With a folder selected all the associated sub-docs appear in the editing window (with the dashed line separator) as expected. However, when a sub-doc is rearranged, the editor doesn’t reflect the move. So, my work around is to select another folder, then reselect the former folder to force an update. The problem with this method is that I then have to scroll to the where I was before since the editor doesn’t go back to where I was.
What I’d like to know is how to select where I want to go in the Binder without it singling out that document in the editor. In short, keep all the other docs visible in the folder (with the dashed line), but simply have the Binder bring me to the spot where I want to edit.
Yes, there is an aspect of the design that was never finished here, in that the scrivenings session is supposed to update when you add items or change the order of things from outside of it.
How I get around this is by using a trick that is also useful to know of for general navigation within a session, and that is to take advantage of how all the different view modes are linked together. They all work on the same information, just showing it in different ways.
Press Ctrl3 to switch to Outliner mode (or use the buttons in the toolbar).
From here you can use the keyboard shortcuts in the Edit ▸ Move submenu, to move things around just like normal, and of course drag and drop also works. Normal arrow keys move around, or you can type the first letters of titles jump straight to a spot.
When you are ready to return, select the spot you want to return to, with the outliner, and press Ctrl1.
There is incidentally a way of using the binder as a form of navigation, but it involves locking the editor (Navigate ▸ Editor ▸ Lock in Place). But that doesn’t really solve the problem of how the session doesn’t update to your shuffling of items around, and you have to toggle the lock on and off and can’t navigate in or out of anything so long as it is on. It’s a useful tool to be aware of, but for this, view mode toggling is much more direct!
It’s a fair suggestion but having to leave the editor is what I’m trying to avoid. Plus, I still end up having to scroll to the position I lost by changing the view. I was hoping there was a key-combo-click that allowed the editor to maintain all its content but still allow me to navigate to where I want to edit.
Hmm, if you select the item you wish to return to, then upon switching back to scrivenings view you should not have to scroll down to it, it should scroll you there automatically.
This is the closest thing to a keyboard driven way to navigate around within a long session. But I must admit I haven’t ever really thought of it as leaving the editor—in fact I like this approach precisely because it is all done right inside the editor. This is maybe just a way of thinking about it though.
Yeah, if either the editing window updated when docs are rearranged in the Binder or it returned me to where I was, I’d have no issue. Being a hotkey monkey myself, I actually like the Ctrl+1/2 but that hotkeying isn’t an improvement to this issue. As for the feeling of leaving the editor, you’re correct in that it really isn’t, but since the content changes, it’s pretty much the same thing … Which I wouldn’t have a problem with if I was taken back to where I was. Currently it is more akin to closing the file and reopening it.
That’s the part that I feel should be working but for some reason seems not to be, for you. One thing to check is whether you are on the latest version, as this was improved a long time ago.
One other thing that comes to mind is that we might have very different section lengths. I tend to outline in a very detailed fashion, and quite often I can see two or three sections on the screen at once. So for me, switching back to scrivenings view works just like I want. But, if I tended to have sections several screens of scrolling in height, then returning to the top of the document would be almost just as bad as doing nothing at all, and I might refer to it as not returning to where I was.
Hm, well it’s v3.1.6.0 (2862669) 02 Sep 2025. After a couple of more failed attempts I un/reinstalled and selected Scrivener for Windows v3 as the default shortcut scheme. Lo and behold, the behavior now works as expected.
Anyway, as for now I can move forward again so thank you for your help. Have a great week.
Well that’s an odd one! Seeing as how a reinstall will flush settings, I’m trying to think of one that might modify how this works (unintentionally I would say, I definitely can’t think of anything that would do this on purpose), but nothing is coming to mind off-hand. If in the course of returning your settings to your preferences you notice it failing again, let me know what seems to be the trigger.
That aside, there are some scrolling malfunctions we do have logged already. So if you run into either of these, they are known issues:
Some use of styles and overall scrivenings length can cause the return scroll behaviour to end up a “page” or two away from where it should be.
Minor issues when the scrivenings titles option is enabled, with the title often being scrolled a bit out of view (likely it’s just miscalculating the box height for the title fonts). This more often impacts direct external navigation, such as with the Lock in Place approach I mentioned above, or the mouse-driven Contents button in the top-right area of the editor header bar, but I’ve seen it with view mode toggling, too.
Anyway, glad this solution is more workable for you, now.
I’m a glutton for customizing, but Scrivener hasn’t had too many, at least not by my standards. Namely because it’s a new app for me. Ones that come to mind are dark theme, default font (Courier new) at 12pt and couple of custom hotkeys: ctrl + { and ctrl +} for indenting.
I’ve been using Scrivener to primarily break my story. Subfolders are titled as Draft 01, Draft 02, etc., with each draft containing about 30-33 Scrivenings/subdocs. Each of those have between 2 to 12 sentences amounting to 1,800 words per draft. The file in question only has two drafts.
Anyway, this is all just data to digest. Obviously, do with it as you will. As I continue I’ll track my changes and let you know if anything goes awry. Thanks again.