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Request for App - OmniFile Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
I am sure requests for applications are annoying, but I still have a hole in my workflow that I think an Omni app would fill nicely. I use and love OmniFocus for my task management. I roughly follow GTD. The missing hole in my workflow is filing things for easy reference.

I have tried setting up multiple systems for myself over the years. None of them ever work out too well for me. Spotlight helps a lot, but I'm still stuck trying to remember words to search for within files.

That's why I'm proposing OmniFile. I see it as Gmail for files. Don't file ever again. Just select the file, slap a few labels/tags on it, and OmniFile will help you find it later.

I've fleshed out a couple of the details
-Two parts of the app. First is a Quick Entry window like OmniFocus has. You select a file, hit a keystroke, and it prompts you to add a few labels on it. Second would be the part of the app that helps you organize and search for the files.
-I'm not a software engineer, but I assume an app like this could heavily rely on Spotlight and standard metadata tags
-Clip-a-trons - The same way OmniFocus can grab data from many apps, I would love OmniFile to able to grab data with a few keystrokes. (Emails, bookmarks, etc)
-Mail rules - One big reason my filing systems have failed is that I always use two separate systems. One for files and one for email. I would love for a unified, automatic system. With mail rules, emails could automatically be labelled and saved in OmniFile.
-OmniFocus integration - Be able to link a OmniFile label with an OmniFocus project

Again, I love your company's software. I use it all the time. This forum has a dozen app requests and I'm sure you guys have your own ideas. But I think between Omni's frameworks and the functionality OS X gives properly written apps "for free", OmniFile wouldn't be a huge engineering effort. It would basically be a front end to Spotlight + clipping tools you've already written. And hey, I'd pay for it!
 
There are two apps that potentially do some of what you want here, Yep and Leap. They certainly permit tagging of files (like the keyword feature of iPhoto). Not sure about the rest though as I haven't really used them much.

http://www.ironicsoftware.com/leap/
 
Not to blow hot air but the folks at Omnigroup make incredibly good products. The synchronization capabilities in Omnifocus 1.5 are truely remarkable. I am not aware of any other software that offers this degree of synchronization.

In regards to this post I have been mucking about with Yojimbo (http://www.barebones.com/products/yojimbo/), Together (http://reinventedsoftware.com/together/), Journler (http://journler.com/), and Eaglefiler (http://c-command.com/eaglefiler/) for a light weight file organizer however I am underwhelmed with these products simply because they either can't sync (yojimbo/eaglefiler) or their synchronization is poorly executed (Together). For heavy duty file organization you cannot beat Devonthink Pro (can't wait to see Devonthink 2 when released!) but I believe that Omnigroup could do well with a light weight file organizer that employs the sync technologies available in Omnifocus.
 
I'm still looking for the perfect "simplistic" organizer. For now, evernote has come the closest.
 
I second Evernote as a simple way to organize ones files. Another, more sophisticated possibility is DevonThink from http://devon-technologies.com/
 
 


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