FDX Files: Open, Edit and Convert Final Draft Scripts
An .fdx is the file someone sends you when they assume you own Final Draft. Most people who receive one do not. This guide covers what is inside a Final Draft file, every free way to open and edit one on a phone, tablet or computer, and how to move a screenplay between FDX, Fountain, PDF and Word without losing the formatting.
If you just need to read the file right now, drop it into the free FDX viewer. If you need to edit it and send it back as FDX, Zen Writer imports and exports Final Draft files on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android, and it is free to download.
What Is an FDX File? Final Draft's XML Format Explained
An FDX file is a screenplay saved in Final Draft's native format: a single plain-text XML document in which every paragraph is tagged with its element type, alongside the title page, scene numbers and …
Guide 2 of 19How to Open an FDX File Without Final Draft (Free, Any Device)
To open an FDX file without Final Draft, drop it into a free browser FDX viewer to read it, or import it into Zen Writer on iPhone, iPad, Mac or Android to read and …
Guide 3 of 19How to Edit an FDX File Without Final Draft (and Send It Back)
You can edit an FDX file without Final Draft by importing it into a screenwriting app that reads and writes the format, such as Zen Writer on iPhone, iPad, Mac or Android, editing it …
Guide 4 of 19How to Open an FDX File on iPhone (Files, Mail, AirDrop)
To open an FDX on iPhone, save the file to the Files app, press and hold it, tap Share and choose Zen Writer, which imports Final Draft files for free. The same share sheet …
Guide 5 of 19How to Open an FDX File on iPad (and Rewrite in Split View)
To open an FDX on iPad, put the file in the Files app or iCloud Drive, press and hold it, tap Share and choose Zen Writer, which imports Final Draft files free and exports …
Guide 6 of 19How to Open an FDX File on Mac (Without Final Draft)
To open an FDX on Mac, right-click the file in Finder, choose Open With, and pick an app that reads Final Draft files, such as Zen Writer for Mac, which is free. Quick Look …
Guide 7 of 19How to Open an FDX File on Android (Free FDX Viewer and Editor)
To open an FDX on Android, install Zen Writer from the Play Store, then tap the .fdx in Google Files, Drive or a Gmail attachment and choose Zen Writer from the Open with list. …
Guide 8 of 19How to Convert PDF to FDX (Screenplay PDF to Final Draft)
You can convert a PDF to FDX in under a minute if the PDF contains real text: drop it into the free PDF to FDX tool or import it into Zen Writer, and the …
Guide 9 of 19How to Convert FDX to PDF (Final Draft Script to PDF)
To convert FDX to PDF, drop the .fdx into the free FDX to PDF tool in your browser, or open it in Zen Writer and export a PDF from the share menu. A correct …
Guide 10 of 19How to Convert FDX to Word (.docx) or Google Docs
To convert FDX to Word, either export the FDX to PDF and open the PDF in Word, or convert the FDX to Fountain plain text and paste it into a Courier document, or use …
Guide 11 of 19How to Convert Fountain to FDX (Fountain to Final Draft)
To convert Fountain to FDX, drop the .fountain file into the free Fountain converter in your browser, or import it into Zen Writer and export FDX. Scene headings, action, cues, dialogue, parentheticals and transitions …
Guide 12 of 19What Is Fountain? The Plain-Text Screenplay Format Explained
Fountain is a plain-text screenplay format: you write a script in any text editor using a few simple conventions — a line starting with INT. or EXT. is a scene heading, an all-caps line …
Guide 13 of 19FDX vs Fountain: Which Screenplay Format Should You Use?
FDX is Final Draft's XML format: exact, app-owned, and what production offices expect. Fountain is plain text: readable in any editor, tiny, and perfect for version control and phones. In the FDX vs Fountain …
Guide 14 of 19Final Draft Alternatives: The Best Screenwriting Apps Compared
The best Final Draft alternatives open and save FDX faithfully, format as you type, export a clean PDF and work offline: Fade In and Highland on the desktop, WriterDuet and Arc Studio in the …
Guide 15 of 19Final Draft Alternatives for iPhone: The Best Screenwriting Apps
Final Draft's desktop software does not run on an iPhone; its phone app is a separate subscription. The best Final Draft alternatives for iPhone are apps that format as you type with your thumbs, …
Guide 16 of 19Final Draft Alternatives for iPad: The Best Screenwriting Apps
The Final Draft desktop application does not run on iPad; its tablet app is a separate subscription. The best Final Draft alternatives for iPad are the apps that work properly with an external keyboard, …
Guide 17 of 19Final Draft Alternatives for Mac: The Best Screenwriting Software
The best Final Draft alternatives for Mac are Fade In and Highland if you want software you own outright, WriterDuet or Arc Studio if you co-write, KIT Scenarist if the budget is zero, and …
Guide 18 of 19Best Screenwriting Apps for Android: The Honest Guide
Android is the platform the big screenwriting brands skip: Final Draft, Highland and Slugline have no Android version. The best screenwriting apps for Android are Zen Writer from the Play Store for a free, …
Guide 19 of 19Free Screenwriting Software: The Best Free Apps, Honestly Compared
The best free screenwriting software depends on what you can live with: Trelby and KIT Scenarist are free on the desktop with no watermark, Fountain in any text editor costs nothing anywhere, WriterDuet, Arc …