Apple Service Menu in preview

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rafeek66 Author

Level 1

5 points

Apple Service Menu in preview

Hi All

It seems apple had taketh again. In Ventura 13.1, the services menu displays "no service apply"

Based on the thread, apple had added the pdfkit to text with one user showing it is working.

Currently, the problem has serviced again, sadly.

It seems to be affecting any pdf document irrespective of work round. For example, I imported the pdf in my reference editor (Bookends) and he I am able to access the "services menu" but it will not execute the function. I receive the following error message

Clipping creation failed.

"clippings creation failed" "String could not be created from pasteboard."

I have also tried creating a shortcut, this also does not work.

The easiest would be for apple to sort out the problem but there seems no direct way to contact them.

Is there anyone who has a solution or a working work around.

Please help.

MacBook Pro

Posted on Jan 22, 2023 2:46 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,126 points

Jan 22, 2023 8:27 AM in response to rafeek66

You seem to be talking about Services added by specific apps you have installed. They don't appear to be native (built-in) Services provided by Apple. If you think they were provided by Apple, please describe them better, for instance the full text of the service name (for instance, I have no "notes" or "clippings" tabs in the Services menu). If they were not made by Apple, you need to reach out to the developer for information on compatibility with Ventura.

Services can be enabled/disabled in the Keyboard System Settings, Keyboard Shortcuts, but it appears the ones you want are enabled as you see them in Bookend.

If the Service runs an app that would need access to private data, then you may have to figure out what that is and add it to Full Disk Access in Privacy & Security System Settings.

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,230 points

Jan 22, 2023 8:59 AM in response to rafeek66

I would visit the BookEnds site or support community and see if others have found a solution to your current challenge. The last release of Apple's Preview that supported Text Clipping (select text and drag/drop to another application or the FInder) was in El Capitan (10.11.6). I tested this on High Sierra, Mojave, Big Sur, Monterey, and Ventura and Preview's text clipping capability is dead.

Apple is continuously changing its underlying application frameworks and that includes the unfavorable removal of earlier functionality from its applications, including Preview.

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,230 points

Jan 22, 2023 6:39 AM in response to rafeek66

When a service (or now Quick Action) is created, it is configured to expect specific content type in a specific opened application. As long as that content type is not selected in the expected application, then no services intended for that application will appear in the application's Services menu. What you may see are General Services that take no selection, and are available to any application, but may still not work in your choice of application as the service was intended.

As Apple's Preview is not a PDF Editor, no service will appear that is designed to modify selected text in the original PDF, or violate any user permission settings on that PDF. Your Bookends application may have installed additional services specific to its usage and selected content type.

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Answer 4

rafeek66 Author

Level 1

5 points

Jan 22, 2023 8:06 AM in response to rafeek66

Thank you for reaching out.

In previous OS the functionality was there (In Preview -According to google it has to do with the pdfkit), currently, I am able to copy and paste text from the pdf but this does not help because when you research for a paper, dissertation or PHD then you will be going through many pdf and each pdf is a document many pages thick. Many times you only want a few lines etc. Therefore you need a way to copy the text with a note as to where you got it from and where and in what contact you want to use it.

This is where Scivener comes in specifically the Notes and clippings function.

Back to my challenge, the functionality is there in word and even on the internet but not with pdf, which is the most used and apple did have it. The challenge is not Apple Preview but how apple is handling pdf with the "services - text" function.

For example, In Bookend (which is the reference editor I use) I have my list of references with its associated pdf document. In this application the services table appears with the "notes" and "clippings" tabs but it does not execute the command ie It does not allow me to tag the piece I have copied and allow me to save it, to recall later.

Can you help.

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Answer 5

rafeek66 Author

Level 1

5 points

Jan 22, 2023 8:17 AM in response to Barney-15E

Hi Thank you for reaching out.

The services is found under Settings / Keyboard / Keyboard short / Services.

it is where apple has several shortcuts as well as software suppliers. The specific one I am using is Scrivener which I am using to write my dissertation.

It works in everything except pdf documents, which it did in previous IOS versions. According to google, it has to do with pdfkit or something like this. I am not even a novice hence reaching out for help.

The thing is pdf documents forms a major part of the dissertation since the majority of research publications use it and sometime you go through 30 pages just for one line. The challenge come in when you have gone through many documents and you have to reference the source or trying to remember why you selected it or when you want to use it. This is where Scrivener "notes" and " clippings" comes in.

As a work around I have imported the a pdf document into the referencing software I am using (bookends). when I highlight the pdf and right click, the services tab is there, as well the the two functions I referred to above but it does not execute the function.

Are you able to assist.

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