Trelby: A Feature-Rich Screenwriting Program
Trelby is a remarkable screenwriting program that offers a plethora of features to make the screenwriting experience smooth and efficient.
Overview
Trelby is designed to be simple, fast, and elegantly laid out. It's a free software, which means anyone can use it without any cost. Moreover, it's multiplatform, behaving identically on all platforms and generating the exact same output. This makes it extremely convenient for screenwriters who work on different operating systems.
Core Features
- Screenplay Editor: It enforces the correct script format and pagination, along with auto-completion and spell checking. This ensures that your screenplay adheres to the industry standards and is free of errors.
- Choice of View: There are multiple views available, such as draft view, WYSIWYG mode, and fullscreen. You can choose the one that suits your writing style best, allowing for a more personalized writing experience.
- Name Database: With a character name database containing over 200,000 names from various countries, you'll never run out of ideas for naming your characters.
- Reporting: It provides scene/location/character/dialogue reports, which can be extremely helpful in analyzing and organizing your screenplay.
- Compare: The ability to compare scripts is a great feature. You can easily see what has changed between different versions of your script.
Basic Usage
Using Trelby is straightforward. You can import screenplay formatted text from various formats like Final Draft XML (.fdx), Celtx (.celtx), Fountain (.fountain), Adobe Story (.astx), and Fade In Pro (.fadein). And when it comes to exporting, you have options like PDF, formatted text, HTML, RTF, Final Draft XML (.fdx), and Fountain (.fountain). The built-in, highly configurable PDF generator is a plus, as it supports embedding your chosen font and generating PDFs with custom watermarks to help track shared files.
In comparison to some other existing screenwriting programs, Trelby stands out with its free and multiplatform nature. While some programs might be limited to a specific operating system or come with a hefty price tag, Trelby offers a comprehensive set of features for free. It's a great choice for both novice and experienced screenwriters looking for a reliable and feature-rich tool to bring their stories to life.
