Can't see Perspectives in sidebar
 

I was excited to read here about perspectives being available in the sidebar. Then, I tried to see them there...no luck whatsoever. After a little research, I thought it was because I was syncing via MobileMe (though MobileMe syncing should store perspective information: hint-hint), so I changed my syncing to OmniFocus for Mac. After performing that sync a couple of times, there's still no Perspectives on my sidebar.

To clarify: I don't see an item labeled Perspective on my sidebar at all.

What am I missing?

The sync mechanism (whether MobileMe or whatever) has nothing to do with it. Do you have any context-mode perspectives set up in OF on the Mac? Only context mode perspectives can be used on the iPad. Are you at the top level in the sidebar?

I have a context mode perspective set up on the Mac. I'm at the top level of the sidebar: it shows Projects, Contexts, Map, Forecast, Flagged and Review

UPDATE: That was weird: I went in and clicked on each perspective on the Mac. The next sync pulled the perspectives onto the iPad. I'll chalk it up to a bit of syncing weirdness for now.

I had similar weirdness. Although I already had context mode perspectives set up on the Mac version, I had to create a new perspective and then sync before Perspectives showed up in my sidebar. Possible bug?

[QUOTE=pmdf;82034]I had similar weirdness. Although I already had context mode perspectives set up on the Mac version, I had to create a new perspective and then sync before Perspectives showed up in my sidebar. Possible bug?[/QUOTE]

Definitely sounds like it. Be sure to use Contact Omni in the gear menu to report it. (It will be a challenging bug to track down, since most people aren't seeing it. So anyone who has seen it should definitely report it.)

Have notified OG as advised.

Do most of you see Perspectives in the sidebar right from the initial installation or first sync then?

I just wiped my database off the iPad and set up a dummy database in a new user on my Mac (the default "Welcome to OmniFocus on the Mac" database). When I configured the iPad to sync with the Mac, it synced fine, collected the Mac's database as directed, but did not show the Perspectives item in the sidebar. I then created a new perspective in context mode, synced the Mac, synced the iPad, and the Perspectives item showed up in the sidebar without a hitch, containing perspectives named Contexts, Due, Flagged, Completed, and Tickler (the last one being the one I created).

Wiping the database again, then syncing my standard database (which does have context mode perspectives that I created) caused it to work properly from the initial sync.

It seems like creating a new context mode perspective on the Mac and syncing should get things rolling. I was able to delete that new perspective, sync again, and retain the stock perspectives.

Perhaps there is some initialization hiccup that causes no perspectives to be synced to a fresh copy of OmniFocus for iPad if you only have the factory perspectives, or only have project mode perspectives in addition to the factory set.

[QUOTE=whpalmer4;82093]I just wiped my database off the iPad and set up a dummy database in a new user on my Mac (the default "Welcome to OmniFocus on the Mac" database). When I configured the iPad to sync with the Mac, it synced fine, collected the Mac's database as directed, but did not show the Perspectives item in the sidebar. I then created a new perspective in context mode, synced the Mac, synced the iPad, and the Perspectives item showed up in the sidebar without a hitch, containing perspectives named Contexts, Due, Flagged, Completed, and Tickler (the last one being the one I created).

Wiping the database again, then syncing my standard database (which does have context mode perspectives that I created) caused it to work properly from the initial sync.

It seems like creating a new context mode perspective on the Mac and syncing should get things rolling. I was able to delete that new perspective, sync again, and retain the stock perspectives.

Perhaps there is some initialization hiccup that causes no perspectives to be synced to a fresh copy of OmniFocus for iPad if you only have the factory perspectives, or only have project mode perspectives in addition to the factory set.[/QUOTE]
What about those of us that do not have Omnifocus for Mac? Are we not able to have perspectives on the iPad?

I want to add that I saw this same behavior. I had a Perspective on the Mac and it did not show up on the iPad app but it did in the iPhone app so I knew it *should* show up. Omni ninja said to do a reset (didn't help) but then I decided to create a 2nd perspective and that did the trick. Both showed up on the next sync. Must be a bug.

On the iPad, the perspectives sidebar item will only show up if you create a custom context mode perspective on the Mac. There are context mode perspectives in the default database on the Mac but those will not appear on the iPad unless a custom one is created as for the most part they're all duplicates of built-in sidebar items. So this could explain your need to create a new perspective first.

[QUOTE=DerekM;82384]On the iPad, the perspectives sidebar item will only show up if you create a custom context mode perspective on the Mac. There are context mode perspectives in the default database on the Mac but those will not appear on the iPad unless a custom one is created as for the most part they're all duplicates of built-in sidebar items. So this could explain your need to create a new perspective first.[/QUOTE]

No, they are not duplicated. The due perspective is completely different from the forecast and indefinitely more useful than the forecast as it gives you an overview over multiple days in one list. I initially missed exactly this view. The perspectives entry should be enabled by default.

[QUOTE=DerekM;82384]On the iPad, the perspectives sidebar item will only show up if you create a custom context mode perspective on the Mac. There are context mode perspectives in the default database on the Mac but those will not appear on the iPad unless a custom one is created as for the most part they're all duplicates of built-in sidebar items. So this could explain your need to create a new perspective first.[/QUOTE]

Huh? The first Perspective I mentioned was a custom Perspective. I varies from the built in Due in that I changed the Status Filter of "Due Soon" to "Remaining" so that I could have a list of all remaining tasks, not just the due soon ones. I saved this under the name "Remaining Due" and used the alarm clock icon as its icon. This showed up in the iPhone app, and I like it because it keeps my overdue tasks on the same list as tasks with due dates yet to be done. However when I synced my Mac Omnifocus with the iPad, the "Remaining Due" Perspective did not sync over, nor did I get the "Perspective >" item on the sidebar.

I knew something was wrong when a reviewer mentioned Perspectives and his screenshot had the "Perspective >" item on the sidebar. A data reset on the iPad did not help. On a whim, I decided to create a second Perspective. I randomly decided to change the Estimated Time Filter from "Any Duration" to "5 min" on my own "Remaining Due" Perspective and I saved this as "5 Min," so now I had 2 Perspectives that I had created. The next time I synced, both Perspectives showed up on the iPad.

Now, did what I just explain above satisfy your criterion that I did "create a custom context mode perspective on the Mac" to get the "perspectives sidebar item" to show up and that the second perspective should not have been necessary? Does this indicate a bug?

[QUOTE=wlow;82421]Huh? The first Perspective I mentioned was a custom Perspective. I varies from the built in Due in that I changed the Status Filter of "Due Soon" to "Remaining" so that I could have a list of all remaining tasks, not just the due soon ones. I saved this under the name "Remaining Due" and used the alarm clock icon as its icon. This showed up in the iPhone app, and I like it because it keeps my overdue tasks on the same list as tasks with due dates yet to be done. However when I synced my Mac Omnifocus with the iPad, the "Remaining Due" Perspective did not sync over, nor did I get the "Perspective >" item on the sidebar.

I knew something was wrong when a reviewer mentioned Perspectives and his screenshot had the "Perspective >" item on the sidebar. A data reset on the iPad did not help. On a whim, I decided to create a second Perspective. I randomly decided to change the Estimated Time Filter from "Any Duration" to "5 min" on my own "Remaining Due" Perspective and I saved this as "5 Min," so now I had 2 Perspectives that I had created. The next time I synced, both Perspectives showed up on the iPad.

Now, did what I just explain above satisfy your criterion that I did "create a custom context mode perspective on the Mac" to get the "perspectives sidebar item" to show up and that the second perspective should not have been necessary? Does this indicate a bug?[/QUOTE]


Found out a little while ago that another possibility for what's causing this is if your "Remaining Due" perspective was created a long time ago, I don't know when off-hand, but I think around OF 1.6 or earlier. Around that time we started keeping track of new perspective data that's used to order them on the iPad. If you made this perspective before we started keeping that data and never modified it afterwards, then it probably won't show up until you add another perspective.

It is possible there's a bug here, but so far we've been unable to reproduce it so any information you think might be pertinent please let us know. Thanks!

Hi, I have a similar problem - I do not see any of my custom perspectives on the iPad. I am quite sure I created all of them a long time ago.
I tried to modify them, even set up a new one - but still nothing shows on the iPad.

[QUOTE=zao;82514]Hi, I have a similar problem - I do not see any of my custom perspectives on the iPad. I am quite sure I created all of them a long time ago.
I tried to modify them, even set up a new one - but still nothing shows on the iPad.[/QUOTE]

And these custom perspectives are of context mode correct? I think this is the first I've heard of it still not working after creating a new perspective.

Whether or not you've customized perspectives on a Mac, you can enable perspectives on your iPad with [URL="http://people.omnigroup.com/kc/DebugOmniFocus/EnableiPadPerspectives.html"]Enable iPad Perspectives[/URL].

[QUOTE=Ken Case;82540]Whether or not you've customized perspectives on a Mac, you can enable perspectives on your iPad with [URL="http://people.omnigroup.com/kc/DebugOmniFocus/EnableiPadPerspectives.html"]Enable iPad Perspectives[/URL].[/QUOTE]
That's cool. Thanks, Ken!

Enable Ipad Perspective didn't work for me :( , sidebar still doesn't show anything

Same problem and the link does not help...
 

Perspectives in my Omnifocus on my mac is not visible in my iPad. Tried the link you posted - it did not help. I have sent mail to the ninjas.

My ipad says, "Safari cannot open the page because the address is invalid." when I click on the first one???

[QUOTE=pakiyabhai;82701]Enable Ipad Perspective didn't work for me :( , sidebar still doesn't show anything[/QUOTE]

Sorry for the trouble! If you email the [EMAIL="omnifocus-ipad@omnigroup.com"]support ninjas[/EMAIL], they can help.

[QUOTE=msurtees;82770]My ipad says, "Safari cannot open the page because the address is invalid." when I click on the first one???[/QUOTE]

This generally means that OmniFocus for iPhone was previously installed on the iPad, but it's been removed. Safari is trying to send the link to the missing version of OmniFocus.

If you reboot the iPad, it'll notice that the iPad version is installed and that link will start working.

[QUOTE=Brian;82780]This generally means that OmniFocus for iPhone was previously installed on the iPad, but it's been removed. Safari is trying to send the link to the missing version of OmniFocus.

If you reboot the iPad, it'll notice that the iPad version is installed and that link will start working.[/QUOTE]

That was the case for me. Rebooting worked. Thanks.

[QUOTE=DerekM;82515]And these custom perspectives are of context mode correct? I think this is the first I've heard of it still not working after creating a new perspective.[/QUOTE]

My perspectives were project based - I see the catch now. I tried to create a new context mode perspective and can see it on the iPad now.
Do you have plans for the project based perspectives? All the perspectives I use are project based :(

We do plan to bring them over, Zao - there's just some additional engineering work to bring the project-mode perspectives vs. the context-mode ones.

(Specifically, the project-mode perspectives have to presenting the info hierarchically, vs. the flat lists in context-mode ones.)

[QUOTE=Brian;83259](Specifically, the project-mode perspectives have to presenting the info hierarchically, vs. the flat lists in context-mode ones.)[/QUOTE]

It's those flat lists that drive me nuts -- I can't tell the difference between an action group's header action (for lack of a better term) and its actions. This is where I would want the header grayed out until the children are all completed; instead I get that behavior in the Project lists, where I DON'T want it. Trying to get used to the New Order, but don't much like it yet. :)

Maybe we could get a small icon on the header row? Anyone have any ideas, or am I the only one who's not quite getting this yet?

I don't know if this will help, but I name my projects and action groups in the past tense and my actions in present tense. For example, "Configured web host for new blog" might be an action group, while "Get squarespace account" might be an action. The past tense helps me separate actions from groups in context mode and also help me visualize what success looks like.

Or just simply a marker, like @ sign does for actions, you could use $ sign to mark projects/folders/actions groups..

Is there a way to add projects or contexts to the side bar. FYI: i do not sync with MAC. Ipad only. THx

Currently, the only thing you can "star" to add to the sidebar are perspectives. Folks that would like the ability to do that for projects or contexts should send an email to the [EMAIL="omnifocus-ipad@omnigroup.com"]Support Ninjas[/EMAIL] and let them know they're interested.

I do see an existing feature request on this - folks should still send email; one of the metrics we use when planning our work is the number of customers that have requested a given change. Thanks!

Sent an email to the ninjas, but also want to cry out for help here. :) Please add the ability to create perspectives right on the ipad. I don't use a Mac so the sync feature does me no good.

Project Mode Perspectives on the iPad?
 

[QUOTE=Brian;83259]We do plan to bring them over, Zao - there's just some additional engineering work to bring the project-mode perspectives vs. the context-mode ones.

(Specifically, the project-mode perspectives have to presenting the info hierarchically, vs. the flat lists in context-mode ones.)[/QUOTE]Well, it's been a couple of years at this point... is there any plan to enable Project Mode Perspectives on the iPad? I just tried it again, thinking that it had probably changed, but no such luck...?