[BwanaZulia]

This one came to me as I got back from a vacation the other day.

I would like the ability to have a canned project or project template, something that is a full project with tasks etc, that can be activated or added to the current project list.

For example, I would create a project called "Back from Vacation" and populate it with tasks such as "Check the fridge. Turn on the wireless. Process all emails. etc" and so whenever I got back from vacation I could just click a button and add this to my current list so I could process it. It would be available for the next time I came back from another vacation I could activate it again.

It could be used for "Holiday Shopping" or "Party Preparation" those types of things.

What do you think?

BZ

[BwanaZulia]

I was thinking about this the other day (again) and I REALLY want to see this in OmniFocus.

Another scenario for this would be any given project which is repeated. Instead of having to go back and re-do the project, you just initiate the canned project which includes the project and all todo in context.

Please OmniDudes.. make this so.

BZ

[forum member]

Yeah. That sounds great. I 2nd that.

[LizPf]

Third!

Since most of my projects are repetitive, this would be enormously helpful.

[RCanine]

One of the most frustrating parts of iCal is that while events can repeat, ToDo's can't.

[BwanaZulia]

Just to expand on this idea a bit.

I notice that most of my projects, besides a lot of them being the same one over and over, are written with one keyword in all tasks and in the project name.

Example:

Advertising for OmniGroup
- Call OmniGroup about advertising @ Calls
- OmniGroup to return calls @ Waiting For
- Write OmniGroup advertising proposal @ Computer
- Email proposal to OmniGroup @ Email
- Check from OmniGroup @ Waiting For
- Deposit check form OmniGroup @ Errands
- Finish OmniGroup advertising project @ Waiting For

What occured to me today about that is that a template feature would be even MORE powereful if it had an include functionality.

So instead of having a template with a bunch of blanks, I just build a template with some includes in it and when I use the template it asks me for the includes.

Example 2:

Advertising for <NAME>
- Call <NAME> about advertising @ Calls
- <NAME> to return calls @ Waiting For
- Write <NAME> advertising proposal @ Computer
- Email proposal to <NAME> @ Email
- Check from <NAME> @ Waiting For
- Deposit check form <NAME> @ Errands
- Finish <NAME> advertising project @ Waiting For

Now when using the template OmniFocus would just ask me for <NAME> and fill it in to the template.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

OmniFocus 1.2? :)

BZ

[michelle]

We've been thinking about this idea at Omni too. It would be especially cool if people could share their templates, sort of like OmniGraffle stencils. It probably won't make it into 1.0, but it's on our radar.

[BwanaZulia]

Originally Posted by michelle

We've been thinking about this idea at Omni too. It would be especially cool if people could share their templates, sort of like OmniGraffle stencils. It probably won't make it into 1.0, but it's on our radar.

Glad it is on your radar.

If one of those "pings!" is this idea of templates with variables, that would be great.

BZ

[erikmarcus]

Boy, that's a neat idea. In publishing, you've got a hundred or so tasks to bring a book to press. These tasks are always the same, whether you're coming out with a cookbook or a biography of Churchill.

I could envision certain experts selling their "cans" to Omnifocus users. I'd gladly pay for an ultra-precise expert-created canned project for publishing a book. The first time I published a book, I went through a publishing guide and hand-created a hundred-item OpenOffice.org spreadsheet, with completion dates for each task. What a pain!

Would be nice if there was the ability to implement timetables within a canned project. Say, if my book is coming out in nine months, I should be told that in three months' time I need to send galleys out to reviewers.

[yucca]

A "simple" (since I'm not having to code this) import/export project feature would do the trick, wouldn't it?