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Free FDX Viewer: FDX to PDF & PDF to Fountain

Convert FDX, Fountain, a screenplay PDF, or pasted text to formatted pages and PDF. Open Final Draft files without Final Draft, or turn a PDF back into Fountain.

See a worked FDX conversion

Open a screenplay, take it out in another format

Final Draft .fdx, Fountain, or a screenplay PDF in; PDF, Fountain, or plain text out. Reading and conversion happen in this tab.

Conversion and downloads run in this browser.

Paste a draft, or choose a file.

.fdx up to 12 MB — production drafts are usually 4–6 MB. Screenplay PDFs up to 3 MB. Fountain and plain text up to 2 MB.

Open the example. Compare the files.

One screenplay, three files you can inspect

The Long Way Round includes numbered scenes, overlapping dialogue, a page break, and a blue revision. Compare its Fountain, plain text, and formatted pages, or download the files to try the converter.

Original example by Inkwell.

The example screenplay is in English.

Scenes
2
Speaking characters
2
Screenplay pages
3
Download Original FDXDownload Converted FountainDownload Converted plain text
See the formatted screenplay pages

Compare the formatted pages with the Fountain below. The overlapping exchange sits in two columns, and scenes 12A and 13 keep their source numbers.

THE LONG WAY ROUND

Inkwell

INT. NIGHT FERRY - LOWER DECK - NIGHT

Fluorescent tubes buzz over rows of empty seats. Rain runs sideways across the portholes. DELPHINE OKONKWO sits with a cello case upright beside her. A luggage tag identifies its owner as SOLOIST.

A STEWARD collects cups. Delphine moves the case to let him through, then moves it back before he has passed.

STEWARD

I can put that somewhere safe.

DELPHINE

It's safe here.

The ferry rolls. He catches the case as she catches his tray.

DELPHINE

Don't lift it by that handle.

STEWARD

(overlapping)

It isn't latched.

The lid falls open. Empty velvet. They stand holding each other's burdens.

STEWARD

Should I call someone?

DELPHINE

I sold it. Nobody stole anything.

He sets the case down. She returns his tray, keeping one cup.

DELPHINE

The girl played in my kitchen. Asked if she could try one more thing. Every time I thought she was finished.

STEWARD

Did you mind?

DELPHINE

I put the kettle on again.

She fits her cup into the velvet hollow. Takes it out before it can leave a ring.

STEWARD

What did she carry it home in?

DELPHINE

Her coat. I wouldn't sell her the case.

He looks at the case, then at her. This time he leaves the question alone.

EXT. NIGHT FERRY - STERN - PRE-DAWN

The empty case rests against the rail. Delphine watches the wake close behind the ferry. She peels off the SOLOIST tag, holds it above the water, then puts it in her pocket.

The Steward backs through the door with a breakfast tray. A flask rolls against his wrist. He cannot reach the door handle.

STEWARD

Could you hold this?

Delphine reaches for the tray. Stops. Opens the case at his feet.

DELPHINE

Put the flask where the neck goes.

He wraps it in a tea towel. Bread fills the curve where the instrument's shoulder rested. Delphine tucks a second towel around the cups.

STEWARD

It'll smell of coffee.

DELPHINE

Good.

She fastens both latches and takes the worn handle. He supports the other end. They carry breakfast inside together.

CUT TO:

The converted Fountain

Scene numbers stay beside the headings; the caret marks overlapping dialogue. Three equals signs preserve an explicit page break.

Title: The Long Way Round
Author: Inkwell

INT. NIGHT FERRY - LOWER DECK - NIGHT #12A#

Fluorescent tubes buzz over rows of empty seats. Rain runs sideways across the portholes. DELPHINE OKONKWO sits with a cello case upright beside her. A luggage tag identifies its owner as SOLOIST.

A STEWARD collects cups. Delphine moves the case to let him through, then moves it back before he has passed.

STEWARD
I can put that somewhere safe.

DELPHINE
It's safe here.

The ferry rolls. He catches the case as she catches his tray.

DELPHINE
Don't lift it by that handle.

STEWARD ^
(overlapping)
It isn't latched.

The lid falls open. Empty velvet. They stand holding each other's burdens.

STEWARD
Should I call someone?

DELPHINE
I sold it. Nobody *stole* anything.

He sets the case down. She returns his tray, keeping one cup.

DELPHINE
The girl played in my kitchen. Asked if she could try one more thing. Every time I thought she was finished.

STEWARD
Did you mind?

DELPHINE
I put the kettle on again.

She fits her cup into the velvet hollow. Takes it out before it can leave a ring.

STEWARD
What did she carry it home in?

DELPHINE
Her coat. I wouldn't sell her the case.

He looks at the case, then at her. This time he leaves the question alone.

===

EXT. NIGHT FERRY - STERN - PRE-DAWN #13#

[[Use the same worn handle as scene 12A. Delphine chooses to trust it under weight at the end.]]

The empty case rests against the rail. Delphine watches the wake close behind the ferry. She peels off the SOLOIST tag, holds it above the water, then puts it in her pocket.

The Steward backs through the door with a breakfast tray. A flask rolls against his wrist. He cannot reach the door handle.

STEWARD
Could you hold this?

Delphine reaches for the tray. Stops. Opens the case at his feet.

DELPHINE
Put the flask where the neck goes.

He wraps it in a tea towel. Bread fills the curve where the instrument's shoulder rested. Delphine tucks a second towel around the cups.

STEWARD
It'll smell of coffee.

DELPHINE
Good.

She fastens both latches and takes the worn handle. He supports the other end. They carry breakfast inside together.

CUT TO:
Compare the plain-text output
                     THE LONG WAY ROUND


                          Inkwell


12A  INT. NIGHT FERRY - LOWER DECK - NIGHT

Fluorescent tubes buzz over rows of empty seats. Rain runs
sideways across the portholes. DELPHINE OKONKWO sits with a
cello case upright beside her. A luggage tag identifies its
owner as SOLOIST.

A STEWARD collects cups. Delphine moves the case to let him
through, then moves it back before he has passed.

                      STEWARD
          I can put that somewhere safe.

                      DELPHINE
          It's safe here.

The ferry rolls. He catches the case as she catches his
tray.

                      DELPHINE
          Don't lift it by that handle.

                      STEWARD
                (overlapping)
          It isn't latched.

The lid falls open. Empty velvet. They stand holding each
other's burdens.

                      STEWARD
          Should I call someone?

                      DELPHINE
          I sold it. Nobody stole anything.

He sets the case down. She returns his tray, keeping one
cup.

                      DELPHINE
          The girl played in my kitchen.
          Asked if she could try one more
          thing. Every time I thought she
          was finished.

                      STEWARD
          Did you mind?

                      DELPHINE
          I put the kettle on again.

She fits her cup into the velvet hollow. Takes it out
before it can leave a ring.

                      STEWARD
          What did she carry it home in?

                      DELPHINE
          Her coat. I wouldn't sell her the
          case.

He looks at the case, then at her. This time he leaves the
question alone.

13  EXT. NIGHT FERRY - STERN - PRE-DAWN

The empty case rests against the rail. Delphine watches the
wake close behind the ferry. She peels off the SOLOIST tag,
holds it above the water, then puts it in her pocket.

The Steward backs through the door with a breakfast tray. A
flask rolls against his wrist. He cannot reach the door
handle.

                      STEWARD
          Could you hold this?

Delphine reaches for the tray. Stops. Opens the case at his
feet.

                      DELPHINE
          Put the flask where the neck goes.

He wraps it in a tea towel. Bread fills the curve where the
instrument's shoulder rested. Delphine tucks a second towel
around the cups.

                      STEWARD
          It'll smell of coffee.

                      DELPHINE
          Good.

She fastens both latches and takes the worn handle. He
supports the other end. They carry breakfast inside
together.

                                                     CUT TO:
Read the original FDX source

Open the complete source to inspect its scene numbers, dialogue markers, revision set, and production note.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<FinalDraft DocumentType="Script" Version="5" Template="No">
  <Content>
    <Paragraph Type="Scene Heading">
      <SceneProperties Number="12A" />
      <Text>INT. NIGHT FERRY - LOWER DECK - NIGHT</Text>
    </Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Action">
      <Text>Fluorescent tubes buzz over rows of empty seats. Rain runs sideways across the portholes. DELPHINE OKONKWO sits with a cello case upright beside her. A luggage tag identifies its owner as SOLOIST.</Text>
    </Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Action"><Text>A STEWARD collects cups. Delphine moves the case to let him through, then moves it back before he has passed.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>STEWARD</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>I can put that somewhere safe.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>DELPHINE</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>It's safe here.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Action"><Text>The ferry rolls. He catches the case as she catches his tray.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph><DualDialogue>
      <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>DELPHINE</Text></Paragraph>
      <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>Don't lift it by that handle.</Text></Paragraph>
      <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>STEWARD</Text></Paragraph>
      <Paragraph Type="Parenthetical"><Text>(overlapping)</Text></Paragraph>
      <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>It isn't latched.</Text></Paragraph>
    </DualDialogue></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Action"><Text>The lid falls open. Empty velvet. They stand holding each other's burdens.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>STEWARD</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>Should I call someone?</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>DELPHINE</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>I sold it. Nobody </Text><Text Style="Italic">stole</Text><Text> anything.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Action"><Text>He sets the case down. She returns his tray, keeping one cup.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>DELPHINE</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>The girl played in my kitchen. Asked if she could try one more thing. Every time I thought she was finished.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>STEWARD</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>Did you mind?</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>DELPHINE</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>I put the kettle on again.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Action"><Text>She fits her cup into the velvet hollow. Takes it out before it can leave a ring.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>STEWARD</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>What did she carry it home in?</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>DELPHINE</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>Her coat. I wouldn't sell her the case.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Action"><Text>He looks at the case, then at her. This time he leaves the question alone.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Scene Heading" StartsNewPage="Yes">
      <SceneProperties Number="13" Locked="Yes" />
      <Text>EXT. NIGHT FERRY - STERN - PRE-DAWN</Text>
    </Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Action" Revised="Blue" RevisionID="1">
      <ScriptNote ID="proof-note"><Paragraph><Text>Use the same worn handle as scene 12A. Delphine chooses to trust it under weight at the end.</Text></Paragraph></ScriptNote>
      <Text>The empty case rests against the rail. Delphine watches the wake close behind the ferry. She peels off the SOLOIST tag, holds it above the water, then puts it in her pocket.</Text>
    </Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Action"><Text>The Steward backs through the door with a breakfast tray. A flask rolls against his wrist. He cannot reach the door handle.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>STEWARD</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>Could you hold this?</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Action"><Text>Delphine reaches for the tray. Stops. Opens the case at his feet.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>DELPHINE</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>Put the flask where the neck goes.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Action"><Text>He wraps it in a tea towel. Bread fills the curve where the instrument's shoulder rested. Delphine tucks a second towel around the cups.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>STEWARD</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>It'll smell of coffee.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Character"><Text>DELPHINE</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Dialogue"><Text>Good.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Action"><Text>She fastens both latches and takes the worn handle. He supports the other end. They carry breakfast inside together.</Text></Paragraph>
    <Paragraph Type="Transition"><Text>CUT TO:</Text></Paragraph>
  </Content>
  <LockedPages />
  <Revisions ActiveSet="1" RevisionMode="Yes">
    <Revision ID="1" Name="Blue" Mark="*" Color="#00000000FFFF" />
  </Revisions>
  <TitlePage>
    <Content>
      <Paragraph Type="Title"><Text>The Long Way Round</Text></Paragraph>
      <Paragraph Type="Author"><Text>Inkwell</Text></Paragraph>
    </Content>
  </TitlePage>
</FinalDraft>

What carries into the converted draft

Character
15
Dialogue
15
Action
12
Scene Heading
2
Parenthetical
1
Transition
1
Scene numbers
2

What changes between formats

Scene numbers identify scenes. Locked pages and revision sets carry additional production instructions: keep the original FDX when those references are in use.

  • Emphasized text

    Not printed

    Bold, italic, underline and strikethrough come across into the Fountain output. Screenplay pages print in plain Courier throughout, so the marks are not drawn on the PDF, in this preview, or in the plain text.

  • Script notes

    Not printed

    Notes travel into the Fountain output as [[bracketed notes]]. They are not drawn on the PDF, in this preview, or in the plain text — a printed screenplay carries no annotations.

  • Page breaks you set

    Not in every output

    Kept in the Fountain download and honored on the printed page. The plain text has no pages to break, so they are not marked there.

  • Locked pages

    Source only

    Frozen page boundaries and A-page numbering stay in Final Draft. Keep the original .fdx while a production draft is locked.

  • Revision generations

    Source only

    Blue/Pink/Yellow passes and their change marks reach none of this tool's outputs — not the printed page, the Fountain download, or the plain text. Keep the original .fdx to preserve them.

Follow the formatting in this example

Overlapping dialogue

When two speeches share the same moment, and how to lay them out.

Scene numbers in production

Keep stable references when scenes are inserted or a draft is issued.

Locked pages and revisions

Why a reading copy and an issued production draft need different handling.

Need a PDF instead? Load the original FDX in the converter, convert it, then choose Print / Save PDF. Select Letter paper and turn off your browser's headers and footers.

Useful output, not a score

What this tool gives you

See the hard formatting before you commit

Load a sample Final Draft file to inspect dual dialogue in two columns, numbered scenes, page layout, and a per-file fidelity report before choosing your own draft.

Three ways out

Print or save a PDF through your own browser, or download Fountain or plain text.

What the conversion costs — in your file

A per-element count of what comes across unchanged, what arrives as action, and what stays in Final Draft. Counted from your draft, not from a general table.

How to use it

  1. 1

    Open a draft

    Choose a .fdx, a Fountain file, or a screenplay PDF, or paste the text. Reading and parsing happen in this tab.

  2. 2

    Read the pages and the cost

    Check the page count and the layout, then read which elements carry across and which flatten to action.

  3. 3

    Take the format you need

    Print to PDF for a reader, or take Fountain to keep writing anywhere — in Inkwell or any other tool.

Questions writers ask

Is my screenplay uploaded anywhere?

Only when you choose Continue in Plot. Converting, previewing and downloading run in this browser. Continue in Plot sends the converted screenplay to Inkwell so it opens as your project after you sign in, and Inkwell keeps that copy for up to 24 hours.

Can I open an .fdx without Final Draft?

Yes. Choose the file and the screenplay is laid out as pages you can read, print, or save in another format. You do not need a Final Draft license, and the original file is not modified.

Is the PDF in real screenplay format?

Yes — Courier 12pt on US Letter, a 1.5-inch left margin for the binding, 1-inch elsewhere, dialogue and character cues on the industry columns, dual dialogue in two columns, scene numbers in the margins, and page numbers top right. Page breaks follow the screenplay’s formatting.

Why does the PDF come from my print dialog?

Your browser renders the pages you can already see. In the dialog, choose Save as PDF, set paper to Letter, and turn off headers and footers — the page carries its own margins and numbers.

What does not survive the conversion?

Locked page boundaries and revision generations are Final Draft production state and stay there. Camera shots, cast lists, and Final Draft's General paragraphs keep every word but arrive as action, because there is no separate element for them. The tool counts each of these in your specific file rather than describing them in general.

Can I convert a script INTO Final Draft format here?

No — this page reads .fdx files, it does not write them. Export .fdx from Plot when a production office asks. Reading an .fdx is free here and in Plot.

Can I turn a screenplay PDF back into Fountain?

Yes, when the PDF was exported from a writing app rather than scanned. Choose the PDF and each element is read from where it sits on the page: scene headings, action, character cues, dialogue, parentheticals, transitions, and dual dialogue. Page numbers, headers, and (MORE) and (CONT’D) markers are left out. The Fountain lands in the box to check before you convert. A PDF holds only what was printed, so script notes and revision colors are not in it. Plot imports the same PDFs as a new project.

How is this different from the FDX inspector?

The inspector diagnoses one file — revision sets, locked pages, name variants, what looks unusual or malformed. This converts one: it lays the script out and hands you the format you asked for.

Defined in the glossary

Use it in your own code

What this page is built on is published openly. Download it, test against it or build on it under its license.

Keep working with the draft

Compare Screenplay Drafts — Free Script Diff

Compare two screenplay drafts by scene, dialogue, character, exact text, and production impact. Load a rewrite example or paste Fountain and FDX privately in the browser.

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Free Final Draft FDX Inspector

Open an FDX file privately in your browser to inventory revision sets, locked pages, scene numbers, and portability risks before you import or convert.

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Free Screenplay Length Checker

Check a feature, pilot, or short against page-count practice, official contest windows, and a published feature corpus — then export a memo you can send with the draft.

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Free Script Breakdown Tool

Break down a Fountain or Final Draft screenplay privately in your browser: scene sheets, eighths, cast, locations, day/night, and exportable CSVs.

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Continue in Plot and keep writing, with the screenplay formatting done for you.

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