What should have been a bug fixing release actually became a minor update, so we directly jump from 8.0 to 8.1 this time. The main reason is the addition of the two up mode for iPads, which allows you to view and edit two documents side by side.
Apart form that, the update provides a set of additions, corrections and improvements:
Additions
- On the iPad, you can now view two documents side by side: touch and hold the document you want to appear in the left column. When viewing the same document in both columns (the plain text and formatted version, for example), editing one automatically updates the other.
- Full support for Fountain documents: edit as plain text, but view as formatted screenplay.
- Bulk convert documents from a book’s “edit multiple” actions.
- Option to show word and character count simultaneously.
Improvements
- When changing details in WebDAV sync settings, the user now has the option to keep the current sync history. This makes it possible to change server address without losing history.
- During Dropbox and WebDAV sync, Notebooks exports essential system files (task details) even when sync system files has been turned off.
- PDF Reader synchronizes bookmarks and reliably saves annotations made in “normal” view mode.
- Webarchives can now be displayed with iOS Quicklook or with Notebooks’ own methods.
- When using Touch-ID to unlock Notebooks, pressing Cancel removes the splash screen and asks the user for passcode.
Corrections
- Fixed a crash when changing a task’s repeat interval.
- Fixed a potential crash when creating a new, protected book.
- When “auto detect lists” if off, pressing tab does not try to indent current line.
- Reliably return to last viewed book after device’s auto lock (iPhone).
- Fixed an issue when importing websites that contain spaces in the URL.
- Fixed a glitch in the list of search results.
- “Compile Documents” and eBook creation take better care of image styles.
- Fixed a glitch when pasting an image into a formatted document (iPhone).
- Sketch: black, gray and white pencil color are now correctly restored.
- Fixed the occasional “black screen issue” on iPad when background refresh launched Notebooks while device was locked.
- Multiple fixes for iOS 9.
Notebooks 8.1 for iPad and iPhone
Why am I now unable to import URLs from Safari? No matter how many I try, they all fail, with standard error dialog message. The option is now gone from the import menu from within the app as well. I use this feature extensively for saving web archives as html into my research notebooks.
Hi Crystal,
thank you for letting us know, we will look into this right away. Even if the bookmarklet fails, you should still be able to copy the URL in Safari and select “Import from URL” in Notebooks. Doesn’t that work? As another option you can copy the contents of the website in Safari and select “New from Pasteboard” in Notebooks, which will save the copied portion as a webarchive.
Nope. Same thing happens. No matter what URL I try. Some are appearing to import via both methods, but then when you click on the resultant html page to view, you get a warped URL encoding that displays a generic not found page from your ISP.
Ok, we will look into this again. We were about to post an update today, but we will first make sure that the bookmarklet and other URL import options work again as before.
Sorry for the trouble!
No worries. For a minute there, I was worried it was supposed to stop working as previously expected.
In other news, I’m super excited about the side-by-side feature you’ve added in this version… So useful to be able to view/edit two different files at the same time, especially for someone who has so much text scattered about like I do. 😉
It works now. Yay! Thanks. ☺️
I was excited to hear of fountain support.
But for the life of me I can not see how to implement it.
(How can I view the formatted document and export it)
Tom
Hi Tom,
documents with extension “.fountain” are automatically handled as Fountain documents. – We assume that users tend to import these documents into Notebooks though synchronization, so we currently don’t offer “Fountain” as a separate document type like Markdown. However, you can create a Markdown or plain text document in Notebooks (iOS), then open the document’s info and add “.fountain” to its title. Notebooks will now handle your document as a Fountain doc.
I hope that helps.
Best,
Alfons
Alfons:
Mystery solved!
I think this will be a great fountain editor.
Follows the fountain syntax well…..
With the exception of not handling indented action text properly. But this is a minor issue, only needed is special circumstances.
Thanks for making it even better!
Tom