Home » Public Forums » FoxTrot Search User Forum » Newbie seeking advice on replacing Spotlight
| Newbie seeking advice on replacing Spotlight [message #557] |
Sat, 08 July 2017 19:42  |
SpivR
Messages: 4
Registered: July 2017
|
Junior Member |
|
|
I'm evaluating the Personal Edition of Foxtrot Search (but open to using
the Pro version if needed) to replace macOS Spotlight.
I've been searching (sorry for the pun) for a fix to one key problem and
Foxtrot Search seems to be the solution:
I have 3 Macs, each one has a unique set of files that I need to use from
all of them so I use macOS file sharing to expose a folder from each Mac to
all the others. (One has "programming/development files", one has
"business/corporate files", and one has "personal/finance" files.)
I have never been able to get Spotlight to search network drives having
fiddled with both AFP and SMB sharing protocols, command line utilities
(mdutil) and never got it to work so I am grateful to find FoxTrot Search.
I had (personal edition) index all the shared volumes, both files and
contents. (I understand that personal uses a single index).
My questions:
General - any recommended settings or options I should be using? Not sure
if I should start digging around or just leave everything set to defaults
until I encounter a specific need that points me towards changing a setting.
I would like to be able to search for files of a specific type. Right now,
I want to locate a graphics logo file that I know is created in Adobe
Illustrator so I would like to search for all file names that end in ".ai"
What is the best way to do that? Is there a search option to only search
file types or a way to enter a simplified "*.ai" or do i have to upgrade to
Pro and use regular expressions?
|
|
|
|
| Re: Newbie seeking advice on replacing Spotlight [message #558 is a reply to message #557] |
Sat, 08 July 2017 19:53  |
CTM info
Messages: 179
Registered: September 2009
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Hello,
In response to your questions, it sounds like you would be better served by a Pro 5-user license on several accounts:
- Regular expression searching is indeed only available in Pro
- Personal and Pro are licensed per Mac, so a 5-user is economically cheaper than several single-user licenes
- You set of files on each Mac can be indexed and the index served to the other Pro clients which makes indexing and searching much faster for eac Mac
In terms of settings, not much to change from the default settings, probably you would be best served by indexing only those folders containing documents + the default types such as mail, calendar and so on for each Mac
The recommended way to find files of as specific type would be to perform your search and then use the categorization feature to filter out all non-image documents for instance.
Kind regards,
jean michel/ctm qa
> On Jul 8, 2017, at 7:42 PM, SpivR wrote:
>
> I'm evaluating the Personal Edition of Foxtrot Search (but open to using the Pro version if needed) to replace macOS Spotlight.
>
> I've been searching (sorry for the pun) for a fix to one key problem and Foxtrot Search seems to be the solution:
>
> I have 3 Macs, each one has a unique set of files that I need to use from all of them so I use macOS file sharing to expose a folder from each Mac to all the others. (One has "programming/development files", one has "business/corporate files", and one has "personal/finance" files.)
>
> I have never been able to get Spotlight to search network drives having fiddled with both AFP and SMB sharing protocols, command line utilities (mdutil) and never got it to work so I am grateful to find FoxTrot Search.
>
> I had (personal edition) index all the shared volumes, both files and contents. (I understand that personal uses a single index).
>
> My questions:
>
> General - any recommended settings or options I should be using? Not sure if I should start digging around or just leave everything set to defaults until I encounter a specific need that points me towards changing a setting.
>
> I would like to be able to search for files of a specific type. Right now, I want to locate a graphics logo file that I know is created in Adobe Illustrator so I would like to search for all file names that end in ".ai" What is the best way to do that? Is there a search option to only search file types or a way to enter a simplified "*.ai" or do i have to upgrade to Pro and use regular expressions?
>
>
|
|
|
|
| Re: Newbie seeking advice on replacing Spotlight [message #559 is a reply to message #557] |
Sun, 09 July 2017 10:51 |
FoxTrot Engineering
Messages: 406
Registered: April 2020
|
Senior Member |
|
|
SpivR wrote:
> I have 3 Macs, each one has a unique set of files that I need to use from
> all of them so I use macOS file sharing to expose a folder from each Mac to
> all the others.
If you don't use FoxTrot simultaneously on those 3 Macs, you can use FoxTrot Personal (or FoxTrot Pro single-user), and create an index on each Mac. The index can include files from shared folders. You will be able to find remote files even when the shared folder is not connected, but in this case you will only see a text preview of the found file.
You can also use FoxTrot Pro with a 5-user license, and instead of indexing locally files from a shared folder, connect to a shared index from the other Macs.
> I would like to be able to search for files of a specific type. Right now,
> I want to locate a graphics logo file that I know is created in Adobe
> Illustrator so I would like to search for all file names that end in ".ai"
> What is the best way to do that? Is there a search option to only search
> file types or a way to enter a simplified "*.ai" or do i have to upgrade to
> Pro and use regular expressions?
FoxTrot is not really designed for precise filename searching (but more for precise content searching). You can search for filenames containing the word [ai], but not specifically for the filename extension. You can however use categorization (in the left pane) to focus on files with a given type.
With FoxTrot Pro, you can refine a search using regular expressions, but using this for searching filename extension is kind of a hack. You have to perform a two criteria search like this:
[filename] [includes all of the words] [ai]
[filename] [matches the regular expression] [\.ai$]
Jérôme - CTM Engineering
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------
"FABULOUS PRODUCT ! Wonderful ! A real Spotlight Killer !
I'm now able to locate content in documents that I KNEW was there but
Spotlight couldn't find. FoxTrot Personal Search is far more efficient
and displays a preview of the file when you hiighlight it."
Janie Angus, Nevada
Download a demo version from www.foxtrot.ch
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------
Jérôme - FoxTrot Engineering
|
|
|
|
| Re: Newbie seeking advice on replacing Spotlight [message #560 is a reply to message #557] |
Sun, 09 July 2017 18:11 |
SpivR
Messages: 4
Registered: July 2017
|
Junior Member |
|
|
Thanks!
I didn't see the categorization in the left pane, that does just what I
need in this case. (I am using an iMac Retina 5K and the text size is
fairly small - is there a preference setting to use larger size text or to
"zoom" the FoxTrot app window display?)
For Personal Edition, I was assuming I would have to purchase a copy for
each computer once my evaluation is complete. Could you explain how the
licensing working for my situation? Can I have a copy installed on each of
three computers and as long as I am only using one computer at any one
time, that is ok? (Having a separate index on each computer and insuring
that each one gets updated is ok as my overall collection of files doesn't
change too frequently.)
The Pro edition with a 5-user license would be much too expensive for my
level of usage and budget.
Thanks!
On Saturday, July 8, 2017 at 10:42:29 AM UTC-7, SpivR wrote:
>
> I'm evaluating the Personal Edition of Foxtrot Search (but open to using
> the Pro version if needed) to replace macOS Spotlight.
>
> I've been searching (sorry for the pun) for a fix to one key problem and
> Foxtrot Search seems to be the solution:
>
> I have 3 Macs, each one has a unique set of files that I need to use from
> all of them so I use macOS file sharing to expose a folder from each Mac to
> all the others. (One has "programming/development files", one has
> "business/corporate files", and one has "personal/finance" files.)
>
> I have never been able to get Spotlight to search network drives having
> fiddled with both AFP and SMB sharing protocols, command line utilities
> (mdutil) and never got it to work so I am grateful to find FoxTrot Search.
>
> I had (personal edition) index all the shared volumes, both files and
> contents. (I understand that personal uses a single index).
>
> My questions:
>
> General - any recommended settings or options I should be using? Not sure
> if I should start digging around or just leave everything set to defaults
> until I encounter a specific need that points me towards changing a setting.
>
> I would like to be able to search for files of a specific type. Right
> now, I want to locate a graphics logo file that I know is created in Adobe
> Illustrator so I would like to search for all file names that end in ".ai"
> What is the best way to do that? Is there a search option to only search
> file types or a way to enter a simplified "*.ai" or do i have to upgrade to
> Pro and use regular expressions?
>
|
|
|
|
| Re: Newbie seeking advice on replacing Spotlight [message #561 is a reply to message #560] |
Sun, 09 July 2017 18:32 |
CTM info
Messages: 179
Registered: September 2009
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Hello,
If you use your FoxTrot applications one at a time and not simultaneously, you can run it on up to three computers of your own. Personal or Pro single-user, same principle.
Kind regards,
Jean-Michel/CTM QA
> On Jul 9, 2017, at 6:11 PM, SpivR wrote:
>
> Thanks!
>
> I didn't see the categorization in the left pane, that does just what I need in this case. (I am using an iMac Retina 5K and the text size is fairly small - is there a preference setting to use larger size text or to "zoom" the FoxTrot app window display?)
>
> For Personal Edition, I was assuming I would have to purchase a copy for each computer once my evaluation is complete. Could you explain how the licensing working for my situation? Can I have a copy installed on each of three computers and as long as I am only using one computer at any one time, that is ok? (Having a separate index on each computer and insuring that each one gets updated is ok as my overall collection of files doesn't change too frequently.)
>
> The Pro edition with a 5-user license would be much too expensive for my level of usage and budget.
>
> Thanks!
>
> On Saturday, July 8, 2017 at 10:42:29 AM UTC-7, SpivR wrote:
> I'm evaluating the Personal Edition of Foxtrot Search (but open to using the Pro version if needed) to replace macOS Spotlight.
>
> I've been searching (sorry for the pun) for a fix to one key problem and Foxtrot Search seems to be the solution:
>
> I have 3 Macs, each one has a unique set of files that I need to use from all of them so I use macOS file sharing to expose a folder from each Mac to all the others. (One has "programming/development files", one has "business/corporate files", and one has "personal/finance" files.)
>
> I have never been able to get Spotlight to search network drives having fiddled with both AFP and SMB sharing protocols, command line utilities (mdutil) and never got it to work so I am grateful to find FoxTrot Search.
>
> I had (personal edition) index all the shared volumes, both files and contents. (I understand that personal uses a single index).
>
> My questions:
>
> General - any recommended settings or options I should be using? Not sure if I should start digging around or just leave everything set to defaults until I encounter a specific need that points me towards changing a setting.
>
> I would like to be able to search for files of a specific type. Right now, I want to locate a graphics logo file that I know is created in Adobe Illustrator so I would like to search for all file names that end in ".ai" What is the best way to do that? Is there a search option to only search file types or a way to enter a simplified "*.ai" or do i have to upgrade to Pro and use regular expressions?
>
>
|
|
|
|
| Re: Newbie seeking advice on replacing Spotlight [message #564 is a reply to message #560] |
Tue, 11 July 2017 09:24 |
FoxTrot Engineering
Messages: 406
Registered: April 2020
|
Senior Member |
|
|
SpivR wrote:
> For Personal Edition, I was assuming I would have to purchase a copy for
> each computer once my evaluation is complete. Could you explain how the
> licensing working for my situation?
If you are the user of multiple Macs, and don't use them simultaneously (one at home and one at work for example, or a Macbook you only use outside), then yes, you can use a single license. If the Macs are used simultaneously or by different persons, of course you need one FoxTrot license per user.
Jérôme - CTM Engineering
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------
"I used to spend hours and hours looking for a file that I swear that
I had on one of my drives, but just could not locate. FoxTrot Personal
Search has saved me countless hours of frustration. I strongly recommend
this to anyone who is tired of misplacing files and then having that bad
feeling when you can't find it."
FoxTrot Personal Search user comment on download.cnet.com
Download a demo version from www.foxtrot.ch
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------
Jérôme - FoxTrot Engineering
|
|
|
|
Goto Forum:
Current Time: Wed Dec 18 04:46:13 GMT+1 2024
|
] 
FoxTrot Search Forum
Search
Help
Members
Register
Login
Home
