0.5 Viewing things side by side

Pensiv is not meant for
opening and closing files one by one. It’s an environment where you
keep context and work with several things at once. In this step you’ll use
tabs → split → drag to reorder → window lock.

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① Open a new tab with Ctrl + click in the sidebar

Open one document first. Then hold Ctrl and click another document in the sidebar. That file opens in the current panel as a new tab. The file you had open stays open. In Pensiv, closing a file
is like dropping context. Ctrl + click
keeps that context
and widens what you’re looking at.

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② Use tabs to keep context

You’ll see several tabs at the top. Tabs are not just a list.
They’re the set of things you’re working with.

• Scene draft
• Plot structure
• Character sheet

Keep files you switch between often
in the same panel as tabs.

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③ Switch to split view (right / bottom)

Split view
divides the workspace into two panels. You keep one file as the base
and open another to compare or reference.

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Two ways to switch

1. From the file header

1. Click the options button in the header of the open file
2. Choose Split right or Split bottom
3. In the new panel, pick the file to open

→ Use when you want to split from the file you’re already viewing. 2. From the sidebar

1. Right‑click the file you want to open
2. Choose Split right or Split bottom

→ Use when you already have a base file open and think “I want this one next to it.”

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Two split layouts

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1. Split right

• Left: main document
• Right: reference / plot / sheet

Good for compare-and-contrast.

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2. Split bottom

• Top: structure (plot / sheet, etc.)
• Bottom: document you’re writing

Good when you want to edit while looking at structure.

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3. Split by dragging a tab

Drag a tab that’s already open. When you drag it to the right or bottom edge of the screen,
a split guide appears. Where you drop it:

• Right edge → split right
• Bottom edge → split bottom

This is the most direct.
→ Use when you want to change the layout on the fly.

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What split view is for

• Don’t close files
• Keep a base
• Work with several things in parallel

Split view isn’t just
”open multiple files”;
it’s keeping a base and extending from it.

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④ Window lock

To keep one panel fixed in split view,
use Window lock. Click the lock icon in the file header or
choose Window lock in the panel options.
That panel is then locked.

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How it works in split view

Say you have a left–right split:

• Left: Ch. 1 draft
• Right: plotboard / sheet / another scene

If you lock the left panel:

• Clicking other files in the sidebar only changes the right panel.
• The left panel stays the same.
• Your base document stays in place.

So you keep the split
but use one side only for navigating.

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When to use it

• When you’re editing with the main draft as the base
• When you want one scene fixed and compare others
• When you’re checking several chapters against the plot
• When you’re polishing the draft with a reference sheet open

Suggested setup:
Left panel → main document (lock)
Right panel → compare / reference

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Why it matters

Split view is “see things at once.”
But that can make the base feel unstable. Window lock fixes that base.

Split view divides the screen;
window lock makes one side the anchor.

Together they turn split view
into a stable comparison workspace.

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⑤ Focus shortcuts

In split view, moving focus is important. These shortcuts matter. In Pensiv
moving between panes is moving your focus,
not just the window.

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⑥ Tab drag and layout

Tabs are not fixed. Reordering them isn’t just tidying the screen.
It’s reordering what you’re thinking about.

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⑦ Open in new window

Right‑click a file or
choose “Open in new window” from the split menu
to open it in a separate window. Useful when:

• You use two monitors
• A comparison session is long
• You want one document fixed in its own window

A new window is an extension of split.
You’re not just splitting the same screen;
you’re extending into another space.