Slugline Update With Page Breaks, Dual Dialogue, and a Free Trial Version

Slugline version 1.0.4 is available now as a free update, and along with it comes the most exciting new feature of all:

Free, Downloadable Trial

If you've been wanting to take Slugline for a test drive, now you can, with a fully-functional 14-day trial. There are no restrictions in the demo version — you can load, save, and work on screenplays of any length. After 14 days, you'll have the option to buy Slugline from the App Store.

The Slugline trial contains all the new features of today's update, which include:

See Page Breaks as You Write

Page breaks appear in Edit mode, as as a subtle gray line. You'll see the page number there too.

We've also radically overhauled our pagination logic to be faster and more accurate.

Character (CONT'D)s

Slugline now automatically adds (CONT’D) after Character elements when that character has multiple successive lines in the same scene. They appear in light gray as you write, and are included in Preview and Print, but are not baked into the Fountain file itself.

Dual Dialogue

Just place the cursor on the second Character or Dialogue element and press ⌘D (or choose Format → Dual Dialogue). This adds a carat ^ to the second speaker's name, which is the Fountain trigger for Dual Dialogue. You can also add or remove the carat manually.

As you write, Dual Dialogue is represented by indenting. When you Preview or print, the simultaneous dialogue is formatted side-by-side.

Our Single Most Important Feature

...hasn't changed at all, and that's our commitment to a simple, elegant writing experience. We'll never compete on long lists of complex, distracting features, because we know that the hardest part of writing a movie is the writing part. We remain ever committed to staying out of your way.

Tweaks and Bug Fixes

• We squashed the bug where hiding Slugline would quit the app. That’s how committed we are to keeping you writing.
• But if you intentionally stop writing for some reason, Slugline will now remember where you left off!
• Check Spelling While Typing (those red squiggly underlines) is now On by default. As always, you can toggle this at Edit → Spelling and Grammar → Check Spelling While Typing.
• Character names can now begin with a number. We’re talking to you, Lawrence.
• We've improved Pagination, with more reliable breaks for Dialogue and Action.
• Lower-contrast page color. From now on, writing with sunglasses on is purely an affectation, sorry.
• The Uppercase command (⌘K) is now smarter. It can cycle back to where you started, even mixed-case.
• End an uppercase line with a colon, press Return, and Slugline will convert it to a Transition automatically.
• No more auto-capitalization... after an ellipsis.
• Auto-completion for [[Notes]]. Type [[ and Slugline adds the ]] for you.
• Emphasis shortcuts now work with no selection. Press ⌘B with no text selected, and Slugline creates the asterisks that make stuff bold, placing the cursor in between.

We're excited about this update, and, as always, it was your awesome feedback that helped shape it. Never hesitate to drop us a line with a bug report, suggestion, or question, via our Contact form, or on Twitter. Now get writing!