Scrivener for iOS - What Do You Want? [PLEASE READ FIRST]

I’d vote for auto sync, which is fine, as long as you remember to close your file on your Mac. :smiley:

I like a lot of the ideas posted already, and won’t waste time repeating them.

For me, I have one feature in an iPad writing app that I can’t seem to find anywhere, and would singlehandedly revolutionize my writing process. I want a draft revision mode, where I can make annotations on the fly. Imagine looking at your draft as a digital manuscript. Then, when looking over it, you want to make a note, or take out a paragraph. You simply whip out your stylus and write the note in the margin like you would with a paper draft. I can’t tell you how much money I would pay for an app that had this feature solidly and reliably built in.

Even if you guys made the revision mode into a separate app, I would fall to my knees and thank you for this.

I love the idea of seamless syncing between the two if possible… but would would be interesting is for those of us with a stylus to be able to maybe make hand written notes that could be saved as a jpg for later use or if it were capable of reading your handwritten words and turn them into typed up words rather than having to hand type everything on the iPad itself (which can be daunting without an external keyboard). Also perhaps if people want the binder that could be something that is done via the iPhone (like how Scrabble has the tile rack app that integrates with Scrabble via the iPad so they work together). I know it’ll be amazing whatever you come up with and I’ll still buy it anyway because there have been soo many times when I wished I had my book on my iPad (when I didn’t have my laptop with me and it’ll be nice to be able to have Scrivener on the go.

An application like this would be a reason for me to buy an iPad. Actually the only one.

GoodReader does this on iPad & iPhone. I have been known to print chapters to PDF just so I can edit them in GoodReader on my phone while on the tram. It also allows standard PDF annotations (strikethrough, typed notes, highlighting, lines, circles, etc).

[quote=“Ikarian”]
You simply whip out your stylus and write the note in the margin like you would with a paper draft./quote]

From my perective as a writer, I’d also love this feature implemented. Put Scrivener into a ‘reader’ mode with my choice of formatting spacing etc and then allow and capture hand written notes directly on the page.

For writing, Personally I’d even be happy if these notes didn’t sync with the desktop, or we’re created as images nested beneath the content. It’s an area I’ve yet to discuss with Keith (OSX) and Lee (Windows) to see what features we can implement across platforms for the first 1.0 release.

We’re still a little way off being able to say exactly what features will be in the app but the review / edit / note taking aspects of the app will not being ignored.

iPhone version.

Don’t need full features but…

Would like to:

  1. access edit create and sync with Scrivener Mac project notes.
  2. see structure of project in a binder style collapsible expandable view with colour labels intact.
  3. would be great to have editable sync able access to binder docs and notes
  4. nice to read docs and add/edit notes and comments

Important that formatting ( ie italics etc) retained in Mac version if edited on iPhone

Thanks Keith. Very excited about foray into ios.
Good luck!!

Hi,

For the iphone, I would love a way to capture ideas, snippets of dialogue, paragraphs, etc on the go, and upload them to my project (perhaps for placement in the project when I get back to my mac). In particular, if i could quickly create a card name and then record a voice snippet that I can run through dragon voice or some such, that would be great.

Well, first thanks for doing this. If there was one thing that made the iPad not a computer, it was the absence of Scrivener. You have an absolutely wonderful program.

Okay, some suggestions for the iPad (As for the iPhone, just do what you can, but it’s not nearly as important)

  1. An ability to sync files to iCloud automatically would be huge, but I hate to think the groveling in Cupertino that would entail.

  2. As in the full version, automatic saving would be nice.

  3. Since you’re creating it for iPad, will the gatekeepers at Apple allow you to include a feature allowing the saving of the document to Pages, as well as Word.

  4. The ability to email documents directly from Scrivener IOS.

Thanks so much for asking for input

Barry

For you perhaps …
:slight_smile:
Mark

I’m really glad that there is an iOS version under development. After I bought Scrivener a few months back and realized how great it is, all other editors for composing articles fell short.
I would definitely buy Scrivener for iOS as soon as it came out (and I could afford it).

In order of desire I would like the following in an iOS version:

  1. Sync with OS X (via Dropbox or iCloud would be fine)
  2. URLs w/titles & accesskey (also would like title & accesskey editing in the OS X version)
  3. a Universal Binary that I could load on my iPhone and also on my future iPad (instead of 2 different apps)
  4. Footnotes & Comments Supported
  5. Snapshots (wish!)
  6. Configurable Gestures using Accessibility Gesture Recording in iOS5 (big wish!)

Thanks!

Thanks!

So, I have been thinking about this for awhile since it was announced that an IOS platform was announced. I don’t envy the programmatic challenges ahead and I would like to type out loud regarding my thoughts about this. In short, I have two reactions to the announcement: 1) YAY. I would love an ipad version; 2) how the heck are they going to do this? Short versions of recommendations are in bold.

  1. One of the things that Scrivener made possible for me is that it is a program where I can link all kinds of different files while being able to refer to the files as I write. In some ways the ipad is antithetical to this: you are to stay in one window and do one task, but given the size of the screen (in landscape), I think a split screen is possible where we can see two documents at the same time and write and view.

  2. I downloaded quite a few writing programs for the ipad and the one that was most disappointing to me was “Notebooks for Ipad” by Alfons Schmid. Using it was an exercise in solving a rubiks cube and it was difficult to navigate between the various documents. An IOS version must have a way to organize documents of different types in a fashion that makes sense.

3) I wonder if it wouldn’t be worth your time to use the API of other popular programs and let people write in one program, export to Scrivener and perhaps have the ScrivIOS be the program that is for viewing and organization. There are all kinds of writing programs and programs to annotate pdfs, and web viewers. I don’t think I need that capability duplicated here. I would like a way to view my Scriv files on IOS in total.

  1. Syncing. Good luck with that. There are two programs I use frequently who seem to have done a good job syncing: Iannotate and Goodreader. Perhaps there are ways you can check out what they have done to help with this issue for the IOS app.

Good luck!

I would LOVE the ability to use Scrivener on my iPhone to write while at my ‘real job’. I won’t get an iPad anytime soon, so thinking of a version for the phone only, I’d say the most important thing for me would be the ability to sync from the iOS version to the Windows version. I wouldn’t use the full/three-part screen (because the phone is so small). I’d like to pull up the binder, choose a scene, and edit/write. I’d like to then return home and sync it to my computer to pick up where I left off.

Thanks! I can’t wait!!

I am using IPad for screenwriting with text editor’s iWriter and IAWriter. These editors have very good keyboard with additional chars. It’s improve my productivity very very. I want such keyboard in Ipad version of Scrivener. Thx.

Im not sure why everyone insists on dropbox sync. i think that would be a good feature, but its also a whole extra step as far as im concerned and more room for error.
I think it should just sync directly to The scrivener desktop App.
there’s a "to do"program called “things” that does this and its great.

I think that a Scrivener app for iphone/ipad would be great. I would surely be a fan of it.
Most of my ideas came while I’m away from my working desk (i.e.: when I’m walking, when I’m on a bus/train, and so on).
I think the main feature should be a scrapbook tool syncable with the Scrivener on the mac/pc
The app should be able to “see” the folders of the Script section and of the Research section.
Example:
I’m working on mynovel.scriv scrivener project. I have three folders in the Research section: 1) ideas for the beginning; 2) ideas for the development; 3) ideas for the grand finale. When I’m on the train going to working I get an illumination for the grand finale. Then I turn on my scrivener app on the iPhone, the app shows me the folders on my “mynovel” project. I choose the “grand finale” folder and add a new text document with my brand new idea for the finale. Then I get home, start working on the Scrivener on my mac and I manage the new text for my convenience.
Too easy?
Anyway, whatever you will do I’ll surely get the Scrivener app!

First, I just wanted to thank you for this program. I only found it last week, and I’m already in love, and even though I don’t yet have an iPad (though I should get one in the next few months provided all goes well financially), I made a forum account just so I could post what I’d most like to see in an iPad version.

My biggest want is split screen support. I’m only on Day 4 of my trial for Scrivener, and I’m already convinced I’m going to buy it once the trial runs out because I love it so much, and the main reason for that is being able to split the screen and have two aspects of my project on my screen at the same time. I divide my project by chapters and then have a folder for individual scenes per chapter. The folder contains in-depth synopses of the different scenes, synopses that are too long to go on the corkboard cards. This way, I can have my synopsis on one half of the screen right where I’ll see it and will remember exactly what I want to do with it while I actually flesh it out on the other half of the screen. I know that sounds lazy, but my memory is literally so bad I would forget what I want to do with the scene between tabbing from one window to the next. Thus: split screen support is essential for me. Storyist has it, so I’m sure Scrivener can make it work too (granted, Storyist doesn’t also have a binder to make room for, but I still think it’s doable).

Secondary wants:
[] Dropbox syncing support like others have been saying. Since I use the Windows version of Scrivener, I don’t think syncing between program versions is possible for me, so Dropbox syncing is the next best thing.
[
] External keyboard support - I don’t know if this is even an issue as, like I said, I don’t have an iPad just yet. But when I do get one, I’m going to have to get one of those external keyboards. I hate touch screen keyboards, so if there’s a way to have the program acknowledge an external so the on-screen one doesn’t appear and get in the way, that would be great.

That’s pretty much it. Split screen is most important with the binder on the side like in the full version.

I’ve been using scrivener since i bought a mac for that sole purpose in 2009. I own an ipad since it was first released and soon begun using it for writing text, as i’m always on the move. In terms of ubiquity, simplenote was the only serious choice for a year or so. But not a single app back in 2010 was really convenient to use on the ipad.

Before this announcement, we were left with little hope of a scrivener version for tablets and many made up their own workflow (mine included editing the scriv file and having a daemon sync back and forth to dropbox), untill the 3 flavors of sync were introduced with scrivener 2. In the meantime and since, i’ve tried all apps on the appstore and their mother’s, and settled on IAwriter and Daedalus. Those two apps, especially Daedalus, totally succeed in the one most important task for a tablet writer : enable you to forget about the touch keyboard and write fast, in an unecumbered environement. Both are writing-focused, no primordial editing function is further than one touch away, and i won’t use a tool that’s does not succeed as well as daedalus in this respect. I come from a Vi/Vim background, soft which i still use on a regular basis and the thing that struck me lately is that apps on tablets have to be modal. IDE’s don’t thrive in that ecosystem.

If i had a requirement for scrivener on a tablet, it would be that : modes. And each mode / app doing its best to focus on what it does. I could live with a coarkboard app, a scrivenings app, etc… All enabling me to access a project stored in the cloud somewhere (icloud, dropbox, sugarsync, whatever).

The second thing, which the ipad writing apps in general totally lack is some flavor of version control. That’s been a very strong scrivener feature for a long time now (and a big sell for me at first). I wish i could dispense from setting up GIT repositories in all the ipad text-writing dedicated folders in my dropbox account, with a bloody daemon watching for modified files and autocommiting them on the fly. Even if there isn’t a problem in my workflow that cant be solved with the ubiquitous external folder sync feature.

Anyway, i totally trust you and your extended team with the developement of the tablet version, as you’re doing such a great job with this unique piece of software. Can’t wait to get my hand on them ! And i will buy the litt&latte apps anyway :slight_smile:

Save. Save. Save.
I use QuickOffice, PlainText, DropBox, and Notes, across mac laptops, iPads, and an iPhone, and not being able to save files, at will, is my biggest complaint. I know this seems silly, but this is only basic function that none of the currently available options offer. :unamused:
Can’t wait to see what you deliver! :smiley:

My wish list for an iPad Scrivener is simple:

  1. Sync through Dropbox so that I don’t even know it’s happening.
  2. The binder. Ie, be able to replicate a project from the computer to the iPad.
  3. The three views: index cards, outline, document.
  4. Full-screen view.
  5. Allow annotations, highlights & (if possible) comments. If comments are too hard to implement, annotations and comments would be fine.
  6. If possible, have it work on iPad 1. I will buy another for it if that’s the best way for your to do these things. But, obviously, I would rather put my coin elsewhere.

Things like txt, as opposed to rtf or some other, are no issue for me. I don’t care. It would be nifty if it could “read” pdfs the way Goodreader does, however.

Thank you for doing this. The worst thing about the iPad has been being “Scrivener-less.”