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Final DRAFT and PDF EXPORT
- Thread starter Joe Calabrese
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Here's your first complaint/query, Joe. Relates more to your role in feeding back comments to FD.
Why the hell did the 'brains' at FD incorporate into FD 7 that pdf/adobe feature which converts the work into a file that most servers have trouble coping with? It's about a zillion kilobytes.
I seriously started considering whether FD had a MM undercover plant in their development department.
That feature must be the worst decision/change FD ever made.
Why the hell did the 'brains' at FD incorporate into FD 7 that pdf/adobe feature which converts the work into a file that most servers have trouble coping with? It's about a zillion kilobytes.
I seriously started considering whether FD had a MM undercover plant in their development department.
That feature must be the worst decision/change FD ever made.
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Thanks Xhouse, but let's wait till the subforum is actually open before we start ripping FD a new one.
As for your problem.
PM me with your specifics such as platform (win or Mac) version number (7.0 or 7.13, etc...) page count. Anything you can tell me.
I just did a 113 page script and it came out to a pdf of 193 kb. Not big at all and no where near a zillion.
As for your problem.
PM me with your specifics such as platform (win or Mac) version number (7.0 or 7.13, etc...) page count. Anything you can tell me.
I just did a 113 page script and it came out to a pdf of 193 kb. Not big at all and no where near a zillion.
houseboy - the tech support/FAQ at FD is very good. it's interactive and user-friendly. i suggest you check it out and not get so worked up. there's usually a simple solution to your problem. ie - i'm sure your work does not have to be saved in pdf. it was something you use probably by mistake. you can unchoose it.
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Nikee. You can't save your work as a pdf and still be able to open it at a later date. pdf is an export for a save function. You will always have your original fdr file to work on.
If you have FD 7 would need to update your software to the newest update that fixes any problems with having HUGE pdf files, but if you have an older version like 6 (5 and below do not have pdf features), you will need to buy an upgrade since I don't think FD 6 has a fix for the pdf export, but email FD and they can tell you better.
go here : http://www.finaldraft.com/support/email-support.php
FD is constantly looking at bugs (as reported by users and beta testers like myself) and releases patches and fixes every few months. They are very proactive in making sure you have a good program to work with, but with so many platforms, configurations and such, bugs will always pop in from time to time.
Now Xhouse. I'm sure you have a legitimate copy and this is not meant for you, but FOR THOSE who know who they are...
If you have a FD (or any software) bootleg, you don't get any support, updates or fixes. The price you pay for not paying.
I get complaints from many people who say their FD crashes or loses info or does some stuff that is not acceptable. When I ask and they tell me it's a bootleg, I don't have to try hard to explain why they are having problems.
If you have FD 7 would need to update your software to the newest update that fixes any problems with having HUGE pdf files, but if you have an older version like 6 (5 and below do not have pdf features), you will need to buy an upgrade since I don't think FD 6 has a fix for the pdf export, but email FD and they can tell you better.
go here : http://www.finaldraft.com/support/email-support.php
FD is constantly looking at bugs (as reported by users and beta testers like myself) and releases patches and fixes every few months. They are very proactive in making sure you have a good program to work with, but with so many platforms, configurations and such, bugs will always pop in from time to time.
Now Xhouse. I'm sure you have a legitimate copy and this is not meant for you, but FOR THOSE who know who they are...
If you have a FD (or any software) bootleg, you don't get any support, updates or fixes. The price you pay for not paying.
I get complaints from many people who say their FD crashes or loses info or does some stuff that is not acceptable. When I ask and they tell me it's a bootleg, I don't have to try hard to explain why they are having problems.
I should probably have inserted a smiley with this.
I was really just curious as to why FD decided to include this feature in the early release of FD 7, and as Joe provides feedback for them, thought he may have been privy to a bit of inside knowledge. When I first tried out FD 7, a 60 page script was coming in at over 5000 kb, and it caused me some frustration. But it's sorted now.
And Nikee - no, I didn't make the blunder of saving it in pdf by mistake. You may not be aware of this, but it's often requested that the script be attached in pdf format. For instance, if one is sending work from a UK prod/co to its US representatives.
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Pdfs are now the industry standard for sending text files to anyone in any business. Adobe owned the market and software development for it and still does for the most part.
But if you were on a mac, ever since OSX came out, you could print to pdf as a standard feature from any program (pdf export was made part of Mac's printing feature) that is because adobe let the open source code go public and Apple was the first to hop on the train.
Since then, FD and other software packages had to include pdf export into their packages to stay competitive, especially for those who have Windows.
The number one request to Final Draft for years was the ability to export to pdf. I asked for it back in version 4.
Of course, Adobe didn't let all the right source codes go out at first and that is why large file sizes happened. Eventually, Adobe said "Oops! sorry. here's the right one."
But if you were on a mac, ever since OSX came out, you could print to pdf as a standard feature from any program (pdf export was made part of Mac's printing feature) that is because adobe let the open source code go public and Apple was the first to hop on the train.
Since then, FD and other software packages had to include pdf export into their packages to stay competitive, especially for those who have Windows.
The number one request to Final Draft for years was the ability to export to pdf. I asked for it back in version 4.
Of course, Adobe didn't let all the right source codes go out at first and that is why large file sizes happened. Eventually, Adobe said "Oops! sorry. here's the right one."
There's no need to have an export function to create pdf's with Final Draft.
You can use a virtual pdf printer. Acrobat Writer has one. For those who can't afford it, there's cutepdf for free. For a 125 page script, the pdf files I got were about 220 and 300 kb. And it works with any program that lets you print its documents.
You can use a virtual pdf printer. Acrobat Writer has one. For those who can't afford it, there's cutepdf for free. For a 125 page script, the pdf files I got were about 220 and 300 kb. And it works with any program that lets you print its documents.
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Good tip for those who do not have FD 7 or any other screenwriting software that doesn't have pdf export.
Thanks.
Thanks.
That's interesting, I've never had a problem with final draft 6 giving big PDF files and the conversion is so easy, Save As PDF, and it's done.
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I’ve always been curious about this and now that there’s a place to ask it…
I’ve been using MM for the last two years, but prior to that I used FD 5.0 which does not have a PDF export function, or if it does I’ve never found it. To make a PDF I used a free program PDF995 that seems to work fine with everything else but my version of FD. When I would make a PDF of a script the text would appear washed out, faded. I’ve always wondered why.
Any thoughts?
I’ve been using MM for the last two years, but prior to that I used FD 5.0 which does not have a PDF export function, or if it does I’ve never found it. To make a PDF I used a free program PDF995 that seems to work fine with everything else but my version of FD. When I would make a PDF of a script the text would appear washed out, faded. I’ve always wondered why.
Any thoughts?
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Open up the pdf file in acrobat reader and let me know if you can select and copy any text? If not, then I suspect that your pdf coverter (never heard of that one though) saves it as a low res graphic (like a jpeg) before turning it into a pdf file. Low res means small file size, but poor quaility.
If that aint the answer, then I dunno. It's definately a prob with that pdf coverter program.
By the way, Rainy... There's aquestion about writing a novel with MM in this room, see if you can help the OP out. Thanks.
If that aint the answer, then I dunno. It's definately a prob with that pdf coverter program.
By the way, Rainy... There's aquestion about writing a novel with MM in this room, see if you can help the OP out. Thanks.