StoryShape 1.0 · User guide
Settings and keyboard shortcuts
User guide Part 12 of 13
Make StoryShape comfortable on your screen, find any command by name, and learn the shortcuts that keep your hands on the keyboard.
Settings
Open Settings with the gear in the top bar. You can also choose Workspace → Settings… (Ctrl+,) on Windows and Linux, or StoryShape → Settings… (⌘,) on a Mac.
Interface scale
Interface scale enlarges or reduces the whole app for your display, from 85% to 150% in 5% steps. It starts at 115% on Windows and Linux and 100% on a Mac. Reset to 100% goes back to actual size.
To make only the manuscript page bigger, use the Zoom slider below the draft in Write instead. See Page view or pageless.
Appearance
Choose a theme under Appearance, or from the half-circle Appearance menu in the top bar:
| Theme | Looks like |
|---|---|
| StoryShape Premium | The default: dark brown panels around a white writing page |
| System | Graphite, light or dark to match your computer’s setting |
| Light | Graphite, always light |
| Dark | Graphite, always dark |
| Graphite | Cool grey with a violet accent, following your computer’s light or dark setting |
| Monokai | Dark, with a bright green accent |
| Nord | Dark blue-grey with a pale blue accent |
| Parchment | Light and warm, like old paper |
Themes change only how the app looks. They never change your manuscript or exports.
Software updates
On direct downloads, Check for Updates looks for a newer version on GitHub, only when you press it. If there is one, choose View GitHub releases to download it. Store versions say they’re kept up to date by the store.
Settings are saved on this computer. They don’t change your story or project files.
Menus
On a Mac, StoryShape’s menus are in the menu bar at the top of the screen. On Windows and Linux, press Alt to show the menu bar.
| Menu | Has |
|---|---|
| File | New, open and the project library; import and export; Save; editable copies, backups, restore and checkpoints |
| Edit | Undo and redo; cut, copy and paste; bold, italic, underline; paragraph styles; Add to World; revision comments; split and merge scenes; cuttings; read aloud; find and replace |
| Workspace | Settings (Windows and Linux); writing preferences and spelling; glossary; commands; collections; goals and progress; planning recovery; observations; the seven workspaces; draft appearance, focus and typewriter scrolling; map reference; library and inspector |
| Help | The offline guide; how words are counted; the Wonderland demo; check for updates (direct downloads); support report; license and notices; the website; About (Windows and Linux) |
On a Mac, there’s also a StoryShape menu (About, Settings, Quit) and a Window menu.
The command palette
The command palette finds any action by name, so you don’t have to remember where it lives.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+P (⌘⇧P on a Mac), press Ctrl+K, or choose Commands in the top bar.
- Type a few words, such as “split”, “timeline”, “restore”, “epub” or “spelling”.
- Use ↑ and ↓ to choose, and Enter to run it. Esc closes the palette.
Commands search their names, descriptions and common alternatives, so “binder” finds the library and “kdp” finds Publish. A command that can’t run yet is greyed out and says what it needs, for example “Open a scene in Write first.” Commands never skip a review step.
Ctrl+K uses the Control key on every system, including a Mac.
Keyboard shortcuts
These are the desktop shortcuts. iPad shortcuts are on the iPad page.
Projects and files
| Action | Windows and Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| New project | Ctrl+N | ⌘N |
| Open project | Ctrl+O | ⌘O |
| Project library (hub) | Ctrl+Shift+O | ⌘⇧O |
| Save now | Ctrl+S | ⌘S |
| Settings | Ctrl+, | ⌘, |
| Close window | — | ⌘W |
Editing and drafting
| Action | Windows and Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Undo | Ctrl+Z | ⌘Z |
| Redo | Ctrl+Y or Ctrl+Shift+Z | ⌘⇧Z or ⌘Y |
| Bold, italic, underline | Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, Ctrl+U | ⌘B, ⌘I, ⌘U |
| Paste and match style | Ctrl+Shift+V | ⌘⇧V |
| Add selected passage to World | Ctrl+Shift+W | ⌘⇧W |
| Add revision comment (or queue the scene) | Ctrl+Shift+R | ⌘⇧R |
| Split scene at the insertion point | Ctrl+Shift+Enter | ⌘⇧Return |
| Find in current text | Ctrl+F | ⌘F |
| Find and replace in project | Ctrl+Shift+F or Ctrl+H | ⌘⇧F |
| Next and previous match (find bar) | Enter, Shift+Enter | Return, ⇧Return |
Workspaces and panes
| Action | Windows and Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Ideas, Plan, Board, Write, Revise, World, Publish | Ctrl+1 to Ctrl+7 | ⌘1 to ⌘7 |
| Commands | Ctrl+Shift+P or Ctrl+K | ⌘⇧P or Control+K |
| Collections | Ctrl+Shift+K | ⌘⇧K |
| Map reference | Ctrl+Shift+M | ⌘⇧M |
| Show or hide the library | Ctrl+Shift+L | ⌘⇧L |
| Show or hide the inspector | Ctrl+Shift+I | ⌘⇧I |
| Focus mode | F11 | ⌃⌘F |
| StoryShape Guide | F1 | Help → StoryShape Guide… |
The library
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| Move between items | ↑ ↓, Home, End |
| Expand or collapse | → ← |
| Rename | F2 |
| Mark several | Ctrl-click, Shift-click, or Shift+arrow keys (⌘-click on a Mac) |
| Clear marks | Esc |
| Open an item’s menu | Right-click, Shift+F10 or the Menu key |
Plan and Board canvases
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| Zoom | Ctrl+scroll (⌘+scroll on a Mac) |
| Pan sideways | Shift+scroll |
| Select an area | Shift-drag the background |
| Select all cards (Plan) | Ctrl+A (⌘A) |
| Nudge the selection | Arrow keys; add Shift for 10 points |
| Resize notes (Board) | Alt+arrow keys (Option+arrow keys on a Mac) |
| Edit the note (Board) | Alt+Enter (Option+Return) |
| Edit the card (Plan) | F2, or double-click |
| Move to Trash | Delete or Backspace |
| Cancel or clear the selection | Esc |
Why there are no Ctrl+Alt shortcuts. On many keyboard layouts, Ctrl+Alt is the same as AltGr, which types characters such as € and @. StoryShape leaves those keys to your typing.
The offline guide
Help → StoryShape Guide… opens a short guide inside the app. It works without an internet connection, opens on the topic for the workspace you’re in, and has a search box. This website guide covers everything in more detail.