The Options tool contains settings that allow Windows users to control the way a number of Final Draft features operate. Settings are saved between sessions.
To set Options:
- Choose Tools > Options and the Options dialogue appears:
- Click the desired tab and make any changes;
- Click OK to apply the settings.
General Tab
Use F1 key for help
Enables / disables the option to use the F1 key to invoke Help. Uncheck this if the F1 key is to be assigned to a keystroke shortcut.
Capitalize first word of a sentence
Enables / disables the automatic capitalization of the first letter of the first word of new sentences.
Automatically Check for Updates
Enables / disables the option to connect to an online service that determines if the installed version of Final Draft can be updated. If a newer version is available, it can be downloaded for free.
Track Writing Stats
Enables / disables the option to record time and quantity information about writing sessions.
Beat Board
Enables / disables the option to add connector lines between Beats by dragging one Beat on top of the other.
Writer
Enter the name to be used for Track Changes. From the color picker, choose a color to be associated with this writer for Track Changes and collaboration.
Share
Choose to send to our company information about how Final Draft software is used.
Documents Folder
Set the Documents folder to a different location and name. Default is the user’s Documents folder.
Recent Items
Set the number of recently opened files displayed under Recent Items / Exit (Ribbon view) or File > Recent Files (Classic view). Default is 4.
Auto-Save
Auto-Save Every
Check this box to have Final Draft automatically save open documents at a time interval specified. Defaults are On and 15 minutes. To change the Auto-Save time interval, select a different number of minutes from the Auto-Save Every dropdown.
To change the Auto-Save time interval, select a different number of minutes from the Auto-Save Every dropdown.
Ask Before Auto-Save
Check this box to have Final Draft display a confirmation message before it automatically saves the open document.
If changes have been made to the open document(s) since the last time it was saved, and the Ask Before Option is checked, a confirmation message appears before Final Draft saves the document:
Auto-Backup
Check this box to have Final Draft automatically create a backup copy of a document every time it saves. The maximum number of backup copies Final Draft keeps in the backup folder can be set here and the location of the backup folder may be changed. This can be on the local hard drive or, better yet, an external storage device.
When Final Draft creates a backup copy it is named [date] [time] [filename].fdx. For example, if a script named Tangle & Moss is saved on July 4, 2024, at 1:37pm, the backup is named 202407041337 Tangle & Moss.fdx.
Backup Folder File Count
To change the maximum number of copies Final Draft saves to the backup folder, enter a number in Backup Folder File Count (default is 100; maximum is 1000).
After the maximum number of backups are saved, the oldest backup will be deleted at the moment a new backup is created.
Open Backup Folder
Click this button to access the backup script files.
To change the name or location of the backup folder
- Click the box with the three dots to the far right of the Auto-backup section title;
- Choose or make a new folder in the desired location and click OK.
For example, Final Draft can be set to save backups to a cloud storage synch folder or another hard drive.
Tablet
Allows Tablet PC users to set where the vertical scroll bar is positioned.
The other tabs on this sheet (SmartType, Spelling, etc.) offer settings also found in their respective features' Options tabs.
Other Options Tabs
Other commands that have an Options tab in their dialogue: SmartType, Spelling, Document, Header/Footer, Scene Numbers and Format Assistant.