Links/Shortcuts To Local Files With Desktop App

[Remember]

I would like to be able to open other files/programs on my computer through RemNote. This doesn’t mean that I want an embedded text editor, video player, etc. In fact, I think that wouldn’t be feasible, because it would be a pain to make RemNote able to open/edit any type of file in existence . Instead, I think RemNote should integrate links/shortcuts to locations on the local storage in a computer. Obsidian might be able to do this already (which is where I got the idea).

To me, this would help RemNote become more useful for planning/coordinating projects and creating a more extensive knowledge base.

Some things to think about when implementing this:

• Would this be solved with a plugin or with a new native feature?
• If one moved files around on their computer, would there be a way to keep the links intact?

I know that this could be hard to implement and would kind of start to turn RemNote into a file explorer, but I think that it is worth it.

Example:
Presentation for Biology (in RemNote) links to C:\Users\Bob\Documents\Biology\Biology_Presentation.pptx

Note:
This is similar to this thread Hyperlink handling overhaul for consistency and more intuitive use

[ognsya]

A simple functionality to link to local files would hugely improve my workflow (let OS decide how/where to open; the equivalent of double-clicking whatever file is linked)

Other features mentioned by OP are cool too, but would be great to have the minimal functionality!

[hannesfrank]

As written here

How Do I Make Clickable Link to DevonThink File

This is most likely a bug. I would guess that the RemNote url regex/parser does not expect url schemes which contain a -. Other schemes like vscode://file/{full path to file}:line:column work just fine. Please open a bug report on https://github.com/remnoteio/remnote-issues. As a workaround you can use this syntax (markdown link format) when pasting (as described here): [Text for your Link](x-devonthink-item://BF17A448-5004-4A35-8449-BF34DF2C862E)

you can link to everything that can be specified by an URL scheme. This includes

• media files (audio, video)
  
  
• Microsoft Office files (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) (Office-URI-Schemas | Microsoft Docs)
  E.g. ms-powerpoint:ofv|u|file://C:/path/to/file.pptx
• Text files using VSCode (The Visual Studio Code command-line options)
• files for any other application you have installed that has registered an URL scheme

The only drawback is that since you can not edit links in RemNote you have to prepare them in another editor before pasting. One could make a plugin though where you can just drag those files into to insert the link I guess.

[ognsya]

I’m a bit confused about those URL schemes…

I am able to insert local media files to display them within RemNote.

What I am not able to do is to just have a link to an arbitrary local file.
For example, lets say I have a PDF file in C:/pdfs

I want to be able to add that as a link in RemNote, which when clicked would just open the PDF the same way it would if I double-clicked it in Windows Explorer…

I tried doing /file, then adding the path file://C:/pdfs/mypdf.pdf and it doesn’t work (RemNote keeps trying to interpret it as a media file I guess)

I’m probably missing something obvious due to my lack of knowledge on this (as usual)

[Yuki]

Same question with u.

[marcothesis]

For Mac users, does this perform what are being discussed here?

https://hookproductivity.com/

[hannesfrank]

I have no mac, but I’m pretty sure it does since you just paste markdown links into RemNote and Hook does the rest:

Get More out of Markdown

[ognsya]

Anyone knows of any updates on this?

I know we (still) don’t have an official public roadmap, but maybe some update on this came up which I missed.

[M_Young]

I tried the MacOS filepath with the “file://” in front of it, which is what Excel and Obisidian like, or can use. With OmniOutliner, I just drag into the OO document and hold Cmd or Ctrl until it turns into a link.

Comparing these two structures: the one I might use for Excel, and the one created by Hook, you can see they’re quite different. I don’t know the terminology, but it seems that Hook is then called as an app and then is looking up its own database of the file paths it has created.

The “Laplace” link format doesn’t work in Remnote – nothing happens although the little popup to encourage me to Cmd-Click does open when I hover over the link. (Note that my Obsidian can correctly open either of the two photos, linked in the different styles below.)

• [Laplace status picture](file:///Volumes/HD/Projects//Edit/LaplaceBust_Still.tif)
  vs
• 004.Abel_.jpg

The Hook filepath is hidden in the markdown syntax, so I paste it again here:

hook://file/3GXIyvLtx?p=U2VxdWVuY2VzX1YyL1NlZ21lbnRfMDM=

$35 for Hook seems expensive. However, I do need links to many things. Hook boasts of its ability to hook several files together to make a (my term) project bundle. I do that already with other tools. I would just use it to get some kind of Remnote link to a local file. But a $35 tool for that is a bit spendy imo. I searched StackOverflow for some kind of script I could adapt to make my own “Hook” but I didn’t find anything. I’m both reluctant to spend $35 on it, and also find it fun to write or adapt a program to do this.

[jingcaizhx666]

steps:

1. type any text, let say “apple”
2. select apple with mouse
3. click Link, it prompts up “Paste a web URL or search a Rem”
4. type as follows
   file:///D:\apple.mp4
5. click Link to website. IT’S DONE