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Merging duplicate characters or locations

Who can do this: Free plan on your first project, Supporter on all projects. Merging needs project edit access. Members with view access see the lists but no Select or Merge Locations.
The parser reads cues and headings as they are written. RUTH and RUTH CALLOWAY come in as two people; EXT. BREAKWATER and EXT. THE BREAKWATER as two places. Merge them and every scene, board, and call sheet points at the one you keep. Find both lists under Breakdown → Elements: Cast Members and Locations. Props and the other tagged elements have their own Merge Items on each category list; see Managing props.

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Merge characters

  1. Open Breakdown → Elements → Cast Members.
  2. Click Select.
  3. Tick the character to keep, then the duplicate. The first one ticked is the one kept.
  4. Point at Merge into to see the kept row outlined, then click it.
Select mode on the Cast Members list: RUTH and RUTH CALLOWAY ticked, RUTH outlined, and the button reading Merge into RUTH The duplicate’s scenes, dialogue cues, cast assignment, call sheet talent rows, and shots move to the character you kept, and the duplicate is removed. Its old cue is remembered, so the next script version or a manual tag of RUTH CALLOWAY lands on RUTH instead of making a new character. The list after the merge: three characters, RUTH now in four scenes Spell Slate also spots likely duplicates on a scene’s breakdown page. When two cast members on the scene read like the same person, a note under Cast Members in the sidebar offers Merge into the one it would keep, or Not a duplicate to stop asking.

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Merge locations

  1. Open Breakdown → Elements → Locations.
  2. Click Merge Locations.
  3. Tick the location to keep, then the duplicate. The first one ticked is marked Kept.
  4. Click Merge Selected.
Merge mode on the Locations list: Breakwater ticked and marked Kept, THE BREAKWATER ticked, and Merge Selected ready The duplicate’s scenes, board cards, uploaded releases and waivers, and call sheet rows move to the location you kept, and the duplicate is removed. The message says what moved. The message after the merge: Merged "THE BREAKWATER" into "Breakwater". 1 scene moved. The merge sticks. When you edit the script or upload a new version, scenes with the duplicate’s heading go to the location you kept.

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What to check before you merge

  • A merge cannot be undone. The record you do not keep is deleted.
  • Keep the one with more on it: more scenes, a cast member assigned, cards on its board.
  • Two boards become one. An untouched starter card is dropped when the kept board already has that card; anything someone wrote on stays.
  • A call sheet that already lists the kept location keeps its row and drops the duplicate’s.