panels:

  1. In the Thumbnails view, select the panel to which you want to add a panel.

  1. Do one of the following:
In the Storyboard toolbar, click the Create Panel button.
Select Storyboard > Create Panel.
Press [P].

A new panel is added to the storyboard, and is part of the same scene as the current panel.

Creating Scenes

To create a scene:

In the Storyboard toolbar, click the New Scene button or select Storyboard > New > New Scene.

A new scene, containing one blank panel, is added after the current scene.

Creating Sequences

By default, when you start building your storyboard using the New Scene button or command, the scenes that are created are not part of a sequence. If you want to start adding sequences to your project, you must use the New Sequence button for every new scene beginning a new sequence. This will add a new scene to your project and show the sequence markers in the Thumbnails and Timeline views.

You can also start adding sequences to your project at anytime, using the New Sequence from Selection command, and manipulate them using the different commands in the following topics.

NOTE: When you add a new scene using the New Sequence button or command for the first time in your project, all scenes that are prior to it will be combined as a sequence. For this reason, you should use New Sequence button when starting the first scene of your second sequence.

To create a new sequence:

In the Storyboard toolbar, click the New Sequence button or select Storyboard > New > New Sequence.

A new scene is added to your project and is now the starting point of a new sequence. If this is the first sequence you add to a project, all scenes prior to it will be combined as a sequence as well. The sequence markers will also become visible in both the Thumbnails and Timeline views.

Reordering Panels

To reorder panels, drag and drop your selection where you see a blue straight line. You can drop your selection between two scenes or in the middle of a scene. Dropping a panel in the middle of a scene will include it in the scene; it will not split it.

Remember that if you select more than one panel to move, you must drag them by clicking the current panel in the selection. Clicking any other panel in the selection will deselect the rest.

You can drag and drop a selection to remove it from a scene. Just drag the selection out and drop it between two scenes when you see a straight blue line appear.

You can drag and drop a selection so it joins another scene. Just drag the panel onto the edge of the scene you want it to attach to, and drop it when you see a right-facing or left-facing bracket appear.