Use Skim to edit PDF

DEVONthink Tips
1

Hello,

I’m using DevonThink Pro 2.0 and was wondering if I can use Skim to edit/markup the pdfs in my Database.

Thanks,

~A

2

Yes. And your notes will be displayed in DTPro. However, I’m not sure if the content of the notes is indexed and searchable.

If you want to open pdfs with skim from Devonthink, see:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7198

3

Thanks for the link!

4

It seems that they are not. I tested it by putting an artificial unique word into a Skim note. While the text of the note is visible in DTPro (which is great!), you cannot find the text of the note through searching for it in DTPro (which is not great).

You can find it through Spotlight, though. But why not through DTPro? Any explanation from the technical experts?

Thanks for your time,

Andreas

5

As noted in the user documentation, this is still a beta, and additional PDF annotation features will become available in a subsequent release.

Notes added to a PDF in Acrobat, Skim and Preview are not stored in the searchable text layer of the PDF. That’s why notes added in Skim are not searchable. Christian has noted plans to enhance management of Skim package files in a later release.

As noted elsewhere, because my databases contain a variety of file types, because I prefer rich text notes rather than plain text notes and want them to be searchable, I don’t use PDF note annotation. But that’s just me. :slight_smile:

6

Bill, let me play the devil’s advocate to your evangelist :smiley:

If the matter is the searchable text layer, then why can I find the Skim notes’ text through Spotlight? Or, to repeat my question: if Spotlight can find it, why can’t DTPro?

I am sure there is an explanation, I just would like to know what it is.

Thanks,

Andreas

7

I hope Skim integration is going to be added soon!

Sometimes, it’s good to have the notes on the page in the PDF document. And sometimes, they happen to be there already, and then it’s good to be able to find them. And finding stuff is what DT does best.

I already like the 2.0 upgrade a lot, by the way, even though not all features are in yet.

8

I looked up “Notes” in help and did not find much. I created a test note with an open pdf document but don’t know if they are linked somehow.

Where can I learn a bit about DT notes? Can I associated them with specific parts in a PDF, perhaps see them side-by-side?

Thanks