Scrivener has just released an update for their Windows
version, and it comes with some significant changes. If you’re a Windows based Scrivener
user then you are aware by now that there are some differences
between the Windows version and the Mac version. Windows users have been
hounding the folks at Literature and Latte for some time to match the Mac
version. Well, in the many years I’ve been using Scrivener, this is probably the
most significant update and it sounds like there is more to come.Accordingly to my newsletter from Literature and Latte here are just a few of the things you can expect to see after you update:
Formatting Presets
If your writing
calls for a lot of formatting, then you know that in the past it has been
difficult to keep a consistent look without using a lot of settings. You can
now save formatting into presets, making it easy to apply that same format over
and over to different parts of your text. Additionally, we've added a feature
that will make it easier to compile special formatting while also taking
advantage of the compiler's unique and powerful features for cleaning up your
draft. Check out Preserve Formatting and Formatting Presets.
Special note: if
you've customised your Format Bar, you'll need to add the new preset button
yourself, using the Tools menu.
Custom Meta-Data
Have you ever found
yourself wishing you could track even more details in your projects? We've got
an answer for you. It is now possible to add as many meta-data fields to your
project as you wish. These can be displayed as columns in the outliner, or
easily accessed in the Inspector sidebar. Keep track of dates, characters,
names of flowers, who dunnit in the drawing room with the candlestick, and
other matters of dire importance.
Custom Icons
Spruce up your
binder with a broad selection of useful icons (or add your own). Nothing says
fix me now! like a big yellow caution icon on the chapter you've been putting
off. Or give yourself a gold star when you finish a scene. Sometimes it's the
little things.
Document Templates
They are kind of
like project templates, but for documents in your projects instead. Set up
boilerplate texts or even whole folder and file structures for easy
duplication. It's like adding new types of items to your Add menus, such as
character sheets, references, to-do lists, or whatever else you can imagine.
Binder Favourites
There are some
things we just keep coming back to. Now you can add those things to all of the
main navigation and selection menus (such as the Move, Scrivener Link and Go To
menus), giving you top-shelf access to these, no matter how buried they may be
in your outline.
Multiple Project Notes
Open your project
notes in a separate window, and create new notepads as tabs in this window to
better organise your thoughts. You'll still have access to all of them in the
Inspector sidebar as well. No more lumping everything in one place!
PDF Display
This one has been a
long time coming. We've completely replaced the PDF engine in Scrivener with a
much improved system for both reading and exporting PDFs. Copy selections of
text, or even whole pages at once with a simple right-click. You can also
quickly navigate within larger PDFs that have a built-in table of contents, or
by clicking on internal links.
Better Web Import
By default,
websites will now be converted to PDF using the new engine. The result will
faithfully preserve most websites into a stable format that will stand the test
of time. We've also introduced support for Microsoft's MHT website archive
format. Although Scrivener cannot view MHT files (yet, don't worry, it's
coming), you can easily open them in compliant browsers with a click of a
button. If all you want is a selected piece of a page, you'll find that copy
and paste now works even better with most modern browsers.
Compile Support for Scrivener Links
It might sound
arcane, but the ability to link from one piece of your draft to another has
important implications: It means you can now cross-reference in a format that
will be more useful for your readers, and it also means you can create a table
of contents directly in your RTF files. We've included a special tool for
easily creating a ToC. If you have MS Office installed, links are also
supported for the PDF, DOC and DOCX formats.
All Project Templates and Compile Presets
Updated
We've gone through every project template and compile preset to
update them with the new capabilities in this release. You'll find many more
options in the compiler's Format As menu, and project templates will come
outfitted with convenient document templates, among other improvements.
There's a lot more! If you want to review the full list
of changes, please review the official change log:
As I work my way through these new updates, I anticipate
there will be some new videos to add to the Scrivener collection on my You Tube channel.
If you’re not familiar with Scrivener you can read about my passion for it here, or watch our introductory video here. Scrivener is a great tool for all writers
including family historians.
