Synopsis to text

[Raskali]

I like to outline my projects in the corkboard mode where each card is a scene and they can be easily rearranged. This means I jot down notes on the cards which become the synopsis but the files themselves are empty. So when I want to start writing I have to copy and paste all the synopses into the corresponding text areas.

My question is: I know you can auto-generate a synopsis from text, but can you do the opposite and move the synopsis automatically into the text area?

[MimeticMouton]

No...but may I ask why you want to? If all you want to do is to be able to reference the synopsis when you begin writing the scene, just open the inspector (the round blue button with "i" in it); you can also use the shortcut ctrl-opt-cmd-I to bring up the inspector showing the synopsis. Then you can have this open right next to you while you write.

[Raskali]

I usually use what I write on the cards as the basis of my text. So it's more than referencing and I end up copying and pasting it all.

[MimeticMouton]

Ah. Sorry I couldn't help.

[xiamenese]

If I understand you properly, you should work the other way round ... type what you want to have as the synopsis on the cards into the document in the regular editor, then with the inspector open, click the box above the synopsis to automatically enter what is there in the document into the synopsis field. You'll then have the text in both places, which is what I understand you to want.

Mark

[MimeticMouton]

Hmm, interesting thought. I think the idea is to be able to work with everything in broader strokes first using the corkboard, where you only have access to the synopsis (unless you lose the overview by switching to single document mode). Yes? But maybe you could do as Mark suggests using a split editor view, with the corkboard in one linked to the second editor, so you could get the overview and when you wanted to write up your synopsis on a card, click the card to open the actual document text in the second editor, type the "synopsis" notes in that, then auto-generate the synopsis so it will appear properly in the corkboard. Might that work?

[Raskali]

Thanks for the responses. Yes, it's just a different way of working, getting an overview of the entire project for brainstorming. I'll just keep cutting and pasting for now.

[geoffh]

Raskali: Ioa pointed out to me recently that one way to avoid copying each individual synopsis in this situation is to compile (say) the folder containing all your synopses (tick the synopsis checkbox in "Formatting"). Then you can copy and paste the entire compiled document.

But I actually would like what youre suggesting as an option too. In some of my usage cases, the text on my index cards would end up in the main document anyway, so it would save a few steps if I could choose to have this happen automatically.

geoff

[spinningdoc]

I asked something similar a few weeks ago. Basically, there's no way of doing it automatically, Keith said.

[AmberV]

The absolute easiest way to do this is to compile out just Titles and Synopsis using the plain MultMarkdown compiler. Then use the `File/Import/MultiMarkdown File...` menu command to select the compiled file. This will reproduce all of your outline structure and place the content of the synopsis cards into the text area for each item.

Since synopsis are plain-text anyway, there is no harm in using MMD (which is plain-text).

[Raskali]

Sounds like a good workaround, I'll give it a try. Thanks!

[AmberV]

Oh, forgot to mention that Scrivener inserts "No Synopsis" if the file has none, so if you end up with a bunch of these, just use `Edit/Find/Project Replace` to strip them out.

[KB]

Oh, forgot to mention that Scrivener inserts "No Synopsis" if the file has none, so if you end up with a bunch of these, just use `Edit/Find/Project Replace` to strip them out.

No it doesn't. At least, I don't think it does - I'm away from my development computer, but I'm sure I removed this behaviour ages ago.

[MimeticMouton]

Um...it does, unless there's a hidden setting somewhere to change that.

[AmberV]

Perhaps you removed it from everything but the MMD routines? I'm still getting that behaviour:



Compiled with Titles + Synopsis to MMD, produces:

Code: Select all

Base Header Level: 1
Title:
Author:
Format: complete

# one #

stuff

## a ##

No Synopsis

## b ##

No Synopsis

## c ##

No Synopsis

# two #

more stuff

# three #

yes stuff


Errr: Okay, RTF too then.