DramaQueen 3.8 – Update-Report

This update contains new features.

NEW FEATURES

• DramaQueen now supports the creation and formatting of stage plays in parallel layout. This means that related text elements (e.g., character + dialogue) are displayed side by side (and not one below the other).
• 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
  • Stage setting
  • Video projection
• 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.
• The smart import for stage plays has built-in recognition of scenes, characters, dialogs and other text elements.
• Stage plays also have the option to number dialogs. You can configure the starting number, whether existing numbers should be retained, whether each character should be numbered individually and whether the numbering should restart with each scene. Dialog numbering can also be removed automatically. These options are accessible via the gear menu in the Text panel under the ‘Numbering’ option.
• AI integration / ‘Revise with AI’ option: The formatting of text elements is now retained in Stage documents when the revised text is inserted into the Text panel.
• The options ‘Summaries’ -> ‘Text beginnings’ and ‘Entered summaries, text beginnings otherwise’ in the gear menu of the Overview and Board panel also take into account the text elements of stage documents.