Auto-text is text that is automatically written for you. Auto-text is used in several ways:
These lists appear whenever you are in a paragraph of type Scene, Character, or Transition. When, the caret is at the end of one of these types of paragraphs, it will provide a list of words to place in that paragraph.
For Character, it lists the names of all Characters in the script and defaults to the character that is two back.
For Scenes it defaults first to the INT./EXT., then the scene location, then the time-of-day.
You can use the /¯ cursor keys to move through the pop-up window. Or type enough of the name that it moves to that selection. Then press Enter or double click the mouse on the name you want.
To enter a new name, type the entire name in. If the name matches the beginning of an existing name, type a space after the name before pressing Enter.
You can also press ESC to get rid of any pop-up list. It will stay away unless you move to a different line, then back to the end of that line.
Screen Writer Studio builds up lists, based on what you type, for the Characters, Scene locations, and Scene time-of-day lists. Sometimes you want to edit these lists directly. You may have removed or renamed a character and the old name is still displayed.
Tools, Lists, Script Lists is a dialog box listing all of the Characters, Scene Locations, and Scene time-of-days. You can add or delete names directly. To rebuild the list, click on the Reset button. The script is scanned and rebuilt from the names in each Character paragraph.
Tools, Lists, Standard Lists are standard lists of words that exist for every script. You will note that Character, Scene Location, and Time-of-Day exist here too. The words in these lists are not rebuilt, they are here until you change them. These words are added to the script specific lists. The same word, if in both lists, will not appear twice in a pop-up window.
The beginning of every paragraph you type is compared to the lists for Scenes (INT./EXT.), Transitions, Shots, and Fade In (Action). If you type in the complete text from one of these lists, the paragraph will be changed to that type. In the case of a Scene it will then prompt you for the scene location while the other types will assume it is a complete paragraph and create a new following paragraph.
The best way to handle all of this is to not think about it. Screen Writer Studio will generally be doing the correct thing as you just type. You can also undo any of these actions. First, you can turn off the auto-complete in the options. Second, you can press ESC and the list goes away for that line. Third, it only auto-completes or auto-changes paragraphs when you first type the text in. If you change it and then type some more, Screen Writer Studio will not change it back.