I have a template that i use on all new novel projects, call it “JBR novel”. I had to move a nearly complete project off my main computer to a second Mac. I then edited the project extensively and saved it as a new file (Save As). Problem: the second Mac did not have JBR novel on it, so the project saved as a generic novel.
I know how to import and export templates. How shall I apply JBR novel to a project in the generic novel template?
Hi.
A project template only has an effect when creating a new project from it.
If the project you moved was at first created from your template, whatever was your template is still at the root of it, only, tweaked as you tweaked it along (as you developed and worked on the said project).
There is no correlation whatsoever between the two.
. . . . . . . .
But, in case I misunderstand what you mean, if you want a project to be updated to match a certain project template, you need to create a new project from the template, then import the project to update into the new project created from the desired template.
(By match a project template, I mean labels, custom metadata fields, section types, styles etc.)
Give the new project in which you’ll import the old one to update a different name than the original project.
But again, if your project was created from your template to begin with, you might just be worried based on a false assumption. Your project is already based on your template, that is not gonna change.
Whether a computer has your template on it or not is of no consequence.
Yeah, it might help to know by what determination you are saying it “saved as a generic novel” when using Save As. The result should be identical, save for what gets printed in the window title bar after using that command.
Is this as case of “save project as a (new name) project” vs. " Save project as a new template" maybe? 
lVincent, Amber,
I should have just knocked around a bit. I have at least a partial solution.
History: I had transferred a project I’ll call V.3 from Computer A, which was acting up (and which is what started this string of questions). I went to computer B, which has a copy of Scrivener on it. I transferred the project to B’s desktop, double clicked it to open, which it did. I then made a lot of edits to V.3 and saved it as V.4. In the interim, I followed some helpful advice from Scrivener person Katherine and figured I’d fixed the Computer A problems. I transferred V.4 back to Computer A and realized that V.4 opened in generic novel template, which led to my questions above.
I finally created a new project on Computer A using my preferred custom template (which includes my custom compile structure), then imported V.4 into that new project. It worked, kind of. Initially, the new project included all the generic novel project folders with the imported V.4 below it. I’ve moved V.4 above the generic stuff, which I can’t seem to put into trash. Also, labels disappeared. So, problem partially solved. If there’s an obvious way to do this better, let me know. Otherwise, thanks for your help.
Once a project is created, it has no further connection to the template used to create it. It’s a standalone independent project and contains all the information it needs.
So “opened in the generic novel template” (or any other) isn’t really a meaningful phrase in Scrivener.
From your description, it sounds like the specific thing that was missing was your “custom compile structure.” Compile Formats, by design, can be project specific, but it’s much easier to move a Format to a new project than to move your data to a project that contains the Format. If you edit a Format, it will give you the option to save either to “My Formats” or to “Project Formats.” “My Formats” are available to all projects on the current computer. “Project Formats” will travel with the project wherever it goes, but are not available to other projects. See Section 24.1.1 in the manual for a full explanation.
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