The only thing that could enhance my Scrivener experience would be navigational shortcuts. I would love to be able to navigate to the next (or previous) item in the outline without leaving fullscreen mode, for instance. While using the editor, as well, it would be great to navigate up and down the documents in the binder without having to touch the mouse.
Keyboard shortcuts to the rescue? Hopefully customizable ones?
Anyway, I’m loving this as it is. Amazing job.
Paulo
I second this, especially shortcut keys to set focus on Binder, Corkboard and Inspector (tab can then be used to navigate within each area), like how in browsers Ctrl-L sends you to the address bar.
I’m pretty sure most of these are in the works. The main issue with selecting the shortcuts is that the Mac versions of these navigational aids were either impossible to implement on Windows (used a third modifier) or would have been rather unconventional or unwieldy. As for binder navigation, that’s a 2.0 feature, so on the roadmap already—and one of its design concepts is to work in full screen as well.
One thing I really miss, and which I assume this thread is about, is a navigation system similar to the one in Internet Explorer. I’m talking about those two arrow buttons in the upper left corner of every Internet browser. Every time I have browsed in the binder to find some information that is related to what I am writing at the moment, it takes a while to locate the current document again and then scroll down to continue writing. It would be so much more convenient to just browse back a couple of steps.
It sounds to me that this is exactly what you refer to Amber, when you say “as for binder navigation, that’s a 2.0 feature, so on the roadmap already”. If this is the case, I am really looking forward to it.
In that case you should already be set up. There is simple history browsing in the header bar of the editor. If you can’t see any back and forward arrows on the left side at the top of the editor, then you might need to toggle the header bar back on. History is extremely useful, and a core part of the Scrivener experience. The feature I was referring to that is on 2.0 is the ability to browse up and down the binder in a linear fashion, from the editor. This has no analogue in Explorer that I am aware of, since Explorer doesn’t offer an integrated editor in the file browser.
And there it was. Fantastique! I hadn’t notised those arrows. However, when I use it to browse back to my document I am still in the binder and have to click in the text to get there. But I guess that’s the beta version. Thanks! Not one of my most observant moments I’m afraid.
About the linear browsing: As soon as there are shortcuts to get to the binder from the document (and back) this will be solved, won’t it. Then you can use the arrow keys to move up and down the binder and then jump back to the document frame when you’ve reached your destination.
If clicking on a history button bumps you back to the binder, then yes that sounds like a beta issue. In final form, it should let you flip between documents in the history as you type. I’m not near my Windows computer at the moment, but you could try Ctrl-[ and Ctrl-]. Those are the history shortcuts on the Mac (basically), and so they might already be implemented. If so, you should be able to jump back and forth without even leaving the home row.
Almost, but not quite. Yes, literally speaking you are correct. If you can jump to the binder and then back you can arrow navigate. However, there are many situations where this is not terribly convenient. Consider if the binder selection actually has nothing to do with the current document you are editing. This can happen in a number of ways: you click on a Scrivener Link; use the history function above; view a search result; etc. The linear navigation tool lets you jump to the next or previous item in the book without having to relocate yourself first in the binder. Another area it will help you out with is full screen. Once these are implemented and have shortcuts, you’ll be able to jump from section to section while you write in full screen. These aside, it can just be more convenient to do this in one single move, without losing focus in the editor, even if the binder setup is already optimal.
You’re right, there are many occasions where it would be handy with those shortcuts. Thanks for the information.
A note though: On my Swedish keyboard any combination using square brackets is bound to fail. It is a common problem with programs that are Mac based, most notably Photoshop. Also combinations with curly bracket and backslashes will be impossible to use. The reason is that to type those characters you have to press the Alt Gr key at the same time. Angular brackets (< and >) would be a better option. But I don’t know how common this problem is around the world. Perhaps if it were possible to customize shortcuts?
Yes, I’m aware of that problem with a few keyboards; I believe the German keyboard has the same problem. On the Mac there is a way to customise all shortcuts (with a few exceptions here and there) in any application from a Control Panel type interface, so we usually recommend people switch things around if they don’t like the defaults, or cannot use them. I’m not sure what will be the case for the Windows version, but if Cmd-[ and ] are not typical browser history shortcuts in Windows, a better alternative could be found. We are definitely approaching the shortcut situation in a way that is optimal for Windows usage, not necessary to copy the Mac version outright. Maybe AltArrow keys would be better as I think those work in Explorer and Firefox.