Get started with FilmOpen

The Windows application is the first supported desktop target. It can browse FilmOpen files, create a project, edit project details, and work with authors’ versions and selections.

Development software

These instructions describe the milestone 3 source snapshot. They do not imply a packaged release is available. The software specification records Flutter 3.47 and Dart 3.13 for that snapshot; check the repository’s current README and SDK constraints when building another revision.

Run the application

Install Flutter and the Visual Studio C++ desktop build tools, then obtain the application source. In that checkout, use:

flutter doctor
flutter pub get
flutter run -d windows

flutter doctor should report that the Windows desktop toolchain is ready. If the checkout differs from milestone 3, follow that revision’s build instructions.

Explore the sample

The application starts with The Cartographer, a bundled sample project. Its tree contains library entities, story units, scenes, shots, cues, commentary, and render batches.

1. Select an item in the tree to open its details.
2. Choose a character with several versions to explore authors and epochs.
3. Open Compare to see alternatives beside each other.
4. Open JSON to see the underlying file.

The sample media includes placeholder takes. Images can be previewed; audio and video currently appear as icons.

Set your author handle

Open Settings → Identity and choose your author handle. This is a filename identity used inside project files, not a website account. Names use lowercase letters, digits, and dashes; the application explains and normalizes the allowed form.

A handle is required for author-specific writes. Creating a project also asks for a username and saves it in Settings.

Open your own work

Use the project menu above the tree and choose Open project…. Pick a FilmOpen project folder. If it contains several project alternatives and no unambiguous selection, the application asks which one to use.

Or create a new project.

Know the current limits

The project file has an editing form. Other entity contents are currently edited by hand; the application can still fork, label, pick, and mark their versions official. Timeline export, rendering, and general plugin execution are not available as a complete production workflow.

The web build is a development preview. New projects there live only in the browser session. Use Windows for projects saved on disk. See the software reference for the full limitations.