Note: Apologies if this compilation of ideas is inappropriate, and some ideas may have double entries and/or already implemented with the latest 1.10 update. I will try to update the list accordingly as best I can.
Bases Wishlist For Future Updates
//Update 3 (2025-09-03)
- Added 3 more ideas on the list
After using bases for a few days, testing and tweaking here and there and mostly just having fun creating thumbnail images like shown above, I’ve come up to these lists of things I think can improve the already awesome bases by adding features or enhancing existing ones. Note that some suggestions may be a bit too much due to me imagining things more like Excel/Google Sheet, but may be worth noting to inspire other feature ideas.
PS: I am loving bases so far and I hope this list of suggestions can spark some discussion within the obsidian community or at least within this subreddit community. Much love to the Obsidian developers team.
More View Formats
- Horizontal Card View
- View with thumbnail image on the left and text data on the right stacked in rows
- Vertical Waterfall View
- Similar to the style in Pinterest, with varying vertical height
- Height can be based on image proportion and amount of text below
- Horizontal Waterfall View
- Similar to the Vertical Waterfall View idea but vary based on width instead
- Width varies based on image proportion
More View Features
- Enhanced List View
- Ability to Freeze any column or row so any frozen column or row will show even after scrolling
- Ability to color code tags bubble similar to Loom plugin
- Random tags bubble color option
- Ability to increase / decrease Text Size setting per Column
- Ability to angle / rotate text within cell
- Ability to show image within cell
- Ability to color a cell based on formula or cell/column/row setting
- Content Wrapping options for long values
- Options of Overflow / Wrap / Clip, similar to Excel or Google Sheet
- Works for text and also tags / tag bubbles
- Possibly another option to show vertical stacked list inside List View
- Enhanced Card View
- Ability to preview card note content
- Height limit to prevent cards being too long
- Option to ignore images in the note preview / text only
- Option to display specific parts of the note similar to note embedding
- Option to display custom card color with some rules
- Example: if card has no value inside aliases property, then show card as blue
- Example: if number value inside number property is more than 50, show card as red
- Ability to preview card note content
- Card Preview Panel / Page
- Option to always open selected card in the right side window, not unlike Mac Finder Column View or Windows File Explorer Preview Panel
- Option to change / move which side the Panel will show
- Default to right side
- Option to change to Left / Top / Bottom
- Disable & Re-Enable Filters without Deleting Filter Rule
- Checkmark next to filters to disable or enable rule without manually adding every time
More Filters
- Date filter Today/Before Today/After Today
- Adds filter based on dynamic date
- Possibility to add Today with added substraction or addition by length of time
- Filter by amount of results
- Filter by amount of result from a property
- Sort by amount filtered from 0-1 (Biggest or smallest number)
- Example: Book database, sorted by which Book Authors have the most books listed
- Example: Movie database, sorted by which Movie Directors have the most movies listed
Base Embed Display
- Option to hide the top toolbar when embedding base code in a note
- Option to temporarily expand / full-page the base view
- Additional function especially when embedded base view has result limit set
- When expanded in full-page the view is similar to base file view
- Close window button on top right
Random Sorting Order
- Option to randomize order within the base view
- Option to randomize within a specific sorting order. For example, Sort by property is still active but add option to randomize order within each property result group
- Example unsorted: 1A, 2A, 3A, 4B, 5B, 6B
- Example random: 3A, 6B, 2A, 1A, 4B, 5B
- Example active property sort + random: 3A, 1A, 2A, 5B, 6B, 4B
- Could be just a checkmark option in the Sort dropdown
- Randomization every page refresh is probably realistic
Next & Previous Button When Limiting Result
- Add Next and Previous button/arrow in search results when limiting search results
- Example if limit result to 10, then next button will show the next 10
- Option to show or hide Next / Previous button/arrow when limiting search results
Base PDF Export
- Option to export PDF from base file similar to note file
- Embedded base code in notes exports okay but sometimes clips on the right side, needs minor improvement tweaks
Properties for Base File
- I think if base file can show up in base filter results, why not just add the property values for each base
- Ability to add aliases/tags/other properties in base file itself similar to notes
- Could be adding from the property panel, or maybe add an icon on the top toolbar area on each base file
- Embedded base code does not have property, but link to base files will have access to the base file property too
- Interesting potential for cssclasses property for bases to add custom views or tweaks in each base
Base Merge / Split / Copy
- Option to Merge two or more base files together or Split a base file to two
- Possibly need a way to deal with clashing All Views filters, maybe with designating which base that will be the main file and disregard other base files’ All Views filter rules
- Ability to Copy a view from one base and Paste to another base (as new view)
- Ability to Copy Paste views from base file to embedded base and vice versa
Drag & Drop Image to Card
- Ability to drag and drop image file directly to card in bases
- Image file will automatically be added as file inside Obsidian Vault
- Can designate which folder location the image will be stored
- Dragging image from browser will add a text link to the image URL
- Text link will fill any property that is designated as the Image Property selected in the view configuration dropdown
- Dragging image to a note without image property will automatically create image property inside the note frontmatter
- Dragging image to a note with existing value inside the image property will override existing value
- Possibly add warning pop-up that can be disabled “Note image exists, Override?”
Edit Value in List Formula Cell
- Currently any result from formula properties can’t be changed directly due to its nature of results being generated instead of a plain text value property
- Add feature to show a dropdown when clicking a generated formula value showing values referred inside in the formula
- Example, A base list view has a custom formula property shown that calculates value from Property A (5), Property B (7), and Property C (ml) which shows the value of 35 ml.
(note["Property A"] * note["Property B"]) + " " + note["Property C"]
- When clicking the cell showing 35 ml result, it will show a dropdown menu that has an editable area for all three properties
- Property A: 5
- Property B: 7
- Property C: ml
- Example, A base list view has a custom formula property shown that calculates value from Property A (5), Property B (7), and Property C (ml) which shows the value of 35 ml.
- Great potential for customization and interaction, makes formula results able to be tweaked directly
Dedicated Formula Coding Area / Panel
- When custom formulas for bases becomes complicated and long, might be useful to have a dedicated window/panel that shows the formula currently active / selected
- Adjustable width for extra long codes will be very useful quality of life addition
- Additional benefit of not blocking the actual result like the current dropdown menu does
Image Files Automatic Thumbnail
- Image files such as JPG/PNG/BMP/WEBP, etc can show its image on the card
- Option to enable or disable showing of image file thumbnail
Collapse / Minimize Base Embed
- Ability to collapse base embed within a note
- Option on toolbar or similar to header collapse indicator next to the base embed
Search Bar on Base Toolbar
- Adding a search bar on the base toolbar on both Base File and Base Embed
- Functions as temporary filter that can quickly filter by keyword on the base view
- Possible implementation of property reference keyword
- Example: “tag:keyword” will search within the base view for tags marked keyword
- Can also work for other things as quick filters for specific property or date or number
- Search bar filter is temporary and will be revert back to blank when base view is closed
Convert Base File to Base Embed
- Ability to convert Base file to Base embed and vice versa
- This effectively also creates a bases template workflow
- Can also embed from a base file as reference, making a copy of the rules existing in the base file as base embed code instead
Warning When Duplicate Views
- A warning red text indicating two or more views in the same Base File or Base Embed has the same name
- Automatic rename the duplicate or newer one to have “1” after the name, similar to duplicate notes
- Current setting does not indicate anything and impossible to select the second view until renaming one of the duplicate views to unique names
I’ll keep adding more to this list if there’s anything else I come up with or maybe just to fix typos or clarify things.
// Edit: To clarify, this is from my perspective of a forgetful visual person with very little coding knowledge or ability, so other people will have different takes on things but I would love to hear from you guys.
// Edit 2: Added idea
- Files Automatic Thumbnail
// Edit 3: Added ideas:
- Collapse / Minimize Base Embed
- Search Bar on Base Toolbar
- Convert Base File to Base Embed
// Edit 4: Added ideas:
- Base Embed Display
- Option to temporarily expand / full-page the base view
- More View Features
- Disable & Re-Enable Filters without Deleting Filter Rule
- More Filters
- Date filter Today/Before Today/After Today
- Filter by amount of results