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How to import from Nimbus and retain formatting


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Anybody know how to import from Nimbus Note (not plain text) so that headers, font colours, attachments, etc are included? Nimbus exports only in PDF or HTML. I figured HTML would work because it's a universal format but it seems Evernote does not have an HTML import feature. Any ideas? Anyone aware perhaps of a third party import/export app that will work? FYI I'm on a Mac desktop. Any ideas appreciated.

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Hi.  Sometimes an internet search can be a friend...

and...  

Since you have PDF files,  you might also consider an Import Folder to attach those files to notes where they would at least be legible.  (Beware upload and note size limits though.) 

This would - obviously - not give you note titles or any other structure,  but that's something you could deal with over time and as necessary.

Create import folders

Evernote system limits

 

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Thanks for the reply but I had already seen those posts that you put in your response as well as many others. Unfortunately those do not provide an answer to my question; they do give warnings about what to do or not do and the unfortunate reality that exporting from one platform to another is often problematic. So in the spirit of keeping this thread on topic perhaps it would be best if you delete your response to my question, and to others who may read this thread please keep your replies focused on the best solutions you have found, if any. I want to prevent this thread from becoming a big long convoluted discussion about problems to which there are no solutions. Solutions only please! Thanks to all.

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Since we're not mind readers here,  full details of what you've tried as well as what you need,  help to define a more on point answer.  What we (mostly) are is other users of the application,  so unless someone else has been through the same process successfully you're unlikely to find someone with an off the shelf answer.  Good luck with your search though...

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What I'm trying to achieve is this:

1. Export the HTML file from Nimbus (that I can do, no problem)

2. Go into Evernote desktop and import the HTML file so the formatting is retained (font colours, headers, spacing, bold/italics, photos that are inserted in the note, etc).

Quite simply I want to be able to look at the current note in Nimbus and have it look the same in Evernote. Disclaimer... yeah I know it won't be 'exactly' the same but it seems that those notes apps that can import from other apps have a way to map/match headers, colours etc so they are mostly identical with minor formatting differences. I do not want to just import plain text and I do not want to lose the photos and diagrams as many of my notes are 'how to instructions'.

So quite simply: How do I import HTML files into Evernote? HTML is a universal format so Evernote should be able to bring those in.

 

 

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22 minutes ago, rodwarren125 said:

So quite simply: How do I import HTML files into Evernote? HTML is a universal format so Evernote should be able to bring those in.

Except that it can't. The closest answer to a solution is for you to ask Evernote support via ticket.

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Thanks agsteele. Unfortunately I can't submit a support ticket because that is not available for free users, and I was going to become a paid user (again) if I could get my notes imported into Evernote but it looks like that is not possible so I'll just have to keep looking. I did find some possibilities which I'll post here in case others have the same question. I just found them and I'm about to start looking into them more. In case it is of help to others with the same question, here are the possibilities that I have found so far that may do the trick for importing HTML format notes, and that overall look like good platforms:

  1. Notejoy dot com I have not tried yet but looks very promising
  2. Notesnook dot com I have not tried yet but looks very promising
  3. Microsoft OneNote - look at the 'getonetastic dot com' add-on I tried it a little bit, seems OK but overall I have issues with Microsoft's quirks and bugs
  4. Notion dot com I have not used this one yet for importing, but I tried it last year for tasks & notes and I found it to be overkill for a single user, seems geared to large teams
  5. “Notebooks” notebooksapp dot com Did some basic testing, it is like a notes app, document creator, file manager all in one. Powerful and very impressive. If you need something for just basic notes this would be too much, but for an option with a plethora of features and editing capabilities it could be the most advanced I've seen.

Thanks to everyone who replied and all the best to everyone who is looking for HTML notes import options.

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2 hours ago, rodwarren125 said:

Thanks agsteele. Unfortunately I can't submit a support ticket because that is not available for free users, and I was going to become a paid user (again) if I could get my notes imported into Evernote but it looks like that is not possible so I'll just have to keep looking. I did find some possibilities which I'll post here in case others have the same question. I just found them and I'm about to start looking into them more. In case it is of help to others with the same question, here are the possibilities that I have found so far that may do the trick for importing HTML format notes, and that overall look like good platforms:

  1. Notejoy dot com I have not tried yet but looks very promising
  2. Notesnook dot com I have not tried yet but looks very promising
  3. Microsoft OneNote - look at the 'getonetastic dot com' add-on I tried it a little bit, seems OK but overall I have issues with Microsoft's quirks and bugs
  4. Notion dot com I have not used this one yet for importing, but I tried it last year for tasks & notes and I found it to be overkill for a single user, seems geared to large teams
  5. “Notebooks” notebooksapp dot com Did some basic testing, it is like a notes app, document creator, file manager all in one. Powerful and very impressive. If you need something for just basic notes this would be too much, but for an option with a plethora of features and editing capabilities it could be the most advanced I've seen.

Thanks to everyone who replied and all the best to everyone who is looking for HTML notes import options.

Lessons learned: when choosing a noteapp, investigate how easy you can migrate to another app

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well, it should not be a problem to import individual html files to Evernote by copy & Paste or by using the web clipper.

So at the end it depends on the number of notes you want to import and wether it is possible to write a macro or script on mac which does the job automatically .

I have no experience if the second approach works easily and well.

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39 minutes ago, ghon said:

well, it should not be a problem to import individual html files to Evernote by copy & Paste or by using the web clipper.

So at the end it depends on the number of notes you want to import and wether it is possible to write a macro or script on mac which does the job automatically .

I have no experience if the second approach works easily and well.

Not exactly, copy paste doesn't copy all attachments, neither does the web clipper

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For myself and likely for many others seeking a solution I'd say that processing the notes one by one would not be too much of an issue if there were just a handful of notes and if the notes themselves did not contain a lot of specifically formatted content that needs to be retained. However the reality is that most people, myself included, who are seeking a solution would not bother putting in the effort to even look for an HTML import method if the amount of notes to move over was small. Considering the amount of grief I have observed across various forums from boatloads of users who are exasperated with several different notes applications regarding import - export issues, I have to agree with the comment made by @eric99 in his post just above when he concluded "when choosing a noteapp, investigate how easy you can migrate to another app ". As far as Evernote is concerned, considering the huge size of its user base and its position as one of the most established notes app providers, I'm disappointed that they have not proactively created a full suite of import - export options for existing users and to attract others as well. Adding on to what @eric99 also said about copy paste issues regarding attachments, that is very true, I have found many issues with that method, so much so that it is actually faster and produces better results to recreate the note from scratch - an entirely unrealistic option for users who have hundreds or thousands of notes.

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1 hour ago, rodwarren125 said:

I'm disappointed that they have not proactively created a full suite of import - export options

When third-party providers are frequently changing their coding without notice,  it might be difficult and unacceptably expensive for one note-taking app to try to maintain a working import feature....

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Though your comment has certainly some validity no doubt, let's address the elephant in the room. It's no secret in the business community and the tech community that several notes apps providers have made it difficult for users to leave the platform once they are on board, and thus the frustration from a wide array of users. Evernote has the ENEX export, that has been helpful to a degree, but only to a certain level, as other notes apps providers need to build their own ENEX importer. And back to HTML which is pretty much a universal thing, importing HTML is not at all beyond Evernote's tech expertise, resources, or budget. We can talk about tech issues and financial resources and go around that circle endlessly, but for the most part several and perhaps most of the notes app providers just have not put their best foot forward to allow users to have control over where they store their content. I don't blame them for wanting to keep their paying subscribers, it's just that I'd rather see them keep the revenue by means of having a product people enjoy and trust enough that they are willing to stay and pay for it, as opposed to sticking with it because migrating in or out is such a nightmare that it becomes nearly impossible. And this is not directed at Evernote specifically but it's more of a general comment about the notes app marketplace. This is not a new thing, there are posts over a decade old where users are ranting about import-export complications and not being able to move their personal or work information to another platform. That's the unfortunate reality of the situation, and from what I can see after doing a ton of research, it appears that there are a number of notes apps providers that are gaining traction by promoting front-and-centre that the user is free to export their data in a universally available format at any time. Personally I respect that viewpoint more, and I'd much more happily and willingly pull out the credit card for a company who is approaching users with that angle as opposed to the other providers who have not made it easy to import-export if needed. Going forward, after 20 years' experience with notes apps, I've made the personal decision that I will only pay for a notes app subscription if the company provides an easy-to-use, universally available import-export function that will preserve formatting & inserted files as well. The grief of trying to move platforms otherwise is not worth it, and not as much as a financial issue but more of a taking a stand issue, I'm not paying for apps / software that prohibit me from taking my effort and work elsewhere if I choose to. If Evernote took a user-friendly stance on this issue I'd have no problem pulling out the credit card, but until they do, I'll find a platform that allows me to import-export while retaining my formatting efforts, and if the platform does not offer that, I'll use only the free version. Over the last 20 years I've observed others' various negative / positive experiences as well as my own, and in that context when comparing notes app features, whether it be formatting tools, syncing, notebook structure etc etc, the one feature that has risen to the top for me that is of utmost importance is the ability to import-export easily. If an app does not clear that top hurdle, there is no way I'll use it. Here's hoping that in the future Evernote decides to prioritize import-export abilities for its user base.

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I did make a proof of concept test awhile back. ENEX is really only and enhanced form of XML. I ran a relatively simple macro in my text editor which added the necessary additional lines of code for each note.  But I only did it for three or four notes which were quite simple.

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@agsteelePerhaps you should propose to management that they take your idea and either use it or have you run with it, specifically, to build an interface for import-export that is very dynamic. Such a thing is sorely needed and I'd say would be a plus to retain and attract users, not to mention to spare users of Evernote and other platforms a lot of grief.

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I wrote a tool that does this, somewhat. As written, it starts with a folder of markdown files, converts those files to HTML, then turns the HTML to ENML, and creates a .enex file, which can then be imported into evernote, preserving file modification dates and formatting, etc. It doesn't currently support embedded media however.

In your case, since you already have HTML, you could add a feature to this tool to start at the HTML stage; pull requests welcomed...

https://github.com/karloskalcium/md2enex
 

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  • 4 months later...

If I publicaly share a folder in NB, and use that public link to feed into web downloader, would that work to create offline version of my notes?
I tried with few it wouldn't work really well. Did anyone try that?

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  • 3 weeks later...

I dont' have a PC so I can't test it - but the core tool should work, it's just Python, but you'll have to figure out how to install pandoc and then install the python dependencies in requirements.txt. If someone wants to volunteer to build a windows binary I'd welcome PRs...

On 2/13/2023 at 5:39 AM, zolee said:

How I can use this tool? Can it be used on PC?

 

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