Trying to understand how to set up my document filing strategy. For simplicity, currently I keep copies of all my documents in a DropBox (DB) folder synced to the DropBox Cloud. I use a logical folder structure and keep scanned hard copies of important docs in an appropriately physical folder.
I want to use DT Pro to gain better search ability of the documents. So, I would create a DT database, copy my existing folders/files into the database, which now replicates the folder structure and contents already stored in DropBox. Now I have two copies of the same documents on my local disk, one the original folders/files in my Dropbox folder, and a second in the new DT database. I then sync the new DT database with DropBox, and move the original folders/files out of the DropBox folder. I can then delete the initial Folder/File contents and folders, correct.
Any new documents will simply be scanned into DT database. This will result in no duplication of documents locally, and one copy on DropBox in cloud.
Am I thinking about this scheme correctly or am I missing the basic architecture here?
Do you need to access your files on other devices?
If you want to populate a database with your Dropbox file hierarchy, then use File > Import, selecting the top level of the Dropbox file hierarchy you want to import. That will add the files in the proper hierarchy to the database. Do a sight check to make sure all is well. I would then drag the file hierarchy out of Dropbox. If you’re satisfied with what you have in DEVONthink, then delete the files. Otherwise compress the hierarchy and save it for a while for safety, and delete it later.
Syncing a database to a sync store in Dropbox does not make a copy of the files available “in [the] cloud” to other devices. You need to sync with the sync store on another computer with DEVONthink or DEVONthink to Go.
An alternate approach, if you don’t want to use DEVONthink or DEVONthink to Go on other devices, is to leave the files in Dropbox and index them rather than import them. The files will be available in the cloud and in your database. Read about Indexing in DEVONthink Help.