Automatically converting some filetypes to links but not others (Zotfile?)

ideabucket

Does Zotfile, or another similar plugin, have the ability to set different behaviours for different filetypes? I'd like to be able to rename PDFs and upload them to Zotero storage, but convert video attachments into linked files in a Dropbox folder so they don't take up vast amounts of my quota.

tim820

Yes, that attachment-filetype-specific behaviour can be modified in Zotfile Preferences. Zotfile's *default* behaviour when installed is to do the opposite to what you want, only move PDF attachment files (and several other attachment file types) to the Custom Location as linked files, but *not* move/link attachment file types not listed in its preferences, leaving them in local Zotero\storage. My Zotfile settings are below, and I don't believe I have ever altered them so they should be the defaults. So if someone had Zotero *File* syncing turned on, attachment file types not listed there would indeed be copied/uploaded from Zotero\storage to *also* exist on Zotero servers, and thus affect your storage quota.

Tools\Zotfile Preferences\Advanced Settings ...
'Only work with the following file types': pdf,doc,docx,txt,rtf,djvu,epub

I suspect but don't know for sure (because I haven't tried it) that if you omitted PDF from the above list and added MP4 (and any other video file types), with Zotero File Syncing turned on, that it might work in the way you want.

ideabucket

Oh my goodness, I can't believe I looked straight through that setting. That will work perfectly. Thank you!

ideabucket

So as it turns out, removing 'pdf' from Zotfile's list of recognised file types also prevents Zotfile's renaming rules from working on a PDF, even when triggered manually. This is unfortunate, because while there's Zotero's built-in renaming functionality to fall back to, it's much less sophisticated[1] than what Zotfile can do.

[1]: https://www.zotero.org/support/preferences/hidden_preferences

The dream would be to configure multiple rulesets in Zotfile: one for “just rename this file” and another for “rename this file and move it”.