← How To · Script · 3 min read

How to import a Final Draft (.fdx) screenplay

Final Draft has been the screenwriter's default for 30 years. Migrating into a connected pre-production suite shouldn't mean rewriting the screenplay. StoryboardCanvas Script imports FDX files preserving everything that matters.

1

Export from Final Draft

In Final Draft: File → Save as → choose '.fdx (Final Draft)' from the format dropdown. The .fdx file is XML under the hood; everything Final Draft stores travels with it.

2

Open /script in StoryboardCanvas

From any project's dashboard, click /script. The empty editor shows an Import zone — drag your .fdx file in. The import parses the XML and reconstructs the script: scene headings, action, characters, dialogue, parentheticals, transitions, dual dialogue, lyrics, centered, page breaks, sections, synopses, and notes.

3

Verify revision mode

Revision colours — the industry-standard rotation (white, blue, pink, yellow, green, goldenrod, buff, salmon, cherry, second blue) — are preserved. Locked scene numbers, alphanumeric inserts (A8, B8, C8), and locked pages all transfer. Open the Revision panel to confirm the active draft colour matches the source.

4

Save and watch the autoseed fire

First save in /script kicks the autoseed pipeline: /cast pre-populates from named characters; /breakdown is ready to run a full-screenplay AI pass; the shotlist module can bulk-parse the scenes into shots. One import, every downstream tool seeded.

Export back to Final Draft any time — /script writes a clean .fdx your agent and your studio can open. You're not locked in.

Try it

Open /script and follow the steps

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