I found this very useful and, IMHO, bang on the money review of Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter
Final Draft Page 3
He's either incredibly ashamed and stumped by that question. Or possibly just hasn't logged-in for a few hours. Can't hide forever...
*waits*
Quote: Griff @ July 20 2009, 4:37 PM BSTSo how do you make a Word stylesheet give you a dropdown list of all your character names?
Would you really find that useful? (I seem to recall that you use an Apple Mac, for which regrettably my toolkit doesn't work completely).
When I designed the templates (call them stylesheets if you like) that form the Scriptwriters Toolkit, I arranged them so that you have a dialogue box for defining the Character Names, but using a dropdown list I felt would be too tedious; one only wants to use the mouse for rarish events and probably would not want to keep switching a hand from keys to mouse while typing the main portions of a script.
Hence Characters are 'associated' directly with combination keystrokes; the first Character is] CTRL+1, the second is CTRL+2 and so on {&}.
Visual Directives {Stage Directions} are CTRL+SHIFT+V
All spacing and styling is done automatically, by 'Styles' so CTRL+1 will begin a new paragraph; autotype the character name and then place the cursor ready for you to type his dialogue. When you are ready for the next speaker (say character 3) you just press His/Her keystrokes and it finishes the current speech, it begins a new paragraph; autotypes the character name and then places the cursor ready for you to type his dialogue.
For Stage directions you end the current speech with a RETURN, then Press CTRL+SHIFT+V and type the directions. And so on. All very quick and easy.
I've done all the work on 14 common script formats; beats me why anyone who wants to get on with writing and not become an IT Word-processor guru would want to bother doing their own. It takes a loooooong time to get every thing exactly right. Regrettably because it did take a lot of my time (and I'm a freelance IT boffin, not a scriptwriter) I do have to make a small admin charge equivalent to about 4 beers to use the toolkit, so that's possibly why people use the inferior Scriptsmart instead. Remember, it's less than one quid per template
Oh also, while working on a script it uses different colours on screen for the different types of paragraph (which helps your concentration), but when you are happy with your script there is a menu function called "Make Submission Script" which first saves an editable copy (with all the toolkit facilities) then removes the colour and the crib sheet (at the front) and the macros and saves the submission script in a form corresponding to what a really expert MS-Word guru, would have done.
For everyone messing about using Scriptsmart or trying to do their own Stylesheets, or bizarrely wasting time & effort typing over old scripts, I really suggest that you try the sample. There's no charge at all for that. It produces stage-play format (which was a deliberate choice so that pupils at schools would have a free tool for producing school plays).
The Toolkit works with Windows, and Microsoft Word 97 through Word-XP or Word 2003, but not fully for Word 2007.
I have no plans to revamp it for Word 2007; if I do a re-write it will be for Open Office instead, so that the toolkit will work on Windows/Linux/MacOSX.
Bill
{&} The 11th Character is CTRL+SHIFT+1 etc.
Quote: Tim Walker @ July 20 2009, 10:31 PM BSTHe's either incredibly ashamed and stumped by that question. Or possibly just hasn't logged-in for a few hours. Can't hide forever...
*waits*
What was the question?
Last night "my friend" downloaded a demo torrent of Final Draft 7 & 8 and tried to enter all kinds of codes etc but none of them worked, all appeared to have been blocked or removed from the internet 
It's worth remembering Mister J that the producers of FD own copywright on ANYTHING written on a non licensed i.e.pirate copy of their software. It might be cheaper in the long run to just buy a copy.
Quote: Jacob Loves Comedy @ July 21 2009, 9:54 AM BSTcopyright
Doing Aaron's job.
Good man!
What is a good price for Final Draft 8? Seen one for 99 pounds.
Quote: Marc P @ July 21 2009, 8:28 AM BSTWhat was the question?
I forget.
Quote: Marc P @ July 21 2009, 9:39 AM BSTIt's worth remembering Mister J that the producers of FD own copywright on ANYTHING written on a non licensed i.e.pirate copy of their software. It might be cheaper in the long run to just buy a copy.
I'd love to see them ever try and enforce this clause.
Quote: Tim Walker @ July 21 2009, 12:45 PM BSTI forget.
I'd love to see them ever try and enforce this clause.
I don't have anything to worry about, Marc. (Well, not from FD's lawyers, at least.) 
But really, the way scripts are chopped, changed, emailed to and fro, printed out, copied, re-digitised... Plus, if someone has a functioning copy of FD then unless the programme is incredibly clever, there won't be any digital trace that can categorically prove the script was produced by an illegal copy of FD, surely?
Quote: Griff @ July 20 2009, 4:39 PM BSTAlso, how do you make a Word stylesheet crash and lose all your work after a nine hour writing session like FD does?
The version of FD I have automatically saves the file every few seconds. The main problem seems to be that I haven't found many people who accept scripts in the Final Draft format.
Quote: Stan Doubt @ July 21 2009, 1:05 PM BSTThe main problem seems to be that I haven't found many people who accept scripts in the Final Draft format.
Who are you sending them to?
Quote: Tim Walker @ July 21 2009, 1:05 PM BSTI don't have anything to worry about, Marc. (Well, not from FD's lawyers, at least.)
But really, the way scripts are chopped, changed, emailed to and fro, printed out, copied, re-digitised... Plus, if someone has a functioning copy of FD then unless the programme is incredibly clever, there won't be any digital trace that can categorically prove the script was produced by an illegal copy of FD, surely?
The symbol was because I was joking Tim.