Making the start & due date columns visible
 

OmniFocus stores the information about what columns are visible on a per-perspective basis. If you're seeing those columns some of the time and not seeing them at other times, this is likely why.

The fix for this has two parts; each is optional, depending on what you'd like your setup to be. First, you can set the baseline behavior - "show these columns, and hide these ones, unless my perspective tells you differently." Then, you can go ahead and save perspective-specific overrides to the default behavior into your various perspectives. Instructions for both approaches follow.

[B]Setting the default behavior[/B][LIST=1][*]Open OmniFocus[*]Select [I]Perspectives -> Revert to Default View[/I][*]Select [I]View -> Show View Bar[/I] (if the menu item reads "Hide View Bar", skip this step.)[*]Control-Click the white column headers that appear just beneath the view bar. A contextual menu will appear with three choices: [I]Estimate[/I], [I]Start Date[/I], and [I]Due Date[/I]. If you select an item from the context menu, the corresponding column will become visible.[*]Quit OmniFocus to make sure we save this change to your preferences.[/LIST]
[B]Setting the behavior in a specific perspective[/B][LIST=1][*]Open OmniFocus[*]Select the perspective you want to edit from the Perspectives menu.[*]Select [I]View -> Show View Bar[/I] (if the menu item reads "Hide View Bar", skip this step.)[*]Control-Click the Column headers. A contextual menu will appear with three choices: [I]Estimate[/I], [I]Start Date[/I], and [I]Due Date[/I]. If you select an item from the context menu, the corresponding column will become visible.[*]Select [I]Perspectives -> Take Snapshot of Perspective[/I]. You should be good to go at this point.[/LIST]
Hope this helps!

Edit: for the 2nd time in 2 days, changed "command-click" to "control-click". No cookie for Brian!

I think both step 4's should read "[I]control[/I]-click the Column headers." At least, that's what I had to do to get the contextual menu ;-)

Thanks for the guide, though, this is something I'd been wanting to do for a while, just didn't know how…

I'd like to give this a shot, but Revert to Default View is not an option in my Perspectives menu. It's simply not there. Any suggestions?

[QUOTE=adgirard;31263]I'd like to give this a shot, but Revert to Default View is not an option in my Perspectives menu. It's simply not there. Any suggestions?[/QUOTE]

Adgirard, that's not one I've seen before - I assume you're running the 1.0 release? (If not, you should update.)

If you're running the 1.0 release and having this, then I'm not sure. I'll check with the dev team, but do you have any haxies or third-party system modifications installed? If so, try disabling them; if not, try quitting OmniFocus and moving your preferences file to your desktop, then relaunching.

(The preferences file is named 'com.omnigroup.OmniFocus.plist' and it's stored in <your home folder>/Library/Preferences)

[QUOTE=Brian;31265]Adgirard, that's not one I've seen before - I assume you're running the 1.0 release? (If not, you should update.)[/QUOTE]

I'm running 1.0.

[QUOTE]If you're running the 1.0 release and having this, then I'm not sure. I'll check with the dev team, but do you have any haxies or third-party system modifications installed? If so, try disabling them; if not, try quitting OmniFocus and moving your preferences file to your desktop, then relaunching.[/QUOTE]

No haxies or third party system mods installed. They're evil. I all too well remember the days of troubleshooting system conflicts under the old OS. :(

Trashing the prefs file did fix the problem. Thanks!

Do you want me to send you a copy of the offending prefs file?

Sending that prefs file in would be great. Do me a favor and include a link to this thread in the email. Just in case one of the other ninjas ends up grabbing the email...

I don't see this item
Select Perspectives -> Revert to Default View
but still want to set it up so the columns always appear by default.

Odd, I didn't see Revert to Default View either (running latest ver.); quit OF, moved the plist to the desktop, relaunched, still didn't see it, quit, trashed new plist, put old one back, relaunched, now works.

Bob

Column headers row was invisible
 

The problem below is no longer outstanding ... but it happened because the column headers row was empty, so I couldn't see what to control-click on. (Maybe this was because the "Revert to default view" menu item was greyed out?) Control-clicking in the empty row finally allowed me to select the due-date column for display.

Original post (before solution) follows ...


[QUOTE=Brian;31255] ...
[B]Setting the default behavior[/B][LIST=1][*] ... [*]Select [I]Perspectives -> Revert to Default View[/I][*] ....[*]Control-Click the Column headers. A contextual menu will appear with three choices: [I]Estimate[/I], [I]Start Date[/I], and [I]Due Date[/I]. If you select an item from the context menu, the corresponding column will become visible.[/LIST][/QUOTE]

I must not be understanding this ... or else something is broken. I have tried control-clicking on the column heading that reads "Any Duration", and then I get just choices of durations ... or I control-click on the column headings bar but not any of the headings, and I get no response ... and control-clicking with the columns doesn't do anything (actually a small indicator appears indicating that I could paste something). Where exactly am I supposed to be control-clicking?

How to make "due date" a standard column in all views?
 

every day, when i start up omnifocus, i have to go to VIEW>COLUMNS>DUE DATE.

i would like to have this saved as a default on all views... and not just by perspectives. is that possible? i'm not seeing anything where it gives me that option.

driving me up the wall.. let me know if anyone can help :) thanks!

bnbarry34