Ink Plugin Feedback And Feature Requests For Obsidian

Hey Dale,

First off, I just wanted to say a massive thank you for creating the Ink plugin! It’s seriously exactly what I was missing in Obsidian. The way it integrates a simple inline drawing tool directly into my notes, without needing separate files or canvas formats, is just brilliant. I really, really appreciate you putting this together. Honestly, I’m kind of surprised something like this wasn’t available sooner, haha!

I’ve been playing around with it quite a bit, and I wanted to share some feedback and suggestions that I think might be helpful as you continue to develop it. But let me say again, even as it is right now, this plugin is super useful!

Suggestions for Ink Plugin Enhancements

When it comes to note-taking and visual thinking, having the right tools can make all the difference. That's why I'm excited to share some suggestions for enhancing the Ink plugin for Obsidian. These additions, while seemingly simple, could significantly boost the plugin's power and versatility without compromising its core simplicity.

1. Basic Shape Tools: Enhancing Visual Structure

One of the key suggestions I have is the implementation of basic shape tools, such as rectangles, ellipses, and ovals. These tools should function by allowing users to select an area with the mouse, rather than relying solely on freehand drawing. Imagine being able to quickly create a perfect rectangle to highlight a key section of your notes or drawing an oval around a crucial concept. This functionality would provide a cleaner, more structured approach to visual note-taking.

Having pre-defined shapes readily available can streamline the drawing process, especially when you need to create diagrams, flowcharts, or visual representations of data. Instead of struggling to draw a perfect circle by hand, you can simply select the ellipse tool and drag the mouse to create a precisely shaped oval. This level of precision can significantly improve the clarity and professionalism of your notes.

Furthermore, the inclusion of basic shape tools can open up new possibilities for visual organization. You can use rectangles to create boxes for different ideas, ovals to highlight relationships between concepts, and so on. This visual structure can make your notes more engaging and easier to understand at a glance. The ability to select areas with the mouse ensures that shapes are created with consistent sizes and proportions, adding to the overall visual coherence of your notes. The basic shape tools are very important for creating visual notes. By integrating these tools, the Ink plugin can cater to a wider range of visual note-taking needs, empowering users to create more structured and visually appealing notes within Obsidian.

2. Straight and Bent Lines and Arrows: Guiding the Eye and Emphasizing Connections

Straight and bent lines and arrows are crucial for creating visual connections and emphasizing relationships between different elements in your notes. These lines and arrows would be incredibly useful for visually structuring your thoughts and guiding the reader’s eye through complex ideas. Think about creating flowcharts, mind maps, or diagrams where you need to show the flow of information or highlight dependencies. Straight lines provide a clean, direct connection, while bent lines can add a touch of flexibility and visual interest.

Arrows, in particular, are indispensable for indicating direction or causality. You can use them to show the sequence of steps in a process, the relationship between cause and effect, or the flow of an argument. The ability to easily add arrows can make your notes more dynamic and engaging, helping you to convey complex ideas in a clear and intuitive way. For instance, in a project management scenario, you might use arrows to show the dependencies between different tasks or the critical path to project completion.

Moreover, the inclusion of straight and bent lines and arrows can enhance the visual hierarchy of your notes. You can use thicker lines to emphasize important connections or use different colors to differentiate between types of relationships. This level of visual coding can make your notes more scannable and easier to review. The suggestion to incorporate straight and bent lines and arrows into the Ink plugin is a practical step towards making the plugin a more versatile tool for visual thinking and communication. By enabling users to easily create visual connections and emphasize key relationships, these features would add significant value to the plugin’s functionality. Lines are great for visual structure and emphasis.

3. Text Input: Ensuring Clarity and Legibility

Another key feature that would significantly enhance the Ink plugin is the ability to input typed text blocks instead of relying solely on handwritten text. While the freehand drawing aspect of Ink is fantastic for capturing quick ideas and visual elements, sometimes clarity and legibility are paramount. Typed text blocks offer a solution for ensuring that your notes are easily readable and understandable, especially when sharing them with others or revisiting them after some time.

Imagine creating a complex diagram or flowchart where you need to label each element precisely. While handwriting can be expressive, it may not always be the most legible option, particularly for longer explanations or technical terms. Typed text blocks provide a consistent and clear way to add labels, annotations, and descriptions to your drawings. This is especially valuable when collaborating with others, as typed text eliminates any ambiguity that might arise from varying handwriting styles.

Furthermore, the inclusion of text input capabilities can make the Ink plugin more accessible to users who may have difficulty with handwriting or prefer the precision of typed text. This ensures that the plugin caters to a wider range of note-taking preferences and accessibility needs. In addition to legibility, typed text blocks also offer the advantage of being easily editable. If you need to correct a mistake or update a label, you can simply edit the text block without having to redraw the entire element. This flexibility can save time and ensure that your notes remain accurate and up-to-date. Text input ensures notes are clear. Integrating typed text blocks into the Ink plugin would make it a more versatile and user-friendly tool for visual note-taking within Obsidian.

Conclusion: Enhancing Ink Without Sacrificing Simplicity

Even if Ink remains a minimal tool, I believe that these few additions would make it significantly more powerful without sacrificing its inherent simplicity. The core strength of Ink lies in its seamless integration with Obsidian and its ability to capture ideas visually. By adding basic shapes, lines and arrows, and text input, the plugin can become an even more indispensable part of the Obsidian ecosystem.

Thanks again for all your hard work on this plugin, Dale! I’m really looking forward to seeing how it evolves in future updates!!!

Best, shpakoz

P.S. I’m sure that after reading this post, it’s pretty obvious that the title is written with a bit of humor. But these days, we’re almost forced to clarify things like this, haha!