I’ve tried the “by-the-book” method, and still can’t get a webpage to import. I’ve updated to latest version, but never needed it before now, so can anyone walk me thru? I’m not getting the Dynamic Web option on my drop-down menu, by the way. I think I read that went away, but I honestly didn’t understand the rest of the possible options of uploading to something else and then changing…
So confused. I think I need the KISS method.
Thanks!
French… or chaste?
Chaste, I’m afraid.
There are three basic options for importing webpages: MHT, PDF or plain-text. The last is pretty clear–you’re just importing the text, no attempt at preserving layout or images. MHT is an archive format and is usually the best at preserving the webpage just as you see it. The downside at present is that Scrivener isn’t able to display MHT files directly in the editor, so you’ll need to use the “Open in External Editor” option to view it in another browser. Internet Explorer handles these by default, but Chrome can also do it out of the box, and Firefox and other browsers have add-ons that will let them render MHT files. An easy way to change the default program for the file extension is to import a webpage as MHT to Scrivener, then drag out a copy to the Desktop, right-click and choose “Open With…”, then select the browser you want and check “Always use this program” before hitting OK. That will update the file associations for your Windows account, and you can then close the browser and trash the Desktop copy of the file.
There are three converters available for importing webpages as PDF. WebKit, the default, usually does a handy job, but if you’re not keen on the results, experiment with the other two. Some will work better on a given page than others, and it’s really down to how the page is put together. PDFs can all be loaded directly in the editor, so this is usually a good middle ground if you want to preserve images and layout but not need to open a separate window. It’s also the better choice for working cross-platform, as Macs don’t come natively with any programs that will read MHT, though users could certainly install Chrome, etc. and get it working as on Windows.
When you import via the menu, you always get a choice of which method to use. If you drag and drop to the binder, Scrivener will use the default set in the Import/Export tab of Tools > Options.
Sorry for not getting back sooner…long work week. Thank you Jennifer. That was actually very helpful. Have a good week.