• Links
Collected hyperlinks.
• Images
[img-esbad]: http://www.semigreenpenny.com/img/forums/06345013-bad_select.jpg "Incorrect selection" [img-esgood]: http://www.semigreenpenny.com/img/forums/06345013-good_select.jpg "A safe selection" [img-adjAnnot]: http://www.semigreenpenny.com/img/forums/07021-831-adjacent_annotations.png "Adjacent Annotations Example" [img-colourPalette]: http://www.semigreenpenny.com/img/forums/07021-831-colour_palette.png "Apple's Colour Palette" [img-binderTypes]: http://www.semigreenpenny.com/img/forums/07...
• ScrivenerFaq
• Introduction
Brief introduction to the FAQ
• A Note on the Wiki Version and old Cross-Referencing
Previously, the Scrivener FAQ was located on the forum, as this was the best place for visibility. As of the publication of the wiki version, the forum version has been removed and simply has a link to this document. In forum questions and answers, you may find section reference numbering. The forum did not allow linking to specific answers, effectively limiting its usefulness given that it was essentially one very long document. The wiki format will allow more answers and better organisation f...
• Partial Table of Contents
Because of the size of the FAQ, it would not be reasonable to maintain a full table of contents here. Use the provided links to navigate to the section you most feel will contain your answer. If you couldn't find it, it will most likely be in the General Information or Miscellaneous sections. **Navigation**: 1. [General Information][faqGenInfo] 2. [The Editor][faqTheEditor] 3. [Import and Export][faqImportExport] 4. [Using the Interface][faqUsingTheInterface] 5. [Miscellaneous][faqMisc] 6. [Ad...
• General Information
This section discusses general information in relation to the Scrivener product itself, such as licence particulars, registration, future development and so forth. **Navigation**: 1. General Information 2. [The Editor][faqTheEditor] 3. [Import and Export][faqImportExport] 4. [Using the Interface][faqUsingTheInterface] 5. [Miscellaneous][faqMisc] 6. [Advanced Topics][faqAdvanced] 7. [Troubleshooting][faqTroubleshooting]
• How much does Scrivener cost, and what are the licence stipulations?
The price is set at $39.95 USD for one "household" licence, which means you and family members can install Scrivener on multiple computers, so long as only one copy is in use at once, and these computers are used by yourself or family members (installing on a work machine is okay, for instance, so long as it is primarily "your" computer). Business and academic institutions are required to purchase licenses for each installation. To order your copy of Scrivener, please visit the [Scrivener home p...
• I have just finished the tutorial and am ready to begin, what should I do first?
The first thing you should do is close the tutorial and create a new project. The tutorial was designed to be an interactive way to learn Scrivener, and is thus editable. However it is often updated whenever features are added or modified. There are safeguards in place now, but it is still a good idea to use a brand new project for your book, rather than starting to work in the provided tutorial project. To create a new project, select "New Project..." from the File menu and complete the short ...
• What is the roadmap of Scrivener's future development?
Unlike many applications on the market, Scrivener was designed to be feature complete and as bug free as possible upon its initial release. The application you are using is the result of years of work, research, and refinement. It has [long been the stated intention of the developer][scrivFuture] to cease active *expansion* of Scrivener's features upon its final release, while he begins active work on his book. Bug fixes and compatibility updates will be made, of course, but new features will be...
• I would like to help Scrivener get translated into the language of my choice, what should I do?
If you are willing to help translate the interface, please visit [this thread][localisation], to see if someone has already volunteered. If not, drop a message and add you and your language to the queue. Translation efforts have not yet been announced.
• I lost my licence number, what can I do to get it back?
If you still have the original invoice email that was sent to you at the time of purchase, you should find your licence number there. If you deleted this email or do not have access to it, please visit the [[Licence]] page for further information.
• Is it safe to use the beta version of Scrivener that is available on the forum?
You might have already downloaded the beta unawares, if you downloaded Scrivener from one of the popular version tracking sites, such as [http://www.macupdate.com/ MacUpdate], [http://www.versiontracker.com/ VersionTracker], or [http://osx.iusethis.com/ I Use This]. These services often end up linking to betas rather than the stable version due to their aggressive nature. To check which version of Scrivener you are running, select "About Scrivener" from the main application menu. To evaluate ho...
• I want to use Scrivener on a second computer, what is the best way to transfer my settings to the new computer?
As noted above, the Scrivener licence allows you to run the application on multiple computers, pending the above guidelines. After you install Scrivener on the second machine, run the program once to enter your serial number, which you can find in the original invoice email that was sent to you at the time of purchase. Then follow the below steps: # Quit Scrivener on the second computer. # On the first computer, load up Scrivener if necessary, and access the general application preferences (Cmd...
• Is it safe to use network synchronised drives, such as MobileMe or DropBox?
There are two answers to this question depending on what you intend. If you intend to simply store ''zipped'' copies of your projects (as generated with the ''File/Backup Project To..." command), then there is no problem with using these devices. Do remember that whenever you place something "on the Internet" you reduce your privacy. If your projects contain classified or confidential information, you might wish to use an encrypted disk image stored on the net drive. These services provide a ver...
• How should I keep my projects up to date between different computers?
It is best to use the "Backup Project To..." feature to generate copies either into a network service like [DropBox][dropBoxHome], or if your computers are on the same network, directly onto the new machine. Since the backup feature adds a timestamp to the project name, you can always be sure you are editing the latest copy. Some people like to use flash drives or external hard drives as well, rather than a network. With flash drives, I recommending using the zip archival option. Due to the com...
• The Editor
The editor is Scrivener's main working area, located directly to the right of the Binder (which is your project outline tool on the left). This is your place for questions regarding the process of editing text, formatting it, using Scrivener's tools for linking, annotation, footnotes, and other issues of that nature. **Navigation**: 1. [General Information][faqGenInfo] 2. The Editor 3. [Import and Export][faqImportExport] 4. [Using the Interface][faqUsingTheInterface] 5. [Miscellaneous][faqMis...
• I would like to be able to strip all existing formatting when I paste.
Like many other Cocoa applications, such as TextEdit, Scrivener supports the ability to paste the contents of your clipboard without any of its existing fonts and styles. The menu command for this is *Edit/Paste and Match Style*, or you can use the shortcut, Cmd-Opt-Shift-V. Additionally, the way Annotations and Footnotes are handled in Scrivener is much like a regular style, like bold or italics. Thus, when you copy and paste normally, the text's status as either form of meta-data will be carr...
• I tried to change the font of my text in Edit Scrivenings, and nothing happened.
You probably had more than one underlying document selected. When the selection spans multiple documents (indicated by alternating shades of grey, by default), it ceases to interact with the text in the same manner that it does when editing a single document. This is for a variety of conceptual and technical reasons. The ability to edit many multiple files at once does not necessarily mean that it is just like editing a single document. If you are only wishing to change the fonts back to the de...
• Sometimes, when I select the last line of a document in Edit Scrivenings, it will not delete or let me edit it.
When you enter Edit Scrivenings mode, one to two line breaks (depending on your preferences) will be temporarily added in between every section of the draft that is being shown. This is to help visually distinguish between sections which might not otherwise have space between them. Since these line breaks are temporary, and not technically a part of either document, they can sometimes be accidentally selected when using certain methods of selection -- such as triple clicking on the last line of ...
• How do I hide annotations or footnotes?
Scrivener now supports a "Ghost" mode for annotations and footnotes. To enable this mode, you will find it in the Text menu, or you may press Cmd-Shift-X. This will fade them into the background colour. The extent to which they are faded is determined by the option in the Fonts & Colors preference tab. If you wish to permanently remove them for whatever reason, select all (Cmd-A), copy without annotations and footnotes (Cmd-Opt-Shift-C), and then paste right over the current document. Creating ...
• Is it possible to create adjacent annotations?
Since Annotations are in a way like any other kind of format (such as bold or italics), when two Annotation fields are adjacent, they become merged by the Cocoa text engine. There is a way to place multiple comments side by side however, by changing the colours. If you do not wish for the colour changes to be visible, the shift can be as small as you like. ![Example Adjacent Annotations][img-adjAnnot] If you have an Annotation that you wish to split into two, simply select the portion you wish...
• Changing the default font and style preferences does not update existing files.
Each item in Scrivener is a bit like a separate document on your hard drive. They can all have their own independent formatting. You may, for example, wish to have your notes done in one font, and your draft in another, to help visually keep them apart when looking at them together in Edit Scrivenings. Consequently, the default setting only effects documents you create in the future. If you have changed your mind about how you want the project to look and feel, there is still a way to go back a...
• Spell checking is turned on, but it is not underlining misspelled words from prior typing sessions.
Scrivener uses the basic spell checker that is provided nearly system wide on the Macintosh. This system is somewhat limited compared what what many word processors provide, and was primarily designed to provide quick spell checking on things that you are currently typing. Consequently, it does a good job of highlighting typos and misspelled words as you compose, but if you close the document and return to it later the highlights will be gone. There are two ways to spell check a document that h...
• Is it possible to delete (unlink) text links?
To delete a link, select the entire link (it does not matter if you select text to the left and right of the link, so long as you are not selection part of another link you wish to retain), and then choose *Unlink* from the Text menu. The Unlink feature can remove many links at once. If you wish to remove bulk links from a document, simply select a range that includes all of the desired links, and choose *Unlink*, as before.
• How can I keep Scrivener from creating links when I paste from a web page?
Use the *Paste and Match Style* function in the Edit menu (Cmd-Opt-Shift-V). Note, this will also destroy any other formatting, such as bold and italics, that might have been displayed in the original page (Firefox does not paste this information anyway). If you wish to both retain formatting and remove links, you will paste normally, and then use the instructions provided in <$R:section:theEditor>.<$n:editor_answer:deletingLinks>, for deleting bulk links.
• Adjusting existing ruler styles does not update existing text.
The short answer: What Apple is calling "styles" in the Ruler are actually favourite format presets, and not to be confused with dynamic word processor styling, where one can change the style's appearance and their entire document updates immediately. The long answer: Scrivener is using RTF as its format, which has no built-in capacity for a true styling system. Word processors (such as Nissus) that use RTF+styles are unusual and custom coded (not portable between word processors). There are no...
• Is it possible to set up default indents and line-spacing for new documents?
Yes, Scrivener not only lets you pick a default font to work in, but you can also set up your own indents, paragraph spacing, line spacing, and margins (referred to as ruler settings) for new documents. As with fonts, these can all be maintained separate from the final compiled look of your draft, making it easy to work in a fashion that is pleasing to your eyes, but produce final a document that is pleasing to the eyes of your agent or editor. Default ruler settings can be supplied in the Edit...
• When Ghost Notes Mode is turned on, some of my notes are only partially obscured.
By default Scrivener expects the colon mark to indicate a "label" for the note, which will always remain visible, even when the rest of the note is ghosted. An example might be: "PLOT: What happens here is not internally consistent with the rest of the plot thus far." In this example, the word, 'PLOT,' since it falls before the colon will be considered a label and left visible in ghosting mode. If you would prefer a different way of marking labels, or would rather not have labels show up at all...
• How do I select a single sentence using the keyboard?
Unfortunately, there is no good way to do this. The OS X text toolkit does not provide a shortcut for selecting by sentence, and there is no easy way to program an alternative. Remember that you can use the Cmd and Opt keys in conjunction with Shift-Arrow keys to speed up keyboard selection.
• Import and Export
Scrivener is not only a writing platform, but a conduit for your works in progress. Getting information in and out of Scrivener is a vital task, and one in which the scale of complexity can be overwhelming at first. This section is meant to address some of the more common problems that new users run in to. **Navigation**: 1. [General Information][faqGenInfo] 2. [The Editor][faqTheEditor] 3. Import and Export 4. [Using the Interface][faqUsingTheInterface] 5. [Miscellaneous][faqMisc] 6. [Advance...
• I imported a document into Scrivener, and now it looks like gibberish.
If you have tried to import a Word document and it comes in as gibberish, you likely need to manually add the extension, '.doc', using Finder. Word does not always add this by default on the Mac, and when it is missing it can confuse applications using OS X's Doc converter. When a plain text file comes in as gibberish, you might be running into an encoding problem. Scrivener assumes that your text file is UTF-8. Most Macintosh applications create a UTF-8 file by default. However, files that hav...
• Exported drafts do not look like the document did in Scrivener.
Unlike standard word processors, Scrivener's export system was designed around the notion that what you see on the screen may not be what you want the document to print like. To support this philosophy, there are actually *several* places that control the way your text will appear. In the application preferences, under Text Editing, you can set the General Text Attributes. This will effect the way new documents are created, and is also used to re-style documents using the conversion feature fou...
• When exporting, how can I tell Scrivener that I want the chapters to be numbered in the order they appear?
The Edit menu, under *Insert > Auto-numbering*, contains several tokens that can be inserted into your draft, which upon export will be translated into numbering. For full documentation on how to use this feature, consult the documentation in Menus, Edit Menu. Note that all this menu does is insert a special text code. Once you are familiar with the codes, you can simply type them in yourself, saving time. A new feature in Scrivener 1.10 allows you to have multiple numbering streams. This mean...
• I've tried the preference for single and double line breaks between sections, but things still look wrong.
This adjusts how things will appear during export, not in the text editor. However, the setting also effects how things will look in Edit Scrivenings, so you can preview the effect. It is important to remember that these are inserted *in addition to* whatever carriage returns might already exist in the document. This can lead to inconsistent appearance. Using Edit Scrivenings can help you find these inconsistencies and fix them. Line breaks and separators can be adjusted depending on the contex...
• What is the best way to export to word processors?
If you intend to use Microsoft Word: Use the Microsoft Word exporter. If you want your footnotes to be included, you can choose whether or not they will be displayed on the same page as the reference, or as endnotes. Additionally, you can choose to have annotations displayed as "comments," which will tell Word to display them as special pop-up margin notes, and not a part of the text. Please note that unless you are exporting with the intention of using Word, the "comments" feature should be di...
• Where can I set print options such as removing the page number, adjusting the margins, or adding meta-data?
In the File menu, open Page Setup... (Cmd-Shift-P), and in the Settings drop-down, select "Scrivener." Here you will find three tabs with a diverse number of settings that you can choose from. Note that with the exception of page margins, these settings only effect what you print from Scrivener when using the Print (Cmd-P) command. When you choose to print via Export, the export settings that you have selected will be used instead.
• What does the Print button do in the Compile Draft window, and how does that differ from standard printing from the File menu?
The Print button featured in the Export Draft window is intended to be used as a quick way to print out large sections (if not all) of the draft, in a format that is suitable for rough drafts or copies for proofers. It is not intended to be used a publishing device. The main reason for this is that certain features that are built in to Scrivener, such as footnotes, are designed to be exported to a publishing engine (such as Pages, InDesign, Word, or LaTeX), that can handle them properly. The sim...
• I tried to drag a web link into Scrivener, and it did not do what I expected, or gave me an error about it being the wrong type of file.
There are several places in Scrivener that URLs can be dragged to: The Binder itself, to import the web page based on your preferences; into the text area as a link to that page; and in the References pane of the Inspector. The problem faced is that different browsers do different things when dragging a link, and some even do different things depending upon *where* you drag the link from, within the browser. For example, in Safari you can drag a link in a web page into Scrivener with no problem,...
• Is it possible to print out an outline of the compiled draft?
While the actual Binder, Corkboard, and Outliner view themselves cannot be printed, setting up the Export Draft feature correctly will allow you to print out a list of all the titles in your draft, including any synopsis or notes you may wish to include. Simply press Cmd-Opt-E, or choose *Compile Draft* from the File menu (Note: If you have changed the name of your Draft folder, the menu title will differ to match your selected name). In the main Content tab along the lower right side, you'll se...
• I am concerned about proprietary formats. Is my data safe with Scrivener, or will I lose all of my books if Scrivener stops working?
This is an important question because on a long time scale you shouldn't expect applications, or even operating systems, to still be around in decades time. "Future-proofing" your work should be something you always consider whenever you adopt the usage of an application for your important data.
• The Simple Answer
At the conclusion of your project, or periodically if you prefer, export the entire Scrivener Binder into a folder on your hard drive. Do this by clicking anywhere in the Binder, pressing Cmd-A, and then Cmd-Shift-E to export. For full data export, you might wish to make sure the meta-data and notes options are checked. This will go through the entire outline and produce copies of everything in your project, arranged into folders precisely in the manner you organised everything within Scrivener....
• The More Complex Answer
Scrivener's project format itself is designed to be fairly resiliant to the loss of Scrivener. While it appears to be a single file on the Mac, it is really just a special folder which can be examined by right-clicking on it and choose "Show Package Contents". On other operating systems which do not support this feature, it will appear like an ordinary directory. Inside this folder all of your individual documents are stored using RTFD files. While these cannot be opened in RTF editors outside o...
• Using the Interface
Queries relating to the overall application interface aspects of Scrivener, such as accidentally deleting items in the Binder, or expanding all levels of the draft at once, can be found in this section. **Navigation**: 1. [General Information][faqGenInfo] 2. [The Editor][faqTheEditor] 3. [Import and Export][faqImportExport] 4. Using the Interface 5. [Miscellaneous][faqMisc] 6. [Advanced Topics][faqAdvanced] 7. [Troubleshooting][faqTroubleshooting]
• I accidentally deleted a file somehow, and undo does not restore it.
I accidentally deleted a file somehow, and undo does not restore it.
• I have noticed that Folders can contain text and meta-data just like documents can, what is the difference between the two?
I have noticed that Folders can contain text and meta-data just like documents can, what is the difference between the two?
• What is the Keywords HUD for, and how does it work?
What is the Keywords HUD for, and how does it work?
• How can I customise labels or status?
How can I customise labels or status?
• Can I collapse or expand a section of the Binder, and all of the children in that section?
Can I collapse or expand a section of the Binder, and all of the children in that section?
• What is the best way to get an accurate word count of just publishable text?
What is the best way to get an accurate word count of just publishable text?
• What is the best way to get an accurate word count of just publishable text?
How can I bulk change the meta-data for multiple documents at once.
How can I bulk change the meta-data for multiple documents at once.
• I used Quick Search to filter the contents of my Binder, and now I cannot get it back to the regular outline.
I used Quick Search to filter the contents of my Binder, and now I cannot get it back to the regular outline.
• The Binder selection does not follow what I am currently editing.
The Binder selection does not follow what I am currently editing.
• How can I copy and paste items in the Binder?
How can I copy and paste items in the Binder?
• Is it possible to set a different font in full screen?
Is it possible to set a different font in full screen?
• Can the text highlighter colours be named or labelled?
Can the text highlighter colours be named or labelled?
• How do I enter more than one line into an index card in the Corkboard?
How do I enter more than one line into an index card in the Corkboard?
• I'm using one of the project templates. How do I make a new page using one of the presets?
Scrivener project templates are simply starting points for your book. There is nothing special about them above and beyond what an ordinary project acts like, other than the fact that they have been saved as templates, and are available when creating a new project. Thus, you can treat all elements of a template as you would any other project or text document in Scrivener. To create a new chapter folder, for example, simply select the existing starter and duplicate it (Cmd-D). You can then immed...
• Where can I find a list of all keyboard shortcuts in Scrivener?
Scrivener has a very vast set of shortcuts out of the box. Chances are, if you want a shortcut for it, it is already set up. But this comprehensive set of shortcuts also means that it can be a little intimidating when you want to find a specific one. A complete listing has been posted to the wiki: [Keyboard Shortcuts][kbShortcuts].
• Miscellaneous
If your question doesn't fit into any of the other categories, or you couldn't find an answer where you thought you should, check here. If you still cannot find an answer to your question, please visit the official Scrivener forum and search for it there. If all else fails, place a support request in the "Technical Support" section of the forum, or send an email to support AT literatureandlatte DOT com. **Navigation**: 1. [General Information][faqGenInfo] 2. [The Editor][faqTheEditor] 3. [Impo...
• I would like to create default labels, status, binder entries, et cetera, for my new projects.
I would like to create default labels, status, binder entries, et cetera, for my new projects.
• I want to revise a template that I already have installed, how is this done?
I want to revise a template that I already have installed, how is this done?
• What is the maximum size of a project in terms of disk space, or how many files I can put into it?
What is the maximum size of a project in terms of disk space, or how many files I can put into it?
• Will there ever be a Windows version of Scrivener?
Will there ever be a Windows version of Scrivener?
• Will proper version tracking, or the ability to compare differences between snapshots, ever be added to Scrivener?
Will proper version tracking, or the ability to compare differences between snapshots, ever be added to Scrivener?
• I wish to annotate or edit some media that I have imported into my Scrivener project, does Scrivener have tools for editing PDFs, pictures, sound files, or other media?
I wish to annotate or edit some media that I have imported into my Scrivener project, does Scrivener have tools for editing PDFs, pictures, sound files, or other media?
• Can I change the default keyboard shortcuts for menu items?
Can I change the default keyboard shortcuts for menu items?
• I have created several projects, and do not know where they are saved. Where does Scrivener save my data?
I have created several projects, and do not know where they are saved. Where does Scrivener save my data?
• Advanced
Fix code block sections
• I see a lot about "MMD" on the forums, what is MultiMarkdown (MMD) and should I use it?
I see a lot about "MMD" on the forums, what is MultiMarkdown (MMD) and should I use it?
• I found a bug with MultiMarkdown, or wish to request a feature, where do I report this?
I found a bug with MultiMarkdown, or wish to add a feature, where do I report this?
• I would like to customise or add new key bindings that change the way I edit the text itself, such as selecting words, and jumping to the end of the current line.
I would like to customise or add new key bindings that effect the way I edit the text itself, such as selecting words, and jumping to the end of the current line.
• Is Scrivener compatible with an external versioning system, such as Subversion or CVS?
Is Scrivener compatible with an external versioning system, such as Subversion or CVS?
• Can ruler styles be moved between computers, and if so, how?
Can ruler styles be moved between computers, and if so, how?
• What steps do I need to take to add to or change how MultiMarkdown works; or, where do I put this XSLT file I downloaded.
What steps do I need to take to add to or change how MultiMarkdown works; or, where do I put this XSLT file I downloaded.
• I would like to print out an outline with indenting and perhaps even automatic numbering.
I would like to print out an outline with indenting and perhaps even automatic numbering.
• Troubleshooting
If you are trying to sort out an error with the way Scrivener works, here are some common issues that users come across, and how to fix or work around them. This is not a comprehensive list, and if you do not find what you are looking for here, the documentation for Scrivener has a larger troubleshooting section. Also the technical support forum has many hundreds of cases where problems have been posted and resolved. **Navigation**: 1. [General Information][faqGenInfo] 2. [The Editor][faqTheE...
• When I start up Scrivener, the main window does not load properly, or parts of the interface are blank.
When I start up Scrivener, the main window does not load properly.
• When exporting with MultiMarkdown, I get a parser error in the meta-data section of the export.
When exporting with MultiMarkdown, I get a parser error, "-:1: parser error : Start tag expected, '<' not found"
• Whenever I type in full screen mode, the application slows way down.
Whenever I type in full screen mode, the application slows way down.
• Whenever I try to open the Scrivener application, it crashes immediately.
Whenever I try to open the Scrivener application, it crashes immediately.
• Closing
---- *This document was generated using Scrivener+MMD with a MediaWiki XSLT converter. Download a copy of the [.scriv file and the XSLT][scrivFaq] needed to generate it.*