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Dropbox-Zotero-Obsidian integration setup 1
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dropbox-zotero-obsitian-1.md

How to Setup Dropbox-Zotero-Obsidian Workflow

Introduction

This document only shows the setups required for Zotero-Obsidian integration. Tutorial on workflow is given in an in-person meeting.

There are many different ways to setup workflow for coordinating Dropbox, Zotero, and Obsidian. The setup described in this post is for:

  • using Dropbox provided by my university for accessing PDF files in multiples of devices, including Apple computers and iOS devices. I did not own a PC or Android device but I am fairly sure the setup below should work in the eco system.

  • using Zotero with free subscription. You can store and sync PDF files through paid subscription, but this setup instruction is intended for free subscription.

  • using Obsidian without sync subscription and therefore free. In this case, you cannot access your Obsidian notes from iOS or Android devices. If you want to use your mobile, then I can provide a separate instruction later.

Dropbox

  • If you already have Dropbox desktop app installed in your PC and mobile, please skip this section.

  • If you need help for setting up Dropbox, please see this instruction.

  • Before moving onto the next steps, make sure you can see Dropbox directory from your device.

Zotero

Download and Make Free Account

  • Download Zotero.

  • Make a free account in Zotero.org. This is required to sync some of your information with your Zotero apps installed in other devices. For free account, PDF files are not synced. In this setup, we will use Dropbox for accessing PDF files in different devices. Note that there are some limitations of using Dropbox to sync PDF files for Zotero citations.

Better BibTeX add-on

  • Install Better BibTex for Zotero in Zotero app. An instruction of Add-on installation is available here. Do not install ZotFile shown in the video. We will not use ZotFile.

  • Download Better BibTeX add-on. Note that the link is for version 6.7.140. As of 01-13-2024, the latest version of Better BibTeX does not work well with Obsidian.

  • Click Tools > Add-ons > More in Better BibTex for Zotero. Turn off "Automatic Updates" for Better BibTeX for Zotero as shown below.

Some Add-ons to Consider

  • I also recommend to install Night for Zotero (for dark mode). You should be able to see Zotero Word for Mac Integration in your extension list. Please enable it if you like to use Zotero with MS Word.

  • I recommend to install browser connector from Tools > Install Browser Connector.

Better BibTeX Setup

  • Open Preferences.

  • Click Open Better BibTeX preferences.

  • Download shim-better-bibtex-setup.json.

  • Choose Import tab and Import BetterBibTeX preferences .... Then locate the file you downloaded above (shim-better-bibtex-setup.json) and then choose this file. This will make all necessary setups.

Zotero Setup

  • Open Preferences.

  • I include screen capture of some Zotero setups for you to check.

  • In the red boxed area, you will see Link button. Click and link your free Zotero account.

  • Make a directory where you are going to save PDF files for papers. Make sure the new directory exists under your dropbox folder for successful sync of the files across different devices.

  • In Advanced > Files and Folders, click Choose button and choose your PDF directory you made in the step above.

Obsidian

Basic Setup

  • Watch video on installation and quick introduction.

  • Following the method shown in the video above, install the following core plugins: Backlinks, Bookmarks, Canvas, Command palette, Daily notes, File recovery, Files, Graph view, Note composer, Outgoing links, Outline, Page preview, Quick switcher, Random note, Search, Tags view, Templates, Word count, and Workspaces.

  • Following the method shown in the video above, install the following Community plugins: Calendar, Citations, Copy as HTML, CSV Table, Dataview, Find orphaned files and broken links, Importer, Mind Map, Recent Files, Style Settings, Tag Wrangler, Tasks, Templater, Theme Picker, and Zotero Integration.

  • Make setups shown below in Files and links. Important setups are highlighted in the screen shot below.

  • Make meta > attatchments directory in your Obsidian vault as shown below.

  • Make setups shown below in the Daily notes section

Setup for Zotero Integration in Obsidian

  • Set up Zotero Integration preferences as shown below. Check other items as well as the highlighted ones. For Note Import Location, you need to make a directory zotero-notes in your Obsidian vault. In this directory, zotero information will be saved as notes.

  • Make the setups shown in the following screenshots. Download zotero.md from here and save it under meta/templates directory in your Obsidial vault.

Other Remarks

  • I use the AnuPpuccin theme for my Obsidian.
  • This YouTube channel provides a lot of useful video tutorials on Obsidian.
  • Regarding Zotero-Obsidian integration, you may find more detailed information in this website. However, note that my set up is somewhat different from the setup shown in the website. Therefore, do not mix up the setup suggested here with the setup discussed in the website.
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