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Posted by Dr Andus
Apr 21, 2013 at 01:25 PM
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
Dr Andus, I just want to be clear about what I am talking about, because
>I am not quite sure we’re discussing the same behavior.
Yes, we’re talking about the same thing. I was also puzzled when I first encountered it in O4D. See here:
http://www.outlinersoftware.com/messages/viewm/16279
I came to understand it as a very specific feature for writing texts where certain hierarchical levels of the text have a special place or purpose within the overall structure (e.g. for fiction, screen, stage writers, possibly legal docs where a certain type of clause needs to occur at a particular hierarchical level every time).
Also, this feature could be useful when planning a text from the bottom up. For example, you could start with Level 5 items only, and then gradually add the overarching structure in Levels 4, 3, 2 and 1 (in whatever order you like). I wonder if UVO allows you to do this.
Though I have to say that in my straightforward academic writing I haven’t been able to find a use for it (yet).
Posted by RickFencer
Apr 23, 2013 at 01:21 AM
Just to complete the loop…
Thanks, all, for the thoughtful commentary. I will confess I have a hard time wrapping my head around the kind of situation Dr Andus or Alexander describe where the phenomenon I saw would be useful. It’s probably because my primary use of outlines is writing laws (or bills that may become law) and constitutional amendments. In these situations, the structure—the hierarchy—gives meaning and context to the content. A definition of, say, a budget shortfall can have one meaning if applied at the level of an entire article of the constitution or a profoundly different meaning if applied to only one subdivision of one section within that article. In my world the law IS, quite literally, an outline. (Though I hasten to add, I’m not a lawyer!)
Rick
Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
Apr 23, 2013 at 11:45 AM
RickFencer wrote:
>In my world the law IS, quite literally, an outline.
I would assume that there are quite a lot of legislative elements which need to be cross-referenced, so I would expect that some kind of clone / cross-linking / wiki-linking functionality is required. Unless you live in a country where the whole legislative edifice makes hierarchical sense.
I remember that, in the past people, in this forum who worked with the law highlighted MaxThink as a very useful program though, contrary to my above hypothesis, it does not support clones or internal links.
Posted by Dr Andus
Apr 23, 2013 at 12:19 PM
RickFencer wrote:
>I will confess I have a
>hard time wrapping my head around the kind of situation Dr Andus or
>Alexander describe where the phenomenon I saw would be useful.
I think the main benefit of the “freely movable item” (at least in Outline 4D) is that the rest of the structure and content remains intact, for situations where you need to conform to a strict format (1 hour long play, with 3 x 20 min acts, with 4 x 5 min scenes each). Just think of the jumbled-up sequences of Tarantino movies…
This is more easily understandable with Outline 4D’s famous/infamous “Timeline View.” Here each outline item is an index card, and items at a higher hierarchical levels contain items at the next lower level and so on (like Russian matryoshka dolls). So you can take one layer of the matryoshka doll and put it into/onto another matryoshka doll at any layer/size.
Alternatively, you can start building several matryoshka dolls at the same time at a particular level, and then add the other layers “inside” and “outside” later on (while being able to move any layer between them and keeping the rest of the dolls in place).
I find this functionality in O4D fascinating, but haven’t been able to find an actual use for it in my work either.