ARCStoryKraft User Manual

Last updated: 2026-03-20

Welcome

ARCStudio is a structured writing workspace for building story projects from idea to publication. Your work is organized by project and department so you can draft, refine, and publish with clear flow.

Quick Start (New User)

1. Create a project in the left ARC Project panel.
2. Start in DraftForge to write your first draft section.
3. Use ARC markers (like #ARC.DF. and ##ARC.DF.) to structure sections and sublayers.
4. Open All Governance to review cards across departments.
5. Use PrintPrepper to prepare export and publishing output.

First 10 Minutes (Exact Click Path)

1. In the left panel, under Project Ops, click New ARC Project. Select your template, then confirm creation.
2. In the top department row, click WRITING (DraftForge). Confirm the header chip shows your active project name.
3. In DraftForge, type a title in the title field and write 3-5 lines in the manuscript body.
4. Add structure markers in the draft body: #ARC.DF. Chapter 1 and on a new line ##ARC.DF. Scene 1.
5. Click Save Draft (or the editor Save button if working from the modal). Wait for the sync/status confirmation.
6. Open the saved card via Open in Governance. In the Asset Editor, verify marker chips are visible and use preset marker buttons to insert another level.
7. Toggle Read-only on to preview safely, then toggle it off to edit. Use Close to return to workspace.
8. Switch to All department view and choose Carousel. Test both 1 Card and 3 Cards options.
9. Click Calendar in All Governance. Select today, add a short note, and click save for that date.
10. Enable Scriptorium from the project mode control. Write in focused mode for 60 seconds, then click Exit Scriptorium.

Expected result after 10 minutes: one project created, one DraftForge asset saved, ARC markers structured, All Governance verified in carousel/calendar views, and Scriptorium tested end-to-end.

First 30 Minutes (Power User Path)

1. Go to WRITING and open your saved DraftForge asset. Confirm your root marker and sublayer markers are present.
2. In DraftForge, click Create Variant. Name it clearly (example: Alt Scene 1 - Tighter POV) and save it.
3. In the compare controls, select the variant and click Compare Selected. Review the diff preview before making any merge action.
4. Use one merge path: Append Selected for partial merge, Append Variant for full add, or Replace Master only when you want full replacement.
5. After merge, open snapshot controls and verify a rollback point exists. Use restore only if you need to revert the merge.
6. Switch to STORY (PlotKrafter). Add or adjust beats so your scene sequence matches the revised draft.
7. Switch to CHARACTERS (PersonaSmith). Add/update one character note that reflects the new draft direction.
8. Switch to WORLD (RealmArchitect). Add one world rule/timeline note to keep continuity stable.
9. Open All and review in Grid, then Carousel, then Calendar. Confirm your new/updated assets are visible in project scope.
10. Switch to PUBLISHING (PrintPrepper). Select/generate cover art if needed, then run export for your project format. Confirm exported manuscript excludes ARC marker tags in final output.

Expected result after 30 minutes: master draft refined with variant workflow, continuity synced across Story/Characters/World, governance views validated, and publication export prepared.

Workspace Layout

• Top Header: Department switching, profile tools, onboarding replay, and status chips.
• Left Rail (Strata / Library): Project operations, search, and asset explorer.
• Center Workspace: Department View, 3D Graph, Department AI Chat, and All Governance cards.
• Right Rail (Inspector): Active project metadata and governance summaries.

Department Guide

• Muse Engine (Ideation): Capture sparks, incubate ideas, and promote strong concepts.
• PersonaSmith (Characters): Build character profiles, traits, voice, and motivations.
• RealmArchitect (World): Define settings, rules, timeline constraints, and lore.
• PlotKrafter (Story): Plan beats, sequencing, and structural progression.
• DraftForge (Writing): Draft manuscript content and maintain ARC marker structure.
• PrintPrepper (Publishing): Prepare publication output and cover workflow.
• PathSage (Guidance): Guidance lane for direction; create assets in department lanes.

Scriptorium (Focused Writing Mode)

• Scriptorium is a distraction-reduced writing mode centered on drafting flow.
• Best used for DraftForge-first writing sessions.
• You can exit anytime using the Exit Scriptorium button in the header.

DraftForge Asset Editor

• Use the asset title and content fields to edit manuscript assets.
• Use marker presets to insert ARC heading levels quickly.
• Use the Read-only toggle when you want view-only mode before editing.
• Use Close (or Esc) to exit the editor modal.

All Governance Views

• Grid: Compact overview of root cards.
• Carousel: Browse cards one-at-a-time or three-at-a-time.
• Calendar: Track timeline events and save date notes per project.

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Esc: Close active modal dialogs (asset editor, onboarding, compare windows).
• Enter: Submit in login/confirmation prompts where applicable.

Project and Asset Rules

• Project assets are scoped to the project that created them.
• Assets appear across projects only when explicitly promoted/shared to library workflows.
• ARC marker tags are authoring structure and should not appear in final export output.

Common Mistakes and Recovery

• Mistake: Editing in the wrong project.
  Fix: Check the top-right Project chip first, switch to the correct project, then reopen the asset from that project?s Governance view.
• Mistake: Changes not saving because editor is read-only.
  Fix: In Asset Editor, turn Read-only off, confirm fields become editable, then click Save.
• Mistake: Accidentally replaced master draft during merge.
  Fix: Open snapshot controls in DraftForge compare tools, select the snapshot from before replace, and restore it.
• Mistake: Structure markers look wrong or nested incorrectly.
  Fix: Use marker presets in Asset Editor: #ARC.DF. for root, ##ARC.DF. and deeper for sublayers. Keep one root marker per main section.
• Mistake: Card missing in All Governance.
  Fix: Confirm current department filter is All, then check Grid and Carousel. Also verify the card belongs to the active project.
• Mistake: Can't find where timeline note was saved.
  Fix: Open All Governance ? Calendar, click the exact date, and review note content under that day.
• Mistake: Stuck in focused mode and unsure how to return.
  Fix: Click Exit Scriptorium in the top header to restore full studio layout.
• Mistake: Export includes structure markers in output.
  Fix: Re-run export from PrintPrepper and validate final output preview. ARC marker tags are authoring markers and should not appear in final manuscript.

ARCMarks (Points and Credits)

ARCMarks are internal ecosystem rewards for platform participation. ARCMarks and points are not fiat currency, are not cash equivalents, and are only usable inside ARCStoryKraft services.

• Purpose: reward verified creation/testing activity and provide ecosystem purchasing power.
• Earning: actions grant points and ARCMarks credits based on configured platform rules.
• Usage: spend ARCMarks on ARC ecosystem features/assets/services when enabled.
• Conversion: ARCMarks can convert across supported ARC platform services only (for example feature unlocks or ARCSeal qualification thresholds).
• No fiat value: ARCMarks cannot be redeemed for USD or transferred as external currency.

Examples

• Complete alpha checklist tasks and receive ARCMarks credits according to checklist reward rules.
• Accumulate enough ARCMarks credits to qualify for a free ARCSeal threshold when that program is active.
• Use ARCMarks in-app for eligible purchases from ARC ecosystem offerings.

Troubleshooting

• If a panel looks stale, switch department and switch back to refresh context.
• If a modal blocks interaction, press Esc or click Close.
• If sync/status looks delayed, use save actions again and confirm status banner updates.