I want to open a new Quickreference window by clicking an entry in the Binder. I can control-click and use the pop-up to Open/As Quickreference. But my edit window’s split, and I want both texts there, and I don’t want to lock the edit windows on the texts.
And as soon as I mouse-down on the Binder entry, that text replaces what’s in the active edit window! Yes, I can then open the new quickref window, go back to the editor and back-step to return to (what was) my active text. But it’s obnoxious to have to jerk back and forth like that, just to open a new quickreference window.
How can I pop up a new quickref window and just leave my edit windows alone?
Alternatively, or additionally, I feel like I’m bumping up against Scrivener’s idea that two edit windows are enough and any additional windows are a pain. I like popping extra windows up whenever I feel like it. I’m using (trying to use) Quickreference windows, because they’re all I’ve found that I can maybe bash into what I want. Any other multi-windows-open users with other strategies to get that out of Scrivener? Some combo of clever Prefs settings? Features I just haven’t learned yet?
Thanks, but going to the top of the screen, opening the menu, and then working through 5 or 6 levels of folders to get to the item I want, when all the time it’s right there in the Binder listing, is considerably more obnoxious and time-consuming then just letting Scrivener’s misprogramming change the edit window and then correcting it back myself.
The purpose of the Binder is to function as a selector for what you want to show so it’s not a misprogramming. The lock function in the editor is for those situations when you don’t want the content of the editor to change. The menu alternative to open a quick-reference window is for those situations when you don’t want to lock the editor. So what you are suggesting is more an item for the Wish list than a request for technical support.
Add the Quick Reference icon to the toolbar (View, Customize Toolbar), then drag whatever QR file you want to this icon. Works a treat, doesn’t change the focus.
“it’s not a misprogramming” Any action that takes place immediately on mouse-down, other than highlighting the element and maybe popping up a context-specific menu, is misprogramming. That’s a basic principle of Macintosh user-interface guidelines. Actions take place on mouse-up.
“Add the Quick Reference icon to the toolbar (View, Customize Toolbar), then drag whatever QR file you want to this icon.”
Ah! Very good; thanks very much!