This thread may be confusing: some behaviors have changed during updates since the thread started, and three issues are discussed – 1) behavior of scanning/OCR to DTPO; 2) conversion of image-only PDFs already stored in the database and 3) differences between Export of a document to the Finder or dragging a document to the Finder.
I’m running a beta of the next maintenance release of DTPO, which includes some revisions to the IRIS OCR engine, an improved ExactScan Capture scan mode (especially for Epson scanners) and also includes an Image Capture scan mode. But the discussion below applies generally to the current posted release of DTPO.
- Behavior of scanning/OCR to DTPO
I use two scanners: a Fujitsu ScanSnap and a CanoScan LIDE 500F. The ScanSnap runs under ScanSnap Manager. I activate scans/OCR from the Canon scanner using File > Import > Document (from ExactScan).
My DTPO OCR preference settings: I have the option to set attributes turned off, as I frequently scan a series of documents on the ScanSnap and don’t want to have the OCR queue stop waiting for me to enter document attributes. I usually change the name of the new content after storage in the database; sometimes I don’t bother, knowing that I can find by content. I check the option to delete the original PDF.
I’m building a gazebo. I want to scan the contract and my check for materials purchase to the “Cabin Improvements” group in a database. So I open the Cabin Improvements group as the frontmost view and click in it. Whether I use the ScanSnap or the CanoScan (with ExactScan Capture), the new searchable PDF will goto my Cabin Improvements group. But if I haven’t selected a view/group, the new content will go to the top level of my database.
- Conversion of image-only PDF stored in the database
Although most PDFs downloaded from the Web are already searchable and don’t need OCR conversion, a few sources still distribute image-only PDFs. In your database the Info panel of such an image-only PDF shows its Kind as PDF. A searchable PDF has PDF+Text as its Kind.
Select an image-only PDF and choose Data > Convert > to Searchable PDF. The resulting searchable PDF will replace the image-only PDF, with a new modification date. The image-only PDF will be sent to the Trash.
- Export versus Drag PDF to the Finder
If you Export (File > Export > Files & Folders) a document from your database to the Finder, the resulting Finder file will have the Name you assigned in the database and the content of the Comment field will be saved to Spotlight Comments. Still other metadata may be stored in the file’s accompanying DEVONtech_storage file.
If you Drag & drop a document to the Finder from your database the resulting Finder file will have the filename displayed in the Path of the database document, which is NOT changed when the Name is modified. The metadata in the document’s Comment field is NOT transferred to the Spotlight Comments of the resulting Finder file.
So pay attention to the mode used to send files to the Finder, as the results differ by mode.
Is that bad UI? Not necessarily, if one thinks about the consequences of document renaming in the database. In DEVONthink 1.x, the Name of a document is metadata and doesn’t affect the filename of a PDF that’s stored in the Finder inside the database package file or (if Index-captured) resides in the Finder, outside the database.
What would be the consequence were the filename to change each time I change the document Name? Simply, any links to that PDF from other applications would be broken (as would be the Path links from Duplicates of that PDF in my DT database). Suppose, for example, you have a database managed by a bibliographic citation application consisting of a large PDF reference collection. You have also Indexed those PDF files into your DT Pro database. You are free to change document Names in your DEVONthink database without breaking the links to those PDFs in the bibliographic citation application’s database. I often find that freedom very useful.
Note that in DEVONthink 2, there will be substantial revisions to the database structure, with all documents actually stored in the Finder. Changing the Name will also change the filename. And links within the database can be to external files. So things will change.