Compile & Export

Turn your outline and scenes into a formatted manuscript.

Overview

When you're ready to produce a manuscript, Braidr's Compile feature assembles your scenes in reading order and exports them as a single document. Click the Compile button in the toolbar or press ⌘E.

The Compile modal

The Compile modal gives you full control over what gets included and how it's formatted:

Scene selection

By default, all scenes are included. You can customize the selection:

• Filter by character — include only specific POV characters. Useful for compiling a single character's storyline.
• Filter by status — include only scenes with a specific status (e.g., only “Final” scenes for a polished export, or “Draft” and above).
• Manual selection — check or uncheck individual scenes in the list.

Formatting options

• Chapter headings — include chapter titles from your chapter markers. Choose between numbered (“Chapter 1”) or named (“Chapter 1: The Storm”).
• Character names — optionally show the POV character's name at the start of each scene (useful for multi-POV novels where the reader needs to know whose head they're in).
• Scene breaks — choose the divider between scenes within a chapter. Options include blank line, three asterisks (***), a horizontal rule, or custom text.
• Scene numbers — optionally include scene numbers in the output for reference (typically disabled for a final manuscript).

Compile order

Scenes are compiled in braided reading order — the same order they appear in the Braided View. Chapter markers determine where chapter breaks occur in the output.

Export formats

Quick compile

For a fast export with your most recent settings, use ⌘ShiftE to compile immediately without opening the modal. The file is saved to the same location as last time.