There is probably an easy way to do this, but I have failed to find it. I want to be able to show combinations of documents side by side. Here are a few use cases (where both fill half of the screen):
Document and its annotations file
Document with text I want to link to other documents and search or navigation to view the documents I want to link to
Minutes of a meeting and a meeting notes document
I can open documents in two windows (CMD-O) and arrange side by side, but it is too easy to lose focus on one. I am looking for them to be âlocked togetherâ until I have finished working on them. I canât seem to get search/navigation to open in its own window (though I am sure there is a way).
FYI - these are only minor requests, but would make life easier.
Scripts menu > More Scripts â> Open in two windows has been available for a long time and improved this year. Youâll find it in the Scripts menu > Edit submenu after installation.
Run our script with a document selected and it will open its annotation file in a second window, if it has an annotation file. You donât have to locate it yourself.
Depending on what exactly you mean by âlose focusâ or what you need, it can be useful to have a floating window. However, this requires an additional app. There are several that can do this with the windows of other apps.
I have yet to learn applescript, so I donât know for sure if itâs possibe⊠But if you look into adapting a script, I assume it should be possible to open the two windows in their own separate space? If the problem is one of the windows getting send to the background, that would help, since there would be no other windows.
You can also use tabs, and just tab between the two documents.
There is an alternative (and IMO simpler) approach: If you have two persistent document windows, each of them containing any number of tabs, then they are âfixedâ in that you donât need new document windows.
With this approach, you need to figure out in which window should a given document be opened. Thatâs exactly what my script (see my reply above) does.
Ah, yes. I bookmarked this when you posted, but never got around to looking closer at it (It looks pretty neat, but itâs not a pressing need for me). While it would go a long way for @saltlane, it doesnât seem to address a search/navigation window.
There is no separate search/navigation window (unless the Go To popover is enough navigation for you). You can, however, open a new main window (â„âN) and adjust the layout to be more search focused:
View > as List (â2)
Preview > None (â5)
You can leave the Sidebar visible, or close it and use the Go To popover (ââG) to navigate groups and databases.
You would probably also adjust the layout of the search view. Type a random query in the search bar and adjust the layout to your liking. If you just want a clean list of results and nothing else:
Hide the Inspector pane (â„âI)
Hide the file preview (â5)
If you want a small preview of the selected search result, you could choose View > Preview > Standard (â6) and drag the preview pane to be a small strip at the bottom.
Edit to add: Or you could preview it with QuickLook by pressing the spacebar/âY
Then position the window on one half of the screen. If youâre on Seqoia, you can use the window tiling feature. Or you can use one of the many third-party apps for window management: Moom, Magnet, Rectangle (free), Yabai (free) â and many othersâŠ
If you close this window, the layout and position will be remembered when you open a 2nd main window again.
macOS also remembers the window size and position of the last opened document. So if you open a search result and position it on the other half of the screen â then close it, and open a new one â it will open in the same place.
Edit to add: You can even open multiple results in a tabbed document window. Choose the desired results, then press â„âO (or right click and choose Open In Tabs â you need to hold down â„ for this option to show). This way you can run different queries and open a set of results together in a document window. Be aware though, that if you have the preview enabled in your search window, the tabs will open here, not in a separate document window. This is where QuickLook is nice to preview results. (Or you can just press â5 to close the preview before you open the results.)
You can also save it as a Workspace (Go > Workspaces > Add), but opening a Workspace closes any open windows and databases, so the above might be what you prefer.
If the point is just that you donât want to lose the documents you are already viewing in the preview when you start a search â just open a new tab (Window > New Tab, âN,). The search results will then preview in that tab
For quick searching in a new window, Option-Command-N then Option-Command-F. Your fingers are already on Option-Command so you only have to make one move, from N to F.
I am well aware. The point of the above is if @saltlane wants a search-focused 2-up view with search âin itâs own windowâ and results in another. I donât really do this myself â I do as you suggest here, or open a new tab in the file preview as I mentioned.
Thanks to all the input I have played about and set up a simple solution that works for me.
Document and its annotations file
Minutes of a meeting and a meeting notes document
These two use cases can be solved using the two windows script. Running it with a document that has annotations opens the document and its notation file. Selecting two documents (e.g. Agenda and meeting notes) opens them side by side.
Document with text I want to link to other documents and search or navigation to view the documents I want to link to
As per @troejgaard suggestion a âfile/searchâ window can be created by closing the navigator, inspector and preview and tiling the window to one side.
To automate all the key presses , I have set all these up with Keyboard Maestro (can also be done in BetterTouchTool) with trackpad gestures.
Generally, I nearly always have DT maximised with both the navigation side panel and the inspector showing. I have left the automation simple as DT keyboard shortcuts can quickly sorting wrongly closed/open panels out.
CMD+swipe left - runs ALT-CMD-1, ALT-CMD-i, CMD-5, then CTRL-ALT left arrow for Magnet app to set the window on the left (search/file window) CMD+swipe right - runs CMD-O, CTRL-ALT-right arrow to place document window on the right CMD+swipe up - runs ALT-CMD-1, ALT-CMD-i, then CTRL-ALT RETURN for Magnet app to maximise the DT window and show the navigation pane and inspector CMD+Swipe down - runs the two window AppleScript
Thanks for sharing! Thatâs a pretty neat setup â very intuitive. Nice inspiration for someone like me, who never opened the door to KM or BTT. Maybe I should finally make the investment one of these days⊠(On the other hand, Iâve managed so far.)
If you like, think about what you do with DT very often every day. Because these are the things that benefit most from being automated.
Do you always open the same two or three documents, groups or databases? Switching views, with and without the sidebar or inspector? Do you assign or change labels or metadata? Do you move documents or create replicants?
All this and much more can be done very well with KM or BTT. I prefer BTT but this is a matter of personal preference.
(It looks pretty neat, but itâs not a pressing need for me). While it would go a long way for 
