5 replies to this topic

[Jez]

Hi, I'm currently testing the 15-day demo and I'm warming towards Storyist the more I use it. I'm coming from Scrivener which confuses things but there you go.

I'd like to know if it is possible to make multiple non-consecutive text selections - as I can and do enjoy in, um, Scrivener?

I saw "Collections" and "Groups" in the documentation, but lack of followup tutorial and video clip leaves me typing this post on the forum. According to the docs, I can make a group, drag and drop whatever I like into it and...and...what? once I've dragged and dropped, does this change the location of the items or have I dropped copies or shortcuts into the group (this would make sense). Would be much easier to COMMAND-click the files I want to select and have them displayed as a single block of texts, as in, um, Scrivener.

Confused,

-Jez

[Steve]

Hi Jez,

Welcome to the forums.

Jez, on 19 December 2011 - 07:33 PM, said:

Hi, I'm currently testing the 15-day demo and I'm warming towards Storyist the more I use it. I'm coming from Scrivener which confuses things but there you go.

I'd like to know if it is possible to make multiple non-consecutive text selections - as I can and do enjoy in, um, Scrivener?

Storyist doesn't support multiple non-consecutive text selections.

Jez, on 19 December 2011 - 07:33 PM, said:

I saw "Collections" and "Groups" in the documentation, but lack of followup tutorial and video clip leaves me typing this post on the forum. According to the docs, I can make a group, drag and drop whatever I like into it and...and...what? once I've dragged and dropped, does this change the location of the items or have I dropped copies or shortcuts into the group (this would make sense). Would be much easier to COMMAND-click the files I want to select and have them displayed as a single block of texts, as in, um, Scrivener.

Confused,

The confusion for folks coming from Scrivener, usually has to do with the document model. In Scrivener, your manuscript is actually a collection of individual files that are "compiled" into a final document or viewed (as you point out) by command-clicking several files to have them displayed as a single block of text. Storyist is more straight-forward, like Pages or Word, in that your manuscript is a single file, with chapters and sections denoted by the appropriate headings, so what you see is what you get.

The Storyist Project view (the blue-gray strip on the left) shows your manuscripts along with the document outline. You can drag outline elements (chapters, sections) to rearrange them in the manuscript. Clicking on outline elements navigates to the appropriate place in the manuscript.

-Steve

[Jez]

Thanks, Steve, for clarifying.

Can you also clarify the best usage of collections and groups:

• Still not clear what collections and groups are about. Can you describe a real world usage for these things?
  
• When we've made a collection or group, how does that affect the location of the file within the manuscript?
  
• If we want to integrate the files in a collection or group - to update the manuscript - how do we go about doing that?

Cheers again,

-Jez

[Steve]

Hi Jez,

Jez, on 20 December 2011 - 10:34 AM, said:

Thanks, Steve, for clarifying.

Can you also clarify the best usage of collections and groups:
[*]Still not clear what collections and groups are about. Can you describe a real world usage for these things?

Groups are just folders. You can use them as you would use folders in Finder to organize your work.

Collections are top-level groups that have the additional capability of specifying their preferred contents. In the Novel template, the default collections are "MANUSCRIPTS," "SECTION SHEETS," "PLOT," "CHARACTERS," "SETTINGS," "NOTEBOOK," "IMAGES," and "BOOKMARKS." When you create a new project item, either from the Project popup in the toolbar, or from the auto-completing fields in story sheets, Storyist uses the preferred contents value to decide where to put it. You can change the preferred contents value by selecting the collection and choosing Project > Edit "<collection name>" Preferences.

Jez, on 20 December 2011 - 10:34 AM, said:

[*]When we've made a collection or group, how does that affect the location of the file within the manuscript?
[*]If we want to integrate the files in a collection or group - to update the manuscript - how do we go about doing that?

I think you're thinking it is more complicated than it is. Collections and groups don't affect the location of text in a manuscript. As I mentioned above, the manuscript is just a file, not a bunch of files you have to "compile" into a manuscript.

You can affect the location of a chapter or section in a file by dragging the project item for the chapter or section in the Project view, or by copying/pasting text.

-Steve

[Jez]

Got it. Understood. Thanks for responding quickly and thoroughly, Steve, much obliged - Jez

[Steve]

Jez, on 22 December 2011 - 07:05 AM, said:

Got it. Understood. Thanks for responding quickly and thoroughly, Steve, much obliged - Jez

You're most welcome. Happy Holidays.

-Steve