[v1] How can I exclude automatic chapter headings for only selected chapters?

Scrivener Scrivener for Windows
,
1

Hello! My issue is I need to EXCLUDE the automatic chapter numbering when compiling (or conversely exclude my chapter titles as they appear in the binder).

I’ve watched the help videos, read the relevant parts of the manual (mainly chapter 23), fiddled with the compiler to no end (different combinations of the “as-is” function don’t give the desired result either), and used search. With the latter I’ve so far found two posts with issues similar to, but not exactly like, mine.

One is this from 2017: Chapter #s & Prologues, Ch #s and subtitles

The problem is there is no longer a “compile > all options tab > title adjustments” feature in the current version of Scriv (that I can find).

The second and most helpful one is this from Oct 2016: Adding Subtitles under Chapters - #2 by brookter

A poster named brookter writes “Basically, you don’t name your chapters ‘Chapter One’, ‘Chapter Two’ etc, you simply name them appropriately in the binder (e.g. ‘Sirius’) and let Scrivener add the ‘Chapter One’ etc automatically.”

Seems promising, but what if I don’t have unique chapter names for the other chapters?

For example, my chapter 1 has a title: The dog runs fast. But my chapter 2 is untitled. In the binder I have chapter 2 titled as “Chapter 2” so that I can see at a glance which chapter it is (and as far as I know, you can’t leave a file untitled anyway).

So what’s happening in the compiled output is that chapter 1 looks like this:

CHAPTER ONE
The dog runs fast

But chapter 2 looks like this:

CHAPTER TWO
Chapter 2 [the title in my binder]

I need the latter and any other untitled chapters to not repeat “chapter two” or “chapter 15,” etc. Some of the 40 chapters in my manuscript have unique titles and some are untitled. So how do I address this outside of manually deleting the extra “chapter 2” title in the output document?

2

Quick answer: Look into Section Types.

I’d probably create two different Section Types - one for sub-titled chapters and one for regular chapters, then assign them to the appropriate binder entries. At compile time you can choose different formats for each - one that does/does not include the sub-title.

3

Hi.
It is all happening in the compile format you compile with.
If you haven’t customized it already, double click it in the compile panel’s left column, and say yes to “duplicate and edit”.
This new compile format is what you’ll use from now on.

In there, in the “Section Layouts” pane, you’ll be able to duplicate the section-layout your chapters go through, but uncheck “title”.
You’ll have to create a new section type for the project, assign it to this new layout in the middle section of the compile panel.
Finally, set all the documents you don’t want titled to the new “title-less” (just name it whatever you want) section type you’ve just created. → (This document to section-type assignation is in the inspector panel, general metadata.)

. . . . . . . .
There are other ways, mostly if your binder has constant and coherent structure as to title a document or not, but it would be way more complicated to explain at this point.

1 Like
4

Thanks. What is “it” in the sentence “If you haven’t customized it already, double click it in the compile panel’s left column, and say yes to ‘duplicate and edit’”? I don’t know what I’m supposed to double-click as a result so I don’t see anything called “duplicate and edit.”

5

The compile format you compile with.

image
image993×589 36.3 KB

image
image332×215 9.19 KB

image
image892×633 71.3 KB

I don’t know which one you use, so I went whith “Manuscript (TImes)”. Of course, do that with the one you use.

If it happens to be the compile format you were indeed compiling with, well, this one already has a section layout without the title.

image
image941×661 39.7 KB

If that’s your case, all you need to do is set the assignation :
Document → Section type → Section layout (this one above – “Section text”.)

. . . . . .
One thing that would be good for you to tell us at this point is :
Did you originally create your project off of a built in template? And if so, which?

1 Like
6

I’m using the “novel format” template. However, I don’t have a “Compile Overview” screen at all. I’m on Windows.

When I go to File > Compile I get a simpler screen that has a drop-down labeled “Format As” where I’ve chosen “custom.”

7

Are you running Scrivener 1 ?

My screenshots are of Scrivener 3 - Windows version.
(Been so long since I’ve used it, I don’t even remember what Scrivener V.1 looked like.)

@JimRac

If you are indeed running Scrivener V1, ignore the whole of what I’ve written in this thread. None of it applies to you.

8

I just realized I may be running an old version. Checked and I’m at 1.9.16.0 from Nov 19! Yikes! The auto-updater fails so I’m going to try downloading 3.1.5 and see if I can get up to speed.

9

Just so you know. That’s because it is considered almost as a different software altogether.
It is a separate license.
You can try V3 with the (fully functional) demo, from the website.
You may be eligible for a rebate on the license, but there will be a cost, nonetheless.
(I’m saying, so that you can evaluate whether you really want to migrate from V1 or not. – You should though, definitely. ← My personal opinion.)

10

Sigh. Can of worms opened. The app has installed a new, separate instance and is saying it’s the Trial version. I bought this thing years ago.

So I need to re-purchase? Anyway, can I easily migrate all my files from the previous version to this v3? Or do I need to do a bunch of extra things to make that happen (such as point it to my current save folders, etc.)?

11

Yes. Normal.

Yes. It is. You can try it (fully functional) for 30 non-consecutive days.

Yes. You will.

Yes. When opening V1 projects, V3 will clone them first, then convert them.

No.
But you will have to set your preferences in V3. Backup location, first and foremost.

. . . . . . . . .

→ Expect a learning curve. ←

12

One more thing :
If your project is almost completed, now wouldn’t be the best time to move it to V3.
Better finish what you’ve started in V1.
I tagged @JimRac, if my memory serves, he quite remembers how to run V1. Perhaps he’ll be able to help. (Or @AntoniDol)

Otherwise there is Literature & Latte’s staff. (Which I’m not.)

2 Likes
13

Heh heh, too late. Already moved my projects over. And yes, they were done. Just trying to get the chapter numbering issues sorted out. At a glance everything looks to be where it should be although the presentation I’m seeing is markedly different–but that’s OK.

I have to see about the whole backup location issue though, although there was already an initial prompt where I set it to a default. That should be good.

14

If you change your mind, just go back to the V1 version. As I said, V3 clones a V1 project first, before converting it. You have both on your computer.

15

Yep, I see that, which is great, although when I click to see my backup folder location it’s strangely empty. Besides that, I’m not seeing how I sync this to Dropbox like I did with v1 so I can switch to mobile when I’m out. None of the options under File > Options under Sharing or Backup, etc., speak to that.

I know we’re ranging farther afield than my initial post referenced, but do you happen to know off the top of your head where I go to set all of that up?

I see there are also some new shenanigans I’ll have to sort out regarding the default compile. It definitely messed up some things coming from v1. I’ll figure it out though.

16

There is a big fat thread about syncing on the forum. Search for keywords “sync” and/or “Dropbox”.
I don’t sync, sorry, can’t help with that.

. . . . . . . .
It is all here, but that’s all I can tell you.

image
image651×487 17.2 KB

That’s for an IOs device. (Sync with mobile device.)
Sync between computers is just a cloud-provider’s-side’s sync, I think. (There is no setting for that.)

Sync with external folder is something else completely. It is not what you are looking for.

17

Right, I’ll look into all of that. But tomorrow with fresh eyes. Thanks for your help! You’ve been amazing!

1 Like
18

Thanks for thinking of me :wink: but I don’t think I have the answer to the OP v1 compile question. :frowning:

It appears that we’ll be moving on to an entirely different set of questions soon. :slight_smile:

2 Likes
19

Yeah, we implemented the whole Section Type and Layout system to get around how very awkward it was to do things like this in v1. The only tool v1 had was basically what you have in the Default Types by Structure tab in project settings, except that was in the compile settings, and it was directly tied to what you would consider a Layout now, the formatting itself below, the text/title/checkboxes, the title prefix/suffix—directly tied to levels and “icon types”.

Hence, the only way to turn off the Title checkbox or change the formatting of a particular “class” of item was to mess with artificially induced nesting to create more levels to work with, or use file groups for one type of thing at level 3, and folders for another type of thing at level 3, and so on. You’d see people putting their front matter into a folder purely to get it to level 2 so it could have different headings, that sort of thing.

Now you just create an “Interlude” section type, set the special section to “Interlude” in the inspector for these items, and then tell interlude sections to print using the regular “Section Text” / “Titled Section” layout (or whatever the purpose is for having some chapters with special headings and others not).

We can work something out probably, in v1, but let us know if that even matters. Upgrading will make this much easier in the long run (after a bit of a learning hump). Also don’t forget upgrade rather than buying it all over again. It’s about half off with your old serial.

If you are going to to go ahead with v3, then please refer to this post. There are already a bounty of discussions on this particular desire. It sounds you’ve found a few, but this list of links is aimed directly at having some sections of your binder using different titling protocols (typically people ask about this for intermissions, epilogues, and so forth, but the reason for wanting a different heading style is somewhat aside from the common ingredients).

Interestingly, you will see a link to a v1 video tutorial as well, further down that discussion.

I’m moving this back to Windows, because in this case it’s unlikely Mac users will encounter this model any more (those old versions don’t run unless your computer is ancient).

1 Like
20

Thanks. I’m now on v3 and see the UI vincent has been referencing. So I’ll start with the post about v3 that you’ve mentioned. (I’ve done some preliminary experimentation and in v3 I’m still getting the issue described in my OP.)