This forum subject length limitation is killing me.
So, I wrote this while using the Corkboard, but it is all applicable to the Outliner, too. Okay, I have tried a bunch of different methods, and there does not seem to be a really easy way to have a Corkboard visible, and drag a bunch of documents into it from the Binder. You can grab just one, because it appears that selection occurs on MouseUp. It has to do with the last selected document grabbing the Corkboard focus. I thought, select ten documents, Cmd-click the one you intend to drag in to, but then another document gets selected.
It seems the only reliable way of doing this is to split the screen, move the focus to the “dummy” split, and then make your selections with that one active. You can then drag whatever you want into the top split Corkboard, and then close the split. That is a pain. You could also set up the other split to be a C./O. view itself and do the dragging between the two, but that requires even more set-up.
I realise there are many other ways to get documents moved around, but one of the appealing features of the Corkboard and Outliner view is its drag and drop organisation. Also, I cannot really think of a good way around this, off the top of my head, without complicating things needlessly, or alternatively destroying some of the aspects that assemble the core philosophy of these views.
The one that did jump into my head first, the one that felt like it should just work, was to Cmd-click on other items in the Binder after having selected the C. I wanted. And using Cmd-Shift-click to do ranges (but that particular function does not appear to be built in to the Binder anyway).
Well, you know, I might have a solution. What about a “Lock in Place” option in the header icon menu? Clicking on it would turn the header a different colour to indicate that it is in a special state. Now the document is completely unaffected by selections in the binder. This would only be available when the header view is visible, but that should be okay. I really like this idea, and it would take only about half an hour to implement.
I like it! And that would help to facilitate other types of actions too. Often I wish to reference the narrative structure of some part of my draft, without changing the current document. While it can be done now, if you are careful, it is too easy to accidentally click on a group or something and lose your place.
Okay, implemented it. It was that easy. I like it when it’s that easy. I may have to amend it a little when I come to update how the corkboard/outline work with the binder, but for now it looks good. I have set it so that Edit Scrivenings overrides it, which is how I think it should work.
Any suggestions for a nice colour for the header view in this state? Right now I just have a test colour and will have to experiment tomorrow.
“Lock in Place” won’t be remembered between sessions currently, but I’m not really sure that that is such a biggie - it’s probably something you’re only going to want per-session.
I was thinking about it, and I know you did not like my double-click idea, but what about double-click overriding a lock?
Colour: What about the dark grey that it looks like when you drag something over it? That way, when you drag something over it, and nothing happens it is an extra cue.
Ah, but keyword drags are allowed onto the header even when it is locked, so it can’t be the same grey. Actually, I have gone for a greyish-pink that I am very happy with.
Not sure about double-click overriding a lock, but several things do: the navigate buttons will override it, as will Go To> and Edit Scrivenings.
