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(More customer reviews)The back of the software box describes the program as "the most powerful way to outline, plan, and present your ideas....lets you brainstorm, create structure, and organize your ideas....timeline format that is vastly superior to index cards...." They had me at "index cards." Having previously organized my tasks for an art retrospective spanning several decades on (mostly) color-coded index cards, it was not an experience I wanted to repeat so an organizational structure software with the extra added bonuses of timeline and color-coding features was exactly what I thought I wanted.
Facing a similar project again and starting almost from scratch, I wanted some sort of outline structure in which I could organize my thoughts and prioritize my tasks over the two-year planning period. Having tried to do this before using Excel, Access, Word, and index cards, I wanted a more coordinated approach.
I could tell from the screenshots that screenplays were one possible application. What I didn't realize was that, this software apparently assumes that writers are the only people who need to structure and organize ideas that flow sequentially and in a timeline. Anyone involved in planning public events or complex extended projects, also needs this type of framework.
This seems to be a software written for right-brained (creative) people by left-brained (technical) people. (I'm really not sure how that combination will work out.) Being predominantly left-brained myself, I enjoyed playing with the program even after concluding I would probably not be able to bend it to my will. I attempted to use the most general of the many templates provided for jump starting a project ("4-Level Outline" and "Brainstorming".) Even these templates assume you have scenes and characters. Using "User Defined" seems most likely possibility but also an incredibly complex immersion into a program that is sufficiently complex already.
But, in the process, I've noticed the following:
*The learning curve for the program, while not difficult, is cumbersome. It doesn't resemble any program that I'm familiar with, such as those from Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Suite.
*Using the templates as a starting point, you start with a certain structure you just have to fill and modify. Defining a structure from scratch, however, is a major production.
*There is plenty of help available and a multitude of videos demonstrating specific steps and processes but it seems to me that, until the writer masters the program, he'll have forgotten what he was going to write before he can figure out how to enter it. This seems like an inevitable part of the learning curve.
*You might want to go to you-tube and look up some of these videos to see if they go along with your needs or your way of working. I wish I had.
*Some menu items and keyboard shortcuts are familiar (such as file>save or the keyboard shortcut "control + S" and all the copy, paste, select all functions.) But the "Event", "Tools", and "Window" menus are foreign territories, and learning shortcuts like "Promote = alt+shift+left arrow" will take a lot of initial effort and memorizing.
*The program is really designed to use with keyboard shortcuts (all of which are provided along with the menu items).
*The program is, as the title implies, for outlining and creating structure, scene descriptions, purpose and innuendo, keeping track of the character's actions, etc.--but NOT for actually writing out dialog, production details, set design or setting descriptions, or directorial notes. Presumably, you do all that in another program.
*You can import text from other programs but the only fairly-common file extension for importing is RTF ( Rich Text Format, which is available from Word under the "save as" option.) You can also export, but I'm not sure to where.
*The program is endlessly editable. You start with only the most basic idea outline and eventually flesh it out in the most agonizingly precise detail. You can insert, delete, move anything you want anywhere you want to put it and the timeline is automatically updated to reflect that.
*The timeline function seems to be linked to the heading or upper parts of the hierarchy of events. This is mostly things like act and sequence (or scene or chapter) names and numbers.
*The same color coding that appears in the text section (your text) will appear in the corresponding spot on the timeline.
*The text flows vertically, the timeline flows horizontally.
*It helps to have a big monitor to show all this.
*There are templates provided for plays, screenplays, commercials, novels, etc.
*There are examples provided about how a completed screenplay or book would look to help you pattern your work accordingly. I'm assuming that, since the person studying these examples is familiar with what the finished product was (like the various Star War episodes are laid out in excruciating detail) this in-depth visual reference can be very helpful.
*In addition to the color coding in the text and the timeline, there is a small vertical bar that shows color coded graphical representation of the structure that is being constructed.
*The program assumes that you think in the same hierarchical structure that it thinks, however, there are preferences that can be set by the user to bring the program more in line with his own vision or workflow.
*It doesn't seem applicable for academic publications requiring footnotes. You have to be able to structure your writing into levels such as Chapter/Section or Act/Sequence/Scene. If you can do that, the program can accommodate whatever length or complexity you wish to throw at it.
A last note: The program is supposed to run on Windows 7. I was unable to install it and there is a problem that could not be resolved by reinstalling or checking online. I have a virtual XP mode within W7 Pro, and it installed and ran fine there.
Despite the fact that, for me, it's probably a no-go, I'm still very impressed with the program.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Outline 4D
Outline 4D gives you the most powerful way to outline, plan, and present your ideas! It is a remarkable outlining program that lets you brainstorm, create, structure and organize your ideas. In addition to a traditional vertical outline format, Outline 4D has a horizontal timeline format that is vastly superior to index cards, blocks, and traditional outlining systems. Outline 4D has limitless space for your big ideas. The software enhances the research and organization of your writing, helps you visualize your project and outline structure, and speeds the process of brainstorming and creation. It lets you create virtual index cards that contain unlimited text: from a few words to hundreds of pages. Structure your ideas with Outline 4D's powerful Outline View or remarkable Timeline View to get a stronger visual sense of your outline. The Tracking Feature allows you to track anything you want in your project, as well as show connections between events and characters, objects or key words, revealing the rhythms and patterns of your project in seconds. Outline 4D lets you see your outlines like never before.
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