Installing pdf files in a Tinderbox file. Possible? Wise?

Q & A - getting started with Tinderbox
1

I have a 400kb pdf file I want to install in the text section of a note. It’s helpful to have it close when I’m working in that particular Tinderbox file.

I’ve tried just sliding it into that section. It works but won’t stay. Is there a way to make it stay?

And, if so, does it present problems. It’s not a large file as you can see.

Thanks in advance,

John Kendrick

2

Drag the pdf into the view pane; it will make a new note with Tinderbox’s best estimate for the text of the pdf.

3

Works. But, as your text suggests, it’s only a “best estimate.” In this particular case, the guess was a bit off. I don’t know whether this is a frequent request (I checked help files and manuals and couldn’t find references for including pdf files) or not. But for those of us who find placing them there better than linking to them, it would help if they retained the full pdf formatting. Of course, that goes without saying.

Thanks once again for superb support.

John Kendrick

4

I don’t think it would help to retain full pdf formatting.

Tinderbox isn’t a tool for storing things: we have excellent everything buckets in DEVONthink, Yojimbo, Eagle Filer, and indeed Finder. Tinderbox is an analytical tool, and it works best with short, focused notes.

Tinderbox extracts the main text of the pdf in the expectation that you’re probably going to split it up and organize it. But there’s no point in spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to recreate formatting which Tinderbox won’t be able to reason about — especially since you can link the document to any Tinderbox note and have the actual document displayed with a single click.

The most common pdf import discrepancy is that Tinderbox will grab what it considers the main text, and might ignore a sidebar that you want or a long footnote that you need. Just grab those with copy and paste.

1 Like
5

Thanks again. For the quick and thoughtful reply.

John

6

BTW, you may find this useful: Tinderbox Training Video 58 - Annotating with Highlights App, Tinderbox, DEVONThink, and Zotero

You can pull annotations out of your PDFs.

7

Thanks. Will keep that in mind.