Note with PDF and Text Possible?

DEVONthink Scenarios
1

I am currently using Evernote and thinking of moving over to Devonthink, but not sure if the way I use Evernote will work with Devonthink.

  1. I add manuals for things like Vacuum, Electronics,… I then sometimes add text notes to go along with the PDF for tips for myself.

  2. I scan all my important bills, and for ones I submit to insurance I add text for when I submitted it to my insurance, how much they paid, when I submitted it to my wife insurance, and how much they paid.

I can’t seem to figure out how to do that currently in Devonthink. With Evernote I would just create a new note, add the PDF and then just type the text above it, if that helps understand what I am trying to do

2

You can embed PDFs in an RTFD file.

It’s also possible to drag and drop a PDF in a Formatted Note but it only supports single page PDFs (ie. only the first page will be displayed).

3

Thanks for the tips. Two follow up questions.

  1. For RTFD files is the embedded PDF indexed? I tried creating a RTF file and then adding the PDF. Once I exited the note I saw it changed to RTFD. But when I tried to search for a string that was in the PDF that note didn’t come up.

  2. For the formatted note, does it actually embed the whole PDF file? I can’t seem to figure out how to open the PDF? Also is it indexing the PDF when you add it this way?

4
  1. No, the PDF content isn’t indexed.
  2. It embeds the raw data of the entire PDF but only displays the first page. And no, the embedded data isn’t indexed either.
5

For the workflow you described, I would use the Annotation template, invoked when a document has been selected, to add notes and link to and from the referenced document.

Annotation notes are rich text and are searchable; of course, the referenced document remains searchable. As there are two-way links, you can click a hyperlink in the Annotation note to view the referenced document (Control-click on the link to see it in a new tab) – and click on the DEVONthink address of the Annotation note in the navigation bar immediately above the pane in which the referenced document is displayed, to see the Annotation note.

This is powerful and flexible. I use Annotation notes for annotation of all my document file types, including PDF. Works for me much better than the annotation note boxes provided by Adobe for PDFs, as my notes are searchable but Adobe’s text box notes are not searchable.

6

Thanks Bill,

could please explain how to get what you describe? i am wondering if I can past selected text to the Annotation file automatically.
Thanks.
Have nice holidays!

7

The Annotation template is available via Data > New from Template > Annotation (there’s a keyboard shortcut to invoke it).

Selected text from the referenced document can be copy/pasted into the Annotation note.

8

Hi,
DT is a completely different thing to EN (not better or more worse, just different).
For business use I recently switched from EN to DT (data privacy), for personal use I still prefer EN.
In EN, as you know, there are notes holding all information, in DT you import files and organize them. I just (re-)started to use more and more folders/groups (together with tags, sub-folders and files inherit tags from parent objects!! very cool) to collect files and notes belonging together and link them in a main note - so, the Annotation template sounds cool, I’ve to check this asap. (-> available on Mac only, not on iOS, and the note isn’t compatible with the iOS version of DT (formatting lost), see below, UPDATE: you completely destory the annotation note if you change it on iOS, you should re-format it to a simple note on your Mac before sync to iOS - one of those reasons I stay with Evernote…).
One more hint: I cannot recommend using “complex” notes (like formatted notes or RTFD) when using the mobile version of DT, too - there are some issues regarding compatibility between MacOS and iOS (I do not have those issues with EN, btw…).
So, you have to re-think your workflow when coming from EN - DT is really a great tool, but it tooks me 2 weeks or so to understand how I should/have to use this new environment.
Enjoy! KR, Klaus

9

Thanks for the report! I have filed an issue on the FTR reformatting with the Annotation Template.

10

Thank you all for you suggestions. The annotations may work for what I need.

I will try that out while in my trail to see if it will work.

11

Hello
In fact DT (I use DTPO) will be more helpful because of its search/indexing capability and for security/privacy reasons. Annotations are also a great feature that adds to your filing.

I used Evernote extensively before. But I moved almost all my files to DTPO now.
I still own a bunch of Evernote projects. They are mainly simple scrapbook-like projects with no personal sensitive data in them. An advantage is that they can be consulted on my IPhone or or IPad without maintening a syncing operation:
-Trip planning with someone. We can share webclippings about places to visit; hotels; maps; ; list of todo’s; itineraries.
-Renovation or decoration projects: I collect ideas found on the web, scans, photos, measurements. Very handy when shopping about the project.
-Lists (personal or shared) books to buy; movies to see; grocery

For the rest, I use DTPO and I tend to split projects that have nothing in common. Some very large and complex - others small and very specialized :
-Work (is a large DB)
-Personal matters (with banking; receipts, instruction manuals…)
-Professional development comittee work (with meetings minutes etc)
-Genealogy and DNA matches (containing a lot of webclippings; excel and csv files; emails; old Evernote stuf that I transferred)

12

@milena76: Thanks for your input on how you use the apps. The way you are splitting the databases is definitely the method I advocate to people. :smiley: