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You can bring a file into Lectra from the Files app, from another app’s share sheet, by dragging it in, or by sending it from Scope in your browser. PDFs open as they are. Images, slides, and other documents become PDFs so you can write on them.

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Supported files

The Import PDF file picker accepts PDFs, images, .lectra files, and .ipynb notebooks. To bring in slides or Word, Pages, or Excel files, drag them in, or open them in Lectra from the Files app or the share sheet.

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Import a file from the Files app

1

Go to the right folder

In your library, open the folder where you want the file to go. To put it at the top level, stay in Documents.
2

Open the New menu

Tap New, then tap Import PDF. You can also press ⇧ ⌘ I.
3

Choose the file

In the file picker, browse to the file and tap it. You can import one file at a time.
The file is added to the folder you were in and opens right away.

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Open a file in Lectra from another app

You can send a file to Lectra from the Files app, Mail, Safari, and most other apps.
1

Share the file

In the other app, open the file and tap Share. In the Files app, you can also touch and hold the file, then tap Share.
2

Choose Lectra

In the row of apps, tap Lectra. If you don’t see it, tap More and look for it in the list.
3

Choose where it goes

In Add to Lectra, choose one of the following options:
  • New document: tap folders to choose where the file goes, then tap Import to “folder name”.
  • Add to a document: search for a document and tap it. The file’s pages are added to the end of that document.

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Use Send to Scope in the share sheet

The share sheet also offers Send to Scope. It opens a small Lectra card with two buttons:
  • Open in Lectra adds the file to your library. Choose New document or Add to a document, as described in the previous section. When you see Added to Lectra., the file appears the next time you open Lectra. You don’t need an account for this.
  • Send to Scope sends the file to the Scope extension in Chrome. You must be signed in, and the file must be 25 MB or smaller. To learn more, see Send files between devices.
The share sheet card works only after you’ve opened Lectra at least once. If you see Open Lectra once, then share again., open Lectra and try again.

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Drag files into Lectra

When Lectra is next to another app in Split View or Slide Over, you can drag files straight into your library.
1

Open both apps

Open Lectra and the app that has your files, such as Files, side by side.
2

Choose the destination folder

In Lectra, open the folder where the files should go.
3

Drag the files

Touch and hold a file, then drag it onto the Lectra library. To drag several files, touch and hold one file, then tap others with another finger before you drag.
The files are added to the folder you’re viewing. You can’t drop files into Scope Inbox.

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Add pages from a file to a document

To add pages from another PDF or an image to a document you already have, use either of these methods:
  • From the editor: open the document, open the pages panel, tap Insert, then tap From Files…. The pages go after the current page. To learn more, see Manage pages.
  • From another app: share the file to Lectra and choose Add to a document. The pages go at the end of the document you pick.

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Files from Scope

If you use the Scope extension in Chrome, you can send a course file to your iPad in one tap. It arrives in Scope Inbox, sorted into folders by course. If you send slides, a Word, Pages, or Excel file, or an image, Lectra converts it to a PDF when it arrives.

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Before you begin

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Find a file you sent

1

Open Scope Inbox

In the sidebar, tap Scope Inbox. On a narrow window, tap Inbox in the tab bar.
2

Open the file

Tap a course folder, then tap the file. New files are marked New.
While a file is on its way, its thumbnail says Arriving…. If the download fails, it says Couldn’t download · Tap to retry. Tap it to try again. When a file arrives while you’re in the library, a message says “title arrived from Scope”. Tap Open to open it. If nothing has arrived yet, tap Check for New Files. When everything is in, you see You’re up to date.

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Keep a file in your own folders

Files in Scope Inbox stay in their course folders until you move them.
  • To move one file into Documents, tap Move next to it.
  • To move a whole course folder into Documents, tap Move all.
  • To move a folder somewhere else, touch and hold it, then tap Move to folder….
After you move something, you can choose whether to open it right away.

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Open new files automatically

To have files from Scope open as soon as they arrive, go to Settings > App and turn on Open files from Scope automatically. A file that arrives while you’re browsing your library opens right away. While you’re writing, it waits for you to tap it. To get a notification when a file arrives while Lectra is closed, tap Notify Me About New Files in the same section.

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Open a Lectra document

A Lectra document is a full copy of a document, with handwriting, images, and notes you can still edit. It can be a .lectra file, or a PDF that someone shared from Lectra using the Lectra Document option. To learn how to create one, see Export and share. Open it the same way as any other file. If you already have the same document in your library, Lectra asks what to do: When it finishes, you see Added “title”. or Restored “title”. If part of the document was damaged, the message adds Some notes didn’t arrive intact.
A PDF shared as a Lectra Document also opens as an ordinary PDF in any other app, with the handwriting part of the page. Only Lectra can open the editable copy inside it.

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Name suggestions for imported files

If Apple Intelligence is on and an imported file has a vague name, Lectra can suggest a better one. You see Rename this file? with the suggestion. Tap Rename to accept it or Keep Name to leave it. Lectra never renames a file without asking. To learn more, see Apple Intelligence.

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Other ways to add documents

Scan paper documents

Use the camera to turn paper into a PDF.

Create a notebook

Start from blank, lined, grid, dotted, or Cornell paper.

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Troubleshooting

Lectra can’t open this kind of file. Nothing in your library changed. Save or export the file as a PDF in the app that made it, then import the PDF.
Lectra can’t open password-protected PDFs. Remove the password in the app that made the PDF, then import it again.
The file may not have downloaded completely. Download it again from its source, then import it again.
Some files may be locked, damaged, or a type Lectra doesn’t open. Nothing in your library changed. Try adding the files one at a time to find the one that fails.
Scroll to the end of the row of apps and tap More. Find Lectra in the list and turn it on, or drag it into Favorites.
Check that Lectra and Scope are signed in to the same account and that your iPad is online. In Scope Inbox, tap Check for New Files. To learn more, see Troubleshooting.