Excalidraw - Full featured sketching plugin in Obsidian

[tlockney]

I’m sure @ zsviczian or others can provide more clarity, but here’s what I understand of it. While Excalidraw is a web app, it’s also a library that can be embedded in other applications. What this means for you is that when you run it as an Obsidian plugin, the core functionality is all running locally. There are still potential calls being made to external sources (e.g., if you want to install new libraries of images or new scripts to use with the excellent Automation Engine this plugin provides, those will require you to be online. But those should not be a concern in your normal day-to-day workflow. I use this on my iPad frequently and have not yet encountered any errors when I’m offline.

[zsviczian]

@synaut

any way (or if it it would be possible) to “consolidate” excalidraw drawings inside Obsidian. What I mean by this is, if I make a drawing and I know I won’t modify it further, it would be cool to have the option to convert it to an actual image (obviously losing some functionality on it) and replacing the embed with the final image. This would be very cool for sketching stuff inside obsidian and keeping only the image in the end.

edit: I see now that there’s a way to export the drawing as PNG, but doing it that way requires to take an extra step a

Check out these settings. You can always embed an image and have a link under it to edit the file.

[zsviczian]

@Glint_Eye

erstand it, Excalidraw is a Web App. But how does the implementation as a plugin work? Does this mean I have to be online to have

Correct. The excalidraw package is 100% local, runs without any access to the network. You are also correct, that if you want to install a script from the script library or a stencil from the stencil library, then network access is required, but once the script or stencil library is installed it will also work offline.

[zsviczian]

@sunsoy

ve had success in Android 12, but on an Android 10 (tab s4) device, the installed and enabled plugin launches no GUI and page remains empty. Obsidian 1.0.5 and plugin 1.5.30.

There is a dependence on Android WebView. There is a longer discussion about the subject here: Obsidian: failed to load obsidian-excalidraw-plugin | Huawei Matepad Pro (Android) · Issue #181 · zsviczian/obsidian-excalidraw-plugin · GitHub

[zsviczian]

@NeuroJitsu

sounds really interesting, I’ve not yet used Excalidraw so will take a look.

As context for my PKM workflow/needs from Obsidian, I would love to be able to create in Obsidian my own visual linkages between notes, hyperlink-style in a hand drawn graphic - as an alternative to graph mode’s automated maps. This would suit my thinking-on-the-fly style of note-taking which consists of a lot of concept-/mind-mapping. I tend to create maps as a way to integrate new ideas with existing knowledge, and as a way to brainstorm (for example for writing projects, or for product development).

I’m currently doing all my mind mapping in the Concepts app on iOS (also available on Android), but it has no hyperlinking functionality so currently the only way I know of creating this sort of document is as a separate step within a slides-type app (Keynote/ Powerpoint/Slides) or desktop publishing app, but this is very clumsy and only really suitable for “sharing ideas” that you’ve already “thought about” in some sort of final design format, like an infographic, rather than as part of the “thinking workflow” that Obsidian is so good at supporting.

It may not be immediately, but I’ll be sure to let yo

I will be publishing another video about mind mapping soon. Hope that will help.

[zsviczian]

@Thomasrsm

note, clicking it will take me to the drawing itself.

Is there any way to make the links in the drawing clickable?
I would love to have embedded drawings as dashboards with clickable links in my notes without having to change the whole note to a drawing.

Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found a way. Excalidraw will soon be able to export image map SVGs, but unfortunately, the way obsidian displays embedded images, those image map links will not work in markdown editor.

[Thomasrsm]

I see. I am currently using Obsidian Leaflet plugin and putting invisible markers over the words to make them clickable links. But it is not the most smooth workaround… Would love this feature in excalidraw

[heumed]

Awesome plugin @zsviczian. I just created an entire presentation using your plugin. As a Thank you, I just signed up as a member on ko-fi.

Keep up the good work
Heumed

[joeweb]

Hi there,
hi @zsviczian

I‘m probably to tired or stupid…but I don‘t see how I can add an external link (to a website) in a drawing when using the iPad with a pen (no external keyboard).

Can you switch on a light for me?

[Peanut]

Thank you so much! This is such an extremely powerful plugin indeed!

[RobOK]

I would like to quickly make maps of existing content.

1. drag a section (via a heading) from an Obsidian note and have it create a Transclusion. if not, i have to make my notes much more granular, but i am trying to map within one note, not across notes.

2. I would like an object, say a square, to act like a button, where clicking anywhere on the button opens the file.

3. If i go more atomic note style, which has some benefits, I would like to be able to drag an Obsidian file ONTO a square and make it connected. Right now it just creates a link. I guess i could “group” them.

[friendlmickle]

Hello!

Thank you for the plugin and your support!

I want to clarify if it is possible to disable these elements at the bottom in the corners? So that they were not visible in full screen mode (View mode). Thank you very much!

[Luiss]

Nice plugin. I’ve been usi g it to test its features.
Seems that i can’t use “jump lines” when one line is above another line, just like draw.io does. But i think this is more related to the excalidraw app than with the plugin correct?

[Brandon_Lujan]

Updated in GitHub

[Phospher1]

Hi Zsolt I have watched lots of your videos and your enthusiasm and energy for your projects is palpable …I am really enjoying using it and finding out how useful it will be to me. I am using an ipad to do most of my work on and am grateful for all the adaptations you have made for mobile users.
Something I noticed today is that when I access the tools panel and move the panel across the screen it slides open the general tool bar on the left or the back links panel on the right. I can’t access either of these side bars by dragging on the screen and only the left general tool bar by pressing on the three lines top right.
Am I missing something or is this still work in progress.
Many Thanks Simon

[VadymCr]

Hi Zsolt, thanks for this plugin!

Please tell me when I try to scale a group of objects - they move.
Is there any way to avoid this, am I doing something wrong?

Thanks again for your work!

[VadymCr]

Thanks, in new the release this problem is fixed!

fix: resize multiple elements from center

[L1MB0]

Currently trying out excalidraw and so far in love with it.

I do have a lot of existing mind maps I use for studying on my iPad in concepts, I would love to do all my mind maps right now in concepts since the whole interface is more intuitive to me (utilization of apple pen for eraser, already have my whole pen setup etc.)

I think it is easier to implement the possibility of importing svg files and then treat them like excalidraw in obsidian, instead of adding the full apple pen support to excalidraw, but perhaps I am wrong.

[Felyxorez]

I absolutely love Excalidraw in Obsidian, and it became my “to go tool” for sketching.

Though I have a quick basic question :
would it be possible to prevent elements to connect to each other (for example a line point to a shape)?

Edit: I found out there is a function “Prevent arrow binding” that is bound to CMD, so when you hold cmd while editing a line, arrow, text etc, they don’t snap.

Though it would be very helpful if you could prevent it indefinitely if it’s of no use in the sketch.

[Chains]

Can i use more than i link per text field?
If i make a note:“[[link1]] is related to [[link2]]” it only tranforms link1
Also can i enable autofill for links like in a normal obsidian note?