You all NEED these Obsidian community plugins

Christian Lempa
18 Apr 202321:46

TLDRThis video highlights seven essential Obsidian community plugins that transform the markdown editor into a powerful tool for note-taking, project management, and workflow enhancement. Plugins like Icon Folder, Commander, Quick Add, Advanced Tables, Data View, and Project Management Plugin are discussed, showcasing how they can customize and streamline tasks. The video also touches on Excalidraw for creating visualizations, emphasizing the potential of these plugins to boost productivity.

Takeaways

  • πŸ“ Obsidian is a versatile markdown editor that can be enhanced with community plugins.
  • πŸ”„ The video introduces seven powerful community plugins that can transform Obsidian into a visualizing tool, project management solution, and more.
  • πŸš€ With the right plugins, Obsidian can handle kanban boards, dynamic tables, and workflow automation through macros and custom commands.
  • πŸ” To use plugins, you must access the Community Plugins section in Obsidian's settings, disable restricted mode, and browse or search for plugins.
  • βš™οΈ Each plugin is community-made and may have bugs or discontinued support, so always check the last update and activity on GitHub.
  • πŸ“ The 'Icon Folder' plugin allows customizing the file explorer with icons for a more organized and visually appealing interface.
  • πŸ’‘ 'Commander' plugin enables the creation of custom commands and buttons in the UI for frequently used actions.
  • ⏱️ 'Quick Add' simplifies the process of adding new notes with templates to specific folders, speeding up workflows.
  • πŸ“Š 'Advanced Tables' assists in managing markdown tables more efficiently by adding, moving, or sorting rows and columns.
  • πŸ“Š 'Data View' creates dynamic tables and lists from metadata in notes, functioning like a database without a backend.
  • πŸ“ˆ 'Projects' plugin turns Obsidian into a project management tool, using metadata to display and filter notes in various views like tables, calendars, kanban boards, or galleries.
  • 🎨 'Excalidraw' is a plugin for creating hand-drawn style diagrams and visualizations that can be linked to other notes.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of the video?

    -The main topic of the video is discussing the use of Obsidian, a markdown editor, and showcasing its enhanced capabilities with the help of community plugins.

  • What are some of the functionalities that Obsidian can do with the right community plugins?

    -With the right community plugins, Obsidian can become a powerful visualizing tool, project management solution, kanban board, create dynamic tables, and simplify workflows with macros and custom commands.

  • How does the presenter suggest using Obsidian for note-taking and technical documentation?

    -The presenter uses Obsidian for note-taking and technical documentation by leveraging its capabilities with community plugins to enhance organization and productivity.

  • What is the first plugin mentioned in the video and what does it do?

    -The first plugin mentioned is 'Icon Folder', which allows users to customize the look of the file explorer in Obsidian by adding icons to it.

  • What is the purpose of the 'Commander' plugin?

    -The 'Commander' plugin allows users to add custom commands as buttons in various places within Obsidian's UI, such as the ribbon menu, top bar, or status bar.

  • How does the 'Quick Add' plugin help in speeding up the workflow in Obsidian?

    -The 'Quick Add' plugin helps speed up the workflow by allowing users to quickly add new nodes to their vault using templates and specific folder locations.

  • What is the 'Advanced Tables' plugin and how does it assist with editing markdown tables?

    -The 'Advanced Tables' plugin assists with editing markdown tables by providing an interface to move rows and columns, add new entries, and sort rows without manually editing the markdown formatting.

  • What is the 'Data View' plugin and how does it work?

    -The 'Data View' plugin works by using metadata within notes to create dynamic objects and tables. It queries the metadata, which is plain text in markdown files, to generate dynamic views such as tables, lists, or calendars.

  • How does the 'Project' plugin enhance the functionality of 'Data View'?

    -The 'Project' plugin enhances 'Data View' by turning it into a project management solution that uses metadata to display and filter nodes in various ways, such as tables, calendars, kanban boards, or galleries.

  • What is 'Excalidraw' and how is it used in the context of Obsidian?

    -'Excalidraw' is a plugin used for creating hand-drawn style whiteboards and diagrams within Obsidian. It allows for easy visualization creation and editing, and the diagrams can be linked to other nodes.

  • What advice does the presenter give regarding the use of community plugins in Obsidian?

    -The presenter advises that while community plugins are not part of the official Obsidian code and may have bugs, they can greatly enhance functionality. Users should check the last update time, number of downloads, and the GitHub project for maintenance details to ensure they are using active and well-maintained plugins.

Outlines

00:00

πŸ“˜ Introduction to Obsidian Plugins

The paragraph introduces the video's focus on Obsidian, a markdown editor favored by the speaker for note-taking and technical documentation. It highlights the versatility of Obsidian when enhanced with community plugins, which can transform it into a visualizing tool, project management solution, kanban board, and more. The speaker plans to showcase seven incredible community plugins and their uses, ensuring that viewers who rely on other productivity tools might consider Obsidian. The video is sponsored by Teleport, an open-source access proxy for secure authentication to IT infrastructure. The speaker also advises viewers on how to enable and browse for community plugins in Obsidian, with a caution on their potential lack of official support and the importance of checking their maintenance status.

05:01

🎨 Customizing Obsidian with Icon Folder and Commander Plugins

This section discusses two Obsidian plugins: Icon Folder and Commander. Icon Folder allows users to add icons to the file explorer for a more customized look, which is beneficial for quick navigation. Commander enables users to add custom commands as buttons in various UI locations, enhancing the ability to execute multiple commands at once or on program startup. The speaker demonstrates creating a custom ribbon menu and a macro for adding new notes with templates to specific folders, streamlining the workflow.

10:02

βš™οΈ Enhancing Productivity with Quick Add and Advanced Table Plugins

The speaker introduces the Quick Add plugin, which simplifies the process of adding new nodes to the vault using templates. A demonstration is provided on creating a new video project with a specific template. The Advanced Table plugin is also highlighted for its ability to manage markdown tables more efficiently, allowing for actions like moving rows and columns, and sorting data.

15:03

πŸ“Š Leveraging Data View for Dynamic Data Management

The paragraph delves into the Data View plugin, which uses metadata in notes to create dynamic tables and lists. The speaker demonstrates how to add metadata to markdown files and query this data to generate tables, such as a list of published YouTube videos. The power of Data View lies in its ability to create dynamic content from plain text, similar to a database, without the need for a backend.

20:05

πŸ“ˆ Project Management with Project Plugin and Excali Draw for Visualizations

The speaker discusses the Project plugin, which turns Obsidian into a project management solution by using metadata to filter and display notes in various views like tables, calendars, and kanban boards. The paragraph also introduces Excali Draw, a plugin for creating hand-drawn style visualizations and diagrams that can be linked to other nodes within Obsidian. The speaker shares their experience of using these tools to manage YouTube video projects and create visualizations, emphasizing the efficiency and personalization offered by Obsidian's ecosystem.

πŸ—£οΈ Conclusion and Invitation to the Obsidian Community

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker summarizes their experience with Obsidian and its community plugins, highlighting the potential for personalized productivity workflows. They recommend joining the official Obsidian Discord community for discussions and sharing ideas. The speaker also invites viewers to share their thoughts on other Obsidian plugins in the comments and expresses gratitude for watching the video.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Obsidian

Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base and markdown editor that allows users to create, manage, and organize information in a highly customizable way. In the video, it is described as the favorite markdown editor of the speaker, used for note-taking and technical documentation. The video focuses on how Obsidian can be enhanced with community plugins to become a versatile tool for various tasks.

πŸ’‘Community plugins

Community plugins are additional tools or features created by the user community of Obsidian that extend the functionality of the software. The video highlights several community plugins that the speaker finds particularly useful, emphasizing how they can transform Obsidian into a more powerful tool for productivity.

πŸ’‘Visualizing tool

A visualizing tool refers to software that helps in creating visual representations of data or information. In the context of the video, the speaker mentions that with the right plugins, Obsidian can be used as a visualizing tool, suggesting that it can handle tasks beyond text editing, such as creating diagrams or visual representations of data.

πŸ’‘Project management

Project management involves the planning, organizing, and coordination of tasks to achieve specific goals. The video suggests that with certain community plugins, Obsidian can be used for project management, possibly by organizing tasks, setting deadlines, and tracking progress within the knowledge base.

πŸ’‘Kanban board

A Kanban board is a project management tool that visualizes workflows with columns representing different stages of a project. The script mentions that one of the community plugins can turn Obsidian into a Kanban board, indicating that it can be used to manage tasks in a more visual and organized manner.

πŸ’‘Dynamic tables

Dynamic tables are interactive tables that can be sorted, searched, or manipulated in various ways. The video script indicates that one of the plugins allows for the creation of dynamic tables in Obsidian, suggesting an enhancement to the way users can work with tabular data within the editor.

πŸ’‘Macros

Macros are a set of commands or a sequence of tasks that can be automated to increase efficiency. In the video, the speaker mentions that macros can simplify workflows in Obsidian, implying that they can be used to automate repetitive tasks or create custom shortcuts.

πŸ’‘Custom commands

Custom commands are user-defined shortcuts or functions that can be executed to perform specific actions. The video suggests that Obsidian can be customized with custom commands through plugins, allowing users to tailor the software to their specific needs and workflows.

πŸ’‘Icon folder

The 'Icon folder' plugin mentioned in the video allows users to add icons to folders in Obsidian, making it easier to identify and navigate through different sections of their notes. This enhances the visual aspect of the file explorer and can aid in quicker navigation.

πŸ’‘Commander

The 'Commander' plugin is highlighted as a way to add custom commands and buttons within Obsidian's user interface. It enables users to create macros that execute multiple commands at once, streamlining workflows and providing a more personalized user experience.

πŸ’‘Quick add

The 'Quick add' plugin is described as a tool for quickly adding new notes or nodes to the Obsidian vault. The speaker uses it to create new video projects with specific templates, demonstrating how it can speed up the process of starting new tasks or documenting ideas.

πŸ’‘Advanced tables

The 'Advanced tables' plugin simplifies the process of editing markdown tables within Obsidian. It allows for easier manipulation of table rows and columns, adding new entries, and sorting data, which can be particularly useful when working with large amounts of tabular information.

πŸ’‘Data view

The 'Data view' plugin is noted for its ability to create dynamic objects and tables based on metadata within notes. It allows for querying and displaying information in various formats, similar to a database, but using plain text files. This plugin can significantly enhance the organization and accessibility of information in Obsidian.

πŸ’‘Project management solution

The 'Project management solution' mentioned in the video likely refers to the ability to use Obsidian and its plugins to manage projects effectively. This could include planning, tracking progress, and organizing resources, all within the Obsidian platform.

πŸ’‘Excali Draw

Excali Draw is a plugin that allows users to create hand-drawn style diagrams and whiteboards within Obsidian. It provides a more intuitive and visually appealing way to create visualizations, which can be particularly useful for brainstorming sessions or illustrating complex concepts.

Highlights

Obsidian is a powerful markdown editor that can be enhanced with community plugins.

The video showcases seven incredible community plugins for Obsidian.

Obsidian can be turned into a visualizing tool, project management solution, and kanban board with the right plugins.

The video is sponsored by Teleport, a free and open-source access proxy for secure authentication.

To use plugins, you need to open the settings menu and turn off restricted mode.

Community plugins are made by the community and may have bugs.

Check the last update time, downloads, and GitHub project details to find active and maintained plugins.

Icon Folder plugin allows customizing the file explorer with icons.

Commander plugin adds custom commands as buttons in the UI.

Quick Add plugin enables fast creation of new notes with templates.

Advanced Tables plugin assists in managing markdown tables more efficiently.

Data View plugin uses metadata to create dynamic tables and lists from markdown files.

Project plugin integrates with Data View to manage complex projects with different views like tables, calendars, and kanban boards.

Excalidraw plugin is used for creating hand-drawn style whiteboards and diagrams.

Obsidian and its plugins require an investment of time to learn but offer a highly personalized experience.

All data in Obsidian is stored in plain markdown text files, allowing for easy export and backup.

The video host uses Obsidian to plan projects, write documentation, and organize content creation.

For more information on Obsidian plugins, join the official Obsidian Discord or watch Nicole van der Hoven's YouTube channel.