OmniFocus 4: What’s New in Omni Automation?

▶︎ Text Objects, Style Attributes, and Inline Attachments

The ability to format note text and access its component elements, known as “text objects,” opens up numerous avenues for refining and enhancing the expression of your data. For instance, you can easily modify the text formatting in a project or task note.

Video 8: Text Style Attributes

Example: Formatting the text of a note

PLAY PAUSE BACK REWIND SCREEN (⌃⌥8)

Related Plug-Ins

Here are links to the plug-ins demonstrated in the video:

• Set Paragraph Attributes
• Reset Paragraph Attributes
• Set Character Attributes
• Reset Character Attributes

Including Tabbed Data

The ability to format note text and to access its component elements (“text objects”) enables countless new ways to refine and enhance the expression of your data. Here’s a practical example involving the use of tabbed data in a project or task note:

Video 1: Text Objects, Style Attributes, and Inline Attachments

Example: Adding spreadsheet data to a note

PLAY PAUSE BACK REWIND SCREEN (⌃⌥1)

Related Plug-Ins

Here are links to the plug-ins demonstrated in the video:

• Append Copied Spreadsheet
• Set Paragraph Attributes
• Reset Paragraph Attributes
• Set Character Attributes
• Reset Character Attributes
• Append Generated Chart Image

And here’s a link to the example Numbers spreadsheet:

• Example Numbers Spreadsheet

Inline Map Image

In the next example, an Omni Automation plug-in uses the online Mapbox service to generate and add a static map image using the first map URL stored in the notes of the selected project or task.

The plug-in leverages OmniFocus 4's Rich Text support to scan the selected task or project's note for map links. If a link is found, its latitude and longitude coordinates are extracted and used to create a static map of the location. The generated map image is then added as an inline text attachment to the note.

Video 6: Text Objects, Style Attributes, and Inline Attachments

Example: Adding static map to a note

PLAY PAUSE BACK REWIND SCREEN (⌃⌥6)

Related Resources

Here are links to the automation tools demonstrated in the video:

• Shortcuts Workflow for Watch
• Plug-In: Add Static Map to Note

▶︎ Link Objects

Links serve as “connection points” to related data, media, or information. Often, they are expressed in the form of intricate URLs that needlessly take up space and are confusing in their appearance.

Creating “Link Objects” that encapsulate the complexity of a link within a container represented by a selected word or phrase can be a time-consuming process.

However, with the new text manipulation capabilities in Omni Automation for OmniFocus 4, Link Objects can be swiftly and effortlessly created and edited using standard Markdown syntax. Here are a few examples in action:

Video 2: Text Objects and Style Attributes

Example: Links to Markdown | Markdown to Links

PLAY PAUSE BACK REWIND SCREEN (⌃⌥2)

Related Plug-Ins

Here are links to the plug-ins demonstrated in the video:

• Replace Links with Markdown
• Replace Markdown with Links

Sometimes links are the fastest way to navigate between OmniFocus elements, including: Folders, Project, Tasks, and Tags! Here’s an example:

 

Video 3: Text Objects and Style Attributes

Example: “Jump Links”

PLAY PAUSE BACK REWIND SCREEN (⌃⌥3)

Related Plug-Ins

Here are links to the plug-ins demonstrated in the video:

• Markdown Link for Object
• Replace Markdown with Links

▶︎ Window Sidebar and Content “Node Trees”

The new sidebar and content properties of the Window class enable scripts to “see” and “interact” with the hierarchical node trees displayed in OmniFocus windows.

In practical terms, this means that folders, tags, projects, and tasks can be revealed, selected, focused, expanded, and contracted using automation.

Video 4: Window Content Outline

Example: Reveal Select and Adjust Tasks

PLAY PAUSE BACK REWIND SCREEN (⌃⌥4)

Related Plug-Ins

Here are links to the plug-ins demonstrated in the video:

• Reveal and Select All Tasks
• Push Due Date(s) One Day

▶︎ Voice Control Support

Dramatic enhancements to Omni Automation provide Voice Control with the ability to interact with OmniFocus 4 through spoken commands and dictation, on iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

Video 5: Voice Control Support

Example: Dictate Grocery List (macOS)

PLAY PAUSE BACK REWIND SCREEN (⌃⌥5)

Related Documentation and Resources

Here are links to OmniFocus Voice Control documentation, plug-ins, and installable Voice Control command sets:

• Omni Automation and Voice Control
• OmniFocus Voice Control Menu Commands
• OmniFocus Custom Voice Control Commands Collection
• OmniFocus Voice Commands iPhone Video Carousel
• Download Plug-In for Accessing Voice Control

Window Panel Controls

The OmniFocus 4 scripting API includes two new properties of the Window class for controlling window panels: inspectorVisible and sidebarVisible

These properties can be used to manage the window view. For example, here’s a video showing them used with Voice Control:

Video 7: Window Panel Controls

Showing and Hiding Inspector and Sidebar

PLAY PAUSE BACK REWIND SCREEN (⌃⌥7)

Related Documentation and Resources

Here is the link to OmniFocus Voice Control documentation and installable Voice Control command set for these commands:

• OmniFocus Voice Commands for Panel Control

▶︎ Quick Open Integration

In OmniFocus 4, you can now use “Quick Open” to locate, select, and launch installed Omni Automation plug-ins.

Video 9: Launch Plug-Ins with Quick Open

Example: Create “Jump Link” to Folder

PLAY PAUSE BACK REWIND SCREEN (⌃⌥9)