# How I’m ACTUALLY Using The Obsidian Canvas ![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HFK3D7zeyTA/maxresdefault.jpg) ## Intro [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=0s) - This video will cover not only the features and capabilities of [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] Canvas, but also its actual usage and implementation [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=0s). - The video was delayed to allow for changes and updates in the first couple of months after the initial release [(00:00:05)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=5s). - The delay also allowed for personal experimentation and usage, providing valuable insights to be shared [(00:00:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=9s). - The video aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Obsidian Canvas, going beyond its basic features [(00:00:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=12s). ## How To Use Canvas [(00:00:14)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=14s) - To use the [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] Canvas, the Canvas Core plugin must be enabled in the settings, under Core Plugins, by toggling it on [(00:00:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=17s). - A new canvas can be created by right-clicking a folder and selecting "New Canvas" or by pressing Command P and typing "Canvas: Create New Canvas" [(00:00:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=27s). - A canvas can have four types of elements added to it: notes, cards, media, and external links [(00:00:37)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=37s). - There are four ways to add a note to a canvas: clicking or dragging the button at the bottom, dragging and dropping from the file explorer, right-clicking the canvas and selecting "Add Notes from Vault", or dragging a connection from an existing element and pressing "Add Note from Vault" [(00:00:46)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=46s). - Notes added to a canvas are live in the vault and can be edited directly from the canvas [(00:00:54)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=54s). - Connections between elements can be made by hovering over one side and dragging it to the new note [(00:01:47)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=107s). - Each element in the canvas can have its own color, and connections can be labeled by double-clicking and giving it a label [(00:01:53)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=113s). - The canvas can be navigated using various methods, including panning by holding space and dragging, zooming by holding Command and scrolling on the mouse wheel, and using "Zoom to Fit" and "Zoom to Selection" [(00:02:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=132s). - The key difference between the canvas and the graph view is that changes made in the canvas do not apply to the rest of the vault [(00:02:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=156s). - Cards are similar to notes but exist solely within the canvas and cannot be dragged and dropped from the file explorer [(00:02:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=170s). - Cards can be added by dragging a connection and pressing "Add Card" or by right-clicking the canvas and selecting "Add Card" [(00:02:58)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=178s). - Cards in [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] Canvas can be added by clicking the "Add Card" button, using the buttons provided, dragging and dropping another card, or double-clicking to create a new card [(00:03:05)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=185s). - Cards are special because they only live in the canvas, and any information added to a card only affects the canvas, unlike notes which live in the Vault [(00:03:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=197s). - Cards can be converted into notes by right-clicking and selecting "Convert to note", which will prompt for a note title [(00:03:43)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=223s). - Cards can be used to embed a small portion of a note by linking to the note, using markdown syntax, and adding an exclamation point at the beginning [(00:04:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=253s). - Media can be added to the canvas by right-clicking and selecting "Add media from Vault", dragging and dropping from the file explorer, or dragging the middle button at the bottom of the canvas [(00:04:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=291s). - Media that isn't in the Vault can be added by dragging and dropping from the file explorer, and media from outside the Vault can be added by dragging and dropping a URL or copying and pasting the URL into the canvas [(00:05:14)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=314s). - Websites can be embedded in the canvas by dragging and dropping the URL or copying and pasting the URL, and can be navigated straight from the canvas [(00:05:26)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=326s). - Groups can be created by right-clicking anywhere on the canvas and selecting "Create group", and can be given a title and rearranged intuitively [(00:05:48)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=348s). - Short form is an app that provides concise and insightful summaries of the best books, articles, and educational material, covering dozens of genres including philosophy, productivity, and self-improvement [(00:06:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=369s). - After finishing a book, the first destination is always Short form, which actively analyzes and interprets the book's key points, taking the understanding of the book and topic to the next level [(00:06:21)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=381s). - Short form goes beyond simple validation or criticism of the author's arguments, drawing connections to other sources of information, leading to the discovery of new books and new links that may have been missed [(00:06:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=396s). - Short form publishes new book guides and articles every week, and subscribers get to vote on what books to cover [(00:06:54)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=414s). - A five-day free trial is available by joining Short form through a special link, shortform.com/from/Sergio, or by clicking the link in the description [(00:06:57)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=417s). ## How I Use It [(00:07:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=427s) - The main use cases for [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] Canvas include creating a networking diagram, planning out videos, and using it as a sandbox for ideas [(00:07:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=427s). - The networking canvas is a diagram showcasing the layout of the network and home, including different connections, access points, and devices, with the use of colors and labels to differentiate between them [(00:07:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=432s). - This canvas is useful for planning out changes and linking to real notes about each device, making it convenient to have all the information in one location [(00:07:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=471s). - The notes linked to the networking canvas include information about servers, such as the [[Synology]] and [[Proxmox Virtual Environment | Proxmox]] server, and the services running on them [(00:08:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=488s). - The canvas is also used to plan out videos, dividing them into chapters and assigning different cards for each point, allowing for easy reorganization of the structure [(00:08:52)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=532s). - Using the canvas for video planning makes the process more enjoyable and efficient, and allows for visualization of the overall structure before starting to write [(00:09:37)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=577s). - Once the video structure is planned out, a new note is opened side by side with the canvas to plan out more thoroughly what to say over each point [(00:09:45)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=585s). - The canvas is also used as a sandbox for ideas, allowing for research and organization of thoughts before deciding which thoughts should be notes and what they should link to [(00:09:54)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=594s). - The [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] Canvas is used as a whiteboard to put ideas on, and some ideas become notes, while others remain as cards or get deleted, with the option to convert cards into notes and link them later [(00:10:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=607s). - Once a solid understanding of the links between ideas is established, the canvas can be kept if it makes sense or deleted [(00:10:19)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=619s). - The topic of future-proofness is important, as many users care about the long-term [[Accessibility | accessibility]] of their notes, which is one of the main reasons for using Obsidian [(00:10:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=631s). - Canvas files are saved locally as .canvas files, which is a proprietary format to Obsidian, but the Obsidian team has open-sourced the .canvas format to ensure future-proofness [(00:10:38)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=638s). - The open-sourcing of the .canvas format is a significant step in ensuring the future-proofness of canvas files, although it may not be as future-proof as Markdown [(00:10:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=650s). - The use of another software for mind maps is not recommended if already using Obsidian, as it would not integrate with the existing ecosystem of knowledge and would not be stored locally [(00:11:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=671s). - The [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] team is commended for open-sourcing the .canvas format, and the Canvas plugin is a core part of what makes Obsidian great, with a wide range of community-created plugins available [(00:11:22)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=682s). - The user has been using Obsidian for two years and has shared their plugin setup in a previous video [(00:11:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK3D7zeyTA&t=691s).