I have a MacBook Pro with 500GB SSD. Since DevonThink does not allow me to use Google Suite as its index file location, and since using local hard drives slow it down, I am using the main SSD which is now suffering from the lack of space. Would you please kindly inform me whether importing would take less space than index? Or, will it be the same?
Importing will actually require more disk space as the imported files/folders are copied into the database package. How large is the database package currently according to the Finder? Usually this shouldn’t be a lot smaller than the indexed items.
Thank you for swift reply. It is 50GB and I have just indexed half of my documents.
50 GB? How many and what kind of items did you index?
That’s not the size of the database package, it’s the size of all items imported or indexed to the database. The database package (see Finder) is probably a lot smaller.
I’m actually have a similar issue, albeit with smaller numbers. I have a database largely composed of indexed files that is 8.9 GB on Devonthink and 4.99GB in the finder. I was wondering why the database package wasn’t smaller, since almost all of my files in the database are indexed. I made a smart group of all non-indexed files and it was 270MB large. Where is all of this extra storage space coming from?
I should note that I just optimized the database and reduced the package size by about 1.5GB.
The package contains a lot of additional data (e.g. metadata, custom metadata, search index, thumbnails and backups of them etc).
I have created a database containing only indexed items (mostly word, powerpoint, pdf documents), using the standard File > Index Files and Folders menu item. This database gets nicely updated whenever I add files to that folder.
I have a second database containing (related) imported emails, notes and scan. Now I want to link items between those two databases as they are related. Ideally I would be able to replicate, but this wouldn’t work across database.
Can I simply merge the two databases, retaining the index functionality in the first database?
Sure. You could move all items from one database to the other.
“move” like “move in DT3”, i.e., not going through the export / import cycle?
Exactly. E.g. via drag & drop or the Move To contextual menu. Ex/import is of course another possibility.
thanks for the speedy reply
Hello,
I hope it’s ok to pick on that thread: I have a directory with photos mostly and a few .mp4. the finder size is 243G. I indexed that folder into a dedicated DT database. I did a “Show in Finder” from DT and the finder information tells me the database is 253G.
To double check the files are, indeed indexed, 1) I added files to the indexed directory to see if DT sees the update and it does 2) if I select a photo from DT and do a “reveal in finder”, the finder windows goes into my initial photo directory.
Am I doing something wrong?
Regards,
Philippe
Errata: if I export the database archive I only get 3G:) so my assumption is I get confused by the finder’s readings (DT DB location) which give me the original sizes vs the linked size.
Would that be correct?
File > Database Properties shows the size of the contents but the size of an indexed database will not be the size of its contents in the Finder.
I did a “Show in Finder” from DT and the finder information tells me the database is 253G.
Post a screen capture of this.
Hold the Option key and choose Help > Report bug to start a support ticket.
Done