I want to use the same Rich Text document format in DT for typing notes & screen captures, which are each saved later under unique file names.
In other applications, I have a template (blank document) that has font, font size, margins, alignment, etc. set with no content. When I’m ready to start typing notes on a new subject, I open the template document and use “SAVE AS” with a unique file name and then begin typing.
Since DT has no “SAVE AS” command, how can I easily start a new document file of notes w/o having to repeatedly set up all the format elements? Thanks.
Doesn’t defining a template work for you? Search for “template” in the DT manual.
I use a few that I’ve defined, but aside from font and font size, I haven’t predefined other things like margins, etc. but I’m assuming you can do that.
Thanks pvonk. But I have found that “…if all else fails, read the manual” is not always applicable to the DT Pro manual.
For instance, DT Help Search says,
“Template: Enter a template text here. This will be used to create a new document when you make text a link that then does not point to an existing document yet.”
In Preferences under Editing I find the box the above refers to. The white box has the following already typed in it: “%A %m/%d/%Y %H:%M:%S
Write about %@ here!”
Anyone care to translate?
I’m using DT Pro v. 1.5.4 Thanks.
You’re right, you need to ignore the “smart” templates.
"Templates are regular files stored in the Finder in the folder ‘~/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink Pro 2/Templates.noindex’. "
Go to that folder and create a new .rtf file using whatever editor you want. You could start by writing one inside DT, then export it to the desktop and move it to the folder mentioned above (or export directly to that folder).
Then, in DT, Data>New from template should present a pop-up window with templates listed, your file being one of them. (You may have to quit DT first and reopen it.)
Not applicable to DTP 1.5, which is what he’s using.
RichPate: That template system was superseded in 2.0 with an infinitely superior version. If you aren’t interested in upgrading (I assume you’re not), you’re kind of stuck with either copying files each time or using the template thing you found in the preferences.
The %*'s are placeholders. %m/%d/%Y is month/day/year. %H:%M:%S is hour/minute/second. %@ is a subject. Can’t remember what %A is.
So if you make a new wikilink in a document, say on the word “new,” then click that word… the target document does not exist, so a new one is created. The text from the box in the preferences is inserted, with the placeholders replaced with the values that they represent. You get the current date, the current time, and the subject you specified.
Pretty straightforward.
But for what you want, with document properties and stuff like that, I think you might just have to do the copy and rename thing because DT1.5.4 won’t handle anything better. In other words: make a document the way you want, then right-click and click “Duplicate to” and then the destination you want.
I will eventually upgrade to 2.0, but right now I don’t have the time to deal with a major upgrade and the potential problems that could occur.
Is the v1.5.4 to v 2.02 upgrade fairly seamless, or is there a lot to be done in converting the old database and a lot of changed procedures to re-learn? Thanks.
