Final Draft 13’s Collaboration tool allows the user to work on and discuss a script with any number of Final Draft 13 users anywhere in the world in real time.
Users can share either script pages or a Beat Board. The view may be switched during a collaboration session.
To Host a Collaboration Session
- Go to Tools > Collaboration > Host or click the Collaboration icon in the Toolbar;
- In the Host tab, enter a name to be used for the session;
- Choose a script to share. If a script is currently open, it will automatically be selected as the script to share or click the dropdown menu to display a list of options:
- Display an Open dialogue from which to choose a script OR
- Select a new blank document from a template OR
- Select a recently-used script:
- After the script is chosen, click OK;
- The Collaboration window is displayed;
- Send (via phone, text message or other method) the Session ID to whoever else will be participating (NOTE: the Session ID in the graphic below is an example and will not work if used):
- When the other participant(s) attempts to join the session, the Host can either Deny or Allow their entry.
- If the Host approves their entry, the script will automatically be shared. As participants enter the room, their presence will be indicated in the upper-left panel in the Collaboration window.
To Join a Collaboration Session
- Go to Tools > Collaboration;
- The Join Collaboration window is displayed;
- Enter a name to be used for the session;
- Type or paste in the Session ID (received from the Host of the session);
- Click OK;
- When the host approves the participant’s entry, the shared script will open on the participant’s screen and the participant will now be able to edit the script and view others’ editing in real time.
The Collaboration Window
The Collaboration window’s title bar displays the name of the shared script.
The panel at the upper left displays the names of the room’s participants and the Session ID. Each participant has a unique colored marker next to his or her name (set in the Final Draft 13 menu > Settings (or Preferences) menu in the General tab).
The panel on the left displays session messages / chat messages and participant entries / exits. The collaboration window may be moved and resized as necessary.
The Session ID
The Session ID must be sent to other participants so they can join the session. It can be selected and copied and pasted into an email or instant message or read aloud. If the Session ID is read aloud, note that the Session ID has only uppercase letters.
The Session ID is not reusable for future Collaboration sessions. It expires permanently when the session is closed. However, a participant can leave a session and as long as that session is still live on the Host’s computer, he or she can re-enter it with the original Session ID.
Refresh
If, after some time has elapsed since the start of the collaboration session and the shared script fails to update on some or all participants’ screens, the Host can click Refresh to re-send the updated script to each participant. This command will ensure that all participants have on their screen the current version of the script, containing all recent edits.
Chat
The Collaboration window allows participants to exchange text messages in real time. Type a message into the box on the bottom right and press Return on the keyboard to broadcast it to the other participants.
The large box on the right of the Collaboration window is the transcript of the session’s chat.
Click the Sound button on or off to notify participants with a chime when another participant has sent a text message.
Saving
The Host can save a copy of the script to local storage (hard drive, NAS drive, external drive, etc.) at any time during the collaboration session with the regular File > Save or Save As command. Guests can save a copy at the end of the session.
Closing a Session
To leave a Collaboration session, any participant may click the Leave button at the bottom right of the Collaboration window. The session ends when the Host closes his or her Collaboration window. When a session is closed, all participants will be prompted to save the script they have been working on.
Session Timeout
After approximately 20 minutes of inactivity, the collaboration session will close. A new session must be created.
For more information on the Collaboration tool watch the following video:
Also read the following article on collaborative writing: