Zotero and google drive setup: do I really need Zotfile?
So I'm finally resecting the malignant tumor that is Mendeley and trying to set up Zotero.
I read that one needs the Zotfile plugin to link a google drive folder. But I see an option under Zotero preferences for files and folders to be linked to any location I like. So my question is...why do I need zotfile?
Essentially, what I'm trying to do is import my existing google drive 'Research' folder, with all the PDFs, into Zotero and have it import the citation details, ready for use in a word document.
Thanks for the help!
I read that one needs the Zotfile plugin to link a google drive folder. But I see an option under Zotero preferences for files and folders to be linked to any location I like. So my question is...why do I need zotfile?
Essentially, what I'm trying to do is import my existing google drive 'Research' folder, with all the PDFs, into Zotero and have it import the citation details, ready for use in a word document.
Thanks for the help!
Instead, set up Zotfile to move just the attachment files (not your entire database) to Google Drive. See here for details: http://zotero.org/support/sync#alternative_syncing_solutions
If you’re having ZotFile move files to a given folder as linked file attachments, you do want to set the Linked Attachment Base Directory to that same folder so that file paths are stored relative to that folder, which will let you easily move it later or have that folder at a different location on another computer. But that setting doesn’t move files for you.
"Out of interest, why not export/import your database from Mendeley to Zotero?"
I read that because Mendeley encrypted their files, this is no longer possible...is that no longer the case?
So I already have all my pdfs stored on a google drive. If I understand this correctly, if I were to drag-and-drop from the google drive into Zotero, those PDFs would be copied in another folder on google drive (specified in the Zotfile preferences).
Is there any way to import the existing articles (and folder structure) into Zotero, without this re-copying happening?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mnMLOEuK8M&feature=youtu.be
I already have all my pdfs stored on google drive in a folder structure that makes sense to me. I use a pdf editor on my ipad (pdfviewer) which allows me to use my apple pencil to make annotations directly to the pdf stored on google drive.
I re-created the folder structure in Zotero and for each sub-collection I used the "Link to file..." option under the add (green plus sign) menu. I can then do a multi-select or select-all and it imports all the pdfs and finds the metadata for all. No copies were made in the Zotero storage folder and I'm now viewing and editing a single file across all applications and devices.
Hope it helps someone else...