When you take a backup within Scrivener and use the option to Zip the files, I’ve noticed that it compiles of folders and RTF files with each chapter/scene that has content. I am curious whether it’s possible to edit these RTF files in another program outside of Scrivener, e.g. Word, then Restore the altered files back into Scrivener? I would like to do this so I’m able to work on my projects on both my Mac and a PC when it’s not available.
I would test this myself, only I don’t have my Mac with me at present. =)
It is extremely not recommended to do so. There are some things about the files which are synched elsewhere in the project, and changing the contents could cause issues, even corruption of the project.
The transparency of the project format is intended to be a last-ditch recovery solution in the case of a botched project, or if in the (hopefully very) distant future, Scrivener is no longer maintained and doesn’t run on Macs of the Future.
A better way of doing it would be to select the files you want to edit on a PC, select Files > Export > Files, export to RTF, edit them on a PC, and then reimport them. As Amber says, there are internal considerations that make editing them directly unsupported. The .scriv format was designed so that if in ten years time you have no access to Scrivener, you can still access the files contained inside any .scriv file on any computer (PC or Mac). But whilst you are using them with Scrivener, you should be careful about not editing them directly with anything else. Hope that makes sense.
Best,
Keith
Export to RTF files. Edit in other programs. Instead of importing I copy/paste. Making sure each section is a different file.
Ex. Chapter 1 = 1 RTF file. Chapter 2 = 1 RTF file.
Edit Chapter 1 on a PC. Save as a RTF text file. Bring it to mac. Open in Text editor. Select all Copy. Open SCR. Open Chapter 1. Select all. Paste.
I like doing it this way so I have more control over what I am changing.
