Getting started
A five-minute path from zero to exported PDF — for writers who have never used screenwriting software.
1. Open Dastan
Section titled “1. Open Dastan”Run the web app locally (npm run dev from the repo) or open your deployed instance. On first launch with an empty vault, Dastan seeds a short sample script (The Last Garden) and may show a brief editor tour.
2. Create or open a script
Section titled “2. Create or open a script”From the Vault hub:
- Click New script to start blank, or
- Pick a template from the template gallery, or
- Open an existing script from Recent.
Scripts save automatically — there is no Save button you must remember. ⌘S / Ctrl+S still forces a save when you want one.
3. Learn the Tab / Enter flow
Section titled “3. Learn the Tab / Enter flow”Dastan is keyboard-first. Each paragraph is one element (scene heading, action, character, dialogue, etc.).
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tab | Cycle to the next element type (or advance a scene heading through INT./EXT.) |
| Shift+Tab | Cycle backward |
| Enter | Split the block and move to the logical next element (e.g. Character → Dialogue) |
| Shift+Enter | Alternate split (e.g. insert a parenthetical) |
Example blocks:
Start a scene heading with INT. or EXT. and press Tab to fill location and time-of-day segments.
4. Jump around
Section titled “4. Jump around”- Left navigator — scene list; click a scene to scroll there.
- ⌘\ — toggle the sidebar.
- ⌘F — find and replace.
5. Export a PDF
Section titled “5. Export a PDF”Open the script actions menu (⋯ on the script toolbar) → Export → PDF (print). Choose whether to include change marks if you are in revision mode.
The print dialog uses Dastan’s PDF layout engine. On-screen page view is an estimate; exported PDF is authoritative for pagination.