Using scrivener on two screens

Scrivener Scrivener for macOS
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Hi, I promise I have searched this - answers arelate to much earlier versions and don;t make sense in v3.

Please can I ask - how can I use Scriv on two screens. Ideally I want my left hand screen to be for planning/editing and the right for writing. Anyone use this set up? I can stretch the bscreen with a vertical editor split across the two screens. But wiondering if anyone knows a way where both can be independent windows. Hope tis makes sense. thanks.

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Scrivener 3 on Mac doesn’t support fully independent main project windows across two screens for the same project, but you can achieve a close setup using Quick Reference panels or Composition Mode.

Quick Reference Setup

Put your main project window (with binder, outliner, or editor for planning/editing) on the left screen. Right-click any document in the Binder, select Open ▸ Quick Reference to open independent, floating windows for documents, notes, or synopses. You can drag these to your right screen for focused writing.

You can open multiple Quick Reference windows (even for the same project sections) and resize/position them independently across screens.

Composition Mode Alternative

For distraction-free writing on the right screen, go to Scrivener ▸ Settings ▸ Behaviors ▸ Composition Mode. Set it to use your right monitor, disable Hide main window and Blank out other screens, then enter Composition Mode (Cmd + Opt + F) while keeping the main window open on the left for planning.

This combo lets left screen handle structure/editing and right focus on drafting, as many users do. If stretching the split editor works okay as a fallback, combine it with Quick References for extras.

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The Composition Mode tip is how I do it, and it works really well. Keeps one space very focused, while all my references and structure etc on another screen.

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I like using the quick reference panel on a second monitor or third monitor. The advantage is you can open the bookmark panel in the lower half of the QRP so if am writing a scene involving POV 1, then in the main project I open my POV1 research collection which might have a POV1 character card, location info, maybe a backstory file, key POV scenes, research on worldbuilding involving POV 1. Then I can relevant files to the QRP’s document bookmarks while writing the scene and they will be there when I edit in the future and if edit on the main screen, I can then open bookmarks as a QRP to float on the second monitor (if set that way in preferences). (Note: Am a windows user)

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Kazz,
Thanks for posting this.

I’ve used Scrivener for Mac since shortly after its first release and never investigated the Quick Reference Setup. What a useful tool.

(Instead of using the Scrivener manual solely as a reference, I should read it in full.)

Creating a new document file in a project and using that as a notes/scratchpad file works well using Quick Reference Setup.

-Steve

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For anyone reading this thread, Quick Reference Panes are also discussed in the Tutorial, which is a much smaller commitment than reading the manual.

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