Sidebar & Navigation
The character sidebar displays your full character list with controls for sorting and organizing your cast. The sidebar can be collapsed, shown at default width, or expanded to take up most of the screen.
Sidebar Width
The sidebar has three widths that you can switch between by hovering over the vertical divider between the sidebar and the character details area on the right. Control icons appear on hover:
- Collapsed: Hides the character list, giving maximum space for character details. Click a small arrow pointing right (>) to expand to default width.
- Default: Shows the full character list at a comfortable width. Click a small arrow pointing left (<) to collapse, or a small arrow pointing right (>) to expand to fullscreen.
- Expanded: Takes up most of the screen, displaying characters in multiple columns, side by side. Perfect for organizing your cast, adding multiple characters, or reviewing your full list at a glance. Click a small arrow pointing left (<) to return to default width.
Tip: When the sidebar is expanded and you select a character, it automatically returns to default width so you have enough room to view character details.
Sorting Characters
Click the Sort button at the top of the character list to choose how your character list is organized. You can also right-click anywhere in the character list to access sort options directly. Penpoint offers three sort methods:
- Date Added: Characters appear in creation order. Choose Oldest first or Newest first. This is the default sort.
- Alphabetical: Characters appear in alphabetical order. Choose A to Z or Z to A.
- Importance: Characters are grouped by importance level (Primary, Secondary, Background) with alphabetical sorting within each group. Most important first puts your main cast at the top; Least important first flips it.
Your sort choice is saved — it'll still be there next time you open your book.
Tip: Sort alphabetically when you need to find a specific character by name quickly, especially with large casts. Sort by importance when you want to prioritize your main characters.
Selecting Characters
Click any character's name in the sidebar to select that character and display their details in the character details area on the right.
You can also use left and right arrow keys to navigate between characters in the sidebar without using your mouse. Arrow key navigation is disabled when you're in edit mode (see View Mode vs Edit Mode) or typing in any text box.