I’ve just started using Scrivener and writing my first book.
I orignially just names the project “First Manuscript” which is what I’ve been working with.
I now want to change the name of the project to “XXX”, but I can’t seem to find out how?
Is it as simply as renaming the current .scriv file to something else?
Before I screwed up what I have, I thought I’d better ask here.
Thanks for any help
Regards,
Doug
It depends on what you mean. You can rename the project in Finder. Or save it with a new name using Save as… like any other file. But if you mean the title of the finished book you can change it in the compile settings, when it is finished.
PS. A detail. The project .scriv file is actually a folder, but using the “package” format in Mac OS so it looks like a file to you. It’s to stop you from poking around inside it.
Thank you. I wasn’t referring to the book title.
I didn’t realize it was that simple as I thought there would be a lot of stuff linked to the name.
I’ll just rename the project “First Manuscript” to “XXXX” using Finder and open it back up that way.
I assume DropBox will just start using the new name etc?
We generate the formal book metadata when the project is first created (found in the Metadata (dog tag icon) tab of the compile overview screen, by the way). That setting does indeed drive such things as title pages, headers/footers, Markdown metadata and so on with common defaults and project template setups.
You can set that field to track the name of the project on the disk, by deleting the text from the pane. We don’t do that by default precisely for this reason you were concerned with though: it’s not a very good approach to conflate file names with the work title. “My Novel - Copy 2 (RESTORED BACKUP) 2019-08-15”, isn’t probably what you’d want to see on the cover of your ebook. 
It’s really no more complicated than changing any file or folder name. Rename “something.docx”, and “renamed something.docx” is what everything goes on to use. And in fact, on a modern Mac you don’t even have to worry so much about closing the project first. We still recommend it, because it’s good practice, but I’ve never seen it malfunction since—I don’t know, maybe 10.9? It’s been a while.
I have a follow-up question or two on this topic. I’m on Windows 10, using 1.9 for now (but eagerly awaiting 3!)
I have a folder called Story (yeah, I know).
Inside this is Hugo Vuerloz.scriv
Inside that is project.scrivx
It’s an old story, as you can tell. My more recent works are things like
Into the Second World.scriv
which contains Into the Second World.scrivx
I want the former to be like the latter. Top level called Hugo Vuerloz (.scriv, I suppose) with the actual project file as Hugo Vuerloz.scrivx underneath that. IOW, the more modern naming conventions.
I see from the thread that I can rename folders, but I sort of think the older (Hugo Vuerloz) structure might need more than just a top-level rename.
Here’s hoping you can help! If the advice is just sit tight and wait for 3, I can do that. This is cleaning up old business.
The only name that you should worry about (or change) is the name of the .scriv folder. Everything inside of it should be managed exclusively by Scrivener itself.
The .scrivx file isn’t the “actual project file,” it’s the master index to the project folder, which is the .scriv folder.
Katherine
Sorry to be thick here, but let me re-state to make sure I have this.
I can rename (from the command line or Explorer) the folder Story.scriv … Klar
The rest is managed from inside Scrivener. That means … what, exactly? What renaming happens inside the program? Am I right to think that’s the Project/Metadata Settings?
If I’m understanding correctly, the Project Properties tab, Project Title would let me have a project name that was different from the inherited name - which comes from the parent folder name. So, if I rename Story.scriv to Hugo Vuerloz.scriv, then opened the corresponding scrivx file, I’d see Hugo Vuerloz in the Project Title field. Which I could manually override to something like “The Garden of Hugo Vuerloz” to have that appear as the name of the novel on a title page while still keeping the shortened version for the folder name.
If I have all that correct, then sweet! Exactly what this novelist wants.
I mean that the internal names of the components of the .scriv folder are completely irrelevant from the user perspective, and that renaming those components via the file system can have unintended and bad consequences for the integrity of your data.
But yes, you can change the metadata inside the project to whatever you want, via Scrivener’s own interface.
Katherine
Got it. I do know not to go messing with the innards of the file system. Thank you for the prompt replies.
Can someone please give me step by step instructions for renaming my project so that the new name will appear on the manuscript. I read the posts but am not savvy enough to follow those technical instructions.
How do I rename my project?
Doing a Save As works quickly.
Then select Compile and the Meta tab and rename. Hold down the option key and the compile button will change to Save.
‘Save As…’ doesn’t give me any of the options you have in your screenshot.
hmmm
I rename projects in the same manner I rename any file. Right-click and select ‘rename’ in the drop down menu, or tap on the file name (may have to do this more than once, or hold the cursor down on the filename) and when it changes color, type the new name over it.
The Save As command just shows a standard file save screen.
@RuffPub’s screenshot shows how to change the project’s metadata in the Compile screen.
I find it quicker to do a Save As. That generates a new project package with the new name and you have the original named project still on your system if you want to go back to it for any reason. Either way works, but that suits my process.
Of course the Meta tab changes under compile are important not to miss. Easily changed at compile time if you remember, but mildly frustrating if you forget (could be many months later). I always like to have them squared away early.
As pointed out by @kewms the screenshot was related to the Compile Meta changes.
I figured the Save As would be straightforward whereas some might miss making the needed changes to the Compile Meta tab which could be frustrating when you compile and potentially end up with the old details.
Refer to an earlier post for the most common and straight-forward approach. In essence: how would you rename a PDF file? There answer is no more complicated here.
