New to Scriv: How can I copy files and research material to a different project?

Scrivener Scrivener for iOS
1

Hello everybody,
I’m going crazy about this. I’ve got a Project that is a repository for loose ideas and interesting research, and I need to copy some of that material to another project which is the actual novel/story I’m working on.
Pretty basic stuff I would think, like moving a newspaper cut into the notebook I’m working on.
Well, call me dumb but I can’t find the way to do this on my iPad.
I’m sure it’s gonna be something really stupid and easy, but please enlighten me! I’ve searched online and video tutorial to no avail.

Many thanks

2

I have been using Scrivener iOS since it first came out and I cannot find how to do this. My general view is that the app is extremely useful and convenient (since it works on iOS) but it does have its limitations. I have the OSX version on my laptop and sync through Dropbox. Whenever I have any sort of substantial reorganisation to do (even ones which can theoretically can be done on iOS) I move to my laptop and carry out the changes there then sync them back to my iPad. It’s simply quicker and easier to do it that way.
Hope this helps

3

Can you not simply open both projects (in Scrivener Mac) and drag&drop the materials between projects?

4

You’re not dumb. There’s no provided method in IOS Scrivener to do this. (This is one of the reasons that I keep my research in Evernote, so that I can put Scrivener and Evernote next to each other on the ipad split screen and reference my research no matter what project I have open.)

If your research material is text, you can make a new document in your target project, then copy-and-paste from the repository project into the new doc in your target project. Other than that, yeah, if you can’t get at your Mac you’re pretty stuck.

5

When restricted to iOS and when it’s a bigger job than a couple of copy and pastes, I use each source document’s share sheet to export them (usually as RTF) to a ‘holding’ location, then import them into the target project’s folder(s). It still involves opening and closing projects but I find it more efficient. I mostly do this offline and export to the file manager File App (third party app, not Apple’s Files) as a ‘holding’ location. What’s available to you in the share sheet depends upon what’s installed on your device. BTW, that includes cloud services.

In the Tutorial see Exporting and Printing , and for importing see Special Folders and Working with Documents.

6

Well, yes, you could…if you happen to be using a Mac. But these days not everyone is using a desktop/laptop computer, and I think that’s the crux of the question: How do you accomplish this on iOS?

I apologize for bumping this thread to the top after more than a year. But I only just discovered it because I have the same need: Information in multiple files from one Project are needed in a another already-established Project. And currently there is still no solution as elegant as the one available to desktop users. (The L&L folks have repeatedly told me that they view Scrivener for iOS as a mobile complement to the desktop version, not a replacement. They’re sticking to that stance, despite the fact that their software is increasingly being used by the growing number of iPad-first/-only writers.)

It sounds like the workaround suggested by SCShrugged is still the best option, though a bit cludgy.

1 Like
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This is a dreadful omission on iOS scrivener for me. It’s been going on since the start and I tried to bring up then but didn’t get anywhere. :frowning: I much prefer iOS scrivener and it’s the major problem using. This and the lack of free form Corkboard and search/organise functions by label colour- but these don’t bother me as I use corkulous which I find to be a better Corkboard - not surprising as it’s a dedicated Corkboard app. I don’t ever use desktops or laptops to write and I have huge amounts of notes researvh etc that often need shifting and project systems restructuring Etc.

The only way to do things without a pc - which is the whole point of using iOS scrivener for a lot of people, ease, portability, utility; who wants to simplify their whole writing process yet then be bound to a heavy os or desk- is kind of ridiculous. I have to set up a cloud pc vm (I use paperspace). I pay only for the time I use it. Then whenever I need to move substantial amounts of stuff between projects I have to create my vm, install pc scrivener, transfer all the documents drag n drop, let it all sync and save then uninstall Dropbox and scrivener delete the vm. -__-

This is currently much much quicker than the only workarounds on iOS scriv.

I think there is the alternative of compiling all the documents you want to shift into one or two then copy pasting exp imo into anither but who can be bothered doing that with 100 documents or more then havung to separate again, maybe havung to manually add titles and some symbol to the part where each document begins so you know where to separate….

It’s absolutely crazy there’s no way to do this and from previous conversations it was regarding a disconnect between teh reality that iOS scrivener is for a lot of people, writers, the only version of scrivener they want, and the idea that was behind the initial design which was a kind of scriv lite. I get that that was the original idea but it’s surely a good thing that that it turned out to be so good. it just requires a little bit of mental flexibility to see that it turned out to be more useful than envisioned.

And in reply to abive post: the LandL people said the same to me were quite oddly intransigent and are quite simply comoletely wrong on this and stuck in a certain mindset, there was actually a defensive tone to those conversations. :frowning: I mean. I’m a consumer purchaser and user of the product. Just like writing a novel, it’s always good to pull your head out of the project and see it anew as would a reader or user as that’s the reality.

8

This is something I’ve wanted, but in trying some ideas I couldn’t fully get it, though actually Scrivener is reasonably close to being able, with a bit more work.

I say that because on iPadOS 15, it’s able to do split screen, and in this, one can drag-drop blocks of text from it to another app successfully. So if Scrivener were made able to do iPad ‘Multiple Windows’, and if document (and yes, folder) titles were made drag-drop with their content, the ability would be there.

In the mean time…something that’s useful for me may be useful for you. I have more than one BigBundle™ with all kinds of materials for a story or a novel. And when it comes time to actually write on one of these, I’d like just a selection of what’s in there, of course particularly Research, but could be some fragments too.

In this case, there’s a way.

If it comes through properly, you’ll find a screen below, as you’ll get if you touch the Edit button on top left of the opening Scrivener iPad screen.

Selecting a Project first (dots to left), you can use the button I’ve circled bottom left to…duplicate it. Already done on the picture.

Then you can rename the duplicate from its number-version if you like, open it, and simply delete all the matter you don’t want. Then the basis for work is there.

This doesn’t solve the whole problem, but we can hope what I suggested at top is feasible, maybe even along with bringing back the wonderful Scrivenings in working state, in short order if that can be done.

It would be a very nice upgrade to match the very widened capabilities of recent enough iPads, and I’m sure we all think Scrivener is very well worth this honoring.

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9

Is it possible to copy documents between projects on the iPad?

For instance, I have template files all perfectly formatted in one project and no Mac availabe (it’s in the shop) and would like to copy the template document from Project 1 to Project 2.