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How can you make Logos work like Wordsearch to help users transition. We'll offer a few tips.

Jumping from Wordsearch Bible Software to new owner Faithlife’s Logos 9 proves difficult for some users who don’t have time to learn all the complex and powerful features available in Logos. We’ll look at XXX ways to make Logos work like Wordsearch. This will help users make the Logos feel more familiar for Wordsearch users.

The Library in Wordsearch was easy to use, but you can find the same feature in Logos.

Take advantage of these tricks, but also work to learn the more advanced features in Logos to get the most out of the program. Don’t take the keys to your new Ford F250 and drive it like a VW Beetle. Learn more about the features of Logos 9 so you can become more effective in using your new software.

If you didn’t upgrade to Logos 9 when it shipped last fall, consider it. Logos gave Wordsearch users version 8 for free but wanted to grab some money from their new customers. It’ might be worth adding one of the cheaper base packages.

Use Layouts to Make Logos Work Like Wordsearch

Both Logos and Wordsearch include a feature to set up a desktop layout so you can quickly get to work after opening the program. You can make Logos work like Wordsearch by creating a Layout that mimics the features of Wordsearch.

Open Logos and start with an empty layout. Logos 9 has a button in the upper right corner of the toolbar that closes everything with one click. Hit that button and you’re ready to get started (see image below).

Many Wordsearch users like the Library pane that shows up on the left-hand side of the window. So, find your Library button on the toolbar and click and drag it to the left-hand edge of the empty layout (step one below).

Follow the Steps below.

There’s a drop-down button in the Library window toolbar (step 2 below). If you click it, it will show three views:

  • Cover View
  • Title View
  • Details View

You want the Details View. Choose that and it will show all of your books in a long list. Now you want to use the Facet menu (three horizontal lines next to the Find resources search box; step 3 in image above). Click the Facet menu and you can now click on the Type Facet to see your library grouped by the type of book, like Bible, Bible Commentary, and more. This works like Wordsearch’s library book folders for each kind of book.

Resize the window to make it smaller, but not so small that you can no longer see the Facet menu.

Find your favorite Bible and open it by dragging it from the library to the space just right of the Library window. Then grab any other book you want to place it on the right.

Saving Your New Layout to Make Logos Work Like Wordsearch

We want to save this layout so you can use it quickly and easily. Click on the Layout button in the upper right corner next to the Close All button we used above (see step one below). The first item listed in the right column of the drop-down list shows a link that reads Save as named layout (see image above). Click that and a box opens for you to type a new name. I typed Wordsearch. Hit enter.

You can tweak your layout as you use it. Each time you change something.

  • Open the layout drop-down as you did above (step one above).
  • Then right-click on the thumbnail (step two above).
  • Choose Update to current snapshot (step three above).

The layout’s not the same as Wordsearch and you can’t easily turn the Library window on and off as you can in Wordsearch. But you can set things up this way temporarily while you get used to Logos. After you do, close this window and just use the drop-down Library from the button on the toolbar.

Copy Bible Verses Replaces ZipScript to Make Logos Work Like Wordsearch

wordsearch zipscript

Fans of Wordsearch used ZipScript to quickly insert Bible passages into other programs like Microsoft Word. It ran in the Windows system tray (see above). Click the little icon and enter the passage (see below).

make logos work like wordsearch using copy bible verses instead of zipscript

Logos doesn’t offer a separate app like ZipScript, but you can use what they call Copy Bible Verses. In the layout I created above, I placed the Copy Bible Verses window on the right. Open it from the Passages section of the Tools menu.

Using the Copy Bible Verses is easy to start, but it can do some powerful things. Here’s what I did to make it work best for me.

I start by selecting the Bible verses I want to copy to Microsoft Word. Then, in the Copy Bible Verses window, I make sure to select three things at the to; of the window just below the text entry box. You’ll see three hyperlinks that behave like drop-down boxes.

  1. Set the format of the text you copy.
  2. Select the translation of the verses you wish to copy.
  3. Select the destination of the verses.

The destinations available will depend on what operating system you’re using. Click the link and see what you can use on your computer.

Formatting in Copy Bible Verses

Logos ships with a bunch of formats preset for you to pick. However, at the bottom of the pop-up formatting box, you see an option to Create a new style. I created a style that I like my Bible quotations to use when I paste them into Word. There’s a lot of ways to customize your style and Logos offers help in figuring it all out. This link will open the Help page inside Logos for creating new styles if you have Logos installed. As the help page instructs, start with an existing style and edit it to look the way you want.

Using tags users can create their own formatting style, but use the built-in styles to gets started. It’s much easier to edit a style than to create one from scratch.

I created a style that makes text a shade of red, 14 point Helvetica type, and spaced with space above and below each paragraph.

Users can choose to insert the text automatically or just copy it to the clipboard and then paste it manually. If you copy and paste it automatically, it chooses the most recently used document in the program you choose to paste to from the menu.

Select a style most like what you want your text to resemble. Right-click on that style from the formatting drop-down box and choose Edit Style. At the top give a new style a name by clicking on the current style name. When you get the style to look the way you want, then click on Save. Thanks to the Logos syncing feature, it will show up any time you click the link to display the drop-down box on this and any other computer with your copy of Logos installed.

Set Up Parallel Bibles to Make Logos Work Like Wordsearch

If you opened more than one translation to show parallel Bibles in Wordsearch you can take advantage of that feature in Logos. Here’s how to do it.

Open Text Comparison from the Tools Menu to get a capable Parallel Bible features.

Logos calls this feature the Text Comparison Tool and you open it from the Tools menu. The tool displays text in a few different ways. First, you can put in columns using the menu button at the right end of the window’s toolbar. It looks like 3 vertical dots (see above). Choose from the following display options:

  • Automatic Layout – switches between horizontal and vertical layouts based on window size
  • Horizontal Layout – puts your Bibles in columns like a traditional parallel Bible
  • Vertical Layout – puts them on successive lines with an option o show them in Interlinear mode or Verses mode (see the drop-down box in the image below).

You’ll also see options on the menu to show differences or not. The image above shows the blue text. That indicates how the translations differ from the first column’s translation.

You can either view Vertical Layout in Verse mode or Interlinear mode as displayed above.

Also, notice the hyperlinked translation abbreviations. Click those to change which translations show up in your Text Comparison window.

Logos includes a feature that compares to most of the features found in Wordsearch. Not everything will make it into Logos nor will all of your books. However, I think you’ll find that Logos will meet your needs if you take the time to learn them. Until you get skilled at studying the Bible in Logos, you can use the above tips to help make it a little more friendly.

4 thoughts on “Ways to Make Logos Work Like Wordsearch

  1. Question: is there a way to export my entire set of notes from Logos?
    Dave K

  2. Thanks for this. As someone forced to switch from the now-defunct Wordsearch, I found your suggestions above enough to get me over the hump of making the transition to Logos. I appreciate it. Thanks.

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