nv_snapshots

User guide

This page refers to the latest nv_snapshots release. You can open it with Help > Snapshots Online help or F1.

The plugin adds a Snapshots entry to the novelibre Tools menu, a Snapshot entry to the File menu, and a Snapshots Online help entry to the Help menu.

General

A snapshot is a compressed, titled, and commented version of a .novx file. nv_snapshots creates such snapshots on demand and stores them in a subdirectory of the project folder. This subdirectory is named “Snapshots” and is created automatically if required. Saving a snapshot is manually triggered via Ctrl-Alt-S or the File > Snapshot menu command.

Use the Tools > Snapshots menu command to start the snapshot manager. The snapshot manager displays the snapshots of the currently open project in list form. You can select individual snapshots and export documents from them. LibreOffice/OpenOffice has a document comparison function that allows you to find and edit the differences between the snapshot and the current project. You can also easily revert to any snapshot.

How to compare the current state of your project with a snapshot

If you do not want to return to a previous state of your project, but want to undo individual changes since a snapshot was created, you can do this conveniently using the document comparison function of LibreOffice/OpenOffice.

Select the desired snapshot in the snapshot manager and export a document that you want to compare (e.g. the manuscript).
Export a document of the same kind from the current project and open it.
Select Edit - Track Changes - Compare Document… (LibreOffice), or Edit > Compare Document (OpenOffice).
A file selection dialog opens. Select the “snapshot document” and click Insert.

LibreOffice/OpenOffice combines both documents into the current document. All text passages that occur in the current project but not in the snapshot are identified as having been inserted, and all text passages that got deleted since the snapshot has been created are identified as deletions.

You can now accept or reject the insertions and deletions. At the end you may reimport the updated document in novelibre in order to transfer the revised state to the project.

Command reference

novelibre main menu entries

File > Snapshot

Creates a snapshot as a zip file in the “Snapshots” subdirectory of the current project folder. A dialog for entering a title and a description will pop up.

Ok: Confirm the entry and create the snapshot.
Online help: Go to this help page.
Cancel: Close the dialog without creating a snapshot.

Hint

If you leave the entry fields empty, the snapshot is given the title “Undefined” and can only be identified by its creation date.

If there are unsaved changes in the project, you will be prompted to save them.
If there is already an up-to-date snapshot, no further snapshot will be created.

Tools > Snapshots

Opens the snapshot manager window. It contains the list of snapshots and a display field for the title and description of the selected snapshot. The functions of the snapshot manager are accessed via the menu described below.

Help > Snapshots Online help

Starts the system web browser with this page.

The snapshot manager menu

File > Open Snapshot folder

Opens the current project’s snapshot folder with the file manager.

File > Clean up Snapshot folder

Deletes ODF documents, XML data files, and document backups in the snapshot folder.

File > Snapshot

Creates a snapshot (see above).

File > Remove

Deletes the selected snapshot.

File > Revert

Overwrites the current project file with the version of the selected snapshot and reloads the project in novelibre. A snapshot of the current project file is created automatically beforehand.

File > Close

Closes the snapshot manager window.

Export > Manuscript

This allows you to create a text document that is split into sections. File name suffix is _manuscript_tmp.

Export > Part descriptions

This allows you to create a text document that contains a very brief synopsis with part headings and part descriptions. File name suffix is _parts_tmp.

Export > Chapter descriptions

This allows you to create a text document that contains a brief synopsis with part/chapter headings and chapter descriptions. File name suffix is _chapters_tmp.

Export > Section descriptions

This allows you to create a text document with a full synopsis containing part/chapter headings and section descriptions. File name suffix is _sections_tmp.

Export > Story structure

This allows you to create a text document that contains all stages, each with description. File name suffix is _structure_tmp.

Export > Plot line descriptions

This allows you to create a text document that contains stages, plot lines, and plot points, each with description. File name suffix is _plotlines_tmp.

Export > Plot grid

This allows you to create a spreadsheet as described in the Plotting with novelibre chapter. File name suffix is _grid_tmp.

Export > Character descriptions

This allows you to create a text document that contains character descriptions, bio, goals, and notes. File name suffix is _characters_tmp.

Export > Location descriptions

This allows you to create a text document that contains location descriptions. File name suffix is _locations_tmp.

Export > Item descriptions

This allows you to create a text document that contains item descriptions. File name suffix is _items_tmp.

Export > XML data files

This allows you to create a set of XML files containing the project’s characters, locations, items, and plot lines with all their properties. You can use these files to transfer the corresponding elements individually or in groups from the snapshot to the current project.

Help > Online help

Starts the system web browser with this page.