"Effortlessly" open your obsidian vault in dendron!

Prepare Obsidian Vault

  1. Backup Vault
  2. Install Obsidian Link Converter Plugin
  3. In the settings for the plugin, Converted link format to relative
  4. (Suggested) Move all non-markdown files to a folder called assets
  5. Open the Command Palette Cmd+P and run Obsidian Link Coverter: Links To Markdown
  6. In your OS’s filesystem, copy your newly modified vault’s path

Prepare Dendron

  1. Install VS Code, and all the Dendron extensions
  2. Initialize a workspace that will contain the new vault
  3. Add Vault and remember what you name it

Import on dendron

  1. Run import pod and choose markdown
  2. Edit the config.import.yml that is shown
    • Paste your Obsidian Vault Path in
    • Type in the Dendron Vault Name you picked
    • Scroll down and find the option noAddUUID commented out
      • Un-comment the line
      • Set it to noAddUUID: true
    • Save this config
  3. Run import pod and choose markdown again
  4. Be the happy camper you never knew you could be

It took me a while to figure out just how picky Dendron’s markdown import pod is. I hope this helps at least one other person trying to convert to Dendron.
I’m still using Obsidian, but I wanted to be able to open my notes somewhere else incase publish stagnates, declines, or becomes more expensive.

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Will you share a screenshot of your markdown import pod? Unfortunately, I cannot get dendron to locate the vault I want to import into.

I had a similar issue one time. Is it possible that you may be confusing the “title of the folder” with the “name of the vault”?
Here is an example config, in which I have added a comment to explain.
(I should clarify that in my screenshot, I am choosing the import source to be a backup folder that I positioned in my dendron workspace. This is not necessary)

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Great. Thanks for writing up.

What I like in Dendron is their way to organize hierarchy using dot in filename. With this feature, I don’t need to use FolderNote plugin, or prepare the breadcrumb-style hierarchy in frontmatter of each note.

Though I have to use Breadcrumbs plugin, instead of the File Tree pane, to navigate the hierarchy structure of a Dendron vault using Obsidian

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I agree that the hierarchy is more convenient to manage in dendron. A “folder-note” is baked right in, as you said.

I haven’t been brave enough to fully take the plunge into dendron, since many things are not as polished as they are in obsidian. But if the breadcrumbs plugin makes a dendron vault navigable in obsidian, I may be able to ease my transition. Did you have to do anything else in obsidian to optimize it for your dendron (dot hierarchy) vault?

Nope, you just have to enable the option of Alternative Hierarchy in the breadcrumbs plugin, so you can have a file tree view. And that’s all.

Another strong point of Dendron is its capability to refactor note or link. For example, you can rename a header in one file, then all the links that anchor to this header will be updated automatically

That’s the reason why I’m using Dendron to organize notes on desktop and Obsidian to read notes on the go on mobile

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