This is an issue even without switching to other applications.
Problem 1. It behaves like a System Modal window and not like an Application Modal window
This first problem is what we see with other applications. This is both annoying and should be easily fixed. While this was probably the only way to get the HUD to be on top of the Windows Taskbar, how many people actually use that feature versus are annoyed by it being on top of other applications?
Problem 2. The Keyword HUD is the topmost window in Scrivener even when it doesn’t have focus
Other modal windows in Scrivener are under the Keyword HUD display. This means if you actively use the HUD and you’ve made it big you can actually find other windows entirely obscured by the Keyword HUD. This is particularly noticeable when you’re changing the name of a keyword and need to rename it in existing documents. The confirmation dialog is under the Keyword HUD and because the confirmation dialog is a focus-grabbing modal window it doesn’t let you move the Keyword HUD out of the way.
Problem 3. The Keyword HUD does not remember the location or size within a session
This is probably due to being destroyed and recreated instead of just hidden.
The user-impact of this is that the HUD becomes tiny and changes the location on the screen every time it is reopened. This is super annoying – I encounter this far more often than I switch to other applications, and when I do switch to other applications I encounter this problem as soon as I switch back to Scrivener and reopen the HUD.
If you’re not going to explicitly keep track of the size and location of the Keyword HUD you can at least not hide/unhide the HUD so it keeps track within the same session.
Problem 4. The Keyword HUD is always in the way
The forth problem is the existence of the Keyword HUD as a HUD/popup window. There’s stuff that can only be done in the HUD (like changing the name of a keyword already in use).
As a popup window, if Scrivener has been maximized it is always overlapping something important on the screen. – That is, everything in Scrivener is important, and needing to move the HUD around on a regular basis to perform common tasks is an inconvenience.
I would like the same information to be available in a tab like the search results – ideally with the ability to split that pane to show both the binder and the keywords. (Though I’d be fine with one at a time, too.)
As it is, when I need to use the keywords heavily, I wind up putting them right smack dab in the middle of my text. The fact that the place most out of the way is the middle of my text is absurd for an application that otherwise makes it easier to write.
Perhaps I’m just the only one that uses Scrivener maximized and not full-screen.
I do love the application. It is full of awesome. I’m looking forward to seeing how it improves as it approaches the release date.