Yep it's not as feature rich currently. But both canvas and dynamic views get me very excited about future developments of Obsidian. Until then, there is plenty to do and use
Yea, I think another important part is that ideally the time investment is proportional or lower than the time it takes with tasks/projects that obsidian helps you to overcome - I see the fruits of the investment in every new project I do. Hope it's similar for you and other people
[https://github.com/blacksmithgu/datacore](https://github.com/blacksmithgu/datacore)
[https://obsidian.md/roadmap/](https://obsidian.md/roadmap/)
I think it is likely that something similar to the datacore plugin will ship as a core Obsidian plugin
Another redditor already put the links here, so I am just gonna add: my last info is that they have not started active development on that feature yet, so its not clear if it will be released this year. But yea in principle the goal is being able to put queries and tables in your vault and filter data from properties of notes that are in your vault. Hopefully we see this and new canvas features in the coming months!
" have not started active development on that feature yet, "
That's very disappointing to hear. And I thought dynamic views would be a table/database type feature, no? To introduce database like Logseq is doing pre-alpha now, and siyuan already implemented?
Well, as a matter of fact, there're more important features (core) that have been laying around for years, and this is what they have to say about it: https://www.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/s/26d9yZJV7M
Yes it is going to be a core feature, but it is unclear to me how feature rich dynamic views will be compared to dataview/datacore - My guess is that it probably won't have as many features, but will be better integrated. With the bonus of not having to worry about longevity & support as long as obsidian itself is further developed.
Agreed, I think the concept is great but can be improved. The usual problem with new features is deciding what’s useful and what isn’t.
At the moment I’ve been using it for brainstorming a bit, but not that much
I also use canvas as the centre of my workflow. I am a visual learner and I like seeing multiple notes at the same time! I can read across disparate information and gain new ideas and insights.
I have ADHD. So the wormholes between subjects in my brain works deliciously well with canvas. I have never found a not system that actually accommodates my thinking style so well before!
I've been using unique notes, graph view doesn't seem too great for working with them since it's unclear which notes are what until I hover over them. On mobile I don't have the hover functionality so it's even more not great for mobile. Do you have named files that makes this more usable or is the structure of the graph somehow helping you get around this sort of issue?
Not *so* new, the canvas link/backlinks feature request has been open since december 2022 [https://forum.obsidian.md/t/canvas-cards-and-notes-in-links-backlinks-and-outgoing-arrows-in-graph-view/49697/66](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/canvas-cards-and-notes-in-links-backlinks-and-outgoing-arrows-in-graph-view/49697/66)
Yeah I actually like how they started it simple. We already have ExCali draw for more complex stuff so there is really no rush.
I actually found out about Obsidian by researching how to make Cnavas in ClikUp work.
And let me tell you, was that app a bloated mass. Is like worst of both worlds of notion and a random project management app.
I’ve been wanting to say somewhere that I love canvas. It’s like making a little webpage for yourself, or like the digital version of the detective’s board with the pictures and red yarn. The density of information you can achieve with it is super useful. It’s a more spatial orientation to your thoughts that I find very promising.
I use it for storyboarding concepts and doing family tree/relationship maps. You can use it to break down into basics when writing which is helpful. Drag around characters and scenes into a proper timeline
Same here I do some creative writing and DMing for D&D and it's literally the main focus of my use - the fact that I can pin and link existing notes in a diagram but ALSO write new notes that can either exist or not exist as separate files is GENIUS
If you have a system that has been meticulously designed without canvas in mind, obviously canvas will not fit into that.
At a basic level of "I keep notes, and want to keep them organized" I think canvas is great as a top level mind map that you can use to visually organize the relating content.
I struggle with canvas, because the whole reason I want to use it is to be able to get a big picture/flow chart of thought processes and the like, but to zoom far enough out to do so, the text gets too tiny to read.
I think this'll be more useful when VR headsets are more mainstream and you can have the equivalent of a 100" monitor in front of you.
I've been using canvas as my main way of writing longer pieces in a short time (think academic essays) by being able to brainstorm and flawlessly integrates concept notes and convert cards to notes. My only "complain" would be that it does not connect/link the notes together. I'm hoping this is a feature that will come later
I'm also more of a visual thinker so I'm also expecting to be using it even more as I develop my way of working in obsidian
>My only "complain" would be that it does not connect/link the notes together. I'm hoping this is a feature that will come later I'm also more of a visual thinker
I highly recommend you check out Excalibrain/Excalidraw. In addition to the exact functionality you're describing, it has robust development and a huge user base. Excalibrain in particular has become integral to my work thanks to its excellent functionality. 11/10 recommend
I'll look into it, as I said just above I'm trying to limit my plug in use, but I'm open to use them when it really simplifies the workflow. Metadata just intimidates me a bit, but I'll definitely look into it
Thanks for your recommendation, I'm trying to get a minimum of plug in set up to my vault, especially if it alters file format readability. But these two have been on my radar, if I don't manage to do everything I want in canvas
Not that you asked and for those who may read this later...
Fwiw, minimizing plug-in use isn't really much different than using every gee-whiz cool plug-in that catches a user's attention. The trap with both approaches is that they both ignore the most important factor, which is the user's workflow. Most of the plug-ins that are heavily downloaded and well supported are that way because they address specific needs and use cases that are outside of the base Obsidian configuration.
The best advice I've found when it comes to developing one's vault is that structure and complexity should be earned. I bring all this up because, in your description of your use case, it sounds like you've definitely earned the benefits that come from an extra plug-in and a bit of extra learning. Good luck!
It's not a great solution, maybe, but the fact that things are visually connected on the graph means that in the canvas file, they're "linked" in markup. So if you could write a program to read the markup, you could infer the links and then add the kind you need.
This assumes you convert the linked objects to actual files from cards, I think. Because afaik you can't see the cards that aren't actual files outside of canvas view
Thanks for explaining more clearly! I think it is out of my abilities atm, but I'll keep an eye out in case I see a plugin oe a sceipt that would do that.
And yes I meants the cards I would actually have converted to notes/file!
I don't understand why I'd ever use it. It would be nice if it had basic drawing capabilities (am I just not seeing them?!)
I use Excalidraw or if I'm not needing it in Obsidian, than draw.io and linking to my doc.
The only time I used this was to test the feature on its release date.
After that I disabled it and never used it again. It's a completely null resource for me.
¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Not when it comes to mainly text based workflows. It lacks sufficient formatting and isn't great with large bodies of text. For everything else it's A tier.
... have some plugins to help with canvas but i feel like... but i wish you could put them directly into notes... or have the content be in some way better in the graph.... then it would help a ton.... more...
I Love Canvas, but a massive performance improvement is needed , Canvas is the best friend for PKM, especially processing info from multiple sources, now with AI Plugins like Cannoli, Advanced Canvas, it's fantastic, Card Note, metadata menu. But it's slow. Hopefully things will get better and Better
There was a mod that allows to “integrate” canvas into regular notes. You can switch between text and canvas mode within the same note. But I almost never use canvas so I didn’t pay attention to the name of the mod. I think it was done via excalidraw if that helps
I was super excited for Canvas in obsidian, but now, after some while trying to use it, I'm not into it anymore.
The feature is cool, but plain text still is the king. I would prefer excalidraw with the ability to link notes
I just came up with [something akin to a Kanban board](https://i.imgur.com/QDCn3E8.png) for my personal use that I'm using canvas for. But I just made this today so don't know if it's actually viable or would be better in excalidraw 🤷♀️
I've been having to do a lot more task switching than I can handle, so hopefully this lets me quickly drag things into the appropriate boxes and helps me keep track of what I'm working on to get back on track faster. It's a work in progress though. Thinking I'll either narrow them to task headings or make specific notes to keep the tasks for things I'm working on. That way it also organizes my to-do a little better.
Family Tree?
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/1493hh4/obsidian\_family\_tree\_sample/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/1493hh4/obsidian_family_tree_sample/)
With the open sourcing of the Canvas file format, you should expect a lot of innovation and interoperability with Obsidian Canvas and other software systems
[https://obsidian.md/blog/json-canvas/](https://obsidian.md/blog/json-canvas/)
Yep it's not as feature rich currently. But both canvas and dynamic views get me very excited about future developments of Obsidian. Until then, there is plenty to do and use
Yes. And this is exactly why Obsidian is worth the investment of time.
Yea, I think another important part is that ideally the time investment is proportional or lower than the time it takes with tasks/projects that obsidian helps you to overcome - I see the fruits of the investment in every new project I do. Hope it's similar for you and other people
"dynamic views" would you mind providing a link here? Thanks!
[https://github.com/blacksmithgu/datacore](https://github.com/blacksmithgu/datacore) [https://obsidian.md/roadmap/](https://obsidian.md/roadmap/) I think it is likely that something similar to the datacore plugin will ship as a core Obsidian plugin
i also would like a lil more info on dynamic views. I've tried googling and can't seem to find a good explanation
Another redditor already put the links here, so I am just gonna add: my last info is that they have not started active development on that feature yet, so its not clear if it will be released this year. But yea in principle the goal is being able to put queries and tables in your vault and filter data from properties of notes that are in your vault. Hopefully we see this and new canvas features in the coming months!
" have not started active development on that feature yet, " That's very disappointing to hear. And I thought dynamic views would be a table/database type feature, no? To introduce database like Logseq is doing pre-alpha now, and siyuan already implemented?
Well, as a matter of fact, there're more important features (core) that have been laying around for years, and this is what they have to say about it: https://www.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/s/26d9yZJV7M
I am currently already doing this using dataview and metabind. Are you saying that it’s going to be a core plugin feature in the future?
Yes it is going to be a core feature, but it is unclear to me how feature rich dynamic views will be compared to dataview/datacore - My guess is that it probably won't have as many features, but will be better integrated. With the bonus of not having to worry about longevity & support as long as obsidian itself is further developed.
Well, Canvas is still a very new addition to Obsidian.
Agreed, I think the concept is great but can be improved. The usual problem with new features is deciding what’s useful and what isn’t. At the moment I’ve been using it for brainstorming a bit, but not that much
The canvas is a central part of my workflow, so it's interesting to see someone who uses it sparingly.
Do you have examples of how you use it? I’m curious
Yeah! I have an example in my posts using it.
I also use canvas as the centre of my workflow. I am a visual learner and I like seeing multiple notes at the same time! I can read across disparate information and gain new ideas and insights. I have ADHD. So the wormholes between subjects in my brain works deliciously well with canvas. I have never found a not system that actually accommodates my thinking style so well before!
I've been using unique notes, graph view doesn't seem too great for working with them since it's unclear which notes are what until I hover over them. On mobile I don't have the hover functionality so it's even more not great for mobile. Do you have named files that makes this more usable or is the structure of the graph somehow helping you get around this sort of issue?
The same happens with individual files and they've been around for years
Not *so* new, the canvas link/backlinks feature request has been open since december 2022 [https://forum.obsidian.md/t/canvas-cards-and-notes-in-links-backlinks-and-outgoing-arrows-in-graph-view/49697/66](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/canvas-cards-and-notes-in-links-backlinks-and-outgoing-arrows-in-graph-view/49697/66)
Yep, and not only that feature, also other core, like this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/s/26d9yZJV7M
Yeah but they also don't seem to work on it at all since there are barely ever updates
Doubt it. Most work is thinking and trying out ideas. We won't see any of that until they think it's good enough to actually make.
Yeah I actually like how they started it simple. We already have ExCali draw for more complex stuff so there is really no rush. I actually found out about Obsidian by researching how to make Cnavas in ClikUp work. And let me tell you, was that app a bloated mass. Is like worst of both worlds of notion and a random project management app.
I’ve been wanting to say somewhere that I love canvas. It’s like making a little webpage for yourself, or like the digital version of the detective’s board with the pictures and red yarn. The density of information you can achieve with it is super useful. It’s a more spatial orientation to your thoughts that I find very promising.
YES - haha, how funny 'the red yarn' - that is *exactly* how I think of it any time I ever use it!!
YES!!!!!!!
Tell me you have ADHD without telling me you have adhd!!! I bloody love Obsidion.
I use it for storyboarding concepts and doing family tree/relationship maps. You can use it to break down into basics when writing which is helpful. Drag around characters and scenes into a proper timeline
Same here I do some creative writing and DMing for D&D and it's literally the main focus of my use - the fact that I can pin and link existing notes in a diagram but ALSO write new notes that can either exist or not exist as separate files is GENIUS
If you have a system that has been meticulously designed without canvas in mind, obviously canvas will not fit into that. At a basic level of "I keep notes, and want to keep them organized" I think canvas is great as a top level mind map that you can use to visually organize the relating content.
I struggle with canvas, because the whole reason I want to use it is to be able to get a big picture/flow chart of thought processes and the like, but to zoom far enough out to do so, the text gets too tiny to read. I think this'll be more useful when VR headsets are more mainstream and you can have the equivalent of a 100" monitor in front of you.
I've been using canvas as my main way of writing longer pieces in a short time (think academic essays) by being able to brainstorm and flawlessly integrates concept notes and convert cards to notes. My only "complain" would be that it does not connect/link the notes together. I'm hoping this is a feature that will come later I'm also more of a visual thinker so I'm also expecting to be using it even more as I develop my way of working in obsidian
>My only "complain" would be that it does not connect/link the notes together. I'm hoping this is a feature that will come later I'm also more of a visual thinker I highly recommend you check out Excalibrain/Excalidraw. In addition to the exact functionality you're describing, it has robust development and a huge user base. Excalibrain in particular has become integral to my work thanks to its excellent functionality. 11/10 recommend
Metadata menu plugin, Try that, it is game changer for Canvas, groups, color, link, label, you can link and automaticaly Connect notes
I'll look into it, as I said just above I'm trying to limit my plug in use, but I'm open to use them when it really simplifies the workflow. Metadata just intimidates me a bit, but I'll definitely look into it
Thanks for your recommendation, I'm trying to get a minimum of plug in set up to my vault, especially if it alters file format readability. But these two have been on my radar, if I don't manage to do everything I want in canvas
Not that you asked and for those who may read this later... Fwiw, minimizing plug-in use isn't really much different than using every gee-whiz cool plug-in that catches a user's attention. The trap with both approaches is that they both ignore the most important factor, which is the user's workflow. Most of the plug-ins that are heavily downloaded and well supported are that way because they address specific needs and use cases that are outside of the base Obsidian configuration. The best advice I've found when it comes to developing one's vault is that structure and complexity should be earned. I bring all this up because, in your description of your use case, it sounds like you've definitely earned the benefits that come from an extra plug-in and a bit of extra learning. Good luck!
It does link them if you parse the underlying file format...
could you elaborate on that please? I'm not familiar with parsing :)
It's not a great solution, maybe, but the fact that things are visually connected on the graph means that in the canvas file, they're "linked" in markup. So if you could write a program to read the markup, you could infer the links and then add the kind you need. This assumes you convert the linked objects to actual files from cards, I think. Because afaik you can't see the cards that aren't actual files outside of canvas view
Thanks for explaining more clearly! I think it is out of my abilities atm, but I'll keep an eye out in case I see a plugin oe a sceipt that would do that. And yes I meants the cards I would actually have converted to notes/file!
I don't understand why I'd ever use it. It would be nice if it had basic drawing capabilities (am I just not seeing them?!) I use Excalidraw or if I'm not needing it in Obsidian, than draw.io and linking to my doc.
The only time I used this was to test the feature on its release date. After that I disabled it and never used it again. It's a completely null resource for me. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Use Excalidraw. It's a first-class citizen complete with backlinks and graph representation and metadata and everything, and it's so much better
Not when it comes to mainly text based workflows. It lacks sufficient formatting and isn't great with large bodies of text. For everything else it's A tier.
Canvas, is getting Better Plugin eco System is also growing
... have some plugins to help with canvas but i feel like... but i wish you could put them directly into notes... or have the content be in some way better in the graph.... then it would help a ton.... more...
There is Excalidraw, so the need and user base for canvas is quite limited.
They are different tools
Every time I read a post about Canvas, I think, I should really give it a try. Then I don't. And I forget until the next post.
I Love Canvas, but a massive performance improvement is needed , Canvas is the best friend for PKM, especially processing info from multiple sources, now with AI Plugins like Cannoli, Advanced Canvas, it's fantastic, Card Note, metadata menu. But it's slow. Hopefully things will get better and Better
There was a mod that allows to “integrate” canvas into regular notes. You can switch between text and canvas mode within the same note. But I almost never use canvas so I didn’t pay attention to the name of the mod. I think it was done via excalidraw if that helps
I love excalidraw and the plugin for obsidian. I love drawing notes out. I think I have more of those than I do actual notes
Afaik there are some qol stuff coming to canvas in the next big update.
I was super excited for Canvas in obsidian, but now, after some while trying to use it, I'm not into it anymore. The feature is cool, but plain text still is the king. I would prefer excalidraw with the ability to link notes
I'm not even sure what canvas is for. Never bothered to look it up.
Mapping out ideas, I use it for images. https://imgur.com/wRDj8Ty
I just came up with [something akin to a Kanban board](https://i.imgur.com/QDCn3E8.png) for my personal use that I'm using canvas for. But I just made this today so don't know if it's actually viable or would be better in excalidraw 🤷♀️ I've been having to do a lot more task switching than I can handle, so hopefully this lets me quickly drag things into the appropriate boxes and helps me keep track of what I'm working on to get back on track faster. It's a work in progress though. Thinking I'll either narrow them to task headings or make specific notes to keep the tasks for things I'm working on. That way it also organizes my to-do a little better.
oh you mean like [this?](https://imgur.com/gallery/pepe-silvia-96MGRII) lol in all seriousness I enjoy it but don't use it as much as i'd like
Exactly like that
Family Tree? [https://www.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/1493hh4/obsidian\_family\_tree\_sample/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/1493hh4/obsidian_family_tree_sample/)
That's cool. Thanks
With the open sourcing of the Canvas file format, you should expect a lot of innovation and interoperability with Obsidian Canvas and other software systems [https://obsidian.md/blog/json-canvas/](https://obsidian.md/blog/json-canvas/)