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How to Use Text Conversations

Text conversations show dialogue as chat-style bubbles, perfect for text messages, chat logs, or any back-and-forth.

Create a Conversation

Select the paragraphs you want to turn into messages and press Ctrl+Shift+T (Cmd+Shift+T on Mac). Each paragraph becomes a bubble.

Paste a script, get a conversation

If your selection reads like a script, with lines such as Luna: Are you coming?, Lacuna notices and asks Auto-create name bubbles? before converting.

  • Yes, create bubbles strips the names out of the text and turns each one into a proper name bubble.
  • No, keep plain builds the conversation with your text exactly as written.
  • Nevermind cancels and leaves your paragraphs untouched.

When the script has more than one speaker, a People list appears in the dialog. Set each person to Receiver or Sender (receiver bubbles sit on the left, sender bubbles on the right), or use All left / All right to set everyone at once. With exactly two speakers, Lacuna pre-fills the first as the receiver and the second as the sender.

Message controls

Click any message to open its Message menu:

  • Set as Receiver (Left Align) and Set as Sender (Right Align) switch which side the bubble sits on.
  • Set as character name turns the bubble into a name row for the speaker (Remove character name turns it back).
  • The receipt dropdown sets the delivery status: Sending, Delivered, Read, Failed, or None.
  • The time control sets a timestamp shown with the message, in 12-hour or 24-hour format.
  • Remove Message deletes the bubble.

You can also drag to reorder messages or pull one out of the conversation.

Keyboard shortcuts

The side and name controls have shortcuts, and they work on every message in your selection at once, so you can re-side a whole scene in one press:

ActionWindowsMac
Set as Receiver (Left)Ctrl+Alt+LeftCmd+Alt+Left
Set as Sender (Right)Ctrl+Alt+RightCmd+Alt+Right
Toggle Character NameCtrl+Alt+UpCmd+Alt+Up

Customizing Your Text Conversations

Select a conversation to open its style panel. It has four tabs: Bubbles, Names, Receipt & Time, and Spacing.

Bubbles

  • Receiver Colors and Sender Colors. Set the Background and Text Color for each side. Leave either on Default to use your theme color.
  • Style. Font Size of the message text, and Corner Radius for how rounded the bubbles are.
  • Spacing. Inside Bubble padding, plus Fit to Content: when on, a bubble hugs its message; when off, every bubble takes 80% of the available width.

Names

  • Text. The name’s Font Size and Transform (None, CAPS, or Capitalize).
  • Spacing Around Name. The Top / Bottom space around the name.
  • Layout. Placement sets where the name sits: Top (above the bubble), Bubble (inside it), or Inline (on the same line as the message). Repeat Names shows the name on every message; turn it off to show it only when the speaker changes.

Receipt & Time

  • Text. The receipt’s Font Size and Transform (None, CAPS, or Capitalize).
  • Spacing Around Receipt. The Top / Bottom space around the receipt.

Spacing

  • Spacing Around Conversation. The space on all four sides of the whole conversation block.

Using Presets

Save and reuse conversation styles with presets. Group them by character so each speaker keeps a consistent look.