If you've got two screens, there's no reason your whole writing setup should be crammed onto one. A floating window lets you write on a second monitor while your Binder, Codex, or Outliner stay put on your main one.
What You'll Need
- A second monitor, and the chapter or scene you want to move over.
Step-by-Step
- Right-click the document in the Binder on your main screen and choose Open in Floating Window.
- Drag the new window over to your second monitor and resize it however you like. It's a completely normal, independent OS window.
- Write in the floating window. Your formatting toolbar, images, comments, and footnotes all work exactly as they do in the main editor.
- Keep working in the main window at the same time. Check Codex, browse the Binder, or reference the Outliner without losing your place in the document you're actively writing.
- Close the floating window when you're done with that document. There's nothing else to do to bring it "back," your edits are already synced into the main project as you wrote them.
Common Mistakes
- Trying to also open the same document in a split pane on your main screen. Deckle keeps each document to one place at a time. Close it in the floating window first if you need it in a pane instead.
- Expecting Binder/Codex/Search inside the floating window itself. It's deliberately just the editor. Use your main window for navigation and reference, and the floating window purely for writing.
- Closing the floating window the instant you stop typing. Give it a brief moment first; your edit needs a short delay to sync back to the main project.
- Popping out a whole folder or Part. Only individual chapters, scenes, and notes can open in a floating window; folders don't have this option.
FAQ
Do I need to save manually before closing the floating window?
No, it saves automatically on a short delay as you type, the same as the main editor. Just avoid closing it the very instant after your last keystroke.
Can I use this to write two chapters side by side on one screen instead of two monitors?
You can, but Split Editor is usually the better fit for that specific case. It's built for side-by-side panes in one window. Floating windows shine specifically when you have a second monitor to spread across.
Will I lose my place in the main window while a document is floating elsewhere?
No, the main window keeps working normally the whole time; the floating window is simply an additional, independent view into that one document.