Questions about Resource Tabs and Link Sets
I'm having a few issues that I find a bit frustrating with the Logos Bible Software 8.7 SR-2
(8.7.0.0042) Resource panes. Some of these issues may turn into feature requests if there is no answer.
1. When I have linked resources, why don't all the resources show the "link set" icon?
Here's my pane. All of these resources are linked to the "A" set, but not all show the "A" icon.
Possibly there is a pattern - if the resource name is longer than 3 characters, then the link set icon is not shown, because these tabs all have the same width. Except, perhaps there is a bug, because the "NBC" resource is three letters long, and is linked to "A", but the icon isn't shown!
2. Is there another more useful option to show link sets (since the link set icon method is not working)?
If there is none, here are some user-interface suggestions:
- the link set could be visualised by a corner triangle with varying letters or symbols, using less room than the current icons.
- the link set could be visualised via a line at the bottom of the tab with different styles (e.g. solid, short dash, long dash, colour preference)
3. Is there a way to have non-applicable resources (e.g. the commentary only covers a single book or the New Testament) greyed out, or disappear completely, to signify that it does not cover the currently selected Bible passage?
- Without knowing the limitations of the resource, this makes a frustrating experience. I might be studying an OT book from an OT resource, then I click on a resource that covers only the NT, and the NT commentary will change the linked Bible resource to whatever passage the NT commentary is in! The linked feature is good, but it would be great to know if the resource will be applicable before I click the tab and get re-directed!
4. When I have lots of resources opened, can I have a multi-row tab (this is common in other software and operating systems) rather than a scrolling line of tabs?
- It won't work for everyone, but it certainly made me more efficient when using e-Sword.
5. Is there a way to know that there are other resources available for the current Bible passage I am looking at?
- For example, I might have purchased a specific commentary on a book of the Bible, but forgotten about it. I'd like a little icon or drop-down list to let me know about a list of resources (grouped by type) that I have available for a book that I currently don't have open. I don't have many resources, so that means it would be computationally easy for my situation, but perhaps for those with lots of resources, Logos could suggest the top three not-currently-open resources of a type for the currently opened Bible passage.
Please note, if you reply, don't feel like you have to answer all five questions. Any help on any of them would be useful.
Comments
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The answer to several of your questions is "available space" but for 5 have you checked parallel resources (the // icon)? and for 4 you might want to consider the multiple resource display.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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SharingTheGospel said:
3. Is there a way to have non-applicable resources (e.g. the commentary only covers a single book or the New Testament) greyed out, or disappear completely, to signify that it does not cover the currently selected Bible passage?
The Multiple Resources Display does this (you'll want to use a Bible or commentary with all references as your 'master' resource.
Alternatively, (and this is my preferred approach) you can simply link set a passage guide. I generally use 3 panes for this, one for my Bible, one for the passage guide and a third one for my commentaries or whatever type of resource I'm interested in at the time. I keep one commentary in that third pane for two reasons: It holds the layout and it provides a target pane for other commentaries to open up (rather than opening on top of my Bible, or some other undesired location). Here's one layout that I like:
With this approach, the passage guide links are how I open a commentary to the current passage even when that commentary had previously been opened (it's much easier to me than finding the right tab). Using a combination of collections and prioritization, you can determine just where you'll find a particular commentary in the PG if it covers the current passage.
I also do NOT like putting commentaries in a link set due to variable milestones. For instance, I might be looking at verse 5 in my bible and open a commentary that covers the passage, but the commentary might have one article covering verses 2-6. If the commentary is in a link set, and I start scrolling, all other resources (including my bible) will jump to verse 2.
SharingTheGospel said:2. Is there another more useful option to show link sets
FWIW, the link set icon never disappears on macOS (which is the bug according to the design plan, IIRC). There have been numerous suggestions for ways to allow the icon to disappear (for space considerations) while maintaining a visual cue. I would personally prefer a slender chainlink icon to appear to the left of the resource icon that would be color matched to the full link set icons (since these are already colored differently per link set).
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Thanks MJ. Smith and Reuben, both your answers are helpful. Thanks especially for your screenshot, Reuben. It explained your comments quite well.
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#3 has been an issue for a long long time. Something that has been suggested many times in the forums is that Logos adopt a 1 way link set so that only the master resource would set all the other slaves and never the other way around (Olive Tree Bible Software has this). However the Logos staff has always dragged their feet on adopting it for some odd reason. This was actually one of my biggest issues when I switched from Olive Tree to Logos originally (I think pushing 10 years ago now).
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Liam said:
mething that has been suggested many times in the forums is that Logos adopt a 1 way link set so that only the master resource would set all the other slaves and never the other way around
While I heartily support the request to be able to set a master/slave relationship in link sets, Multi Resource Display does use this behavior so you can use that instead, in many cases.
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Liam said:
What is multi-resource display?
It is having multiple resources in a single pane. Think of an old fashioned parallel bible where you had 4 columns from various translations. Look for the "pause" button in your bible.
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Liam said:
What is multi-resource display?
It is also the Logos implementation of the master-slave relationship.New Feature: Multiview Resources (Tool)
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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JT (alabama24) said:
ns. Look for the "pause" button in your bible.
Or it might look more like an "equals" button if it's currently set to distribute resources vertically.
MJ. Smith said:It is also the Logos implementation of the master-slave relationship.New Feature: Multiview Resources (Tool)
Thanks for the link MJ. It's fun going back to announcements like that and see the suggestions that have been implemented and which we now take for granted.
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Reuben Helmuth said:
Or it might look more like an "equals" button if it's currently set to distribute resources vertically.
Who would do that? [^o)] [:)]
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JT (alabama24) said:Reuben Helmuth said:
Or it might look more like an "equals" button if it's currently set to distribute resources vertically.
Who would do that?
Who wouldn't?😜
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Thanks for the Multiview Resource tool hints JT and Reuben. Much appreciated! [Y]
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