Snowflake Desktop User Guide

Introduction

Welcome to Snowflake Desktop - a powerful application for writers that will help you create, organize, and manage your literary works. This guide will walk you through the main features and capabilities of the application.

Contents

1. Getting Started
2. Project Management
3. Working with Books
4. Character Management
5. Plot Planning
6. Location System
7. Export and Saving
8. Hotkeys
9. Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

System Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 10/11, macOS 10.15+, Linux
• RAM: minimum 4 GB
• Free disk space: minimum 500 MB

Installation

1. Download the installer from the official website or repository
2. Run the installer and follow the instructions
3. Launch the application after installation

First Launch

On first launch, you will be prompted to:

• Choose the interface language (Russian or English)
• Set up the theme (light or dark)
• Select a folder for automatic project saving

Project Management

Creating a New Project

1. On the main screen, click the "New Project" button
2. Enter the project name
3. Select the project type (book, book series)
4. Click "Create"

Opening an Existing Project

1. On the main screen, select "Open Project"
2. Find the desired project file (.snflk)
3. Select the file and click "Open"

Project Settings

In the "Project Settings" section, you can:

• Change the project name
• Configure auto-save (interval, number of backups)
• Manage project metadata
• Configure export settings

Working with Books

Creating a New Book

1. In the "Book Module", click "New Book"
2. Fill in the required fields:
   • Title
   • Author(s)
   • Genre(s)
3. Add a description and other metadata
4. Click "Save"

Combining Books into Series

1. In the "Book Module", select "Manage Series"
2. Click "New Series"
3. Enter the series name
4. Add books to the series by dragging them from the list of available books
5. Set the order of books in the series
6. Click "Save"

Creating Connections Between Books

1. Open the book for which you want to create a connection
2. Go to the "Connections" tab
3. Click "Add Connection"
4. Select the connection type (sequel, prequel, spin-off, etc.)
5. Select the book to connect with
6. Click "Save"

Character Management

Creating a Character

1. In the "Lore Module", select "Characters"
2. Click "New Character"
3. Fill in the character profile:
   • Name
   • Age
   • Appearance
   • Personality
   • Biography
4. Add a character image (optional)
5. Click "Save"

Visualizing Character Relationships

1. In the "Projection Module", select "Character Map"
2. Use the interactive graph to visualize relationships
3. To create a new connection:
   • Select the first character
   • Click "Add Connection"
   • Select the second character
   • Specify the relationship type
4. Use the scaling tools to navigate the map

Plot Planning

Creating Book Structure

1. In the "Projection Module", select "Plan"
2. At the top of the screen, select a book from the dropdown list (for projects with multiple books)
3. Click "Add Chapter" to create a new chapter
4. Enter the chapter title and description
5. After creating a chapter, you can:
   • Edit the chapter text in the text editor
   • Add scenes within the chapter
   • View and edit all scenes in the side panel
6. You can add scenes to each chapter by clicking "Add Scene"
7. For each scene, specify:
   • Title
   • Description
   • Participating characters
   • Location
8. Changes to the chapter text are automatically saved every 30 seconds or when the "Save" button is clicked
9. When switching between books, all chapters and scenes are automatically updated for the selected book

Working with Timeline

1. In the "Projection Module", select "Timeline"
2. Add events to the timeline
3. Link events to characters and locations
4. Use filters to display events by category

Location System

Creating a World Map

1. In the "Lore Module", select "Locations"
2. Click "New Map" to create a world map
3. Upload a map image or create one from scratch
4. Add location markers to the map
5. For each location, specify:
   • Name
   • Description
   • Related characters and events

Managing Locations

1. In the location list, select an existing one or create a new one
2. Fill in the location information:
   • Name
   • Description
   • Features
   • History
3. Link the location to events and characters
4. Click "Save"

Export and Saving

Automatic Saving

By default, the project is automatically saved every 5 minutes. You can change this interval in the project settings.

Exporting to Various Formats

1. In the main menu, select "Export"
2. Choose the export format:
   • DOCX (preserves formatting)
   • PDF (with automatic table of contents)
   • HTML (for web publication)
3. Configure export settings
4. Choose where to save the file
5. Click "Export"

Backup

1. In the project settings, find the "Backup" section
2. Configure the number of copies to keep
3. Select a folder for storing backups
4. Set the backup creation interval

Hotkeys

• Ctrl+N - New project
• Ctrl+O - Open project
• Ctrl+S - Save project
• Ctrl+Shift+S - Save as
• Ctrl+E - Export
• Ctrl+Z - Undo
• Ctrl+Y - Redo
• F1 - Help

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Recover a Deleted Project?

Check the backup folder specified in the settings. By default, it is located in the application directory in the "backups" subfolder.

Can I Work on Multiple Projects Simultaneously?

Yes, you can open multiple instances of the application to work with different projects.

How to Transfer a Project to Another Computer?

Export the project in .snflk format and transfer the file to another computer. Then open it through the "Open Project" function.

Are There Limitations on Project Size?

Theoretically, there are no limitations, but for optimal performance, it is recommended not to exceed 1000 pages of text, 100 characters, and 100 locations in a single project.

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If you have questions or issues not covered in this guide, please contact support or visit the official Snowflake Desktop forum.