KranK: An OmniFocus Widget
 

[url]http://www.krank.us[/url]

I'm nervous about installing a widget that claims to activate the Dashboard for me. Can you say more about how it does that and how it knows that I'm not working on something else?

I went back to the webpage and the wording was a bit... off. I've reworded the web page so it is more succinct.

The widget is not tracking the applications you use... although... it's on the enhancement list. ;-)

I don't know if it will ever make it into the build.

Thanks for catching that for me.

Screenshots please...

There's a manual on this webpage with screenshots.
[url]http://www.krank.us/Downloads.html[/url]

Very nice work on the widget. I'd probably use it if there were a way to have KranK display most urgent task first. Sometimes the hard landscape of deadlines steps in front of just turning the crank on my overall task list.

Whew! Thank you for the compliment Curt. It means a lot to me coming from you.

I'm at the point now with the code where I swear someone is changing it and making bugs. :-) I keep finding bugs and thinking... I know I fixed that before. I'm no professional programmer, and the more I do the more respect I have for those that do.

Anyway, another version fix to be uploaded soon.

In response to your most important items first, especially hard landscapes, I totally agree.

This is outside of the scope of KranK. KranK lets OmniFocus do all the sorting and grouping. KranK will either display the top item in the Q, or let you select an item.

Here are some ways I use Krank to process items that need to be done ASAP.

1. In KranK, click on the Top Item First so the light isn't lit. Then go into OmniFocus and select the task you want to work on. Activate the dashboard. KranK will display the selected item. Click the On Task button to start working on the task. This will lock the task into Krank.

2. Use different groupings in OmniFocus. Sort by Due Date or group by Due Soon. I like grouping by Due Soon.

3. Focus on a project that needs to get done now. This is my favorite one. :-) One of the coolest features of OmniFocus.

Hope this helps.

Version 1.11 is up
 

Just got a bug fix up. Version 1.11.

Side note, for those looking for time tracking, there is some time tracking in this widget. You can't do any kind of reports, but it does track the time and store it in the estimated field once the task has been completed.

[url]http://www.krank.us/Downloads.html[/url]

Very nice widget :) I also love your little sprite widget, but I obviously need to break my tasks down a lot more because after 4 hours of work where I feel like I did a lot, I only got one sprite (and only one task ticked off though, so I get it)! (or do I have to estimate my time to be able to get sprites?)

Thank you for the kind words! :-)

Yes... the sprites.

Here's the logic behind the widget.

The Sprites aren't a 1 to 1 to completed tasks. The widget looks back 24 hours, and finds all overdue or completed tasks. I didn't want to have too many sprites in the widget and wanted it to be more of an organic encouragment... if that makes any sense. The user is fostering a healthy environment for the sprites to thrive.

So... for every 10 minutes of work completed in the last 24 hours, one sprite will appear.

The widget gets the time from the estimated time field once a task is completed.

For tasks that don't have any time the FireSprite widget treats the task as a 1 minute item.

KranK, will time tasks as you work on them. When you complete an item using KranK, it will move the time worked on into the estimated time field for you.

Whew...

Okay... so if you want to see a lot of sprites... and it's kinda fun to see them, create a test task, enter something like 500 in the estimated time field and complete it. :-)

The other fun hidden feature in the FireSprite widget, is watching the sprites change in number. The widget looks for new tasks whenever you activate or hide the dashboard. And then checks every 1 minute while the dashboard is active to see if the values have changed.

In order to see them change you'll need to use KranK. Make sure the Top Item First button is lit. Start working on a task, leave the dashboard visible, let the time get up into at least 6 minutes, 10 to be safe, and then complete the task. The dashboard should still be active.

Then watch the FireSprite widget for no longer than a minute. When the FireSprite widget checks for a task change, the sprites will change in number... in an interesting way. :-)

One other thing about the sprites. If you have overdue items, and the flames appear... all the sprites will disappear. As soon as your last overdue item is completed, the sprites will begin appearing, but the widget won't be counting 24 hours back anymore. It starts counting the completed items from the time you complete that last overdue task.

Sprites don't like the heat. ;-)

I thought of something else. Instead of having 'do not disturb' applications, it would be nice to have a "pause" button. You know, sometimes I want to stop getting things done, and I will still be at the computer. I don't want to be interrupted constantly, but I don't want to have to uninstall and reinstall KranK each time I want to relax.

It really is a nice app. Should satisfy all of those people who want OF to constantly annoy the c**p out of them.

[QUOTE=cyleigh;39460]I thought of something else. Instead of having 'do not disturb' applications, it would be nice to have a "pause" button.[/QUOTE]

I second this.

A great suggestion. I've thought of this as well, and it's on the enhancement list. I've gone back on forth on whether this is needed. Here are some thoughts. None of these are directed at any of the posters. There are observances from my own behavior.

One is how I think & feel about tasks. Tasks don't have to be evil work things to do and then I relax later. In the Getting Things Done model, Allen talks about capturing everything. There is no work and non-work categories. It's all wonderful things to do. When KranK comes up, it's not an interruption, it's an inquiry. It gives me a chance to see all the incredible widgets I have on my dashboard, take a breath, and dive back into the computer.

You could create tasks for fun things not just work things. Have a project for goofing off, or relaxing or surfing the web. KranK helps me be aware that time is happening while I do these fun things. I know for myself, it's easy to start on something fun, and then 2 hours later... I'm off on a tangent. KranK hopes to help me with that.

I have some reservations about putting a master control switch on the widget. Because I know, I'll switch it off, and forget to switch it back on, and then 2 hours later...

If a master control switch was added, there wouldn't be that much difference in the amount of clicks spent removing the widget. Loading the widget takes 3 to 4 clicks depending on how many widgets you have installed. I like it being a bit more difficult for the widget to be turned off and on. It puts resistance on the human nature part of getting things done.

All that said... the master control switch may find it's way into the build. It may be a while. First there's getting the widget more stable for more users and the sneaky peek. :-)

Thank you for the suggestion.

Here's one example of how I had to change how I have tasks set up in OmniFocus to use KranK.

I have a project called... process collection buckets.
In there I have repeating tasks for things like:
process email inbox to 0
process computer desktop to clean
process physical inbox to empty

When I am ready to process my email inbox to 0. I select the task, and then start working on it.

Then I process my email inbox to 0.

4 months later,

anybody still using KranK? What was/is your experience?

I came across the widget because of vauha27's follow-up... After reading the manual I was quite excited to try it out but it seems to be broken :-(
(at least for me - using the latest OF 1.5rc2, rev 106199)

After placing it on the dashboard the (middle) progress meter becomes red and the gauge fiddles around a bit. Then, I can see OmniFocus behind the dashboard deselecting all contexts leaving itself with an empty action list and the widget with a red gauge (pointer at about 90%) that doesn't do anything anymore...

Is this a known bug or am I doing something wrong?

This shouldn't be happening.

The widget is designed to only select one context at a time. It shouldn't be stalling like that. If there is an error, the widget is designed to report an error.

If the widget gets hung like that, removing the widget (hold option key and click on upper right X) and adding it to the dashboard should get it on it's feet again.

I've been working on an update with a lot of fixes. Hope to have it out soon.

One more thing... haven't tested the widget on Tiger for a while. At one point it worked on Tiger. If you are running Tiger then this may be part of the problem.