Is there a way to reveal the windows explorer location of a linked document such as a PDF? Can’t find this feature anywhere in Scrivener 3 for Windows RC. Thanks.
Depends on how you did the linking. I suspect you did a drag and drop of the PDF. If so, it is actually in your Scrivener project. If you link via Edit->Add Link, you should be able to see the link address in the url/uri like such:
Hover the mouse over the link will show this:
Hi. I was actually referring to a linked PDF placed in a folder in the binder, not a text link within the actually manuscript. In fact, I didn’t even know that you could link to an external document with a text link in the manuscript. As a side note, I tried that just for my edification and it seems like you can’t specify a custom link text like the features link text you showed in your reply. How do you do that?
By the way, I think I linked the PDF via Edit > Add Link. I can’t remember. Actually, right now, highlighting the PDFs folder under the research folder renders the Add Link option grayed out. Any solution to these issues and my original issue? Thanks.
EDIT: Actually, I created the PDF link in the research folder via File > import > Research Files As Shortcuts.
For shortcuts you’ve imported into the binder you can right-click on the link below the icon in the main editor, and choose to copy the full path as a link (this will include the file:// apparatus, but File Explorer accepts those in the address bar, just remove the filename from the end to navigate to the folder).
That should in fact be easier—there is a missing contextual menu item here for right-clicking in the binder and group views, “Reveal in File Explorer”. I’ve added the ticket ID for that to this thread.
Adding a link is bimodal, if you do it without a selection then it inserts the URL as the readable text, but if you select text first then it will add the hyperlink to the text. You can also of course freely edit hyperlinked text after the fact.
Hi AmberV, I did that, but I don’t see such an option to copy the link. In fact, I didn’t even see a link below the icon as you described. Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you mean. Perhaps a screenshot would help. However, I got that option by right clicking on the shortcut itself in the binder. But after clicking on Copy Document Link this way, it output the following upon pasting:
x-scrivener-item://C:/Users/<username>/Dropbox/Writing Projects/01 Fiction/02 Short Stories/Mystery/<project title>.scriv?id=E77571B5-97E1-41B5-B528-6F47E960F8DEIt doesn’t show the actual file explorer path to the linked PDF file. It just shows the file explorer path to Scrivener’s shortcut info for that shortcut in the binder. How can I have it show the actual file explorer path or location of the linked PDF file?
Awesome! Thank you.
Now that I understand the original issue, I think I have a partial solution. So, while I can find no way to display the shortcut location, you can sort of get to what you are looking for by right-clicking on the file in the binder then Open->Open in External Editor and looking at the properties of the file in Acrobat Pro (it might work in Reader but I don’t have that or some other PDF reader/editor to check on it):
That said, I would structure my outside (of Scrivener) research folder in such a way that I would know where it was that I was saving things for shortcut-based imports into a scriv project. That’s just me. The idea of using the shortcut-based import is to not have to have huge research files (that may need updates) residing within a scriv project and be available for other research tasks outside of Scrivener.
What I had mentioned above is similar to what bookmarks are now - I learned the technique in 1.9.x Scrivener and it still works in beta/RC Scrivener. Let me answer that in a new post so that I can attach some screenshots.
This seems to be a good workaround for now. Thanks.
Actually, I did organize the linked PDFs in Dropbox quite well, but I forgot where in the file explorer I placed the root folder for my project’s research files. And, yes, my original intention for placing PDF shortcuts in the binder was to reduce the project size. I actually saw a great reduction in the size and subsequent reduction in the project backup time.
Ok, thanks. Actually, I did explore this option a while back. I’ll have to consider this option again and look into it a bit further. Thanks.
It’s not entirely missing, it’s masked, like so many of us. With the context menu displayed on a binder entry, we can press Ctrl to reveal “Reveal File Location.” Same technique works on the Navigate menu. I’ll guess this bit of cloak and dagger is intended to discourage meddling in the file structure 'neath the binder, so beta testers are hereby exhorted to use these powers only for good.
Cheers - Jerome
Excellent! This is what I was looking for. Thanks! 
You know, come to think of it, for PDF that’s not going to help you. I was thinking of how unsupported file formats are handled, where you get something like this in the main editor:
All right, that’s an fortunate side-effect of a malfunction in a troubleshooting tool. :mrgreen: The purpose of this feature is to easily identify internal project assets (which is why such a thing is hidden)—so in fact in this case it is not working properly! It should be revealing the shortcut file itself that is embedded in the project, so that one could better examine it directly as a piece of technology and repair it if need be.
As for what I’m talking about as missing, that is just a top-level easy to find feature that has no reason to be hidden. Knowing where your shortcut points is pretty essential I’d say.
So by all means use that so long as it works that way, it looks like the best approach for now—but I’d try not to make a habit of it. Like I say it is meant to be a diagnostic tool only, and accidentally ending up in the project internals because you’re used to using this command all day could end in tears.
Thanks for the screenshot. But, I don’t even see an icon below the title bar, let alone the blue link that’s shown in the SS. I suppose I’m not seeing it since it’s a shortcut.
I’m looking forward to this feature being implemented. Thanks! 
Oh man, we’ve been given god-like powers. Thanks for the info. It works.