Upgrading the data model of an older script book

An older script book you created in the past may show a This script uses the legacy format dialog when you open it, and the older book is switched to read-only. This article explains why it appears and how to upgrade safely.

Why the upgrade prompt appears

Script Studio has evolved its data schema over time (e.g. from a single flat scene list → multi-season / multi-episode → storylines / appearance matrix). When an older book is opened, Slima detects the older schema version and prompts to upgrade to the current schema.

How to upgrade

1. Open the older script book
2. The "This script uses the legacy format" confirmation dialog appears
3. Click Upgrade & Create Copy — Slima migrates your content into a new book
4. Once complete, the new copy opens automatically and unlocks all current features

Is it safe

• The original is never touched: the upgrade does not rewrite your book in place. Slima creates a new book (title suffixed with "-copy"), migrates the content into it, and keeps the original as a read-only backup
• No data loss: chapters / characters / scenes / dialogue / notes are all migrated to the new book
• How to roll back: because the original stays untouched, if anything looks wrong in the new copy, just reopen the original backup. Open the new book first and verify everything transferred correctly before deleting the backup — keep the backup if anything is missing

After upgrade

• All 3 Scene Board view modes (Board / List / Timeline), plus an Episode / Season scope toggle within Board mode
• Plan view's 6 tabs: Planning / Characters / Storylines / Locations / Worldview / Notes
• Built-in TW / Hollywood format detection
• Appearance matrix, scene-level notes, and other current features

See: Series → Scene 4-level hierarchy

If upgrade fails / hangs

Uncommon, but if it happens:

1. Wait a few seconds / reload the page — sometimes it's a network timeout
2. See Report an issue / contact support and include your book ID
3. If the upgrade fails, your original book is untouched and kept as a read-only backup — nothing is lost, so it's safe to retry

Related

• Create a script book
• Series → Season → Episode → Scene hierarchy
• Report an issue / contact support