Audible Alert/Reminder
 

I can't seem to find how to set a reminder in my omnifocus for iphone. I need an audible or vibrating alert. How do I do this? Thanks in advance.

Unfortunately, this functionality isn't available yet for local notifications. It sounds like it's planned for the next update though:

[URL="http://forums.omnigroup.com/showpost.php?p=80922&postcount=11"]http://forums.omnigroup.com/showpost.php?p=80922&postcount=11[/URL]

In the interim, you can use the Calendar Export feature to achieve something similar. Just follow the instructions in the OmniFocus settings screen.

-Dennis

Well, tried that. Didn't work. Nothing changes.

[QUOTE=daveyaffe;82117]Well, tried that. Didn't work. Nothing changes.[/QUOTE]

So you've got OmniFocus set up to export due dates to your sync server? Have you subscribed to that calendar with the Calendar app on your iPhone? Can you see any due events there? Does the Calendar app show them as having alarms?

-Dennis

Ok. "Export Due Dates" in Omnifocus. I think so. I don't see anything in the software that says exactly that. I'm set up to sync with my mobile me (idisk) account in the Omnifocus prefs/MobileMe. Is that what you're referring to?

"Subscribed to the calendar"? When you refer to the "calendar app" are you talking about Omnifocus for Iphone or my iphone calendar app. I AM subscribed in Omnifocus, can't find anywhere in my calendar app to do that.

I do see all the events synced between Omnifocus iphone and omnifocus on the mac, but they're NOT in ical or on my mobile me calendar.

Sync between Omnifocus for Mac and iphone work fine. they just dont talk to ical or the Apple iPhone Calendar App.

It sounds like we might not be talking about the same thing, so I'll go into more detail. Sorry if this is stuff you already know.

Before iOS 4, there was no good way to handle local notifications on the iPhone. Some developers tried using push notifications for this functionality, but that doesn't work very well because it requires constant network access (a server is responsible for tracking alert times and sending notifications to mobile devices). So any time you don't have network access, you won't get your alert until you have network access again — not good, especially on an iPod touch, which is about 40% of potential OmniFocus users.

So the Omni Group came up with the rather clever idea of writing out all your OmniFocus due dates to a .ics file, which is a standard calendaring format recognized by iCal on the Mac and the iPhone's Calendar app. That file could then be uploaded to your OmniFocus sync server. Then the iPhone's Calendar app could subscribe to that .ics file and download the due dates as local calendar events with alarms. So other than occasional syncing with the server to get new or changed due dates, all the notification data is stored locally on your device. When an OmniFocus item is due, the iPhone Calendar app triggers an audible alarm and pops up an alert window.

This workaround may seem a bit convoluted, but it was the best we had prior to iOS 4. Now in iOS 4, Apple has provided a facility for developers to handle true local notifications, obsoleting the .ics file syncing business.

However, Omni left in the old .ics file syncing to support older devices and users who chose not to upgrade to iOS 4. So you can still use the functionality, at least until Omni gets a chance to polish their iOS 4 local alerts a bit more.

To enable the old notification feature, go into your OmniFocus settings screen (tap the gear icon in lower right corner). Under the "Dates" heading, you should see an option for "Calendar Export". Tap it and carefully follow the instructions. Be sure to subscribe to the exported calendar file with the Calendar app when OmniFocus prompts you to do this.

If you've got everything configured properly, you should see a new calendar in the Calendar app with all your OmniFocus due dates. Now, whenever you add or change a due date, and both OmniFocus and the Calendar app get a chance to sync with the server, you should have a calendar event saved locally on your iPhone/iPod .

Hope this helps.

-Dennis

[QUOTE=Toadling;82178]If you've got everything configured properly, you should see a new calendar in the Calendar app with all your OmniFocus due dates. Now, whenever you add or change a due date, and both OmniFocus and the Calendar app get a chance to sync with the server, you should have a calendar event saved locally on your iPhone/iPod .
[/QUOTE]

Excellent description, Dennis!

One word of warning: depending on your settings in Mail, Contacts, and Calendars, it may take a while before the Calendar app notices that the .ics file has been updated, so it is a little dicey to slap a due date (or change one) for something in the next hour or two and rely on that notification unless you make sure to a) sync OmniFocus after making the change, and b) open the Calendar app and make sure the event is updated to reflect the new due date/time. The Calendar app is not aggressive about checking for updates in the interests of saving battery life, and for most users, I think the Calendar engineer(s) made a reasonable design tradeoff, but the Omni usage is a bit out of the ordinary.

Thank, Bill. And good point about the possible delay in updates. It could lead to some confusion if one is not aware of the timing issues involved.

-Dennis

[QUOTE=Toadling;82368]Thank, Bill. And good point about the possible delay in updates. It could lead to some confusion if one is not aware of the timing issues involved.[/QUOTE]

It is especially susceptible to impatience when trying the feature out for the first time. Set a test event for much later today, or tomorrow? Nah, I'll just set it to a few minutes from now and see if it works. Aw, look, those Omni guys are lying about their functionality again!

I was seeing the same behavior
 

I had the same issue, followed all instructions to the letter and still did not see any OF events in my iphone calendar. The new OF alerts are not audible and with the lackluster iphone alert system, they just don't cut it for me. I solved the issue by deleting the OF calendar subscription account under settings and then allowing OF to create that account again. Now I see the events on the iphone calendar.