#1

Hi there,
Writing notes by hand is a great benefit (also memory wise) so it would be amazing if Obsidian supported adding drawings and saving them as images

62 Likes
Help automating OCR export of handwritten notes on iPad
Built-in support for handwritten notes (mainly for mobile apps), e.g. Apple Pencil
#2

Totally agree, in fact I was thinking the same, it is quite a useful feature to have, similar to Google Keep’s - Note with drawing or having this support with Wacom will be quite useful.

1 Like
#3

I second this.
[Obsidian + Sketch Notes] is a tool I want.
As I am mostly thinking in picture and drawing helps me think.
So the perfect tool in my mind would be Obsidian with drawing capability.

6 Likes
#4

This would be such a powerful addition. I mostly take my notes by hand (lots of economics w/ graphs and rlly connecting ideas) and the freedom it gives you it’s amazing.

5 Likes
#5

This feature could be implemented using this:

6 Likes
#6

I’m not convinced this would make a worthwhile addition to Obsidian directly.

I use pens extensively for hand writing and drawing; all my devices have been chosen because they have sophisticated pens. So it’s nothing to do with that.

All the programs that come to mind with this ability have databases and export. Google Keep, Samsung Notes, OneNote, Evernote plus all the specialised programs. I think it’s the same with Apple. Markdown itself doesn’t have image capabilities, though it can link to image files. Remembering where you are in the drawing and supporting multiple undos is much easier in a database, and I’m not sure how practical it would be with files, especially between sessions.

The programs that support handwriting usually have OCR. Keyboards on many devices have the ability to transcribe into text. This already exists and is constantly developed within these other programs.

I find it quite simple to import the handwritten or drawn files into Obsidian using attachment folders and this works quite straightforwardly. I’m very unconvinced that a separate Obsidian feature would significantly enhance this workflow, but I’m sure it would absorb a lot of development effort.

3 Likes
#7

It’s so hard to find a tool that integrates hand writing and regular note taking other than Keep (can’t trust Google products to last) and One Note (hates my Wacom for some reason). I significantly prefer taking notes by hand, but I often type out notes for certain workflows. Being able to search and link them both more easily would be fantastic. Text based notetaking systems are only useful if you already have words for your thoughts. There are very few good tools for when you need to think but do not have words available yet.

3 Likes
#8

Evernote.
Samsung and Apple have their own solutions.
Quite a lot of Android/iOS options.
But it’s not a large number compared to text.

#9

Fair.

good tools*

#10

I am on Mac, but I was working in Windows last year. In the Wacom settings there is a setting “Use Windows Ink”. You absolutely should uncheck that, if I recall correctly. It causes nothing but headaches.

Have you tried changing that setting? There is also some Windows Ink settings in the Windows control panel specifically that you can disable. When you click down or right-click, if you see little blue circles, it is likely Windows Ink features that are disrupting your workflow in One Note. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-touch/how-do-i-permanently-disable-window-ink-for/ea56857f-922b-4b30-a2fd-161904cf61d1

Source: I work in 3D and use a Wacom pen all the time. With Windows Ink turned on, the Wacom is broken and weird in 3D applications like Maya.

#11

This would be great. When Roam introduced this, I thought little of it. After a bit, I realize that it opens up the possibility to integrate alternate ways to think of concepts.

4 Likes
#12

I’m not sure how this should shake out… probably as a plugin. I’m on a chromebook pixel and I’m currently thinking about how to do the inking stuff in Obsidian. I think for now I’m going to have some inbox method from another app. I don’t know exactly.

#13

in most cases this is a regular svg wrapped in a proprietary format

2 Likes
#14

https://www.janvas.com/public-apps/janvas_6.3/janvas_app_6.3/index.php pure svg, but have to pay.
https://editor.method.ac/ free, like evernote, but not proprietary format

2 Likes
#15

it would be amazing if Obsidian supported adding drawings and saving them as images

My setup:

  • Mac running Obsidian,
  • connected via USB to
  • iPad running Concepts.app (probably others also work)

All I needed to do is to copy in the drawing app, paste in Obsidian, and follow the link to rename the PNG. It’s frictionless :slight_smile:

1 Like
#16

I have recently discovered an iPad app called Notebooks 10. Apart from reading and editing markdown, it also has a “sketch” feature. What this latter does is pretty simple: basically creates a plain-paper pdf (you can set up the desired paper background, etc.), and then you can hand-write on it; it automatically saves as a pdf. The bonus is that you can also set up a remote folder as a notebook.
So I have a “random notes” notebook setup with Obsidian so that Notebooks 10 is synced with the Obsidian vault. If I take a note by hand in Notebooks, it will automatically show up (as a pdf) in Obsidian. And vice versa, if I take a note on my computer in Obsidian, it’ll show up (as markdown) in the Notebooks notebook.

This has been working really well for me. I realize that one could also probably do it by hand: just create an empty pdf in the obsidian vault, have a shortcut to it on the ipad, and the write on it (via the default Apple editing tool) whenever.

4 Likes
#17

u can look in the direction of svg, if you use text, so you can edit the picture in the future. btw apple pencil does not discharge the iPad much?

#18

Yea, I do mostly vector work hence Concepts.app. It is possible to AirDrop PDF/SVGs, but then it is no longer frictionless…

1 Like
#19

I’d love this feature.
I also admit that I don’t like to think about how I’m going to store my handwriting in obsidian (insert any other app here), it just should be possible (frictionless), if possible at all.

I’m still waiting for a OneNote-killer app.

2 Likes
#20

try goodnotes if u use mac