I often duplicate the same Scrivner project (it’s practically a template), and so I regularly compile the same sections and alway compile it as an RTFD file.
Is there some way to save these setting so that I can just refer to them whenever I compile these duplicated Projects?
Thanks!
Any particular reason why it’s not actually a template? 
In case you aren’t aware, it’s File ▸ Save as Template…. That’ll save everything about the project down to the files in the binder and whether you have the inspector open, let alone the compile settings, and any compile Formats you’ve saved into the project as well.
That said, duplicating a project in Finder ought to copy all aspects of it as well, so I’m not sure why that isn’t working for you. Are you talking about compile settings, the checkboxes and such on the right-hand side? Or the Format, like Manuscript vs Proofing Copy?
Thank you. And yes, there is a reason why it’s not actually a template: I save these projects in DEVONthink Pro, and so it’s easier for me to keep a copy of this document saved in DEVONthink’s template folder rather that saving it as a Scrivener Template. I’m sure it’s sounds crazy and confusing. But it’s the best way to use templates that I save in DEVONthink Pro.
I’m talking about the checkboxes on the right-hand side – that is, the checkboxes for the the Sections (text) that’s inside folders. I have to click on the same set of checkboxes, and select Compile for .rtfd, every time I compile a document from this (de facto) template.
Let me know if this make sense or if you’d me to explain my process further. Thanks!
Ah, I see, and yes that makes perfectly good sense to me—much like how I would use Scrivener’s own shared template folder to generate new copies of a thing, over the software’s own templating system. If it’s going to end up in the binder, might as well make it there from the start if you can.
But as with Project Templates, the formula for your DTP template folder should be simple: set up the project precisely how you always want it to be in the exemplar copy. It sounds to me like you need to open that project itself and make any adjustments you wish to it, if you’re having to set things up over and over again every time you use it.
Otherwise, if it is definitely set up right in the templates folder, but upon duplication in DTP it loses its settings—well that would be concerning to myself as it would mean that not all of the files are being copied by DTP (notably the compile.xml file in the Settings subfolder of the project package, to get technical about it).
Thank you for your reply. I greatly how much careful thought you’re putting into all of this. So, here’s the thing… I’m more than happy to change how I save and store my Scrivner projects – templates and the actual projects – but I actually do tinker with this particular template file quite a bit. I wish I didn’t have to, but part of my work process requires that I need to make periodic adjustments to it.
So…based on that, what would you suggest?
Thank you again for your invaluable input. I’m very grateful.
My advice is always to experiment. There is absolutely nothing lost by doing so within the realm of the digital, and through experimentation we can find the best approaches to getting to the point we set up as a goal for our workflow. So try saving your project as a Scrivener template and see if that works differently, try dragging a copy in Finder to a temporary location like the Downloads folder, and opening the copy, does that work better? Does duplication in place in Finder work? If you sync multiple areas of your drive, does it work better when using areas not synced?
Like I say, nothing is lost by simply trying things out. Delete the unwanted duplicates or project templates when you’re done.
I am not following what the problem is here, or rather why the latter is relevant to the former. Perhaps if you’re thinking once you create a template it is difficult to edit it? I find it very painless, and do it all the time myself (see §5.4.4, Revising Templates, in the user manual PDF).
But to clarify, I wasn’t necessary saying you should do this or that, just encouraging you to experiment a bit. If a set of variables always produce the same undesirable result, then swapping variables around until you find the problem and a good acceptable solution is the way forward. The method you are using in DTP is one variable, DTP in generanl is another (though I don’t think it is a problem, in theory it shouldn’t be, and we don’t have a slew of reports to suggest otherwise, rather I have frequently heard of people managing their .scriv projects with it), your hard drive is another, backup and sync tools another, etc. It may only be one thing that requires modification, and it may end up being something that doesn’t impact how you work in a substantial way.
Thank you so much for all of your generous help with this. I think you’re right about using the Scivener’s templates. I’ve tried it a few times, and it does work better than the original way I had been doing it via DTP. Thank you for all of that.
Your last line caught my attention, namely…
I’m glad you mentioned that because (1) As I said in one of my other posts, I noticed that my DTP-stored Scrivener templates bloated, and I eventually figured out that all the snapshots were attached to them – and that account for the added space – though it also made me concerned that the snapshots should’ve been stored elsewhere, and I should ensure that’s happening properly (esp. since I’ve recently upgraded to Scrivener 3, and (2) I’ve found folders named “Scrivener Scratch Pad Notes” and “ScrivTemp” in my Documents folder, though it feels like they’re left over from Scrivener 2.
Do those folders belong there? And is there anything else I ought to do to ensure that backups / snapshots, etc. are being stored in their proper place?
Thanks so much again…
Snapshots always live within the project, they are as integral to it as the documents you create in the binder, and can better be thought of as being a functional part of that binder item itself. So yes, they will be part of the project’s overall size. I think the word “bloat” is entirely appropriate in the context of templates, or projects intended to act as starters—you probably don’t need any snapshots in those! Use the Documents ▸ Snapshots ▸ Snapshots Manager to clean them out in bulk.
Your designated scratch pad folder is found in the General: Scratch Pad settings panel. If that’s not the one you use, you perhaps need to consolidate the old one with the new one. I don’t know what the second folder is, you must have made that at some point.
Backup location is in preferences as well, there is no “proper place” for it, other than perhaps to follow the rule of thumb of being sufficiently out of the way to not be confused with working projects. The defaults ensure that, by placing it into the invisible user Library folder.