Daily use of DT3 - advice on some small user frustrations?

DEVONthink Tips
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Hi everyone,

Working daily in DT3, but also being a general dummy in computer stuff, I have assembled a serie of small user frustrations that you guys may be have a simple solution to

  • is it possible to lock a document in the preview panel? Sometimes I want to search or scroll in my navigate panel or item list, but still keep the focus on my document in the viewing panel (and not have to click back several times to find it back). I can do the search/scroll in a new tab, and keep the main document fixed in the previous tab, but it would be easier to be able to lock.
  • you can make visible/unvisible the sidebars, which is great. Is this also possible for the item list?
  • shortcuts for navigation between tabs involve a key (square bracket it is called I guess) that’s not available on my macbook. Is there a way around or can you change this specific shortkey?
  • I don’t no why, but sometimes does DT3 remember the exact position of the document you where in, when switching between documents or tabs and going back to the main document; other times it does not. Especially in longer documents it is quite frustrating to scroll down and find again the exact sentence where you left. Is there anyone familiar with the logic behind this?

Like I said: small user frustrations, in an otherwise great software that helps me al lot in my work…
Thank’s for any advice.

Best, Ruben

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Shortcuts can be customized via System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts.

What kind of documents?

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  • you can make visible/unvisible the sidebars, which is great. Is this also possible for the item list?

You can’t hide the item list. Opening a file in its own document window is the only window configuration where the item list isn’t available.

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RTF documents. Most common case is I make notes in RTF document and then I want to link the corresponding pdf files I’m making notes of. Often when going out the RTF-document to the item list or navigation pane to ‘copy item link’ of the pdf, the cursor in my RTF file is somewhere else in the document when navigating back. Strangely enough, sometimes it does stay in the place where I left and I can copy the item link immediately, but most of times I have to scroll. Same case when I have my main RTF file in full screen and I toggle between two DT3-windows (one with my pdf’s and one with my RTF) or when I work a split screen (see screenshots): when I go from the right split screen (RTF) to the left (list of PDF’s) and back, cursor position jumps to another point in the RTF (second split screen). Although again, sometimes it doesn’t change (as I would like to have). I’m very confused about it.

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Was the document opened in multiple windows/tabs concurrently?

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  • When you return to the RTF file, are you clicking in the view/edit pane?
    • If so, that would release the selection.

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@cgrunenberg , @BLUEFROG , thanks for you reply’s. The question of cgrunenberg (to be sure, they weren’t opened concurrently) reminded me to do the following: closing DT3 entirely, re-open, installing the last update and now it works (I tested for like the last hour) like it should. I can switch without problems between the two split screens, rename the pdf’s, copy links and paste the links exactly where I left my RTF. Like I said, general dummy :slight_smile: thanks for helping me on this. I’ll look into the customizing of the shortkey.

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Excellent and we’re glad to hear it’s working as expected now. :slight_smile: