**Created**:: [[2022-05-29 Sunday]] **Link**:: https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU **Duration**:: 13:52 ![6 Strategies for Linking your Visual Thoughts with Obsidian, Excalidraw & ExcaliBrain](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU) # Summary In this video, Zsolt introduces six strategies for linking visual thoughts in Obsidian using Excalidraw and ExcaliBrain. He emphasizes the importance of integrating images with text-based notes to create a cohesive knowledge base. The video explores practical methods for managing visuals, linking images, and utilizing templates effectively. # Key Takeaways - Develop a visual vocabulary by integrating drawings with text-based notes. - Use the stencil library to manage and reuse images while adding metadata like tags and links. - Employ various strategies to create backlinks and use templates effectively to enhance visual note-taking. # Content Hey everyone, your visual vocabulary is similar to your normal vocabulary. These are the images and sketches that you frequently use to express your thoughts. In today's video, I want to give you six different approaches for linking your visuals with your text-based notes and linking your visuals with your other visual notes. [* ](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=0) To be honest, this is the reason I started to develop Obsidian Excalidraw in the first place. For the last two decades, I was searching for the right tool, the tool that could seamlessly merge my drawings and my text-based notes into one integrated knowledge base. Because I couldn't find one, I finally decided to take things into my hands, and this is how this plugin was born. [* ](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=20) So let's dive into the different strategies that you can take. The first strategy is to simply insert an image into your drawing. For example, you can see here that my thumbnail for the video is a separate Excalidraw drawing. If I open the ExcaliBrain view for this drawing, then you can see that this thumbnail is linked to my YouTube channel map of content as well as it's linked to the drawing that we were looking at a moment ago. In fact, this drawing also has a pasted image; I think it was this airplane that I copied from somewhere on the internet. But going back, you can see that this image up here, my Sketchnote Your Brain icon, is also an inserted image. If I open this image, then you will see that I've used this Sketchnote Your Brain icon already in a number of different places. You can see that in this case, this is used as an example in my Linking Your Visual Vocabulary drawing. [* ](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=44) I'll talk a bit later about how I got to this link here; in this case, it is a friend relationship and has this label "example" in ExcaliBrain. But moving on, the second approach that you can take is to add images from your library. So hopefully, you're aware of the stencil library. This is the stencil library. It's very easy to add images of your own to the stencil library. For example, if I create this very simple image right here or this very simple icon right here, I can select this object, open the stencil library, and press the plus button here. From then on, this item is going to be in my stencil library, and I can easily use it in other drawings. However, if I simply use this drawing in other drawings, I'm not going to be able to find this. [* ](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=60) There are a couple of strategies that you can take to overcome this, and all of the strategies involve adding a text field to your drawing. The simplest approach you can see here with my video tag is to add a tag to the image itself. You will see here that I have a number of examples of those items in my library. For instance, here's my icon for a person. When I add this, it automatically adds the tag "person" to this document. If I want to search based on this tag, I'm going to find this document as well. Similarly, you can also add links or even links with a data view field, and to go one step further, if you don't want to see that text when you reuse the image—because you think that text would clutter your view or look ugly on the image—you can make the text transparent. In this case, what you can see here is I have a text element here that is transparent. If I switch this text to black, then what you will see is I have this icon embedded here, which represents the thought or idea of combining components, and the text I have included with this icon is the example double colon, followed by the link to combining components. What this does is create a data view field called "example" and adds this link to that data view field. If I now hide this again, you can see I have an icon that doesn't appear to have any text, but then if I look at my ExcaliBrain visual here, then you can see that I have "combining components" here, which is an example, or a better way to read this is linking your visual vocabulary is an example of combining various components and strategies for doing this. And if I open "combining components," then you can see that it is currently used in two different places. The other place is the one from where I took this; this was a presentation by Laura Evans Hill last week at the Link Your Thinking conference about visual thinking frameworks, and that's where I picked up this representation from, and this is what I'm reusing in this drawing as well. [* ](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=99) The next approach is very similar to adding items from your stencil library, but in this case, instead of adding an item with a text element, I simply add text elements to the drawing itself. For example, you can see that if I create a text element that says "example," then this is going to appear in my tags list. So let's take a look; if I open my tags right here and I search for "example," there's quite a number of tags here. If I search for "example," you can see this is the tag for "example," and if I search on this, then this is the only document where I'm using this tag. But simply by adding a text element to this document with the hashtag "example," I add that tag to this document. The same is true for adding simply a link; in this case, I added the double bracket "example" link here, and then again, if I look at ExcaliBrain, I can see that this document now has a child called "example," and this example is an unresolved link, meaning this document doesn't exist in Obsidian at this time, which is why it has this color in ExcaliBrain. Down here, as you can see, I can also add a text element with a data view field and a value, and in this case, this is how I added myself as the author of this visual. By adding this text element to the document, I linked my document in my Obsidian vault with this visual. [* ](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=161) Going further, we have some other approaches as well. You can add links and tags in the markdown view. So the way it works is if I open my drawing in markdown mode, then you can see that above the text element section, I have a couple of front matter switches, as well as some data view fields with values. Anything that goes above text elements is going to be retained by Excalidraw, meaning whatever you write here and how many lines this is, Excalidraw will simply copy and paste this and preserve the text you put here. So if you put metadata here, whether that be tags or a description or links, like in this case, these are going to be preserved. Here, you can see how I'm linking my drawing to my YouTube channel map of content, as well as to the visual vocabulary topic. You can also see here that I linked my Sketchnote Your Brain icon as an example, as a friend relation to my drawing. So this is the icon I'm talking about, and this is what I mentioned to you earlier that Sketchnote Your Brain appeared on the left while my thumbnail, which is my thumbnail, appeared as a child node. The difference is that, in the case of Sketchnote Your Brain, I included this additional line here as "example sketchnote your brain"; in the case of my thumbnail, it is not included like this, only embedded into the drawing, which is why it will be reflected as a child by ExcaliBrain. [* ](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=219) Going further, the other way you can link your drawing to other notes in your vault is by creating backlinks to this drawing in other documents. For example, you can see that this drawing is linked as "I'm working on this topic today," Sunday, May 29th. If I open my daily notes for Sunday, then you can see here that I have this data view tag that I'm working on, and I state the name of the topic I'm working on. This will become a friend relationship in ExcaliBrain, and again this just adds additional richness to the way I integrate my drawing with my other notes. Finally, you can also add images and use them as templates. I have a library of different templates, so for example, "bridging the gap" is a template that I may want to use. This is very similar to how the thumbnail is added or how this drawing right here is added. The difference is how I use this, and in this case, I want to use this as a template. When I use this as a template, then it's best to right-click on the image and lock the image. By doing this, this image cannot be selected, and thus when I edit this drawing right here—when I come here and edit this—I can easily write on top of this. So, my text now is transparent; I can easily add text here, so this is going to be resource 1 and then I can add resource 2, resource 3, resource 4, so I can add my resources. I can add today's date here; of course, if I would now add today's date like this, if I would just simply write today's date as it is, Sunday, then this would become automatically a link, and in this case, I might not need the backlink from the other document—that would be another option to link this. But, this is the basic idea that here I can visually fill out the template and then, if I want to see where I used this template earlier, I can do exactly the same as I did in the previous examples. I can navigate to this template and see all the places where I've used this. We can even do that: if I open my template right here, "bridging the gap," then you can see that these are the different places from where I'm referencing "bridging the gap." [* ](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=364) I hope you've found this walkthrough of the different strategies to link your sketches with your text-based notes and to link your sketches with other sketches using Excalidraw helpful. As mentioned here, in terms of combining approaches or combining components, think of these different approaches as different strategies or workflows that you can combine to create the linking that you need. There is a very rich tool set to combine your text-based notes with your sketches. Thank you. [* ](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=818) # YouTube Details ## YouTube Description [00:58](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=58) First Strategy [02:20](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=140) Second Strategy [06:08](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=368) Third Strategy [08:07](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=487) Fourth Strategy [10:04](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=604) Fifth Strategy [10:54](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=654) Sixth Strategy ----- 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. --- I just realized that I did not cover in the video how to insert an image into Excalidraw. There are three ways: - Using the command palette action: Excalidraw: Insert Image from Vault - Drag and drop from the Obsidian File Explorer (CTRL+drag on Windows; SHIFT+drag on Mac) - Using the add image button in the Obsidian Menu in Excalidraw --- Plugins used and referenced in the video are: ----------------------------- ExcaliBrain Plugin https://github.com/zsviczian/excalibrain Walkthrough video introducing ExcaliBrain: https://youtu.be/gOkniMkDPyM ExcaliBrain is not yet available in Obsidian Community Plugins. Here's a video on installing ExcaliBrain: https://youtu.be/rk3K4mlgOMM --------------------------- Dataview Plugin https://github.com/blacksmithgu/obsidian-dataview ----------------------------- Excalidraw Plugin https://github.com/zsviczian/obsidian-excalidraw-plugin -------------------------------- Hover Editor Plugin https://github.com/nothingislost/obsidian-hover-editor --- Other links: Obsidian: https://obsidian.md My blog: https://zsolt.blog ## YouTube Transcript [hey everyone your visual vocabulary is](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=0) [similar to your normal vocabulary these](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=2) [are the images and sketches that you](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=5) [frequently use to express your thoughts](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=8) [in today's video i want to give you six](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=12) [different approaches for linking your](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=14) [visuals with your text-based notes and](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=17) [for linking your visuals with your other](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=20) [visual notes](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=22) [to be honest this is the reason i](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=24) [started to develop obsidian excoli draw](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=27) [in the first place](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=30) [for the last two decades i was searching](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=32) [for the right tool the tool that could](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=35) [seamlessly merge my drawings and my](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=38) [text-based notes into one integrated](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=41) [knowledge base](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=45) [because i couldn't find one i finally](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=46) [decided to take things into my hand and](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=48) [this is how this plugin was born](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=51) [so let's dive into the different](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=55) [strategies that you can take the first](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=57) [strategy is to simply insert an image](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=59) [into your drawing for example you can](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=63) [see here that my thumbnail for the video](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=66) [is a separate excalidual drawing](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=69) [and if i open the exco brain view for](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=72) [this drawing then you can see that this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=76) [thumbnail](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=78) [is linked to my youtube channel map of](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=79) [content as well as it's linked to the](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=82) [drawing that we were looking at the](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=85) [previous moment](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=87) [and in fact this drawing also has a](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=89) [pasted image i think it was this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=92) [airplane that i copied from somewhere](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=94) [the internet but going back you can see](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=96) [that this image up here](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=99) [my sketchnote your brain icon is also an](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=102) [inserted image and if i open this image](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=105) [then you will see that i've used this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=108) [sketchnote your brain icon already in a](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=111) [number of different places and you can](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=114) [see that in this case this is used as an](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=117) [example in my](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=120) [linking your visual vocabulary drawing](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=122) [i'll talk a bit later about how i got to](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=125) [this link here that in this case it is a](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=129) [friend relationship and it has this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=132) [label example in excoli brain](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=135) [but moving on the second approach that](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=139) [you can take is to add images from your](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=141) [library](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=144) [so hopefully you're aware of the stencil](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=145) [library this is the stencil library it's](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=148) [very easy to add images of your own to](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=151) [the stencil library so for example if i](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=154) [create](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=157) [this very simple image right here](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=158) [or this very simple icon right here i](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=162) [can select this object i can open the](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=165) [stencil library and if i press the plus](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=168) [button here then from then on this item](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=172) [is going to be in my stencil library and](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=175) [i can easily use it in other drawings](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=178) [however if i just simply use this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=181) [drawing in other drawings](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=184) [i'm not going to be able to find this so](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=187) [there are a couple of strategies that](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=190) [you can take to overcome this and all of](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=191) [the strategies](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=195) [involve adding a text field to your](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=196) [drawing so the simplest approach you can](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=200) [see here](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=202) [with my video tag is to add a tag](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=204) [to the image itself and you will see](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=208) [here that i have a number of examples of](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=211) [those items in my library so for example](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=214) [here's my icon for a person](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=217) [and when i add this this automatically](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=220) [adds the tag person to this document and](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=223) [if i want to search based on this tag](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=227) [i'm going to find this document as well](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=229) [similarly to adding tags to images you](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=234) [can also add links or you can even add](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=238) [links with a data view field](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=241) [and](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=244) [to go one step further if you don't want](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=244) [to see that text when you reuse the](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=248) [image because you think that that text](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=250) [would clutter your view or would look](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=253) [ugly on the image you can make the text](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=256) [transparent so in this case what you can](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=259) [see here is](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=261) [i have a text element here that is](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=263) [transparent if i switch this text to](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=266) [black then what you will see here](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=269) [is i have this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=271) [icon embedded here which represents the](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=273) [thought or the idea of combining](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=277) [components](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=279) [and the text i have included with this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=281) [icon](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=285) [is the example double colon and then the](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=286) [link to combining components what this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=289) [does is this creates a data view field](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=292) [called example](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=295) [and adds this link to that data view](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=296) [field so if i now hide this again](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=299) [you can see i have an icon](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=303) [that doesn't appear to have any text but](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=305) [then if i look at my xcoli brain visual](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=308) [here then you can see that i have](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=312) [combining components here which is an](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=315) [example](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=317) [of or the better way to read this is](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=319) [linking your visual vocabulary is an](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=323) [example of combining various components](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=326) [combining various strategies for doing](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=330) [this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=333) [and if i open combining components](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=334) [then you can see that](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=337) [it is currently used in two different](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=339) [places the other place is the place from](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=342) [where i took this this was a](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=345) [presentation by laura evans hill](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=348) [last week at the link you're thinking](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=352) [conference about visual thinking](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=354) [frameworks and that's where i picked up](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=356) [this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=359) [representation from and this is what i'm](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=361) [reusing on this drawing as well](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=364) [the next approach is very similar to](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=368) [adding items from your stencil library](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=370) [but in this case instead of adding an](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=374) [item with a text element i simply add](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=377) [text elements to the drawing itself so](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=381) [for example you can see that if i create](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=385) [a text element that says example then](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=388) [this is going to appear in my tags list](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=390) [so let's take a look](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=394) [if i open my tags right here and i](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=396) [search for](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=399) [example there's quite a number of tags](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=401) [here i search for example you can see](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=403) [this is the tag for example](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=406) [and](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=408) [if i search on this then this is the](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=409) [only document where i'm using this tag](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=411) [but simply by adding a text element to](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=414) [this document with the hashtag example](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=418) [adds that tag to this document the same](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=421) [is true for](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=424) [adding simply a link so in this case i](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=426) [added the double bracket example link](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=428) [here](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=431) [and then again if i look at xcoli](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=432) [exculibrane i can see that this document](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=434) [has now a child](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=438) [called example and this example is an](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=440) [unresolved link meaning this document](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=443) [doesn't exist in obsidian at this time](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=447) [so that's why it has this color in xcoli](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=451) [brain](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=454) [and then the last example down here as](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=455) [you can see i can also add a text](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=458) [element](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=460) [with a dataview field and](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=461) [a value and in this case](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=464) [this is how i added myself as the author](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=467) [of this visual](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=471) [by adding this text element to the](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=473) [document i linked my document in my](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=475) [obsidian vault](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=480) [with](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=481) [this visual](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=482) [going further we have some other](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=484) [approaches as well](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=486) [you can add links and tags in the](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=487) [markdown view so the way it works is if](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=490) [i open my drawing in markdown mode](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=493) [then you can see that here](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=496) [above](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=499) [the text element section i have couple](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=500) [of front matter switches as well as i](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=503) [have some data view fields with values](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=507) [anything that goes above text elements](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=511) [is going to be retained by x color draw](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=514) [meaning whatever you write here and](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=517) [however long however many lines this is](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=519) [excludra will simply copy paste this and](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=523) [preserve the text you put here so if you](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=526) [put here metadata either tags or](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=529) [a description or links like in this case](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=532) [these are going to be preserved and so](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=536) [here you can see that this is how i'm](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=539) [linking](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=541) [my drawing to my youtube channel map of](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=543) [content as well as to the visual](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=546) [vocabulary topic](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=549) [also what you can see here is that i](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=551) [linked my sketchnote your brain icon as](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=555) [an example as a friend relation](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=559) [to my drawing so this is the icon i'm](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=562) [talking about and this is what i](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=565) [mentioned to you earlier that](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=567) [sketchnote your brain appeared on the](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=569) [left](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=571) [while my thumbnail so this is my](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=572) [thumbnail](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=575) [my thumbnail appeared as a child](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=576) [node the difference is that in case of](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=580) [sketchnote your brain i included this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=584) [additional line here as example](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=587) [sketchnote your brain in case of my](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=590) [thumbnail it is not included like this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=594) [only embedded into the drawing and thus](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=597) [it will be reflected as a child by](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=600) [excoli brain going further the other way](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=602) [you can](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=605) [link your drawing to other](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=606) [notes in your vault is by creating](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=609) [backlinks to this drawing in other](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=611) [documents so for example you can see](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=614) [that this drawing is linked as](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=616) [i'm working on this topic today](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=620) [sunday may 29th](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=624) [and if i open my daily notes for sunday](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=626) [then you can see here that](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=630) [here i have this data view tag that i'm](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=632) [working on](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=635) [and i state the name of the topic i'm](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=636) [working on and this will become a friend](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=639) [relationship in xcoli brain and again](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=643) [this just adds an additional richness to](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=646) [the way i integrate my drawing with my](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=649) [other notes](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=652) [and finally you can also add](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=654) [images and use them as templates i have](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=657) [a library of different templates and so](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=660) [for example](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=663) [bridging the gap is a template that i](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=664) [may want to use](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=667) [this is very similar to how](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=669) [the thumbnail is added or how](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=671) [this drawing right here is added](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=674) [the difference is](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=678) [how i use this and in this case i want](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=679) [to use this as a template](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=681) [when i use this as a template then it's](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=683) [best to right click on the image and to](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=686) [lock the image by doing this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=690) [this image cannot be selected and thus](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=693) [when i edit this drawing right here](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=696) [so when i come here and i edit this i](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=701) [can easily write on top of this and it](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=703) [is so this is go up okay so my text now](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=707) [is transparent i can easily add text](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=709) [here so](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=713) [um](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=714) [this is going to be](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=715) [resource 1 and then i can add resource 2](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=718) [resource 3 resource 4 so i can add my](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=723) [resources i can add](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=726) [today's date here of course if i would](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=729) [now add today's date](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=732) [like this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=735) [so if i would](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=737) [just simply](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=738) [write today's date as it is](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=740) [sunday](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=743) [then this would become automatically a](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=744) [link and in this case i might not need](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=748) [the backlink from](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=750) [the other document that would be another](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=752) [option to link this but so this is the](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=755) [basic idea that here i can visually fill](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=757) [out the template and](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=760) [then](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=763) [if i want to see where i used this](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=764) [template earlier i can do exactly the](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=767) [same as i did in the previous examples i](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=770) [can navigate to this template and see](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=773) [all the places where i've used this we](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=776) [can even do that so if i open my](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=779) [template right here bridging the gap](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=782) [then you can](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=784) [you can see that these are the different](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=786) [places from where i'm referencing](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=789) [bridging the gap i hope you've found](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=791) [this walkthrough of the different](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=794) [strategies to link your sketches with](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=796) [your text-based notes and to link your](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=799) [sketches with other sketches](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=801) [using x-collateral helpful](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=803) [and as mentioned here](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=806) [in terms of combining approaches or](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=808) [combining](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=811) [components think of these different](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=812) [approaches as different](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=815) [strategies workflows that you can](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=817) [combine to create the linking that you](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=820) [need there is a very rich tool set to](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=823) [combine your text-based notes](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=826) [with your sketches](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=828) [thank you](https://youtu.be/qiKuqMcNWgU?t=831)