ZOTERO

Zotero can extract native pdf annotations and sync them with obsidian.

obsidian plugin usage

From obsidian, run the command prompt and run zotero: templated. This opens a prompt that asks you which papers to import. After having done that, the corresponding notes will be synced/created. Note that any text written below the summary section, is not persistent. Write any persistent stuff preferably directly below the title.

setup

1. Install the two plugins from p/zotero into zotero.
2. Go through the zotfile setup for syncing files to external devices. It basically boils down to configuring the correct settings under tools -> zotfile preferences.
3. Install the bibtex citation format in zotero under edit -> preferences -> cite -> get additional styles...
4. Install the obsidian zotero plugin and configure an input format that takes zotero/template.md as template and the bibtex citation format.
5. Make sure the input format's (attachment) filenames go explicitly into the zotero folder.
6. You should be good now.

mobile sync

With zotfile properly installed, you can right click any paper and do Manage Attachments ... -> Send to Tablet. Now a pdf will be created in the folder that you specified during the zotfile setup (probably p/zotero). You can sync this folder with another device (using autosync or git or whatever), edit on that device and sync back. Then, in zotero right click the paper again and do Manage Attachments ... -> Get from Tablet Now, any annotations should be incorporated into zotero, and should then be able to be synced into obsidian, though this hasn't been tested yet.

links

• zotfile
• better bibtex
• zotero obsidian plugin doc
• template source