**Created**:: [[2022-07-06 Wednesday]] **Link**:: https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY **Duration**:: 4:21  # Summary In this video, the creator reflects on the mid-year progress of their Visual PKM projects, including Excalidraw and ExcaliBrain. They express gratitude for the community's support and outline the various enhancements and features added to their tools. The creator emphasizes the importance of user feedback and financial support in continuing to develop and improve these visual thinking resources. # Key Takeaways - The creator highlights significant updates to Excalidraw, including new fonts, mobile support, and usability improvements. - They discuss the integration of Excalidraw with Obsidian and the implementation of popular requested features such as text search and custom color palettes. - Community support plays a crucial role in the ongoing development of these tools, encouraging users to provide feedback and financial contributions. # Content Hey everyone, it is so hard to believe that it's already mid-year. I know that this has been a tough year, and it's especially disappointing because at the beginning of the year I thought that we were out of COVID. 2022 was going to be great, and unfortunately, the world around us didn't move in that direction. That said, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate all the achievements we have together achieved with Excalidraw, ExcaliBrain, visual thinking, and Obsidian. When I say "we," I honestly mean "we," because your support, feedback, suggestions, and also your financial support—be it regular support or one-time support—means a lot to me. It helps fuel my passion for this project. [* ](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=0) So let's quickly look at all the developments this year. The fourth font was requested by many. Mobile support, including palm rejection for the pen, was something that I think was a game changer for the usability of Excalidraw on an iPad. I added all sorts of front matter keys to support Excalidraw automation, export features, etc. I made lots of small enhancements; I'm thinking, for example, of the left-hand mode with the tray mode, and options to auto-publish into PNG and SVG, which help support better Obsidian publishing and some others as well. [* ](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=45) Obsidian has gone through lots of big changes this year. Think of live preview, think of the new pop-out windows in Obsidian 15, or shared world support. All of these required significant work on the Excalidraw side. Then the Excalidraw.com site has constant improvements as well, and I was busy integrating these into Obsidian. I'm thinking of the eraser and element locking as two very popular requests, but there were also improvements to sticky notes, custom colors, and a number of other small things. [* ](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=106) I also implemented text search in Excalidraw, so you can search for a piece of text, and that element will be highlighted. This is a feature that many supported, though I personally do not use it frequently. However, I heard it from many people, so I went ahead and implemented it. The Excalidraw script engine is now filled with different scripts and many useful features that you can find here. I built ExcaliBrain in this first half of the year, and it has really changed the way I use Obsidian. I made lots of improvements to Markdown embeds, including styling and support for embedded images. [* ](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=171) I implemented a custom color palette, which allows you to create as large a palette as you like. I also added a small feature that when you have an unresolved link in Excalidraw, if you click on it, you're offered the option to create a Markdown or an Excalidraw file. All of this, of course, takes a lot of work, which I enjoy because this is a passion project. However, your support also means a lot to me. [* ](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=200) If you want to come along on the journey with me and support me financially as well, please look for the coffee link in the description. I hope to continue this journey in the next half of the year and come out with a similarly busy chart at the end of the year. In the meantime, please share your feedback, share your thoughts, and help me make Excalidraw the best visual PKM tool there is. Thank you. [* ](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=260) # YouTube Details ## YouTube Description If you find my videos helpful, please say thanks by buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/zsolt If you want to connect, you can reach me (@zsviczian) in the Obsidian Members Group (OMG) on Discord or on Twitter. Links -------- Obsidian: https://obsidian.md Excalidraw Plugin: https://github.com/zsviczian/obsidian-excalidraw-plugin ExcaliBrain: https://github.com/zsviczian/excalibrain My blog: https://zsolt.blog ## YouTube Transcript [hey everyone it is so hard to believe](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=0) [that it's already mid-year](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=2) [and i know that this has been a tough](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=5) [year](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=7) [and it's especially disappointing](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=8) [because at the beginning of the year i](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=10) [thought that we're out of covid 2022 is](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=12) [going to be great](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=16) [and unfortunately the world around us](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=18) [didn't move in that direction](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=20) [that said i wanted to stop for a moment](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=23) [and celebrate all the achievements v](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=26) [together](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=29) [achieved with scoliotrol excoli brain](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=30) [visual thinking and obsidian](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=33) [and when i say v i honestly mean](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=36) [v](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=39) [because your support your feedback your](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=40) [suggestions and also your financial](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=42) [support be it regular support or wants](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=45) [of support means a lot to me](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=48) [it helps fire my passion for this](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=50) [project](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=54) [so let's quickly look at all the](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=55) [developments this year](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=56) [the fourth font was requested by many](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=59) [mobile support including pawn rejection](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=62) [for the pen](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=66) [was something that i think was a game](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=67) [changer for the usability of excalitra](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=70) [on an ipad](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=73) [i added all sorts of front matter keys](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=75) [to support excalitra automate to support](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=78) [export features etc](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=81) [i made lots of small enhancements i'm](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=84) [thinking of for example the left hand](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=86) [mode](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=89) [with the tray mode or options to auto](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=90) [publish](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=94) [into png and svg which helps better](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=95) [obsidian publish support and some others](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=99) [as well](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=102) [obsidian has gone through lots of big](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=103) [changes this year think of live preview](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=106) [think of the new pop-out windows in](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=109) [obsidian 15 or think of shared world](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=111) [support all of these required](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=114) [significant work on the ex-collateral](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=117) [side](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=120) [then the excolidro.com site has constant](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=122) [improvements as well and i was busy](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=126) [bringing these in to obsidian i'm](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=129) [thinking of the eraser and element](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=132) [locking as two very popular requests](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=135) [but also there were improvements to](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=138) [sticky notes to custom colors](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=140) [and a number of other small things](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=143) [i also implemented](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=146) [text search in excludra so you can](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=148) [search for a piece of text and that](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=151) [element is going to be selected](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=154) [this is a feature lotex support that i](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=157) [myself do not use frequently](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=160) [but i heard it from many people so i](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=163) [went ahead and implemented it](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=165) [the excladro script engine is now](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=168) [filled with different scripts](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=171) [and many useful features that you can](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=173) [find here](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=176) [i built xcoli brain](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=178) [in this first half here and it has](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=180) [really changed the way i use obsidian](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=183) [i made lots of improvements to markdown](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=187) [embeds](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=190) [in terms of styling in terms of support](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=191) [for embedded images](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=194) [i implemented the custom color palette](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=197) [which](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=200) [allows you to create](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=201) [as big of a palette as you like](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=203) [and then i implemented this small](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=207) [feature that when you have an unresolved](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=209) [link in xcode raw if you click on it](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=211) [you're offered the option to create a](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=214) [markdown or an excluder file](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=216) [so all of this of course takes a lot of](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=220) [work](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=222) [which i enjoy because this is a passion](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=223) [project](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=225) [but your support also means a lot to me](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=227) [so if you want to come along on the](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=230) [journey with me and support me](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=232) [financially as well please look for the](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=234) [coffee link in the description](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=237) [i hope to continue this journey](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=240) [in the next half of the year and come](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=243) [with a similarly busy chart at the end](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=245) [of the year](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=248) [and in the meantime please](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=249) [share your feedback share your thoughts](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=251) [help me make xcoli draw the best visual](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=253) [pkm tool there is](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=257) [thank you](https://youtu.be/1Nk5debwIcY?t=260)