I’ve searched and just can’t find it or figure it out, so with apologies I ask:
How do I create more than two open panes for looking at research and edit notes?
Here’s how it would work for me:
I’ll bet it’s simple… Help.
You can split the editor horizontally or vertically, and that is it. The ability to do further splitting (as in jEdit) as been requested before, and rejected on the grounds that it would take a major rewrite to change the way it works. So, at least not for version one. Try searching on the forum for some useful tips on getting around this. Essentially, there are other editing areas (such as Notes in the Inspector, and Scratchpad), that you can utilise. It isn’t having three Binder items open at once, but there are ways to have data available if you need it.
Personally, I just make extensive use of the history keys. You can press Cmd-Opt-[ and Cmd-Opt-] to flip back and forth between documents in the second split, while working in the first split. It’s a bit like tabs—without the tabs.
i’m not actually 100% sure how to do it the way you want…but the way i do it is:
open scrivener (big surprise…)
i usually open novel template…but use whatever suits your taste
in the left hand vertical panel click the icon that has 4 blue papers and says research
once that is selected, select the green ‘add’ button directly next to the ‘binder’ button.
doing this will add a new section. select the section and keep all your research in there. you can then flip between your research and you work by just clicking the tabs in the vertical pane.
another way you could do it is by having you main draft open (for my right now it is “rough novel crap”) once this is open and running, go “file” , “open”, and open your research document. this is two different windows and transition between them may not be as smooth as you want…but that is how i would do it…
i hope this kinda answers your question…
(i’m sure there is some way to do exactly what you want to do…but i’m relatively new also…)
Eric
P.S: welcome to the site 
Thanks for all the advice, much appreciated. I’ll let you know how it goes.
OK, one other question: is there a keyboard shortcut to go to Full Screen mode? I only know how to get out of it (ESC key). I avoid using the mouse whenever possible.
And Scrivener is an extraordinary tool for writing projects. I’ve been road-testing it while editing an enormous multi-writer piece – hence the need for more than two panes – and the difference between the previous experience (without) and this one (with) is amazing.
The shortcut for full-screen is Cmd-Opt-F.
Aha!
Another option is split pane then for the THIRD (or more) pane open the document, select all, COPY then open a small TEXT EDIT window. Paste. Make your edits in the TEXT EDIT WINDOW then select all copy and paste back into the document when your done with the edits.
Sometimes I have SCR open with 2 panes and around 5 Text Edit Windows open. Makes nice to have “floating windows” and a little Expose and (insert drum roll soundbyte here) I have multiple edit windows.
Then I just paste back into SCR for organization after I am done editing…
If that makes any sense???
it does, to a certain extent. But TextEdit doesn’t provide scrivener’s functionality, so using the two of them alongside is of course an option, but it would be more handy if scrivener—in other aspects superior to mori and journler, e.g.—would allow multipanel working, too. I post this mainly to support the quest for this to be included in some future version.
Hi, I’m afraid Scrivener won’t be supporting any more than two panels in the foreseeable future, as the current version is entirely based around the two editors paradigm; it would take a complete rewrite to change it.
Best,
Keith
I would recommend Beans instead of TextEdit for additional text windows, because Beans can set to be floating, that is, the window will stay on top even without focus.
I wouldn’t use it for writing there, but if one needs to have another text from the research material at hand and in sight, it might be useful.
That’ll be ‘Bean’, which is indeed very good. I’m not being pedantic (well not without reason) - you’ll never find the plural version with Google, that’s all.