Synopsis length and RTFD file import?

Scrivener Scrivener for macOS
1

Hello, I am using Scrivener’s corkboard and outline view to handle notes that I refer to as I am writing. I keep these open on one pane and write in the other. Very efficient. :smiley:

Some of the notes I import from an OPML file, which creates individual RTFD files for each note in Scrivener’s package. The note RTFDs are in a folder in Scrivener’s binder, so that when I click on the folder, it displays the outline/corkboard. All is well, except: the length of the note displayed in the “Synopsis” field of the outline (or the body of the index card) is cut off (with elipses added) at 500 characters. :frowning: The RTFD is imported and kept at full length, so I always have the data but is is a pain to change the synopsis fields every time.

But, if I modify the synopsis, it will retain more than 500 characters, so it seems to be a product of data that are imported to Scrivener, rather than an intrinsic limit to the field.

While I agree a “synopsis” should probably not be over 500 characters, in this case the cards hold a quotation that I am taking from a source, which might be longer than 500 characters. (I am exporting from Sente to DevonThink, then exporting OPML to Scrivener; I may eventually cut DT out of the equation and write a script to directly export Sente notes to OPML).

I did not see any setting in Preferences that might allow changing this length. Is there a way around this behavior? Thanks in advance!

2

As you’ve guessed, this is a product of the import process. There isn’t any way to change the default, it is simply based on an average of what most would need, and rarely is it meant to substitute for a crafted synopsis—more just a starter if you will, so that fresh imports can be more readily identified from one another.

That said there is an easy way to dump an arbitrary amount of information from the text area into the synopsis. With the Inspector open, select the desired text you wish to transfer, and click the little button in the upper-right of the card. This will circumvent the 500 limit. If you click that button without anything selected, then it will use the default import behaviour as described above.

3

Thanks for the quick reply. That does work, although I as hoping to avoid that extra step. :slight_smile:

Cheers,
Dana.

4

You’re welcome! And in case you haven’t noticed it yet, you can adjust how big the cards are on the corkboard by choosing a smaller “Cards Across” value. This setting is attained by right-clicking anywhere on the corkboard. For longer synopses, a value of 2, or even 1, might work better than the default of 3.