Index Cards Notes Vanish After Document Edits

[MichaelM]

Hi Steve,

 

I just encountered a new and worrisome problem in using the index card notes: After making some stylistic changes to the text in the document view, I returned to the index card view to find all the cards wiped clean. Clearly, there is a logical connection between the cards and the document text, but there needs to be a way to preserve index card notes, regardless of what happens with the document text. I think the best solution would be for index card notes to reside (and be autosaved) someplace separate from the document text, with an option to export them either separately or together.

 

Thanks for all your hard work in pulling this together. This is an awesome app with tremendous potential.

 

MichaelM

[MichaelM]

Hi Steve,

 

I know you must have a lot to track between iPad and Mac versions, so please forgive my persistence on this topic...

 

I have more or less reconstructed my index card notes from memory and have begun pasting copies of those notes into the document text whenever I add or change them as a safeguard (an inelegant and, I hope, temporary solution). I'm wondering, though, is there a way to know when the editing or formatting of document text is affecting index card notes as well?

 

Thanks,

Michael

[Steve]

Hi MichaelM,

 

Hi Steve,

 

I know you must have a lot to track between iPad and Mac versions, so please forgive my persistence on this topic...

 

I have more or less reconstructed my index card notes from memory and have begun pasting copies of those notes into the document text whenever I add or change them as a safeguard (an inelegant and, I hope, temporary solution). I'm wondering, though, is there a way to know when the editing or formatting of document text is affecting index card notes as well?

 

Thanks,

Michael

 

I'm sorry for the delayed reply.

 

The index cards track the sections in your manuscript, so if you delete a section or merge it with another (by deleting the section separator), the card will be deleted too.

 

In the Mac version, some people like to keep a "deleted scenes" chapter to hold cuts, and this might be useful in iPad too if you don't need the tetxt any more but you're not ready to delete the card data.

 

By the way, if you think the cards are being cleared in some other case, please let me know right away and we'll investigate.

 

-Steve

[labische]

Hi MichaelM,

 

.. some people like to keep a "deleted scenes" chapter to hold cuts, and this might be useful in iPad too if you don't need the tetxt any more but you're not ready to delete the card data...

 

-Steve

 

-

I would like to put in a STRONG vote to include ""deleted scenes" chapter to hold cuts" in iPad version also.

editing is easy for me on the iPad, but is not conducive to taking extra steps, or moving back and forth in programs (ie.to preserve past focus or direction).

thanks for a great writing tool.

I look forward to being part of the growth of the ease of use of the Storyist.

labische

[Steve]

Hi labische,

 

Welcome!

 

Let me think about how it might be accomplished in a simple and intuitive way.

 

For anyone reading along who wants to do this manually:

 

 

1. Open the Outline popopver button if the outline isn't pinned already.
   
2. Tap the last section in the outline.
   
3. Tap the Add (+) button.
   
4. Choose "Chapter" from the list of options. This creates a new chapter at the end of your manuscript.
   
5. Name the chapter.
    
   

Then, when you want to delete a section, instead of swiping to delete:

 

 

1. Open the Outline popopver button if the outline isn't pinned already.
   
2. Tap the Edit button.
   
3. Tap the thumb/gripper in the section you want to move to the deleted sections chapter
   
4. Drag the section to the deleted sections chapter.
    
   

 

-Steve

 

-

I would like to put in a STRONG vote to include ""deleted scenes" chapter to hold cuts" in iPad version also.

editing is easy for me on the iPad, but is not conducive to taking extra steps, or moving back and forth in programs (ie.to preserve past focus or direction).

thanks for a great writing tool.

I look forward to being part of the growth of the ease of use of the Storyist.

labische

[onceupon]

Hi labische,

 

Welcome!

 

Let me think about how it might be accomplished in a simple and intuitive way.

 

For anyone reading along who wants to do this manually:

 

1. 
    
   
2. Open the Outline popopver button if the outline isn't pinned already.
   
3. Tap the last section in the outline.
   
4. Tap the Add (+) button.
   
5. Choose "Chapter" from the list of options. This creates a new chapter at the end of your manuscript.
   
6. Name the chapter.
    
   

Then, when you want to delete a section, instead of swiping to delete:

 

1. 
    
   
2. Open the Outline popopver button if the outline isn't pinned already.
   
3. Tap the Edit button.
   
4. Tap the thumb/gripper in the section you want to move to the deleted sections chapter
   
5. Drag the section to the deleted sections chapter.
    
   

 

-Steve

Steve-

Do you have a video tutorial with these steps, or a set of pictures showing them. I seem to be having trouble getting the outline sidebar to move things about.

[Steve]

Hi onceupon,

 

Steve-

Do you have a video tutorial with these steps, or a set of pictures showing them. I seem to be having trouble getting the outline sidebar to move things about.

 

I thought I replied yesterday, I don't see the post. Sorry about that.

 

There isn't a video tutorial yet, but the steps are straight forward. You can use either the outline side bar or the index card view to reorder your manuscript. To use the sidebar:

 

1) Tap the Edit button.

 

2) Drag the chapters and sections to the new location.

 

3) Tap the Done button.

 

You'll need to collapse (close) a chapter or other heading before you can drag the entire chapter to a new location.

 

-Steve

[onceupon]

Thanks, Steve. I have to apply the section markers within the current chapters to make the drag and drop reordering more useful.