DramaQueen 4.0.0 BETA – UPDATE REPORT

Check out DramaQueen 4.0 BETA and discover the new extension for radio plays and stag plays and the new dark mode in advance!

We have also activated 30 test days for all BETA testers! The test period applies to EVERYONE, regardless of whether you already have a license or not (yet)!

Click here to download the BETA version.

Important information about 4.0.0 BETA

• During the BETA phase, DramaQueen starts directly in dark mode for demo purposes. However, dark mode can be changed to ‘light’ in the view menu or in the program settings.
• A few partial functions and optimizations are currently missing. For example, radio plays and stage plays cannot yet be imported and converted in the first step. In dark mode, individual colors still need to be adjusted. When revising with AI, the formatting of the text elements is not yet retained when the revised text is inserted into the Text panel. And of course, there may still be a few small bugs hidden in the BETA.
• If you want to go back to the current version 3.7.3, you can find the installer here on the regular download page. You can go back to version 3 at any time without any problems.

Update notes for BETA version 4.0:

NEW EXTENSION: STAGE PLAYS – FOR DRAMAQUEEN PRO3

• DramaQueen now supports the creation and formatting of stage plays.
• The new media option ‘Stage play’ is offered on the start panel. The following text elements are available in the ‘Script’ text level:
  • General
  • Stage instructions
  • Character + text
  • Narrator
  • Sound
  • Music
  • Light
• Formatting can be done using TAB cycling, formatting pop-up (opens with the ENTER key), the text element drop-down in the toolbar or shortcuts.
• Stage plays can be divided into scenes or performances.
• Characters that have already been created no longer need to be typed, but can simply be selected in the Smart Type pop-up.
• Script formatting ensures that all text sections comply with the standard formatting conventions for stage plays. This means:
  • The numbering of the scenes can be placed after (e.g. ‘Scene 1’) or before (‘1st Scene’). The desired position of the number can be set in the layout settings, tab ‘Numbering’, section ‘Placement’.
  • Stage instructions are automatically placed in parentheses by default. (The brackets can be removed in the layout settings of the text element ‘Stage directions’ in the ‘Text additions’ section.)
  • Speaking characters are automatically terminated with a colon.
  • The character text begins on the same line, indented to the right. (In the ‘Basic Layout’ section of the ‘Script’ Layout menu you can define how far to the right the second tab position for the dialog text should be indented.)
  • In addition, stage directions that concern (technical) effects, i.e. the use of sound, music, light or a narrator’s voice, can be formatted separately: These elements begin left-aligned with the label ‘SOUND:’, ‘MUSIC:’, ‘LIGHT:’ or ‘NARRATOR:’. (The labels can be changed in the layout settings in the ‘Text additions’ section.) The sound, music or light effect is described in more detail on the same line, indented to the right. These elements are written in brackets by default (like the stage directions). (The brackets can be removed in the layout settings.) Since these extra text elements are not part of the classic, traditional layout of stage scripts, they are not embedded in the TAB cycling. However, they are available via ENTER, shortcuts and in the toolbar.

NEW EXTENSION: RADIO PLAYS – FOR DRAMAQUEEN PRO3

• DramaQueen now also supports the creation and formatting of radio plays (and scripted podcasts).
• The new media option ‘Audio drama / radio play’ is offered on the start panel. The following text elements are available in the ‘Script’ text level:
  • General
  • Character + text
  • Narrator
  • Sound
  • Music
  • ABM
  • SFX
  • Mix

Formatting can be done via TAB cycling, formatting popup (opens with the ENTER key) or shortcuts.

• Locations and characters that have already been created don’t need to be typed, but can simply be selected in the Smart Type popup.
• Layout settings:
  • In the ‘Basic layout’ section you can define how far to the right the second tab position for the dialog text, the narrator text and the descriptions of the sound and music effects should be indented.
  • Under ‘More options’ you can layout each text element individually.
• The script formatting ensures that all text sections comply with the standard formatting conventions for radio plays. This means:
• Speaking characters are automatically terminated with a colon.
• The character text begins on the same line, indented to the right.
• The narrator text begins left-aligned with the name ‘NARRATOR:’. (In the layout settings of the text element ‘Narrator’, the name can be changed in the section ‘Text additions’ -> ‘Preceding text’ (in the case of a podcast, for example, to ‘HOST:’).
• The sound elements begin left-aligned with the name of the type of sound: ‘SOUND:’, ‘MUSIC:’, ‘AMB:’, ‘SFX:’ or ‘MIX:’. (These labels can be changed in the layout settings in the ‘Text additions’ section.) On the same line, indented to the right, the sound or music is described in more detail. By default, the sound elements are underlined. (The underline can be removed in the layout settings.)
• Instead of typing the names of the individual text elements, a simple TAB or ENTER is enough and the labels NARRATOR, SOUND, MUSIC, ATMO, SFX or MIX are set – including a colon after them.

NEW FEATURE ‘DARKMODE’ – FOR DRAMAQUEEN FREE, PLUS & PRO

• DramaQueen now also supports a dark design (dark mode).
• This BETA opens directly in dark mode for demo purposes.
• The appearance (light or dark) can be changed in the program settings or in the main menu ‘View’ (last option at the bottom).
• Export/Print: Dark mode only affects the screen display. When you print, export to another text format or create a PDF the text remains in the classic layout – dark text on a white background.
• When creating dark mode in the current basic functionality, the basis was also created for offering customizable designs or other themes in the future.

IMPROVEMENTS

• More colors have been added to the color selection for coloring the text background.
• Individual AI prompt suggestions have been improved.