Zutilo "modify attachments paths" doesn't work

VR87 · April 22, 2020

Hi, I'm trying to use the Zutilo plugin to modify the attachment paths for multiple elements at a time.

I'm trying first one by one but it's not working.

I'm using Zotero 5.0.85 and macOS 10.13.6.

Currently I set the "main folder for attachments" to "/Users/Vincenzo/", because I want to point to elements which will be in "/Users/Vincenzo/Papers/" and in "/Users/Vincenzo/Books/", and this will be consistent across different machines.

In this case the wrong path of the element is "/Users/Vincenzo/" and the correct path would be "/Users/Vincenzo/Papers". This is what I do:
- double click on an element with broken link: https://imgur.com/wY2qmxB
- click "modify attachment path" in Zutilo menu: https://imgur.com/qHK6Xau
- set correct path: https://imgur.com/Bt3qPdf

After this procedure, clicking on the same element I get the same dialog with the same wrong path, as if I did nothing.

dstillman · April 22, 2020

What do you mean by "main folder for attachments"? Do you mean the Linked Attachment Base Directory in the Advanced → Files and Folders pane of the Zotero preferences? If so, the paths are stored as relative paths to that directory, and I doubt Zutilo would operate on the implied absolute paths.

But you don't need Zutilo for this. If you want to change everything currently in the root to be under "Papers/", you'd want to change the Linked Attachment Base Directory to Papers, which should restore your access to the files (assuming all your files are in that directory), and then unset it so that the paths are changed to absolute paths. You can then change the Base Directory back to your home directory, which should change the relative paths back to "Papers/[…].pdf", and linked files you add within Books would be stored as "Books/[…].pdf".

VR87 · April 22, 2020

so as I understand, the Linked Attachment Base Directory is the prefix of all the relative paths?

and if, for other reasons, I have to modify with Zutilo the attachment path, I have to specify the relative one instead of the absolute one?

dstillman · April 22, 2020

so as I understand, the Linked Attachment Base Directory is the prefix of all the relative paths?

Yes.

and if, for other reasons, I have to modify with Zutilo the attachment path, I have to specify the relative one instead of the absolute one?

I don't know if Zutilo works at all on relative paths. But Zutilo isn't necessary as long as you understand how to use the Linked Attachment Base Directory setting.