Overview
ThinkEx supports a variety of media types beyond plain text notes, allowing you to create a rich, multimedia knowledge workspace. Each media type is represented as a card on your canvas with specialized features and interactions.PDF Support
Adding PDFs
Upload PDF documents to your workspace:- Click the New button or right-click on canvas
- Select PDF/Image from the menu
- Choose one or more PDF files (or drag and drop)
- PDFs appear as cards on your canvas
ThinkEx supports multiple PDF uploads at once, making it easy to add entire document collections.
Automatic OCR Processing
When you upload a PDF, ThinkEx automatically:- Extracts text content using advanced OCR technology
- Processes each page individually for accurate results
- Preserves formatting including headers, footers, and structure
- Detects tables and converts them to structured data
- Identifies images within the PDF for later access
OCR processing happens in the background. Large PDFs may take a few moments to fully process, but you can start viewing immediately.
PDF Features
Page Navigation
Flip through pages using arrow buttons or page number input
AI Reading
The AI can read specific pages or page ranges from your PDFs
Text Search
Find content across all pages using workspace search
Active Page Context
The AI knows which page you’re viewing for contextual help
OCR Content Structure
Extracted PDF content includes:- Headers and footers - Preserved separately from main content
- Body text - Main content converted to clean markdown
- Tables - Structured data with rows and columns
- Images - Placeholder references (accessible via AI tools)
- Hyperlinks - Preserved links from original document
PDF Limitations
File size limits:- Maximum file size varies by plan
- Consider splitting very large documents
- Best with clear, typed text
- Handwritten notes may have reduced accuracy
- Complex layouts may require manual review
YouTube Support
Adding YouTube Videos
Embed YouTube videos directly in your workspace:- Click New → YouTube
- Paste any YouTube video URL
- Video appears as an interactive card
Video Features
- Embedded player - Watch videos without leaving ThinkEx
- Progress tracking - Resume where you left off
- Thumbnail preview - See video thumbnail when not playing
- Title and metadata - Automatic video information retrieval
Video Layout
YouTube cards:- Maintain 16:9 aspect ratio - Proper video display
- Minimum 200px height - Required by YouTube IFrame API
- Expandable - Resize for focused viewing
- Compact mode - Shows thumbnail when minimized
YouTube Limitations
YouTube features depend on video availability and YouTube’s API. Some videos may have embedding restrictions.
- Requires internet connection for playback
- Video analysis uses AI tokens (direct video understanding via Gemini)
- Video length affects processing time
Image Support
Adding Images
Upload images to your workspace:- Use the PDF/Image upload dialog
- Select image files (JPG, PNG, GIF, etc.)
- Images appear as visual cards
Image Features
- Full image display - High-quality rendering on canvas
- Alt text - Accessibility and context information
- Captions - Add descriptive text to images
- AI vision - The AI can analyze image content when selected
Images from PDFs can be extracted and analyzed by the AI using the processFiles tool with PDF image references.
Audio Support
Audio Recordings
ThinkEx includes audio recording and transcription:- Voice recordings - Record directly in the app
- Audio uploads - Import existing audio files
- Automatic transcription - Speech-to-text processing
- Speaker detection - Identifies different speakers
- Timestamped segments - Navigate by timestamp
Audio Features
Transcription
Automatic speech-to-text conversion with high accuracy
Speaker Labels
Identifies and labels different speakers in recordings
AI Summary
Generates summary of audio content automatically
Timestamps
Navigate to specific moments with time-coded segments
Audio Processing
When you upload audio, ThinkEx:- Uploads to storage - Securely stores the audio file
- Processes audio - Extracts speech and identifies speakers
- Generates transcript - Creates full text version
- Summarizes content - AI creates concise summary
- Detects emotion - Optional sentiment analysis per segment
Audio processing happens asynchronously. You’ll see processing status updates as the system works through your audio.
Audio Data Structure
Transcripts include:- Speaker identification - Who said what
- Timestamps - When each segment occurred
- Full text - Complete transcript
- Language detection - Identifies spoken language
- Translation (optional) - Translates non-English segments
- Emotion tags - Sentiment for each speaker segment
Other Card Types
Notes
Rich text notes with markdown support:- Block-based editor - Flexible content blocks
- Math support - LaTeX equations inline and display mode
- Images - Embed images directly in notes
- Lists and tables - Structured content
Flashcards
Study tools with spaced repetition:- Multiple cards per deck - Organize related concepts
- Front and back - Question and answer format
- Rich content - Images, math, formatting on both sides
- AI generation - Create from selected content
Quizzes
Interactive assessments:- Multiple choice - 4 options per question
- True/False - Binary questions
- Explanations - Learn why answers are correct
- Progress tracking - See which questions you’ve answered
- Score calculation - Automatic grading
Media Best Practices
File Organization
Use descriptive names
Rename files to reflect content (e.g., “Chapter 3 - Supply Chain” not “document1.pdf”)
Working with Large Files
- Upload during off-hours - Better performance with large files
- Use specific pages - Reference specific PDF pages for AI assistance
- Split if needed - Break very large PDFs into chapters
- Monitor processing - Wait for OCR completion before intensive AI work
Accessibility
- Add alt text to images for screen readers
- Include captions for context and searchability
- Use transcripts for audio and video content
- Describe visuals in notes when sharing with others
Media and AI Context
How AI Accesses Media
When media is selected as context:- PDFs - AI can read specific pages or search across document
- Images - AI can analyze visual content (vision capability)
- Audio - AI reads transcript and speaker segments
- Videos - AI can search web for video content/transcript
Processing Requirements
- PDFs must complete OCR before full AI access
- Audio must be transcribed before AI can read it
- Images work immediately with AI vision
- Videos link to external content (no transcript yet)
Troubleshooting
PDF Issues
Problem: PDF upload fails- Check file size limits
- Ensure PDF isn’t password-protected
- Try re-exporting PDF from source
- Wait for background processing to complete
- Check OCR status indicator on card
- Try manually triggering processFiles tool
Video Issues
Problem: YouTube video won’t play- Verify video isn’t age-restricted
- Check if video allows embedding
- Ensure stable internet connection
Audio Issues
Problem: Transcription is inaccurate- Check audio quality (clear recording helps)
- Ensure proper language detection
- Review and edit transcript manually if needed
Next Steps
Visual Canvas
Learn how to arrange media cards on your canvas
AI Context
Discover how to give AI access to your media files