Ability to set external pdf viewer
I would like to have the ability to choose which pdf viewer to use to read papers.
I think a similar feature request was closed a couple of weeks ago ("allow to set which pdf viewer to use") with the suggestion of changing the default pdf viewer for the system.
However, I have multiple pdf viewers installed: a lightweight one that I use for most pdfs, and a more complete one with the ability to highlight and take notes that I use for reading papers. The former is my system defaults, but I would like to use the latter in Mendeley.
Even if an internal pdf viewer has been planned for the next release, it would be very good to give the user the ability to choose if to use the internal viewer or some other fancy external viewer.
thanks,
mirko.
mirko.montanari
shared this idea
There appear to be two issues here: the first is the one reported, whereby mirko.montanari would like to have the option to view PDFs though different browsers.
The second is the ability to have ‘Open Externally’ as default. If this is what you are voting/commenting for, please go here: http://feedback.mendeley.com/forums/4941-general/suggestions/216079-ability-to-set-external-pdf-viewer
Eiher way, both tickets have been raised with our Development Team.
21 comments
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Jochen Kumm
commented
agreed
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Daniel
commented
This comment is in response to the admin message dated Nov 14, 2012.
To clarify, what I requested (and what I think many others here are asking for) is for the ability to set what PDF viewer Mendeley uses to view PDF files. Specifically, on iPad, I would like to be able to set iAnnotate to be the default PDF viewer. When I open a PDF file from within Mendeley, it would open the paper in iAnnotate automatically.
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d
commented
agreed! i need it for skim notes, hope it'll come...
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Anonymous
commented
This feature is almost mandatory
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anonymous
commented
I think this would be great. I also have multiple readers installed. I prefer okular as my default viewer, but I would like to use another reader for my scientific papers!
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Anonymous
commented
This would be great. I use Skim for academic papers but my system default is Preview and I don't want to change it.
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prabin
commented
To be able to open PDF extenally in a different PDF viewer other than preview, just set that PDF viewer as default PDF viewer in your mac.
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Robert Knight
commented
Hi Jorge,
On Linux, Mendeley uses the xdg-open tool to open external links, including URLs and PDF files. xdg-open is supposed to open your default PDF viewer. If it doesn't the first thing I would check is what program Gnome / KDE think are the default viewer. If that doesn't do the right thing, you can write your own xdg-open script and put it in your PATH so that Mendeley will use that instead.
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Jorge Adriano Branco Aires commented
This is the feature I miss the most.
For some reason, at least in LXDE, Mendeley thinks my default PDF viewer is Firefox. I did set the system default to Okular though:
application/pdf=kde4-okular.desktopIf I could select my pdf viewer, this wouldn't be a problem.
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Arild
commented
I agree that this would be a good thing. However, I think the ability to open pdfs in any external viewer by default (http://feedback.mendeley.com/forums/4941-mendeley-feedback/suggestions/474410-open-file-externally-by-default?ref=title) is more important.
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turkey
commented
After install 0.9.8.1 version, I can't open pdf file by external pdf viewer. When I right-click to open the pdf file, error message says "file not found". Of course, the file is not changed. After I just updated mendeley, the error occurs.
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Robert Knight
commented
Hi Yuuki,
You can open a document in the default PDF viewer by right-clicking on a document in the central library list and selecting "Open File Externally"
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Yuuki Ohta
commented
It would be great if the choice of the default pdf viewer can be implemented internally within Mendeley; however, just having an option to choose the external application (e.g. Skim, Acrobat, etc.) to open a file with would be very helpful.
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Robert Knight
commented
Hi Aaron,
Yes, right now Mendeley assumes that files do not change once they have been imported so any use case involving modifying files after import is not supported. We plan to sort that out in a future update.
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Aaron Harnly
commented
Related: I use my system / external PDF viewer (Skim on Mac, iAnnotate on iPad) to add annotations. Mendeley should recognize when a PDF under its management has been changed, and mark that file for sync back to the central repository.
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edgimar
commented
More generally, it would be good if the user could set up associations between file extensions and applications (a mapping from file extension to a commandline string which could include arguments and a variable for substituting the filename). If no mapping is defined, then just use the operating-system's default.
AND, (i know there's another feature request for this, but...) it would also make sense to have an option as to whether double-clicking on a reference launches the topmost attachment in the defined external viewer or in the internal viewer.
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Karl Dawson
commented
I would also like an option to set what the default PDF viewer is within Mendeley.
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Matt Leifer
commented
The default pdf viewer on the mac version of Mendeley is buggy, slow and crashes often. Would be nice to be able to replace it with an external viewer.
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Thomas
commented
Absolutely. In addition please see my topic "Add toolbar button for opening PDF in external viewer"
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Christopher VanLang
commented
I agree. I enjoy using my current pdf viewer and it would be nice if mendeley gives me the option to us it rather than manually opening it externally.
