I use Devonthink as a paperless office, and I get files from both paper, but also PDF’s from for example my bank.
However, when I save them to the Inbox in finder, it ends up in the Global inbox, and when this happens none of the clever AI of Devonthink works, (See Alos & classify), I have to manually move it to my database, and then the AI works gives suggestions for folders to put the document.
When I use the scanner, it works fine, I select the Inbox folder when doing the scan and the document ends up and I can use the AI to move documents to the right folders.
In the preferences I set that it should use my database, but it does no difference.
I don’t use the Global Inbox, I only have my database.
How can I set it to always use my database, and not the global database?
The DEVONthink Inbox in the Finder links only to the Global Inbox database, and that allows the user to save or capture documents to DT without DT running. The import preference does not applies to files saved specifically to the Global Inbox. What you can do instead is drag the documents to the Sorter or right-click* on an document and select ‘Save to DEVONthink’. The difference between using the Global Inbox and the other two methods described is that using the Global Inbox in the Finder moves the documents to the Inbox database while using the Sorter or right-clicking and saving imports a copy of the document to the database.
If you have the DT preference Preference > Import > Destination set to “Select Group”, then when you drag a file onto the DT dock icon a HUD will appear on which you can choose the database and group to which you want to import the file.
I assumed that the OP has only one database, and thus does not need the HUD to select a destination. Either way, as korm mentioned dragging documents to the Dock icon will also import them into the database according to the DT preference setting.
Your preferred strategy will depend in part on how you primarily use DT. In my situation, DT is always open so I have little need for the Sorter. I primarily add documents using the Services menu and by dragging documents directly into a DT group. If you also primarily have DT open, there is yet another option by using the 'Show Groups & Tags (Tools Menu) where you can drag documents directly into a specific group in the database.
If I did not have DT open all the time, then the Sorter would be of greater value to me as I could add content to Sorter to be added to the database(s) on the next launch of DT.
I use DT Pro Office, but only use one Database.
And I usually do not have DT running all the time, only when sorting and searching.
I disabled the sorter app, since it was interfering with some fullscreen apps like games, but I can try and add it again.
The reason I wanted to use the Global inbox was to skip the step of adding it to DT in a separate step.
When I use my Internet Bank I click on a link to download the PDFs, it will ask my where to save it, and instead of saving them into the download folder I download them directly to the Inbox folder.
But I guess I have to do it in a 2 step process if it is not possible to do it directly.
I guess another way around this is to skip the whole separate database thing, and have all documents in the global folder?
The combination of the Global Inbox and multiple databases works well enough for me, currently leaving most documents in the former and moving others to the latter when they clearly belong there (and I’m not lazy ).
Originally, with v1, I was fastidious about organizing documents but eventually noticed it being more tedious than beneficial for my purposes and have significantly decreased that “habit” with v2. My information handling in general (not just with DT) has increasingly transitioned from a “filer-centric” philosophy/practice into one that’s more “search-centric”. With sufficient tools/filters/skills to access and virtually organize information, regardless of specific locations, I can feel a satisfying relief from the previously relentless burden of concern over location.
I was thinking of moving everything in to the Inbox folder and use tags instead, but was put off by the amount of work to do so, I have 4 years of papers, bills, contracs, etc that I have scanned in and put into folders, so I dropped that idea, although it would be useful, I have documents that would fit into several folders, and replicas are so tricky to keep track of.
Ah well, I will see how I will do it, thanks for all your input.
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