Simple Smart Rule to OCR and copy a PDF

DEVONthink
1

I’m trying to setup a smart rule but it seems I don’t understand some basics.
I have an external folder indexed by DT. Whenever a new PDF appears, OCR should run and after finishing the OCR the PDF (the PDF+Text) Version should be moved into another external folder (also indexed by DT).

Bildschirm­foto 2022-12-09 um 15.35.24
Bildschirm­foto 2022-12-09 um 15.35.241264×600 72.5 KB

The available triggers to start the action are mysterious to me. “After sync”, “Before sync”??? I don’t want the rule to run too often, but as soon as a new PDF appears it should be processed. But this is not my main problem.

If I set up the action to first process the OCR (this is working) I found no way to copy the file to a new folder. I tried to tag the file and then created a 2nd smart rule to move the file. But DT creates a new file after OCR processing and the tag was applied to the old file.
Anyhow - I’m confused and need a sweet push into the right direction…

2
  • I would suggest the On Import event trigger. This will execute when DEVONthink detects a new file has been imported or indexed in the targeted location.
  • The OCR > Apply action does OCR in-place, leaving no intermediary files behind.
  • Use the Move or File actions after that.

See…

3

Thanks a lot - fixed all my problems at once!

4

You’re welcome :slight_smile: