External PDF viewer (Mac OS)

konradz

As most of the Mac users I used Preview to open and read PDF files. However, when working with scientific articles I prefer using Skim as it's marking and annotation capabilities are much greater than those offered in Preview. It would be nice if I could configure Zotero to open PDFs in Skim instead of Preview. I know I could achieve that by making Skim default PDF viewer but I want Preview to be default application for reading PDF files, it's integration with Safari and Firefox PDF plugin is really handy. Not to mention that it's simply very neat and handy application. Skim is good in working with big files like books or long articles where all the annotation and marking features come in very handy.

adamsmith

if you're OK with Skim being the default pdf editor for your operating system (but Firefox/Safari still opening files with preview) have a look at the "Launch non-native Files" hidden pref:
http://www.zotero.org/support/hidden_prefs#general_preferences
otherwise you''re pretty much out of luck - best choice then is to use "show file" and "open with.."

konradz

Thanks for reply. Frankly speaking, I don't want Skim to be default pdf viewer for my operating system. I find that Preview is OK to deal with most of small files on daily basis. I use Skim only when working with bigger files, usually scientific publications. I would like Skim to be default PDF reader only for files open through Zotero. Preview can stay for rest of the files opened through Finder, browsers or email applications.

dstillman

Zotero has no control whatsoever over what program opens your files—it just dispatches it to the OS. It's unlikely that that will change.

Perhaps you can find some sort of conditional opening tool, though I don't think I've ever seen such a thing.

konradz

Hi, yeas I see that it has no control. I'm just saying that it would be nice if it had. I find Zotero an excellent piece of software and such functionality is only a gadget :)

dyagel07

Here's another possible workaround that I'm currently using (also with Skim on OSX): change the default viewer for individual files, rather than for the operating system as a whole. I just use the "Show File" command in Zotero, and then hit command+I when the pdf is highlighted in Finder. Change the viewer in the "Open with" panel. Now "Open in External Viewer" takes you to the new viewer, but only for that pdf. This procedure doesn't add much time to the "show file" and "open with" routine, so it's worth it if you open the same file multiple times from Zotero.

satyajitchatterjee

Following up on the workaround mentioned in the previous post. You can select any PDF document in your computer and then use command+I -> "Open with" -> Skim and then click the "Change all" button below to make Skim the default external viewer. After this, Zotero's "Open in External Viewer" button will open any particular PDF in Skim.

cjpoor

Zotfile advanced settings allow you to make Skim the default reader.

dstillman

No need for ZotFile — in the latest version of Zotero you can select the PDF viewer to use from the General preferences if you don't want to use the system default.

cjpoor

Thanks for that clarification, Dan - and for the code providing the function :)
It still seems that, assuming one uses ZotFile, in order to open the pdf at links (e.g. imported chapter headings), one will need to adjust the ZotFile advanced settings.
Does Zotero provide this function of opening the pdf at links without ZotFile?

adamsmith

Yes, I'm pretty sure ZotFile handles the PDF link function entirely separately of Zotero settings, so you'd have to set that separately.