@@billselkirk7829 i still get a little mixed up about the replicas because you can easily delete the original along with the replicas. i mostly get how DT treats them. i need to experiment and create and delete a few till i get the hang of it. thanks again 🙏
@@KeithDvorak Replicants are handy, and they are actually how tagging is implemented. Just remember that when you replicate a file (as opposed to duplicate) all the "copies" are actually equal. Replicated documents or groups don't have originals. A document with replicants doesn't disappear until all instances of the file are deleted. Replicants don't take up space, either, since replicating a file really just tells Devonthink to display it in more than one place, not to copy it.
@@billselkirk7829 right 👍 the problem for me is trying to delete replicants while not deleting the “original.” i’ve tried playing with them in a test folder and there was a bit of a trick to it. i messed up somehow (still not sure) and deleted all the replicants and the original. maybe i just wasn’t paying attention 😜 if i recall correctly, you can only replicate within the same DB, and i think i’d like to replicate across DBs, eg, a theological article might also well apply in philosophy, so it would be nice to replicate it in both DBs.
@@KeithDvorak Experimenting will help understand, no doubt. Here's some food for thought. There are no originals with replicants. They aren't like files and aliases or symlinks in an operating system. Replicate a file and then delete it. Because you first replicated it, the file is unharmed and still appears where you created the replicant. Replicate a file, then replicate the second "copy". Now you have three replicants that are all peers. The file won't be gone until all instances of the file are deleted, and it doesn't matter what order you delete them in. As long as any one instance remains, the file is there. Devonthink stores files the way it wants to. They are stored in regular Finder folders and your files are unchanged by Devonthink, but they are in a hierarchy of folders that make sense to Devonthink. The structure of groups and files you see in the DT user interface is generated on the fly. In fact, when you move a file from one group to another, Devonthink doesn't physically move the file. It stays wherever it was. Devonthink just displays it in the new group. Replicants are a little like that. When you replicate a file, Devonthink doesn't do anything with the file. It displays the same file in two different places. Chatting about Devonthink is fun. If I can help, ping me here or email me. My address is wds, which are the initials of my nom de plume, at xenopoint dot net. Nice talking to you. I'm not Devonthink tech support, but I've used it for a long time. If I can share anything, please let me know.
Hi Bill, I am just new on DT and I saw in your Video a possibility to have a template for mind maps. can you tell my how you create this template? thanks
Hi, Joachim - thanks for stopping by! I hope this long-ish reply isn't too much. Templates save time in Devonthink. Without them, you have to create a document in the Mac's filesystem and then drag it to the right group. With templates, you create an empty file directly where it needs to be. To create any kind of template, even wild and crazy things like Scrivener projects, use the application to create an empty file. For instance, fire up MindNode. Tell it to create a new document. Put anything you want to appear by default, set appearance and theme, whatever you need. Save the MindNode file someplace easy to find, like your desktop. If your MindNode file is empty, you will have to use File->Save, because just closing an untouched file in MindNode will discard it. Now pop into Devonthink. Use the main menu Data->New from Template->Open Templates Folder. Command-N will pop open a second copy of Finder, where you can navigate to your new MindNode template. Drag the MindNode file into the Devonthink Templates.noindex folder. Note that you can group your templates. Just make folders and subfolders in Templates.noindex. An even easier way to create templates is to save them direction to Templates.noindex - the path to get there isn't hard to remember, and Data->New from Template->Open Templates Folder will always serve as a reminder. Hope this helps - I would like to hear how Devonthink works for you. It's not a flashy application, but it serves as a foundation to a lot of things I do.
this was well done! i’m sorry there aren’t more vids about DT!
Thanks, Keith! I agree, Devonthink is under-recognized, particularly among all the PKM options.
I couldn't get through the day without it.
@@billselkirk7829 i still get a little mixed up about the replicas because you can easily delete the original along with the replicas. i mostly get how DT treats them. i need to experiment and create and delete a few till i get the hang of it. thanks again 🙏
@@KeithDvorak Replicants are handy, and they are actually how tagging is implemented. Just remember that when you replicate a file (as opposed to duplicate) all the "copies" are actually equal. Replicated documents or groups don't have originals. A document with replicants doesn't disappear until all instances of the file are deleted.
Replicants don't take up space, either, since replicating a file really just tells Devonthink to display it in more than one place, not to copy it.
@@billselkirk7829 right 👍 the problem for me is trying to delete replicants while not deleting the “original.” i’ve tried playing with them in a test folder and there was a bit of a trick to it. i messed up somehow (still not sure) and deleted all the replicants and the original. maybe i just wasn’t paying attention 😜 if i recall correctly, you can only replicate within the same DB, and i think i’d like to replicate across DBs, eg, a theological article might also well apply in philosophy, so it would be nice to replicate it in both DBs.
@@KeithDvorak Experimenting will help understand, no doubt.
Here's some food for thought. There are no originals with replicants. They aren't like files and aliases or symlinks in an operating system.
Replicate a file and then delete it. Because you first replicated it, the file is unharmed and still appears where you created the replicant.
Replicate a file, then replicate the second "copy". Now you have three replicants that are all peers. The file won't be gone until all instances of the file are deleted, and it doesn't matter what order you delete them in. As long as any one instance remains, the file is there.
Devonthink stores files the way it wants to. They are stored in regular Finder folders and your files are unchanged by Devonthink, but they are in a hierarchy of folders that make sense to Devonthink.
The structure of groups and files you see in the DT user interface is generated on the fly. In fact, when you move a file from one group to another, Devonthink doesn't physically move the file. It stays wherever it was. Devonthink just displays it in the new group.
Replicants are a little like that. When you replicate a file, Devonthink doesn't do anything with the file. It displays the same file in two different places.
Chatting about Devonthink is fun. If I can help, ping me here or email me. My address is wds, which are the initials of my nom de plume, at xenopoint dot net.
Nice talking to you. I'm not Devonthink tech support, but I've used it for a long time. If I can share anything, please let me know.
Good luck, this was both enjoyable and useful!
this is really great
I wish you luck! 😉
Hi Bill, I am just new on DT and I saw in your Video a possibility to have a template for mind maps. can you tell my how you create this template? thanks
Hi, Joachim - thanks for stopping by!
I hope this long-ish reply isn't too much.
Templates save time in Devonthink. Without them, you have to create a document in the Mac's filesystem and then drag it to the right group.
With templates, you create an empty file directly where it needs to be.
To create any kind of template, even wild and crazy things like Scrivener projects, use the application to create an empty file.
For instance, fire up MindNode. Tell it to create a new document. Put anything you want to appear by default, set appearance and theme, whatever you need.
Save the MindNode file someplace easy to find, like your desktop.
If your MindNode file is empty, you will have to use File->Save, because just closing an untouched file in MindNode will discard it.
Now pop into Devonthink. Use the main menu Data->New from Template->Open Templates Folder.
Command-N will pop open a second copy of Finder, where you can navigate to your new MindNode template.
Drag the MindNode file into the Devonthink Templates.noindex folder.
Note that you can group your templates. Just make folders and subfolders in Templates.noindex.
An even easier way to create templates is to save them direction to Templates.noindex - the path to get there isn't hard to remember, and Data->New from Template->Open Templates Folder will always serve as a reminder.
Hope this helps - I would like to hear how Devonthink works for you. It's not a flashy application, but it serves as a foundation to a lot of things I do.