Files and Help
Troubleshooting
Something not working as you expected? This article covers the problems authors run into most often, and how to fix them. If your question is about opening Fleuron for the first time, see Installing and Updating Fleuron.
Importing
Fleuron says it can't import my file
Fleuron imports Word (.docx), Scrivener projects, Vellum projects (.vellum), EPUB, OpenDocument (.odt), RTF, Markdown, HTML and plain text. If your manuscript is in another app, save or export it as a Word file first, then import that.
If Fleuron says That file couldn't be read, the file may be damaged or not really the kind its name says. Open it in the app that made it, save a fresh copy, and try again.
My Vellum project won't import
Choose the .vellum file itself, not a folder or an exported file from it.
My Scrivener project won't import
Choose the .scriv project itself with File ▸ Open… (or File ▸ Import Scrivener Project…). If that doesn't work, compress it in Finder (right-click it, then Compress) and open the .zip instead.
Fleuron brings in the Draft (Manuscript) folder. Front matter, research and notes stay in Scrivener. See Importing Your Manuscript.
The whole book came in as one chapter
Fleuron starts a new chapter at each title that uses Word's Heading 1 style, or at a line like "Chapter 12" or "Prologue". Give your chapter titles the Heading 1 style in Word, then bring the file in again with File ▸ Reimport Word File….
You can also fix it in Fleuron: click where a chapter should start and choose Chapter ▸ Split Chapter at Cursor.
There are scene breaks everywhere
Fleuron reads an empty line as a scene break. If your manuscript has an empty line between every paragraph, remove those empty lines in Word (Find and Replace ^p^p with ^p) and reimport.
Checking an import
File ▸ Check Import… looks through your book for things that usually need fixing after an import: missed chapter breaks, very long or very short chapters, typed list numbers, symbol lines meant as scene breaks, double spaces, straight quotes, double hyphens, underlining and pictures without descriptions. Many have a one-click fix, such as Make Curly or Make Em Dashes. For tips on preparing your file, choose File ▸ Import Tips….
Fleuron says the book is already in my Library
When you import or open a book with the same title as one in your Library, Fleuron asks what to do. You can open (or keep) the one in the Library, Replace it with this file, or Keep both. Replacing keeps the book's series, author and history, and saves the Library's text in Version History first.
Saving and files
Where are my books saved?
A new or imported book is kept in Fleuron's Library until you save it as a file. Until then, the save status under the book's title says Not saved to a file yet.
- Choose File ▸ Save (⌘S).
- Choose a folder and click Save. You can pick any folder, including a Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or iCloud folder.
From then on, Fleuron saves to that file by itself, about two seconds after you stop typing. Saving, closing the book and quitting save it straight away.
To find a book's file, open the book and choose File ▸ Show in Finder. You can also hold the pointer over the save status under the title to see where the file is. See Saving, Files and Backups.
I moved or deleted a book's file
Fleuron doesn't make the file again by itself. Your book is still in the Library, and its status says Not saved to a file yet. Choose File ▸ Save to save it to a new place.
Fleuron says it couldn't write my book to its file
Fleuron shows a red banner when it can't save to the file (for example, when a cloud folder or USB drive isn't available). Your book is still kept inside Fleuron, so nothing is lost.
- Check that the folder is still there, then choose File ▸ Save to try again.
- Or click Download a Copy on the banner to save a copy somewhere else.
I edited a book on another computer
If you keep your books in a cloud folder, open the file with File ▸ Open…. When the file is newer than the copy in Fleuron's Library, Fleuron opens the newer one.
Backups and older versions
Getting back an older copy of my book
Fleuron keeps two kinds of older copies:
- Backup copies of the file. Fleuron makes one each time you save or close a book, and one every 15 minutes while you write. They're in a Fleuron Backups folder next to your book, in a folder named after the book.
- Version History inside Fleuron. Choose File ▸ Revert to Saved / Version History…, find the version you want, and click Restore. Your book as it is now is kept in the history first, so you can switch back.
To open a backup copy:
- Choose File ▸ Manage Backups…, open the book's list, and click Show in Finder to see the copies.
- Note the date and time of the copy you want.
- In Fleuron, choose File ▸ Open… and choose that copy.
- Fleuron tells you the book is already in your Library. Choose Keep both to bring the copy in as a separate book, or Replace it with this file to go back to the copy.
- Choose File ▸ Save As… and save the book where you normally keep it. Otherwise Fleuron goes on saving it inside the Fleuron Backups folder, where you opened it from.
Tip: Before a big change, save a named version: in Version History, click Save a Named Version… and give it a name like "Before the big rewrite". Named and starred versions are kept for good.
Backups are taking up a lot of space
Choose File ▸ Manage Backups…. You can set how much space each book's copies may use (Keep up to 10 MB, 50 MB, 200 MB or any size), or tick copies and click Move to Trash. The 5 newest copies and the versions you named are always kept. Your books themselves aren't touched.
Fonts
I can't add a Google font
Adding a font from More Fonts from Google… needs an internet connection. When you're offline, Fleuron says so and the Add buttons are greyed out. Connect to the internet and try again.
Fonts you've already added keep working offline, in the editor, the preview, your ebooks and the print PDF. See Fonts.
Pictures
A picture says "Low resolution"
Fleuron marks a picture Low resolution in the editor when it's too small to look sharp at the size you've chosen. The mark only shows in the editor; it isn't part of your book.
To see how big it needs to be, click the picture, open its ⚙ ▾ menu and choose Image Properties…. Fleuron tells you how many pixels wide the picture is and how many it needs. Then either:
- Click Replace image… and choose a larger copy of the picture, or
- Choose a smaller Size for the picture.
Print needs more pixels than ebooks (300 dpi), so a picture can be fine for an ebook and still be marked in a print edition. See Pictures.
A picture has a warning about its description
Apple Books asks for a description of every picture that isn't only decoration. Type one in the Description box in Image Properties….
Generating books
Fleuron asks about tracked changes before generating
Generated books read as if every tracked change were accepted. Click Generate to go ahead, or review the changes first. See Track Changes and Comments.
My ebook has no cover
Add one in Title Info, on the Ebook Cover tab. The image should be at least 2560 pixels high. See Title, Author and Book Settings.
One of the files couldn't be made
If a file shows Couldn't build this file, try generating again. The other files that did build can still be saved. See Generating Books.
The window and menus
A tool or feature is missing from the menus
Your book's workspace may be hiding it. The Fiction workspace hides tables, code blocks and callout boxes, and the Non-fiction workspace hides the Codex, the Corkboard and Timeline, text conversations, written notes, verse and drop caps. Choose Fleuron ▸ Workspace ▸ All Features to see everything. See Workspaces.
The preview disappeared
In a narrow window, Fleuron leaves the preview out so your text has room. Make the window wider, or click 📖 in the top bar to bring the preview back. If you're in Focus Mode, press Esc.
A keyboard shortcut does nothing
While a dialog is open, Fleuron's shortcuts wait until you close it. Press Esc or click Done, then try again. Some menu items also need you to be in the text of a chapter first. See Keyboard Shortcuts.
All my windows are gone
If you close every window, Fleuron keeps running. Click its icon in the Dock and the Library comes back.