If one has captured a PDF from a webside, in the URL-Bar, there is the adress (http), although it is a local PDF. That is very misleading IMHO; it should be clearly replced by the local adress, with an info-window "comres from URL https://xxxxx)
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It’s just the document’s URL (see Info inspector/popover) in this case which might or might not be the URL of the origin. E.g. to easily spot the origin or related URL of an item or to open the website by clicking on the navigation bar.
with an info-window "comres from URL https://xxxxx)
As Criss mentioned, this is exactly what the Navigation bar is showing.
How do you see at a glance if this is an INTERNAL saved document or still a browser windwo with some Server-fetched Http: content?
“easily spot the origin or related URL of an item or to open the website by clicking on the navigation bar.”
Christian, this is exactly what i mean if i say that your incredibly powerful utility has also so incredibily unergonomic features. It should be visible "at a glance’ if this is an URL “for info” or an URL “the actual source”.
Without the need to open inspectors, click anywhere or trigger information with “mouseover” or whatever…
Note: ergonomics is a very subjective thing.
" Note: ergonomics is a very subjective thing."
I know, that is a standard response that we get. But working all the days with computers, with a lot of different software (DTP, photo, filemanaging, cloud storages) i must say that DT is really astonishing in all matters, good points as in unergonomic points compared to other software.
And there are computer freaks around me who have definitely left from DT only because of ergonomics.
I will stay , as i really appreciate the unbelievable power of most features.
And honestly @BLUEFROG, don’t say that highlighting text in a PDF in the DT-PDF-Viewer (-editor) is as easy and ergonomic as in Apple’s Preview, for example.
@cgrunenberg @BLUEFROG In any case, ergonomic means get there where you want with a minimum of actions (mouse actions, keyboard actions). This is not subjective.
In any case, ergonomic means get there where you want with a minimum of actions (mouse actions, keyboard actions). This is not subjective.
I beg to differ. If you find something “ergonomic” or not (and I’m speaking generally here, not about your URL question) depends also on your willingness to, e.g., read the documentation and acquaint yourself with a program. I agree that some aspects of DT3 might be difficult to grasp or discover. But then there’s always limited screen space, different expectations from different people, different background of different people (I, for example, find AppleScript abhorrent and prefer JavaScript, but sill most of DT3’s script are in AppleScript), different habits (like preference of keyboard shortcuts over mouse usage and vice versa). So no, ergonomics is not “not subjective”. At least not in a case where a single person complains about a single feature or lack thereof.
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@chrillek tahnks for your answer. But please, take this very simple example of highlighting a text in a PDF. Which reason could you invoke to defend that it is more “ergonomic” to selct a text, then you have to add another step (Keyboard Shotcut or rightclick, choose color to highlight?), instead of being in a “highlighting” mode with your mouse, as Apple’s Preview does?
Considering I use at least four highlight colors when highlighting, the hotkeys are very useful to me. And yes, I use all four in no particular order. I might have four blue, a green, 6 orange, a blue, and orange, a blue, two greens, etc. Hotkeys are far faster for me. So therefore this is indeed subjective because it fits my particular needs and mindset, i.e., I’m not saying everyone has to use it.
I can see your point as I can see Jim’s. People want to do different things with software, and some things are easier to achieve then others. It might be advisable to use the tool that best fulfills your needs.
E.g., I do a lot of file renaming with Keyboard Maestro before importing files into DT3. Simply because KM is (still) more powerful in that regard than DT3.
As to “defending” (which is really not my task) the highlighting procedure in DT3: I prefer working with the keyboard over the mouse or touchpad. Simply because I’m a 10-finger-typist (if that’s the right term?). I’m simply faster with my fingers in most cases. So I don’t see a disadvantage in selecting text with the cursor keys and then pressing another key to highlight it. It’s the same as for copying/deleting, BTW: I’d hate to be in copy or delete mode 
I also remember reading a book by an Apple UI design Guru ages ago. One of it’s mantras was “do not use modes” 
The times, they are a-changing.
@BLUEFROG this is exactly the problem with you guys from DT.
" I might have four blue, a green, 6 orange, a blue, and orange, a blue, two greens, etc. Hotkeys are far faster for me"
That’s YOUR workflow. I a m pretty sure that most users work mainly with one color. And even when one needs more, why not giving them this with Hotkeys.
But there should be first of all one simple way to Highlight, the same way that Apple Preview and Adobe Acrobat offers it. You could ADD hotkeys for more complicated workflows, but why not offering the simplest way first of all.
Why do you think in all these PDF-Editors Highlighting is implented in such a simple way?
Reread my previous reply. It clearly states it works for me (though I know for certain there are people using the same mechanism).
I understand, but as it works for YOU, DT is optimized for you.
No. DEVONthink is not optimized for me nor any one specific person. It is the product of the development and input of people over the course of time mixed in with our own direction as well.
PS: the behavior is certainly not new. I’ve been with the company 8 years and it has been this way since I got here, i.e., there haven’t been a lot of requests or discussion about it.
The issues of PDF editing are known and a future release will probably revise this (although not in the near future). In the meantime I would definitely suggest to use the editing bar and it’s Highlighting icon:
- A single click applies the last used color to the text selection
- A long click opens a popup to choose the color which will be then applied to the text selection
Please, it is really sad that we still can’t use higlighting as easy it is possible in Preview. The very intelligent utility DethonThink, with his really stunning capabilities, is totally handicapped for such a basic function.
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