Changing a Collection’s Appearance

There are differences in the appearance of Static and Dynamic (Search results is a default Dynamic Search that is always present.)

The three Collection Types:

Static

Dynamic

Search

The appearance of each type will vary in some Scrivener menus.

The Collections Scroll Bar:

This will be visible if you have chosen to display collections and this will be above the Binder. This space’s maximal expansion is limited. Thus, as you add more Collections, you will reach a point where all current Collections will not be visible. You will have use the scroll bar in this area to see all the Collections here. Each Collection will display a color that can be changed in the Collection header bar when it is open. (discussed below)

1. The Collections Header. If a collection is chosen below then the +/- signs will be active and you can add a new collection or delete an old one (either dynamic or static). The Search Results (#3) or the Binder (#4) cannot be deleted. Dynamic Collections (see red box above) will have a magnifying glass to the left of the title.

2. Each Collection will have a Title that can be edited by double clicking and changing the name and a color that can be changed in the Collection header (discussed later). In this view all Dynamic Collections will have a magnifying glass to the left of the title. A Collection will always be a different color then the default Binder color in your current theme to alert you that you are currently using a collection and not the Binder.

Windows Tip- Consider adding a (D) after the title of Dynamic Collections to allow a quick glance to show which current Collections are Dynamic without having to click on the Collection, or if a theme makes if difficult to see the magnifying glass icon.

3. Search Results will contain the results of the latest search and is replaced every time you run a new search. The color of this and the binder on the left are both set by your current theme.

4. Binder- If you click this, then you leave the Collection view and return to the Binder view. (#5)

5. (Normal Binder when a Collection is not being displayed.)

6. Scroll Bar. This will appear if the number of Collections created exceed the limits of the fixed space designated for the display of Collections in Scrivener.

A Collection’s Header Bar:

The different and distinct background color of the header and sidebar for both Static and Dynamic Collections will help remind you that you are not in the full Binder. This can be customized for every Collection except the Search Results.

A Dynamic Collection will have a magnifying glass at the far right of the header.

1. Clicking the X closes the Current Collection and restores the Binder view.

2. Clicking the backward arrow will display the Collection results in one of the three Group view modes.

3. The Collection Title (it cannot be edited here)

4. Clicking this gives options to change the Collection’s color. (see below)

5. The Magnifying Glass icon signals this is a Dynamic Collection. This will be a Minus sign in Static Collections. (see below)

6. This allows the Collection results to be arranged in different ways to help better understand the information. This sorting is not reversible.

The Static Collection header has two main differences.

1. The magnifying glass icon is replaced with a - sign. Search results can ONLY be removed from Static Collection when the search result is highlighted. Deleting an item removes the shortcut to the Binder file, but does NOT affect the file otherwise. You can add documents to a Static Collection by various means discussed under the Static Collections Blog found elsewhere.

2. Static Collections have no options to sort by in the Header above. You can sort via the Menu command Edit > Sort > . (this becomes active when you select files in a Static Collection and cannot be undone. In Static Collections, you can move items up and down in the list using the same arrows as for shifting files in the Binder or by clicking on one or several files and moving them around inside the Static Collection.

Various Color Options Available

When a Collection is created Scrivener will automatically generate a color for the Collection, but you can change this using the options below for either Static or Dynamic Collections.

The More… Option opens the standard window that appears for adjusting highlighter, comment, and text colors. You can have up to 16 customizable colors or even choose a screen color with the Picker function to use for your collection color.

Collection Icons

These are visible when you use the Menu dropdown- Navigate > Collections > Collection names (or option to convert a Dynamic to a Standard Collection.)

Here Scrivener uses a default Icon for various Collection Types

The Collections Icon for Search Results and other Dynamic Collections.

The Collections Icon for Standard (Static) Collections.