Idiots guide to Scratchpad/Dropbox/Drafts (iOS)

[Cassady]

Hello all,

Please accept the usual apologies if this has been covered and necromanced a multitude of times…
I came across this ([url]https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/project-management-i-e-keeping-track-of-ideas/27256/10]) very useful thread over at the “Tips” subforum.
As noted, I popped up a question there - but I’m not sure if it is being watched, and figured this might get a bit technical - so I took the liberty to start something here!
[I did do a Forum Search, unsuccessfully!]

I have had Drafts on iOS for a while - but never really had much use for it, despite me being aware of all the powerful workflows that were potentially available.
When I came across the above thread - the heaven’s opened up (i.e. profound epiphany time!)…

I have already moved my Scratchpad folder to Dropbox, from within Preferences.
It asked me if I wanted to copy, or move, I opted for the latter.

Inside Dropbox, inside my newly created /Scrivener Scratch Pad/ folder, I now have several folders, that represent the original notes I had already created inside the Scratchpad.

As is evident from below - they are “.rtfd” folders, and clicking on one, opens up the second layer, where simply a TXT.rtf file is displayed - this with the contents of the original scratchpad note.
When I click on it, it does not open - instead simply asking if I want to “download” or “share”.
Opting for the former, downloads it, and then opens in TextEdit.

Note - everything is still working as it is - the Scratchpad can still see all my existing notes, as they were before.

My problems arise when I use Drafts.

Everything works as expected.
I created a “From iPad.rtfd” folder, inside the /Scrivener Scratch Pad folder >> /Scrivener Scratch Pad/From iPad.rtfd
Inside of it, is where I placed text notes generated inside Drafts.
I can append/prepend to an existing text file that is created. Or I can simply create a new text file from scratch.
Unlike with the others (the originally created Scratchpad notes), I can click on the file, and it opens - and my Drafts note is there to be read.
I was feeling quite clever - but then I opened the Scratchpad, and whereas I can see the ‘Note’ listed in the top-half of the Scratchpad window, the bottom half is empty.

I then started looking at the other “folders”/notes, and noticed the TXT.rtf file - which is the content of each note.
So I went back to Drafts, and made the changes, so that only 1 note is created inside my /Scrivener Scratch Pad/From iPad.rtfd/ folder, and it’s called “TXT.rtf” - I figured that this, being identical to the others, should solve my problem.
But nope.

That “note” is also seen inside the Scratchpad window, but remains blank (and un-editable).

I then went into the Preferences pane, and started playing around with the various format options of the Scratchpad files - each time, making the adjustments inside Drafts, to see if that fixed everything. And nothing.

Then I deleted my “From iPad” subfolder, and simply tried to create the text file straight into the top-level folder (i.e. /Scrivener Scratch Pad/ ), where all the rest are – still no joy.

As an aside - deleting notes/folders inside the Scratchpad window, does the same instantly inside Dropbox - so Scrivener and DB are at least still talking to each other!

Would really appreciate some tips from someone who already has this working. I’m hoping it’s a simple match-up issue, and not related to a Default App on my MBP, interfering with the reading of textfiles…

If I can get this to work - will be in writing/geek/sync heaven - so apologies for my impatience!!

[system]

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[Cassady]

@Dr Dog

I don’t really understand what you’re doing here - with all of those folders and subfolders it all looks too complicated - but as I was one of those in that thread who suggested this workflow perhaps I can briefly describe my set-up and see how it compares.

Drafts works with .txt - not rtf - so I have a a single Scrivener Scratchpad folder in Dropbox which is full of text files - no subfolders, just files. I set Scrivener to access that using the `Location’ setting of the first page of the Scrivener preferences.

In Drafts I have a `send to’ action which writes files to that SS Dropbox folder.

So I make a note in Drafts, send, and it is then readable and usable in Scrivener.

I also have other programmes accessing the same file (U3 and DTPro) but that’s icing, not the cake.

Appreciate the reply!

I have’nt really done anything.

All those folders, were “created” when I changed the location of the Scratchpad folder, from inside Scrivener’s preferences.
It asked if it must move my already existing scratchpad notes - I said yes - and that is what was created.

Then, just like you, I had Drafts send a text file to the same folder.
That’s where things became stuck - as shown in my last screengrab.

The note is ‘seen’ by the Scratch pad, but is empty.

It’s then that I started playing around, moving it into the top folder, mimicking the other folders etc., changing from rtf to txt to rtfd, but with no luck…

[Cassady]

@Dr Dog

I don’t really understand what you’re doing here - with all of those folders and subfolders it all looks too complicated…

You spurred me on to find simplicity - it’s working now!

It appears to have been the ‘already-existing’ notes I had inside the Scratchpad, that were messing things up…

I changed the Scratchpad location inside Scriv-Prefs, from DB back to where they were originally. Chose “move”, so all the contents were removed from inside the Scratch Pad folder in DB.
DB was now empty again.
Then used Preferences in Scrivener again, to point the Scratchpad folder back to DB again, but this time, chose “ignore”, which then neither copied, nor moved the files.
My original files are still back where they were on my Mac to begin with, DB was now blank - BUT Scrivener was now watching the empty DB folder, as the source folder for the Scratchpad files.

Created a few notes inside Scratchpad in Scrivener, to make sure DB was syncing.
Then repeated my earlier steps with Drafts - and it works a charm.
Will play around with getting my original files back in somehow - but the most important point is, it’s working now!

Lesson to others – if you set the above up, but have already existing Scratchpad notes, it could be them that complicates things, when they go and start making their own .rtfd folders over in DB… If they get taken out of the equation, and introduced back in as ordinary .txt files, all should be good!

[Cassady]

I’m almost too embarrassed to write this - having a conversation with myself…
But on the off-chance that someone stumbles across this, who might be in the same boat I was, figured I’d close the loop.

I hadn’t actually looked at those existing Notes that I had made, in several months.
In trying to get them ‘back’ into the Scratchpad, after going all-txt (as above), I now realise where the “problem” was…

Those original notes of mine were not, strictly speaking, txt files.
They had DevonthinkPro links in them - to take me from Scrivener, directly to the associated article, inside DTPO.
That is why the folders etc. were created inside DB, and presumably, the root cause of my difficulties.

I’m happy to report that after I set up two TXT files (From iPhone.txt + From iPad.txt) - and ran Drafts to prepend notes created on my iPhone or iPad to those existing files – and only then brought the original files/folders (of my original Scratchpad notes) back into DB - all is now working fine.

The original notes are there, and work as they should - links to DTPO included.
The two Text files are active, and updated each time I fire up the action from Drafts on my phone or iPad - and its being indexed inside DTPO as well, thanks to the other excellent suggestion by Dr. Dog!

In short - geek heaven my side! 8)