Select folder for new note?
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I may have missed this somewhere in the documentation, but when creating a new note, how do I tell nvUltra what folder to place it in?
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If you want to put it in a subfolder simply type the subfolder as part of the name, e.g. `Subfolder/File Name`.
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If I want it in a folder that's 7 folders deep, will I have to type the entire path? Or just the name of the folder?
Also, if I add it to the wrong folder, I assume I will need to use Finder to move it to the correct folder?
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7 folders deep? Wow. Might be time for Marie Kondo.... ;) (And yes, it would be the entire path you have to type/copy.)
We'll look at other approaches, but that is definitely more nesting than nvUltra is really designed to handle smoothly. The intention when I designed nvUltra was that you occasionally want a subfolder when working on your text files (e.g. `images/`). Or sometimes you want a couple of top-level folders that can serve as poor-man's tags. But it wasn't designed as a full-fledged Finder replacement.
In a situation like this, you may find it helpful to use the context menu in the notes list to open a subfolder as a new window, and then "work" inside that folder.
And also yes, when you want to reorganize your notes and move them to different folders, the Finder is the place to do that.
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Hahaha...I don't really have any that are 7 deep, but I was wondering how it would work if it ever came to that. I think I found a bug...will create a separate thread with video link.
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Well, after using nvUltra for several weeks now as my preferred solution for creating short technical articles I have a couple of observations.
1. nvUltra is working better for me than several other apps that I have used including Bear, Ulysses, KeepIt, TheArchive, and a couple of others -- with one big exception.
2. I find the lack of a file/folder management tool in the sidebar to be a big stumbling block and slows down my workflow considerably. I realize (and applaud) your desire to keep things simple and clean, but just because nvUltra is designed to be a text-only tool, it still needs easy access to folders. I'm not looking for something that goes 7 folders deep. I am looking for something that goes at least 2 folders deep. All the other apps that I mentioned do this (some better than others) and it makes it much easier to work when you have a number of writing projects underway. Using tabs to jump between folders is OK when you only have a few, but is not satisfactory when you have a more than a few projects (i.e. folders).
I hope that you will seriously consider adding file management to the sidebar. With this one missing piece, nvUltra will definitely be at the top of the list for my day-to-day work.
You are doing excellent work with nvUltra and are creating a very solid product. Thanks for your efforts.
- Phil
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I'm asking as a serious question, not as a smart-ass (though I can be that too at times.)
If you are intentionally keeping files in separate folders because you want them to be be distinct, why are you opposed to opening them in separate windows? If I have multiple writing projects that I'm working on, I simply open one in each window (I can even put them in different spaces as desired).
nvUltra is intentionally a document-based application, not a shoebox application. That was one of the big limitations for many (not all) users of Notational Velocity/nvALT -- it was a shoebox app that forced you to keep all files in the same folder.
Just trying to better understand.
Thanks!
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Fletcher -- reasonable questions. I have my folders organized into major categories (like home, technical, workshops, etc.), then into subfolders (usually related to specific project areas or technology categories), and finally into specific projects. I will often be working on half a dozen projects at a time, each with folders for drafts, supporting materials, etc. This is the organization metaphor that I have used during my years with NASA and a school system and it works well. I DevonThink Pro as my long-term memory and it is organized like this. I can and have used DTP for my writing projects, but it is not ideal.
For the past several years I have used nvALT + Multimarkdown Composer + Marked 2 for my short-term memory and writing assistant. It has worked well, but is a bit cumbersome. I've tried many others like Ulysses and Bear that have closer integration of the functions, but they just don't work for me for a variety of reasons. The one that comes closest to meeting my needs is KeepIt by Reinvented Software.
The marriage of nvALT, MMC, and Marked 2 has the promise of being close to ideal for the way I work. If I follow your suggestion of putting things in separate windows and/or spaces will be somewhat of a nightmare when I try to find things in all the clutter. I'm sure you will suggest that I change my workflow (probably not a bad idea to consider) but at my age I don't really have the energy. Plus my workflow works for me <smile>.
I like the fact that nvUltra is a document-based application and not a shoebox. This is one of its big advantages. All I'm asking is that there be a tool to facilitate the navigation among the individual documents. I definitely don't want a shoebox that dumps everything into a proprietary database or a single massive folder.
I hope this makes sense. Thanks for listening!
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The goal behind nvALT (and NV before it) was to completely remove the need for folders by making search so fast and accurate that it didn't really matter what folder things were in. Ultra continues this idea but makes concessions for the fact that sometimes multiple "buckets" really are necessary. That said, it still strives to hold true to the idea that good search replaces the need for deep folders.
We support tagging (as did the aforementioned predecessors) for the type of project organization you describe (drafts, research, etc.). Those don't have to be subfolders from the perspective of search. Ultra isn't intended to be a replacement file manager, and it's unlikely we'll add that kind of file management to the public version.
That said, we do hear your opinion and will add the request to future discussions.
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Yes, the search is fast and accurate, but in many cases, typing a search string is slower than clicking on a folder in the sidebar. I'm not opposed to using tags more--it's probably a good idea for me to do so, especially as I can sync them to macOS--but relying less on folders will require a change in my process/thinking, and will also require that I retrofit many files with tags to fit this paradigm. I suspect many people won't care to take that on.
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Agreed, people with established folder-based systems won't want to take that on, but I also don't think they'll expect Ultra to take their system on, either. It's a matter of expectations. Ultra does what nvALT does, but better. It doesn't do what DEVON or KeepIt do because that's not its function. For the record, I'm not being combative, we're just working to hone our mission statement so we can clearly articulate these expectations to customers.
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No worries. I don't think you're being combative. I do, however, think you're underestimating the importance of an extra layer of organization/filtering. OneNote, Ulysses, Drafts, Bear, iA Writer, FSNotes, Scrivener, Evernote, Day One, Quiver, Notion.so, etc., all use a three-pane system. If you're hoping to convert any of that market, I think the lack of a third pane will be a roadblock. Maybe I still have to wrap my head around how to best/efficiently search in nvUltra, but, for example, I wouldn't want to have to type "tag: First Draft project: The Book I'm Writing" every time I want a list of the first drafts in the book I'm writing. That work against the speediness you're counting on as a selling point, especially when compared to the one or two clicks I would have to do to pull up that same set of documents with a three-pane setup.
I understand that people who purchase nvUltra without this functionality might be ok with the lack of an extra layer of organization, but for better or for worse, many people have grown accustomed to a three-pane system. I'm somewhere on the other side, looking to understand how I can be more efficient by abandoning that concept. It's not easy, though, after having been spoiled for so long by some of these other apps. I think part of your communication strategy should be to inform others on the reason you believe your chosen model is superior, and perhaps give some real world examples of how your method of organization/searching is more efficient/effective. For anyone coming to nvUltra without extensive experience with NV/Alt, I believe that would make for a smoother transition, and would help consumers see the value in abandoning what they're probably used to.
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Fair enough. The argument there is that nvUltra really isn't intended for writing a book. If it were, it would function more like Ulysses where you'd have the ability to order notes in the list. It's designed as a note taking application and honestly isn't meant to replace an app Scrivener or Ulysses. In fact, for those purposes, I'm not sure why anyone would be looking for replacements, they both serve their intended functions quite well. Coming from Evernote might be a different story, but I think Bear and FSNotes users would have an easy time of it.
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I must echo Williper Larnloge's comments. I have used every one of the apps in his list (except for Quiver) and they all fall short for various reasons. Regarding Brett's comments, I'm not writing a book. If I were doing this I wouldn't use any of these, except maybe Scrivener. I use these apps to write very short technical articles for use in my workshops (under a 1,000 words usually) and to create content for several websites and a newsletter. I've been a long time user of both nvALT and Multimarkdown Composer and the linking of these in nvUltra comes extremely close to being my ideal work tool. However, the lack of efficient folder navigation may ultimately be a show stopper for me.
nvUltra is on the road to being a great app and I really hope that I can use it in my workflow.
Thanks for listening.
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