Logos Interface

Friends, I have a fine version of Logos at my disposal, but after more than twenty years using an alternative package, I can hardly get my head around the Logos interface.
Is there a way to focus the interface principally on the biblical text functions, with a secondary focus on lexical and grammatical tools, and a tertiary focus on scholarly reference volumes — and eliminate entirely the homiletical/popular readings? I want to see Logos at its best, but that’s not happening as the interface persists in displaying devotional resources, sermons and sermon helps from a very different ecclesiastical milieu, and diagrams and videos?

thanks for taking time for a rookie inquiry —

Grace and peace,

AKMA

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Comments

Graham Criddle

If you know you don’t want particular resources at all you could hide them as per https://support.logos.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016299052-Hide-Resources

If you want to prioritise some resources over others you could do that - https://support.logos.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019683652-Prioritize-Resources

If those don’t address your concerns, please provide a few more details of the issues you are having

DMB

Adding to Graham, hiding the unneeded volumes is the first step.

But judging from your description, you're using the Factbook, which takes a broad swipe at libraries; I don't use it.

The easiest solution is to build yourself (as an example) a 'Bibleworks' layout ... maybe a Bible(s) on the left, some OL resources and exegetical guide in the middle, and your favorite commentaries on the right. Just illustrating. The Logos interface is so flexible, it's initially (very) confusing. I have both Accordance and Bibleworks, and both take a 'hard interface' approach ... quick, but inflexible. After Logos, they're quite frustrating.

Just suggesting, play around with layouts ... drag volumes out of your library to where you want them. Link them (little 3-dot menu on top-right of each resource/module). I've used a single layout with emphasis as you describe, for maybe 10 years or so.

A. K. M. Adam

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1222316#Comment_1222316

'The Logos interface is so flexible, it's initially (very) confusing. I have both Accordance and Bibleworks, and both take a 'hard interface' approach ... quick, but inflexible. After Logos, they're quite frustrating.'

I'm sure they are frustrating if what one wants is flexibility. But if I want my application almost exclusively to do one thing, all the options that I don't want are the frustrating factor.

Do I take it, then, that if I want to open Logos and immediately get a text search window that will search a particular source (say, the NRSV or GNT or HB), to which I can then add refinements if I'm so moved — there's no way for me to achieve that without going through and blocking some resources, relativising others?

I've tried in the past to develop a starting interface window that behaves the way I want, but after a while it got so time-consuming and frustrating that I just went back to my old familiar analysis app.

A. K. M. Adam

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1222315#Comment_1222315

When I open my Bible app, I almost always want to search — so I want a Bible search window, and nothing else. I want the resultws of a Bible search, and not an ocean of other information (some of which may be very valuable, but not when I'm looking for different details).

When I'm satisfied with search results, I may want to follow up with a lexicon entry for a specific word. Excellent! I will then call up a lexicon. I may want to know what Fitzmyer says about this or that. Super, I will call up Fitzmyer.

But Logos reminds me of super helpful reference librarians who are so eager to help that they don't pay attention to the specific question I'm asking. 'Look over here, at this! We have that, over there! A lot of people like the other thing, under that tab! Or we could call something on interlibrary loan…'

Wolfgang Schneider

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1222317#Comment_1222317

Do I take it, then, that if I want to open Logos and immediately get a text search window that will search a particular source (say, the NRSV or GNT or HB), to which I can then add refinements if I'm so moved — there's no way for me to achieve that without going through and blocking some resources, relativising others?

No ... you can (1) set up exactly what you like to have, (2) save this setup as a layout, and then (3) in program settings set this layout to be loaded when you start up the software. Every time you start up Logos, it will load your customized layout and you are ready to go

I've tried in the past to develop a starting interface window that behaves the way I want, but after a while it got so time-consuming and frustrating that I just went back to my old familiar analysis app.

This sounds like you did step (1) mentioned above, but did not save it and thus at every start of Logos went through the same setup steps? Once you save it as a layout and then set it to be your startup layout when the software starts, you immediately can begin your reading or study with the resource and part of the layout you set up for your preferences and the way you work.

xnman

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1222334#Comment_1222334

for me... I find Factbook just adds more confusion to my searches.. I know some people love it... but I just can't get my mind wrapped around it. And yet, it seems FL is trying to force it upon us... which I just don't cotton to. So I avoid it as much as possible. [8-|]

Edit:

As for searches in Logos.... if I am searching my Bible.... then I use the search within my Bible... I find it is better than the Search of Logos to find things within the Bible.. As to the Logos Search... well, as I have stated elsewhere... I find it confusing in many ways... and it always seems to take me forever to find what I am searching for... which I don't think should be.... and then I have to study Search just to try to find something I'm looking for.

I did set up a layout whereby I have Search and my Bible.... and I do try to work with it some.... but by far... I use other searches to find what I am looking for and then open the resource to use my finding.

I have argued for some time... and lost... that Search needs more work. I still contend that fact. But other people just love and want to make it more complicated than it is now.

I can find things.... I know how to do that... and I'll keep on with it.... and wish them well.

MJ. Smith

I would assume you are using the Guides - Passage and Exegetical. You can simply delete sections that are of no interest to you and they will not be shown unless you specifically request that they be added back in. Within the sections that are of interest, some allow you to specify a collection of resources to be used, some respond to prioritization. Give us a screen shot or a list of what you want and don't want and we can walk you through how to achieve it.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1222337#Comment_1222337

if I am searching my Bible.... then I use the search within my Bible... I find it is better than the Search of Logos to find things within the Bible..

Are you referring to a Find or to the inline search? If the latter, it is the same as the search panel.

I have argued for some time... and lost... that Search needs more work.

To put things in perspective xnman is a relatively new Logos user, brought over with the purchase of WordSearch. And there is agreement both at Faithlife and among longtime Logos users that the search needs a significant reworking. Part of Faithlife's reaching out to users who are intimidated by the Search has been to provide results for common searches in the Guides and Factbook ... including searches that can only be done internally i.e. not supported by the Search syntax.

AKMA, please return to the forum frequently to ask questions -- while we may have difference of opinion as to how best to achieve what you want, the chances are high that we can get you there.

xnman

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1222354#Comment_1222354

MJ .....

I am glad you find Search so useful to you. I am sad that you cannot seem to understand that is not the case for everyone. I have pointed to all the questions that have been ask for help about Search as proof of that. And I might add... not all of those questions are from "newbies that don't know how to search" as you imply.

Some of those from WordSearch know how to search .... it's just that Search in Logos is a complicated mess as I have argued for a while.

And I am glad also that the possibility exists that FL (Mark Barnes) is looking into what can be done about Search. Maybe some people do listen......

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1222375#Comment_1222375

I am sad that you cannot seem to understand that is not the case for everyone

I'm sorry you are wasting your time being sad as you grossly misunderstand my position. I don't spend hours building Tip posts for people because I think it is easy. I simply believe that anyone can learn to use Logos if they are clear on what they want Logos to do. But it does take positive effort.

A. K. M. Adam

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1222354#Comment_1222354

AKMA, please return to the forum frequently to ask questions -- while we may have difference of opinion as to how best to achieve what you want, the chances are high that we can get you there.

Thank you, MJ. I can begin to imagine a use case for Logos that treats it as a sort of biblical/theological television set, which some turn on with a general interest in edification but without a highly specific query in mind — so I should be more patient as other user modes take precedence over my pattern. And it may simply be that Logos and I are a poor match (I don't assume that every product in the world should be oriented to my priorities). But I would think it plausible that Logos might perceive the value of making a smoother transition for users more familiar with other applications, or who just want to resolve a very particular query, by offering an interface mode that begins from the narrow point and permits (or encourages) branching out from there, rather than leaning heavily on the proliferation of resources end and expecting users to make their way through the forest to the tree they are looking for. Call it 'Arrow Mode' (after 'arrow prayers') if you want, or 'Sword Mode' (after Heb 4:12) — but a target-inquiry mode that accommodates from the start people whose use case inclines heavily toward 'answering this particular question.'

And again, maybe I should simply stick with alternative applications, that part of the Logos DNA is just this difference.

And Wolfgang, I can do approximately this, although since it's I who is setting up the 'layout,' it's likely to be less satisfactory than if it were built on Logos's side; and I found when I tried this before that windows, layouts, and searches all tended to regress to the default, as it were, and I felt as though I was spending too much time trying to bend Logos to my will, and too little in simply searching and finding my desired results.

Wolfgang Schneider

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1222417#Comment_1222417

And Wolfgang, I can do approximately this, although since it's I who is setting up the 'layout,' it's likely to be less satisfactory than if it were built on Logos's side;

I would think that the opposite is true, as you are the one setting up the layout / workspace exactly as you need and prefer ... with same or even finer tuned tools than a software would provide without you having the opportunity to fine tune / improve it.

and I found when I tried this before that windows, layouts, and searches all tended to regress to the default, as it were, and I felt as though I was spending too much time trying to bend Logos to my will, and too little in simply searching and finding my desired results.

Hmn, what is wrong with you "bending Logos to your will" rather than being bend by your other software to their will ... ? You are given the ability to fine tune to your situation, save it and even start up next time exactly where you left off (same Bible opened to same reference, same search panel with same search query, same commentary linked to Bible, etc.

As M.J. mentioned, if you could provide some specific details about how you star up, how your layout/workspace in your other software is setup and how you use it (perhaps a screenshot), then some here could provide suggestions about how you realize the same with Logos.

JBR

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1222417#Comment_1222417

And Wolfgang, I can do approximately this, although since it's I who is setting up the 'layout,' it's likely to be less satisfactory than if it were built on Logos's side; and I found when I tried this before that windows, layouts, and searches all tended to regress to the default, as it were, and I felt as though I was spending too much time trying to bend Logos to my will, and too little in simply searching and finding my desired results.

As to the part about Logos offering a layout, have you tried any of the predefined layouts that Logos offers? You'll find them by clicking on the layout icon in the upper right part of the display. It may be that none of them are perfect but they might give you a good start at building your own custom version.