Hi, this is not a very important request, but it’s a feature I find myself wishing Scrivener had on a daily basis. I like to use the Inspector—instead of “split screen” mode—as a little side window for my Project Bookmarks (I like that the list of bookmarks is conveniently at the top, and I LOVE that the inspector uses small margins, regardless of the margins setting in the editor). Anyway, I frequently find myself wanting to view a third document, which I would use the Split-screen function for. Except having the Inspector already open (and widely, to display a document), that then forces the new split-screen document to be very narrow. Too narrow, in fact, to be useful without first closing the Inspector.
What I would LOVE and find eminently useful would be the ability to open a Copyholder in the same space as the Inspector—as in, the Inspector would shrinks upwards, allowing that same space on the right side of the screen to be shared with a small copyholder just below it.
If there is somehow a way to do this already, please let me know. Otherwise, I just thought I’d mention it, because—for the way I personally work, at least—it’s a feature that would get a great deal of use. Not sure about anyone else.
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I realize that a solution to this problem is to simply use a Quick Reference pane in the area I’m describing, but I tried that already. I don’t like it.
I don’t know this would actually solve your problem, as stated:
…Except having the Inspector already open (and widely, to display a document), that then forces the new split-screen document to be very narrow. Too narrow, in fact, to be useful without first closing the Inspector.
So wouldn’t having the copyholder under the inspector, basically splitting that column horizontally, have the exact same problems? You’d be using a different frame than the Bookmarks editor frame, but it would be in the same spot (though shorter, to accommodate for a minimum height allowance on the bookmark editor, or whatever else is showing in the inspector at the moment).
That aside, you can move the copyholder around, by right-clicking on the smaller copyholder header bar. When there is no split, you can move it to any of the four sides around the main editor. If there is a split, the choice is constrained down to the opposing axis. So if you split vertically then a vertical copyholder will snap to horizontal, or vice versa. This is mainly to avoid crossing minimum window width/height requirements and causing the layout to corrupt and require a restart.
It’s not a bad idea, but in the end I can’t see it having a huge impact over just temporarily dropping something into the Project Bookmarks list while you need to work on it. If you want three editing columns, you’ve got it, and copyholders can divide that up into a grid if you need more.
So wouldn’t having the copyholder under the inspector, basically splitting that column horizontally, have the exact same problems? You’d be using a different frame than the Bookmarks editor frame, but it would be in the same spot (though shorter, to accommodate for a minimum height allowance on the bookmark editor, or whatever else is showing in the inspector at the moment).
No, having a different frame but shorter is exactly what I would find so helpful. It would basically allow me to view a third document without (1) splitting the main editor (either vertically or horizontally), (2) having to navigate away from my currently opened bookmark, and (3) having to use a free-floating quick reference window (which I admit also works; I just much prefer the sleekness of a copyholder). As the inspector is already widened (and the document I’m viewing zoomed out slightly), there wouldn’t a be problem sharing the space below it with a copyholder the exact same width and zoomed to the same level. It would essentially function as a vertical split-screen window which has been further split, horizontally, by a copyholder—the really important difference being that the top-right window would retain the functionality of the inspector. And if I was short on space, I could always shrink the bookmark menu down a bit.
I was playing with the layout this morning and I realized that theoretically I could accomplish what I wanted to do using a variation of the “Dual Navigation” layout. By hiding the binder and placing the outliner/copyholder editor on the left, I could maintain my larger main Editor (linked to the hidden binder), keep my inspector open, and have a sort of smaller, 2nd binder/editor window on the left, for navigating a third window.
The problem I discovered, however, is the “margins” setting for the main editor also applies to the copyholder. I had assumed the copyholder used smaller margins, the way the inspector does, but it does not. And preferring larger margins in my main editor, this makes it difficult to view docs in a smaller, even zoomed out copyholder that forces the larger margins of the main editor.
So anyway, I guess that would be my revised Wish List request: a setting which allows you to specify the margins in the copyholder, the way the Quick Reference settings menu does.
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Wow, never mind I guess. I was able to solve that problem also, by simply reducing the main editor margins and then changing color of the fixed-width background to the same color as the editor itself. Stellar application, L&L!!!
As you are experimenting with Scriv layout possibilities, have a look at my posts in this thread. They discuss a couple different ways I’ll set up Scriv layouts.
Based on your posts, I’m a much bigger fan of QR panels than you, but there’s some copyholder stuff in there too. Hopefully you find something useful.