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Show Structure ​

Script text access. Acts, scenes, and characters are core production structure; script-text-enabled projects show either the editable Script subtab or the focused Rehearsal Script subtab, depending on your role.

Show Structure — On Book Pro

Overview ​

The Show Structure tool is the foundation of your production in On Book Pro. Here you define:

  • Acts & Scenes: The hierarchical structure of your show
  • Characters: All roles in the production with scene assignments
  • Script: View and edit imported script blocks when script text access is enabled and your role can edit script text
  • Rehearsal Script: Read imported script text with assigned-character highlights when script text access is enabled but your role is read-focused
  • AI Import: Automatically extract structure from your PDF script

Getting Started ​

Opening Show Structure ​

  1. Navigate to Show Structure in the sidebar
  2. You'll see Acts & Scenes and Characters
  3. If your project has script text access, you'll also see either Script or Rehearsal Script, depending on your role

Managing Acts & Scenes ​

Adding an Act ​

  1. Click "+ Add Act" at the bottom of the acts list
  2. Enter the act name (e.g., "Act One", "Act I", or "Prologue")
  3. The act appears in the list, ready for scenes

Adding Scenes to an Act ​

  1. Find the act you want to add scenes to
  2. Click "+ Add Scene" within that act
  3. Enter the scene name (e.g., "Scene 1", "Opening Number")
  4. The scene appears nested under its parent act

Reordering Acts & Scenes ​

  • Drag and drop acts to reorder them
  • Drag and drop scenes within an act or between acts
  • The order here determines the order in:
    • Scheduler scene selection
    • Blocking scene selector
    • Run Sheet scene dropdowns
    • Print outputs

Editing & Deleting ​

  • Click on any act or scene name to edit it inline
  • Click the trash icon (delete) to delete
  • Warning: Deleting an act removes all its scenes

Managing Characters ​

Adding Characters ​

  1. Scroll to the Characters section
  2. Click "+ Add Character"
  3. Enter the character name
  4. The character appears in the list

Assigning Characters to Scenes ​

  1. Click on a character row
  2. Click "Assign Scenes" or the scene assignment button
  3. Check the scenes this character appears in
  4. Click Save

Scene assignments help with:

  • Conflict detection in the Scheduler
  • Character filtering in Blocking
  • Cast call sheets

Generating Ensemble Tokens ​

For large casts with ensemble members:

  1. Click "Generate Ensemble"
  2. Enter the number of ensemble members
  3. Optionally provide a prefix (e.g., "Ensemble" creates "Ensemble 1", "Ensemble 2", etc.)
  4. Click Generate

This rapidly creates multiple character entries for tracking purposes.

Linking Characters to Actors ​

Characters can be linked to actors in the Personnel Directory:

  1. Go to Personnel → find the actor
  2. Edit their profile
  3. Assign them to one or more characters

Script Subtab ​

The Script subtab displays your imported script content:

Reading Mode (Default) ​

  • View your script in a clean, readable format
  • Navigate by scene using the scene selector
  • Character dialogue is formatted correctly
  • Right-click a block to copy that block's script text to the clipboard

Block View Mode ​

  • Toggle using the icon
  • View script as editable ScriptBlocks
  • Each block has a type: dialogue, stage_direction, heading, lyric, character_name, technical_note, front_matter, transition, or other
  • Click any block to edit content or reclassify type
  • Changing the view mode, scene filter, type filter, or search resets any bulk selection so hidden rows are not accidentally verified

Editing Script Blocks ​

  1. Go to Show Structure → Script
  2. Toggle to Block View (bar_chart)
  3. Click any block to open the editor
  4. Make changes:
    • Edit text content
    • Change block type
    • Reassign to a different scene
  5. Click Save

You can also right-click a block in either reading or data view to copy just that block's rendered text. If the browser blocks clipboard access, On Book shows an error toast instead of silently failing.

Note: Script content only appears after importing a PDF in a project with script text access. See Script Import.

Rehearsal Script Subtab ​

When a script-text-enabled project is open to a read-focused collaborator, Show Structure displays Rehearsal Script instead of the editable Script subtab.

The rehearsal view:

  • Opens in a clean reading layout grouped by script page and scene label
  • Highlights the characters linked to your personnel profile by default
  • Lets you add or remove highlighted characters from More characters
  • Provides previous/next speech navigation for the selected characters
  • Keeps block editing and classification controls out of the rehearsal-facing view

If no character is linked to your profile yet, open More characters and choose the roles you want to follow for the session.

AI Script Import ​

Script import has two modes:

  • Standard: extracts production metadata from the PDF.
  • Script text access: runs OCR and stores script blocks for the Script/Rehearsal Script subtabs, Prompt Book, Line Notes, and Performance.

How to Import ​

  1. Go to File Management (hamburger menu → File Management)
  2. Click "Import Script (PDF)"
  3. Select your PDF file (text-based PDFs work best)
  4. Wait for analysis to finish
  5. Review the extracted data in Show Structure:
    • Acts and scenes (Acts & Scenes subtab)
    • Character names (Characters subtab)
    • Full script content (Script subtab)

Props And Sound ​

Script analysis can identify props and sound cues. Availability in the Props and Sound tools depends on the current project mode and implementation. Review those tools after import and correct or add missing items manually.

Best Practices for AI Import ​

  • Use text-based PDFs — Scanned images won't work as well
  • Standard formatting — The AI recognizes common theatrical script formats
  • Review results — AI extraction isn't perfect; verify and edit as needed
  • Import early — The AI gives you a head start; refine as you go

See the full Script Import Guide for detailed instructions.

Integration with Other Tools ​

Show Structure data flows throughout On Book Pro:

ToolHow It Uses Show Structure
SchedulerDrag scenes onto calendar dates
BlockingSelect scenes to load their associated sets
Run SheetScene dropdown populated from structure
PropsProps linked to specific scenes
CostumesCostume pieces assigned to scenes
SoundSound cues linked to scenes
Prompt BookCues can reference imported script text when available
PerformanceScript context can appear around cue anchors when available

Tips for Success ​

emoji_objects Set up structure first — A solid foundation makes everything else easier

emoji_objects Use descriptive names — "Act 2, Scene 3 - The Ballroom" is better than "A2S3"

emoji_objects Import, then refine — AI import saves time; manual editing perfects it

emoji_objects Assign scenes to characters — This powers conflict detection in scheduling

Video Tutorial ​

Video walkthrough: planned.

Last updated: May 2, 2026