Hi, I am a new user and although I really like the many abilities of the Devonthink/Devonagent combo, I ran into problems.
So I need some help.
The issue:
Several problems with exporting DevonThink files to other programs I use in my workflow.
Programs involved:
DevonThink Pro(DP), OmniOutliner (OO), NovaMind (NM), Powerpoint (PP).
All programs are the most recent version.
What to export:
RTF file made in DP, structured as a list.
First attempt: export as OPML.
Result: OO and NM show only the title, the rest of the document is included as a note.
This problem seems to be originating from DP, as OO and NM display OPML exports from each other correctly.
Second attempt: Open DP RTF file with Powerpoint, through context menu in DP.
Result: PP starts, but contains no information from the DP file.
Again, this seems to originate from the DP export, as PP has no problem reading exports from NM.
Third attempt: export as RTF, RTFD, import in OO.
Result: OO will show the numbers/bullets in the subject collumn and puts the rest of the info in a second column. NM does not read normal RTF files.
As DEVONthink isn’t an outliner and as the OPML export supports RSS readers too, the results might vary. But in this case it seems to be the expected result.
This is highly unsatisfactory, in more than one sense.
First, having the option Open in Powerpoint for RTF files in DP, means that DP claims such functionality. Therefore the problem lies with DP.
Second, Your answer seems to stem from the same attitude as the highly unsatisfactory reactions on my question about nonfunctional OPML exports from DP.
The hard fact is that I mention three wellknown, respected applications where DP by its own claims should be able to communicate with, but miserably fails to do so.
I am beginning to feel misled and cheated. I will contact Customer Service on this.
Thanks for enlightening me on the isolated world of DevonThink.
You assumed that when the ‘Open With’ contextual menu option lists Powerpoint as an application that can open RTF files, that list is provided by DEVONthink, and therefore it is DEVONthink’s fault that your RTF failed to create a new Powerpoint document, or at least for ‘claiming’ that it would.
But the list of possible applications, which included in this case Powerpoint, is NOT generated by DEVONthink. It’s generated by OS X. Control-click on an RTF file in the Finder and choose ‘Open With’. The fact that a list of files as candidates to open that RTF is presented, does not necessarily mean that all of them will actually open the file satisfactorily. Experience leads one to make the most appropriate choices for a given purpose.
If you try directly to open an RTF file from within Powerpoint, you will get an error message, as Powerpoint will offer to open it under MS Word, instead. By default, Powerpoint doesn’t open RTF files, but it does offer to do something else with them. If you are familiar with Powerpoint, Outline/RTF files created in MS Word can be inserted in the Normal/Slides view — but that’s a special “flavor” of RTF, and a different procedure.
You assumed that because OPML export didn’t do what you expected, this routine has no functionality and DEVONthink is somehow divorced from the Mac world. But If you wish to work with OmniOutliner, in fact it can read and convert that file resulting from the OPML export of an RTF. This is not the only possible functionality of the OPML export.
But if you wish to work with OmniOutliner, you can Import, Index or save its files directly into DT Pro or DT Pro Office, with the benefit that they are displayed in and searchable within the database, with their information content integrated with that of all the other files in your database. Likewise, if Powerpoint files are captured into or saved directly into a database, their text is searchable and the information they contain is added to your database.
What DEVONthink is all about is provision of a rich and powerful environment to manage and access and use the information content of documents, often including a variety of filetypes. From this perspective, it provides tools, assistants and functionalities that go far beyond those provided in the Finder and Spotlight.