Footnote zoom and enhanced text statistics

First of all, I want to thank you for such fantastic software. I am using Scrivener to write my dissertation, and I have never had an easier time staying organized in the writing process!

I do have a couple of “wishes” for future updates.

First, I wish there was a way to “scale” the footnote size along with the main text size. As in, I wish there was an option to enlarge text of the footnotes on the screen without changing the actual font size. I currently have the font of the main text set to 12, but I have to keep the footnotes at 14 or larger if I don’t want to strain my eyes…if I copy and paste something from the body into a footnote, I then have to change the font size. A scale option would be awesome (as would instruction on how to do this, if it already exists and I’ve missed it!).

Second, the “text statistics” feature is excellent (truly!), but I wish there was an option to see statistics for GROUPS of words and not just individual words. There is a website that I use periodically that has a feature like this : online-utility.org/text/analyzer.jsp. The great thing about this is that it won’t just show me how many times I use the separate words “for” and “example”…it will show me how many times I use the phrase “for example.” I think a feature like this would greatly enhance the value of the text statistic feature.

Again, thank you for developing such a fine piece of software…I am encouraging all of my colleagues to give Scrivener a trial run!

You could try Zoom it for the footnote visibility. It’s so cheap (99 cents) that even if you don’t like it you can throw it away without much loss.

macupdate.com/app/mac/40826/zoom-it

Alternatively, if you select text in the footnotes (cmd-A to select everything) you can then do cmd-+ to go up the point sizes and cmd-- to come down them again. It’s a quick and dirty way of getting a text “zoom”, though I realise it’s not ideal. But until there is something better …

Cheers, Martin.

hi, i’m using scrivener 2 and wanting to compile into word 2011, however when i compile my footnotes appear as endnotes. the same happens when i try copying and pasting the entire draft. i do not have the ‘compile footnotes as endnotes’ box ticked in ‘all options’ in the compile menu. does this mean i have to copletely re-do my footnotes in word?
any help much appreciated.

Sarah, for a technical question like this, it’s better to post in the Technical Support section. This section is for requests for new features, etc. The Tech Support people do look here, but you would probably get a quicker response in the other section.

I don’t use Word nowadays, but changing all your footnotes to endnotes and vice versa should just be a couple of clicks in Word. I used to do it all the time with earlier versions.

Martin.

I would also like to support the addition of a feature in a future update to allow users to zoom footnotes in the inspector panel (or for that matter, comments, notes, etc. in the panel). If the fonts are set for printing the footnotes (10 or 12 point), they are much to small to read on screen, especially when using a laptop screen. It is too cumbersome to have to change the printing font to read them on screen (and this prevents users from using the “print” function for drafts, since a readable onscreen font will be far too big for printing – also would rather not have to go through compile to print a draft). For academic users or non-fiction book writers this is really an essential feature, but I think it would benefit all users, since I imagine that many have to strain their eyes reading the inspector notes/comments in Scrivener if they switch from a large desktop monitor to a laptop.

Many thanks for the great software!

Cheers, James

Zooming inspector footnotes is definitely on the to-do list, never fear. I can’t say when, as it’s non-trivial (because it has to coordinate with the main text), but it will be coming at some point.

Thanks for the kind words!

All the best,
Keith

Hi Keith!

A very sincere & polite query: This is not a request for a time-frame commitment, or a nag of any sorts - I just want to check whether (since your reply above) this has been implemented yet? If not - no worries - will make a plan as per the suggestions above - but want to be sure that (as a newbie) I haven’t missed something somewhere that allows for the zoom?

And - allow me also to say Thanks for an Awesome piece of writing Heaven! :slight_smile:

+1 request for text zoom in the Inspector, especially Document Notes (my highest priority because of my workflow) but footnotes, too, would be welcome to my aging eyes. Thanks!

Inspector footnotes and comments can already be zoomed. For the notes, just increase the size to something more comfortable…

Thanks, I do increase the size each time as you suggest, but I use doc notes in every single document I create, which means a LOT of size-boosting. And then when I paste that material into the main text field (which I’m viewing at 175% zoom), it’s now much [size=200]larger[/size] than the rest of the text, so then I have to reformat that document or shrink the now-colossal sections. Over the course a magazine project that might have a couple dozen subdocuments, that adds up. Over the course of my book project, which has literally thousands, it adds up a lot more.

I know, not a major hassle, but it would save me some time if I didn’t have to keep boosting and shrinking font size every time I make a document. But I understand if it’s not a high priority, especially if (as is probable), it’s more complicated to code than it sounds to a non-coder like me.

Maybe I’m the only one who uses document notes in this way in my workflow. In one stage, I extract the parts of my research files (which can be simple notes, or quotations, citations, etc), paste them into the document notes sections of whatever Scrivener sub-document I’m writing. Then I switch to a No Split layout, open the Inspector/Doc notes, and work on each sub document separately. So pretty much every subdocument I write involves reading and a lot of pasting from Doc Notes. This sounds a lot more complicated than it is, but if anyone can think of a better workflow that would keep me from having to do so much text boosting and shrinking, I’ll happily consider it. I’m always tinkering with my work flow and doubtless plenty of other Scriveners out there have come up with a more efficient one than mine. Anyway, thanks for responding, Keith.