README file from
GithubSynaptic View for Obsidian
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Don't build a homepage. Configure your Synaptic View.
Stop Building. Start Configuring.
You've spent hours crafting the perfect homepage note:
- Complex Dataview queries that break when your vault structure changes
- Dozens of internal links that need constant maintenance
- Endless scrolling through a static document to find what you need
- CSS snippets and workarounds just to make it look decent
The problem? You're stuck in maintenance mode, not creative mode.
Synaptic View Changes the Game
Stop maintaining a document. Start configuring an interface.
Synaptic View isn't a note—it's a dynamic control center that lives at your fingertips:
- No coding required: Pick icons, choose files, toggle buttons on—done in minutes
- Less upkeep: Configure buttons instead of constantly maintaining a homepage note
- No scrolling: Every destination is one click away, always visible
- Real-time updates: See today's tasks without opening notes
It's not about displaying information. It's about connecting to it instantly.
How to use:
- Open it anytime via command palette:
Open Synaptic View tab - Or replace new tabs with Synaptic View for constant access
From janitor to pilot. From static document to living interface. Configure once, flow forever.
Core Features
1. Unified Dashboard with Instant Access
Synaptic View can be opened in two ways:
- Via Command: Run
Open Synaptic View tabfrom the command palette (Ctrl+P) - Replace New Tab (Optional): Enable Replace New Tab with Synaptic View in settings to automatically show Synaptic View whenever you open a new tab
2. Quick Access: 4 Types of Smart Buttons
The left side of the action bar always shows 3 default buttons:
- ➕ New File: Create a new markdown file and start editing immediately
- 🔍 Search Files: Open Quick Switcher to find files quickly
- ⚙️ Settings: Navigate to Synaptic View settings
Your custom Quick Access buttons appear to the right. Choose from 4 types:
| Type | Action | When to Use? |
|---|---|---|
| 📄 File | Open a specific note or canvas | Frequently accessed documents like project hubs, task boards, reading notes |
| 🌐 Web | Open a webpage inside Obsidian | Notion, Google Docs, reference sites (some sites may be restricted) |
| 📅 Journal | Open today's/this week's/this month's periodic note | Daily notes, weekly reviews, monthly reflections (auto-creates if missing) |
| 🗓️ Calendar | Browse past/future notes via mini calendar | Quickly find notes by date, navigate weekly/monthly notes |
📅 Journal Type Details
Choose your time granularity:
- Day: Today's daily note
- Week: This week's weekly note
- Month: This month's monthly note
- Quarter: Current quarter note
- Year: This year's yearly note
- All: Hovering over the button reveals a submenu to select any time granularity
💡 Required: Core Daily Notes or Periodic Notes plugin must be configured.
🗓️ Calendar Type Details
- Click button: Opens today's daily note directly
- Hover over button: Mini calendar appears
- Click a date → Open that day's daily note
- Click W (week number) → Open weekly note
- Click MMM (month) → Open monthly note
- Click YYYY (year) → Open yearly note
- Click 1Q~4Q buttons → Open quarterly notes
💡 UI automatically adjusts based on your Periodic Notes settings (e.g., hides W column if weekly notes are disabled)
3. Today's Tasks at a Glance: Daily Note Task Badge
Journal(Daily) or Calendar buttons display incomplete task counts in real-time:
- 🔴 Red badge + number: Remaining tasks count
- ✅ Green checkmark: All tasks completed!
See what needs to be done today just by looking at the button, without opening your daily note.
4. Quick Edit Mode Toggle
Quick Access buttons support two click modes:
- Regular click: Opens file in preview mode in the current tab
- Cmd/Ctrl + Click: Keeps current tab and opens file in edit mode (source view) in a split pane on the right
Hover over an active button while holding Cmd (macOS) or Ctrl (Windows/Linux):
- Button icon changes to a pencil to indicate editing is available
- Click to read and write simultaneously
💡 Works with File, Journal, and Calendar types only.
5. Style Options
Keep your dashboard clean:
- Hide inline title: Hides note titles in preview mode
- Hide embedded mentions: Hides decorative link elements
6. Intuitive Settings UI
- Reorder buttons: Use up/down arrows or drag-and-drop
- Toggle visibility: Control which buttons appear
- Set default view: Choose which item opens first when Synaptic View launches
- File path autocomplete: Type to get vault file suggestions
- Lucide icon picker: Search icons (recently used icons appear at the top)
7. Add Current File to Quick Access Instantly
Run Add current file to Quick Access from the command palette:
- The file you're currently viewing is automatically added to Quick Access
- Convenient quick bookmarking without opening settings
8. Multilingual Support (i18n)
- Supports English and Korean
- Automatically switches based on your Obsidian language settings
Installation
Community Plugin (Recommended)
(Instructions will be added once submitted to the community plugin list)
Manual Installation
- Download
main.js,manifest.json, andstyles.cssfrom the latest release - Copy files to
<Vault>/.obsidian/plugins/obsidian-synaptic-view/ - Restart Obsidian and enable Synaptic View in Settings → Community plugins
Compatibility: Requires Obsidian v1.8.0 or higher. Currently desktop-only.
Quick Start Guide
Step 1: Open Plugin Settings
Navigate to Settings → Community plugins → Synaptic View.
Step 2: Choose How to Open Synaptic View (Optional)
You can choose between two approaches:
- Via Command: Run
Open Synaptic View tabfrom command palette (default) - Auto Display: Enable Replace New Tab with Synaptic View to automatically show Synaptic View whenever you click the + button for a new tab
Step 3: Add Quick Access Items
Click "Add New Quick Access" button:
- Select Type: Choose File, Web, Journal, or Calendar
- Configure Details:
- File: Enter file path (autocomplete suggestions appear as you type)
- Web: Enter URL (e.g.,
https://notion.so) - Journal: Select time granularity (Day, Week, Month, Quarter, Year, All)
- Calendar: Ready to use without configuration
- Choose Icon: Search Lucide icon library (recently used icons appear at top)
- Reorder: Use up/down arrows or drag-and-drop to adjust order
- Enable: New items are disabled by default – toggle them on to display as buttons
⚠️ Important: After adding an item, don't forget to enable the toggle! Disabled items won't appear as buttons.
Step 4: Set Default View (Optional)
In the Default View dropdown, select which item should display first when Synaptic View opens.
Step 5: Configure Additional Options
- View Style Options: Choose whether to hide inline titles and embedded mentions
- Daily Note Task Badge: Choose whether to display today's task count on buttons
Step 6: Start Using!
- Run
Open Synaptic View tabfrom command palette (Ctrl+P), or - If you enabled new tab replacement, click the + button in the tab bar
Usage Tips
🎯 Save Space with Journal "All" Button
Instead of creating multiple time-granularity buttons, we recommend a single "All" button:
- Hovering over it reveals a submenu to instantly select Day/Week/Month/Quarter/Year
- Save button space while maintaining quick access to all periodic notes
📆 Using the Calendar Button
- Quickly open today's note: Just click the button
- Find past/future notes: Hover to open calendar and click a date
- Weekly review: Click W (week number) on the left to open that week's note
- Monthly/yearly reflection: Click MMM (month) or YYYY (year) at the top
- Quarterly planning: Click 1Q~4Q buttons at the top of calendar for instant quarterly note access
✏️ Read and Write Simultaneously
Hold Cmd/Ctrl and click a button:
- Preview on the left, edit mode on the right, side by side
- Useful when writing while referencing, or checking edits in real-time
🔢 Today's Tasks at a Glance
Enable Daily Note Task Badge (Settings → Daily Note task badge):
- Journal(Daily) or Calendar buttons display remaining tasks as a red number
- When all complete, it changes to a green checkmark (✓) for a sense of achievement
- Updates in real-time when you save your daily note
⚡ Quick Add from Current File
When viewing a file and thinking "I want this in Quick Access too!":
- Command palette (
Ctrl+P) →Add current file to Quick Access - Instantly added without navigating to settings
🎨 Build Your Own Workflow
- By project: Combine project hub + related task board + web references
- By routine: Prioritize Daily Note button in the morning, Weekly Review on weekends
- By purpose: Group File buttons for reading, Web buttons for learning
💡 Item Not Showing?
- Added to Quick Access but button isn't visible? → Toggle might be off
- Check settings and enable the Enabled toggle for that item
- Newly added items are disabled by default
FAQ
Q. Can I use this without Periodic Notes?
A. Daily Notes Core Plugin alone is enough for Journal type Day granularity. Week, Month, Quarter, and Year require the Periodic Notes plugin.
Q. Weekly/quarterly/yearly notes aren't showing in Calendar.
A. You must enable those time granularities in your Periodic Notes plugin settings. Synaptic View automatically adjusts the UI based on your configuration.
Q. Daily Note Task Badge isn't updating.
A. Check that the Show Daily Note task badge option is enabled in settings. It updates in real-time when you save your daily note.
Q. Webpages aren't opening with Web type.
A. Some websites (e.g., Google, YouTube) block iframe embedding. These cannot be opened inside Obsidian.
Roadmap
Planned features:
- Time-based auto view switching: Task board in the morning, daily note in the evening, etc.
- Group type: Bundle Quick Access items into groups
- Smart type: Automatically display recently modified or frequently viewed notes
- Multi Synaptic View: Create and switch between different view sets per project
- Keyboard shortcuts: Quick access to buttons via number keys
Support
This plugin was created by Yongmini.
- Author: @Facilitate4U on X
- Plugin ID:
obsidian-synaptic-view
Bug reports, feature suggestions, and user feedback are always welcome!
We hope Synaptic View makes your second brain even more powerful. 🧠✨
Acknowledgements
Calendar icons used in this plugin are adapted from the Periodic Notes plugin by Liam Cain, licensed under MIT License.