How to set Scrivenings as default view?

[jprint]

I’d like to have Scrivenings as my default view whenever I select any folder for any Scrivener project. To that end, I’ve followed these steps:

Scrivener Preferences > Behaviors > Folders & Files >[Checked box for] Treat all documents with subdocuments as folders

What else do I need to do?

Thanks!

[AmberV]

For the record, the setting you enabled won’t make a difference to which group view mode is “default”; it makes it so that when you nest files within files, so that you get a “stack of papers” icon in the binder, those are treated as de facto folders by the software. By default they will always load as single document files, and otherwise not follow the rules folders do (like how selecting them and pressing Return creates a file at the same level vs nested within it).

As for making Scrivenings your default—there really is no such thing in Scrivener. It always simply uses whatever you were using before, so whenever you change the view mode, that is setting your preference. Beyond that you should check and make sure both editors are set up that way. Split the view, and click on a folder for each split, then set both to Scrivenings. Each can have their own view mode, so if you often open and close splits, it can be missed that one’s underlying setting is Corkboard or Outliner, making it feel like the software is randomly losing your preference.

[jprint]

@AmberV

For the record, the setting you enabled won’t make a difference to which group view mode is “default”; it makes it so that when you nest files within files, so that you get a “stack of papers” icon in the binder, those are treated as de facto folders by the software. By default they will always load as single document files, and otherwise not follow the rules folders do (like how selecting them and pressing Return creates a file at the same level vs nested within it).

Aha! Got it. I’ve alway wondering about that stack of paper documents, and haven’t been sure how to re-create it (I did it once by accident), what it’s called – and what it actually does.

Would you therefore recommend that I un-check it from my preferences?

@AmberV

As for making Scrivenings your default—there really is no such thing in Scrivener. It always simply uses whatever you were using before, so whenever you change the view mode, that is setting your preference. Beyond that you should check and make sure both editors are set up that way. Split the view, and click on a folder for each split, then set both to Scrivenings. Each can have their own view mode, so if you often open and close splits, it can be missed that one’s underlying setting is Corkboard or Outliner, making it feel like the software is randomly losing your preference.

Thank you. I have actually done this, but I have to keep selecting View-> Scrivenings for the same folders. Every time I close/quit and save the project, and then re-open it, I have to go through this process for the same folders in the same Projects. Hence my question. This never happened to me before in Scrivener 2.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[AmberV]

Would you therefore recommend that I un-check it from my preferences?

It’s a preference, it’s entirely up to you. If you don’t use them much (seemingly only accidentally), then it probably doesn’t matter much either way. Myself, I’ve never once turned that feature off in all the years it has existed. I just want it simple, where “containers” all act the same no matter what icon they have.

Thank you. I have actually done this, but I have to keep selecting View-> Scrivenings for the same folders. Every time I close/quit and save the project, and then re-open it, I have to go through this process for the same folders in the same Projects. Hence my question. This never happened to me before in Scrivener 2.

You know, considering that your other post involves a critical file (compile.xml) not saving properly when duplicating from it, and now you’re saying a setting in another critical file (ui-common.xml) is lost every time you close it, I’d be seriously considering my data storage situation. Losing settings in files, even if the file where the setting itself is stored is not getting lost, is a concerning thing (settings in files are just words in files, literally, so if words in files get lost for this, are they getting lost from the types of files you write into?). Maybe if you’re using “cloud” servers to host these files it might be worth considering not doing so, or switching to a different vendor.

[jochoalions]

Is this still the case in version 3.3.1, that is, one cannot make scrivenings the default Group mode view for ‘containers’?

[kewms]

Yes. Although it is also still true that Scrivener should remember your Group mode setting.