Index Card 4 - Corkboard Writing App for iPad

[lunk]

… exactly. Scrivener doesn’t automatically sync, unless you close and reopen the project or Scrivener.

You can manually sync, by choosing File - Sync - With external folder now, or click on Sync, but to me that’s not automatic syncing.

And both alternatives demand that you first manually set up the syncing, choosing file location etc.

Scrivener has a fantastic automatic feature for saving and backup, which is really automatic. If automatic syncing had been equally simple to set up, I assume it would already have been implemented, right?

But what I don’t understand is why IndexCard can’t read Scrivener files when it can write them?

[marcoiac]

@lunk

But what I don’t understand is why IndexCard can’t read Scrivener files when it can write them?

I am puzzled too…

[nom]

@lunk

I think we define synchronization differently you and I.
I use NoteSuite for some of my writing, on both my iPad and my Mac. It syncs, automatically, without me doing anything. A write on the iPad, put it down, open the Mac, continue writing, etc. Syncing in Scrivener require that you set up a syncing folder in which the files are saved in e.g. rtf-format, and it doesn’t automatically sync with this folder, unless you close and reopen Scrivener or the project.

I guess we do. I can’t imagine why I’d need to edit a document on my iPad while I had Scrivener open on my computer, so for me this is a moot point. But even allowing for the times when I might want to do it (such as last night when I created the test file I described), there is no need for me to import or export anything, I click the icon and sync is complete. That counts as sync for me.

Yes, there is a process to set it up, but given this allows me to sync with any app that will read RTF files from a folder, I don’t see this as outrageous. Since the same applies with whatever app I use at the other end, this isn’t unique to Scrivener. Kudos to KB for enabling this to happen. I think that it is unfair to compare this level of open access syncing to an app synchronising it’s own propriety file format with itself.

But once again, I want to be clear that this is not an attack on other apps and add that I’m not claiming Scrivener suits everyone. I would love an app that syncs an entire Scrivener project, including structure and notes, etc. Such an app does not, yet, publicly exist. If this was absolute requirement for me then I’d need to find an alternative to Scrivener. Instead, it’s only a wish-list item so I’ll wait for iOS Scriv to be released. My posts above were triggered because I was excited to see Index Card promote sync, and then disappointed to read that what that really meant was a continual process of import and export (and import, and export, and…). If that works for others, fantastic! It just doesn’t work for me.

[lunk]

@nom

I can’t imagine why I’d need to edit a document on my iPad while I had Scrivener open on my computer, so for me this is a moot point. But even allowing for the times when I might want to do it (such as last night when I created the test file I described), there is no need for me to import or export anything, I click the icon and sync is complete. That counts as sync for me.

My point was just that it’s not automatic syncing, you have to remember to do it, manually, and for me that means that there is just a gradual difference between syncing with Documents/Textilus/whatever, and syncing with Index Card. Whether you call it syncing or import/export is to some degree just semantics. Scrivener, unfortunately, hasn’t got an iOS app so it can’t sync the way other apps do, apps that have both a OS X and an iOS app.

An example: Last night I suddenly got an idea, something I wanted to check, and I always keep my iPad by the bed, so I opened the synced rtf-file with Textilus, just to realize that unfortunately I hadn’t remembered to manually sync before I closed my Mac earlier in the evening, so I couldn’t do the thing I had meant to do.

I’m still desperately waiting for the iOS app. I’ve tried other similar software, but none can replace Scrivener, so I have to make do with these complementary iOS apps, among them Index Card.

[nom]

@lunk

@nom

I can’t imagine why I’d need to edit a document on my iPad while I had Scrivener open on my computer, so for me this is a moot point. But even allowing for the times when I might want to do it (such as last night when I created the test file I described), there is no need for me to import or export anything, I click the icon and sync is complete. That counts as sync for me.

My point was just that it’s not automatic syncing, you have to remember to do it, manually, and for me that means that there is just a gradual difference between syncing with Documents/Textilus/whatever, and syncing with Index Card. Whether you call it syncing or import/export is to some degree just semantics.

I can’t agree with that statement. Import/export are specific actions that are different to sync. Sync adjusts content to match, whereas import/export adds content.

@lunk

Scrivener, unfortunately, hasn’t got an iOS app so it can’t sync the way other apps do, apps that have both a OS X and an iOS app.

Well, at least we agree on something.

@lunk

An example: Last night I suddenly got an idea, something I wanted to check, and I always keep my iPad by the bed, so I opened the synced rtf-file with Textilus, just to realize that unfortunately I hadn’t remembered to manually sync before I closed my Mac earlier in the evening, so I couldn’t do the thing I had meant to do.

OK, I’m confused by this. When you shut down (and start-up) Scrivener, it does automatically sync. It’s only while you are using that it doesn’t sync unless manually triggered. And as I said, it’s hard to imagine a situation where I would need to access on another device a document that I was actively editing on my Mac.

@lunk

I’m still desperately waiting for the iOS app. I’ve tried other similar software, but none can replace Scrivener, so I have to make do with these complementary iOS apps, among them Index Card.

OK, so we agree on at least 2 things now…

UPDATE: I just remembered that the sync on start and quit is an option. Perhaps you have it unchecked?

[lunk]

I usually don’t quit and restart Scrivener, or my MBP. I just close the lid, and open it later.

So I have to remember to sync manually before closing the MBP.

[nom]

@lunk

I usually don’t quit and restart Scrivener, or my MBP. I just close the lid, and open it later.

So I have to remember to sync manually before closing the MBP.

But that means you’re not getting automatic backups either! _

[spg]

As a temporary solution (before Scrivener for iOS arrives) I’m using Parallels Access. It’s expensive (subscription service) but I already use it to access other apps from my laptop on my iPad – so thought I’d give it a go with Scrivener. It works very well. The Parallels Access app is cleverly designed so that Mac or Windows apps work on the iPad almost as if they were native iPad apps.

Some actions are more clunky of course. Some buttons a little fiddly. But as a short term (I hope) solution it works pretty well. Best of all you don’t need to do any of that syncing nonsense and risk losing formatting etc. They do a free trial if you want to give it a go.

[lunk]

@nom

But that means you’re not getting automatic backups either! _

Correct, but I have the backups on Time Machine, and sometimes I close Scrivener, and sometimes I do a save, before I do a major reshuffling of my text.

I’m used to Windows, where you have to save and backup everything manually all the time, so when I moved to Mac it felt very … safe, I guess that’s the best way to describe it. Everything seems to be made to minimize the risk of loosing anything, and so far so good. I never had any major breakdowns or data losses during the 40 years before I moved over to Mac, and I’ll be very surprised if it happens now.

[igregor]

I continue to encounter several issues while running IC4 under IOS 9.1. Among the most troublesome are:

(1) Disappearing Project and Card Title
(2) Changes to card colors are not saved
    (3) Unreliable Sync w/Scrivener via Dropbox

Issues (1) and (2) are described below. Issue (3) is described in a subsequent post due to forum limitations on attachments per post. I’d be curious to learn whether others have encountered these or similar difficulties. Thanks.

(1) PROBLEM WITH DISAPPEARING PROJECT AND CARD TITLES

While choosing to edit the title of a project or title of a card the name of the project disappears from the list of projects or card title area as soon as I tap on the title to edit it with either the onscreen keyboard or a bluetooth keyboard.

The image below shows the screen as it appears upon selecting to edit the project title. Notice the project “Test” under the Name column heading.

The image below shows what occurs once I tap to edit “Test” while using the onscreen keyboard. Notice the name “Test” has disappeared. The same occurs when a bluetooth keyboard is in use.

Interestingly, any text entered under the name column does NOT appear on the screen, but once “done” is tapped the text is added to the title of the project. Notice the project title at the top center of the image below has been altered from Test. NONE of that text appeared while it was being entered.

An identical problem with disappearing text occurs while editing the title of index cards. But I noticed that this ONLY occurs following an attempt to edit the project title (weird, right?). Until an attempt is made to edit the project title changes to card titles works fine! Interestingly, closing and reopening the app restores the functionality of editing card titles, but does NOT restore functionality of editing project titles.

This has been reported to Dennis. He reports to be working on a fix.

(2) PROBLEM THAT CHANGES TO CARD COLORS ARE NOT SAVED.

I have further discovered that edits to card colors cannot be saved. Clicking the save button appears to save color changes only while the project remains open. Closing the project causes the colors to revert to default.

This has been reported to Dennis. He reports to be working on a fix.

[igregor]

[Continued from earlier post]

(3) PROBLEM WITH UNRELIABLE SYNC W/SCRIVENER VIA DROPBOX

The following is an image of the full test project in column/stack mode.

Using the Index Card action "copy to Dropbox as Scrivener file” produces a compressed file which, when opened in Scrivener (2.7 on Mac OS 10.11) produces this message:

Clicking update project produces this:

Notice that the only cards that made the move to Scrivener are those in the Index Card stack for Scene 01. None of the other cards made the trip, and none of the stacks showed in the Scrivener project.

FWIW I have also experienced the situation on occasion where all of the stacks and all of the cards made the trip from IC to Scrivener fully intact — opening beautifully as scene folders with beats included — only to find some (not all) text bodies and notes disorganized and assigned to the wrong cards.

I have reported this to Dennis, but am not sure whether the problem lies with IC4 or Scrivener, and am not sure whether it is being addressed.

[igregor]

The recent IC v 4.0.3 update that was released on 9 November has completely resolved the first of three problems described in my two immediately prior posts. Text no longer disappears when attempting to edit Project and Card titles. A big thanks to Dennis.

That leaves problems (2) CHANGES TO CARD COLOR NAMES ARE NOT SAVED, and (3) UNRELIABLE SYNC W/SCRIVENER VIA DROPBOX in need of further attention.

[nadiamant]

Hi, I have an old (2012) version of index card for iPhone. Is there an update? My App Store says product not available in my region (US). I want to be able to use Index Card on phone and iPad. Thanks.

[Silverdragon]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but

1. Scrivener no longer supports Index Card sync as of Scrivener 3. See this thread: [url]https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/simplenote-syncing-gone-in-version-3-0/38914/1] If you’re still using Scrivener 2, you’re ok with Index Card 4 for iPad.
2. Denvog has abandoned Index Card for iPhone.