I have several PDFs that contain text as an extra layer. I imported these PDFs from DevonThink, where they went through an OCR. In Preview, I can select text in these PDFs and copy and paste it into other apps. In bookends, it does not work. this is quite annoying when I take notes. Please change!
Markus
copy/paste text from PDF attachment
As a workaround, I open the pdf in preview and then copy the text into my notes field. Still, this procedure in my eyes is quite tedious and could be improved. In both Scrivener and DevonThink for example, it is no problem to copy text from any imported PDf that contains text. Actually, the prospect of a pdf viewer where I can take notes from was one of the main arguments for me to purchase the upgrade to version 10.
Another issue with the attachment viewer that I noticed was the limited zoom range - 200% is the last option. For people with bad eyes like me, more zoom levels would be a blessing. In the mean time, the universal access prefs help a bit, but this is definitly not the best solution.
With the help of my fujitsu snapscan, I have all the papers for my ph.d. project available as pdf documents. With version 10, it has become much easier for me to work with these files, because I can take notes while I am reading the files, plus it saves me a lot of trouble switching apps. I also like the way bookends handles keywords, which was not convincing in DTPO. I still keep the pdfs in both apps, as DTPO is useful when it comes to searching.
Most academics (have to) work with pdfs, and taking notes of interesting quotes is an important aspect of everyday reading. I do not believe that BE should become a full-featured and slow pdf viewer (like Acrobat), but maybe this could be an opportunity to improve BE in a way that actually makes sense.
Markus
Another issue with the attachment viewer that I noticed was the limited zoom range - 200% is the last option. For people with bad eyes like me, more zoom levels would be a blessing. In the mean time, the universal access prefs help a bit, but this is definitly not the best solution.
With the help of my fujitsu snapscan, I have all the papers for my ph.d. project available as pdf documents. With version 10, it has become much easier for me to work with these files, because I can take notes while I am reading the files, plus it saves me a lot of trouble switching apps. I also like the way bookends handles keywords, which was not convincing in DTPO. I still keep the pdfs in both apps, as DTPO is useful when it comes to searching.
Most academics (have to) work with pdfs, and taking notes of interesting quotes is an important aspect of everyday reading. I do not believe that BE should become a full-featured and slow pdf viewer (like Acrobat), but maybe this could be an opportunity to improve BE in a way that actually makes sense.
Markus
I don't disagree that being able to select and copy text in the pdf viewer wouldn't be a nice touch. It would require a completely different approach to handling pdfs, though, and it's not a trivial addition.
As for magnification, what would suggest as an enlargement that you would find comfortable to read?
Jon
Sonny Software
As for magnification, what would suggest as an enlargement that you would find comfortable to read?
Jon
Sonny Software
Hi Jon,
when I use the small screen of my macbook in other applications, the zoom level depends on the pdf file I am viewing. Because neither Devon or Preview display the current zoom levels, I can only estimate a number. Most of the time, 250% should be sufficient, but 300% / 350% zoom is just as useful if the print is very small (footnotes etc), especially on the road.
Thank you,
Mark
when I use the small screen of my macbook in other applications, the zoom level depends on the pdf file I am viewing. Because neither Devon or Preview display the current zoom levels, I can only estimate a number. Most of the time, 250% should be sufficient, but 300% / 350% zoom is just as useful if the print is very small (footnotes etc), especially on the road.
Thank you,
Mark
That's actually a big problem in BE, at least to me. One way to make this easier would be to split the view you get when you click on the "attachment" tab with a little field above it that would contain the contents of the "notes" field. This would mean that Jon wouldn't have to change yet again the UI for the reference window but simply would add a field to the attachment tab-view. Not as elegant as doing a HUD as they do in Papers or in Scrivener, but it gets the job done effectively and without much change to the software (I hope).Markus wrote:how do you take notes while reading a pdf?
Markus
If copy and paste would be available here it would be ideal, but it sure would be an improvement on the current situation where you have to switch back and forth.
Actually, I end up doing the note-taking in Papers and then export the entry with the notes to BE. Works rather well.
If you want the notes to be attached to the PDF, there's the indispensable - and FREE - Skim.
