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Workflow Omnifocus and iCal - a perfect system Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Hi, I am successfully syncing OF and iCal individually between my MBP , iPhone and iPad. This is fantastic, as I can update info in any situation where a unit is used.

I have two unsolved questions:

1. I transfer data from email to OF and generate tasks/projects.
Is there a quick route to transfer "outline" of jobs/tasks/meetings from OmniProject or even a spreadsheet. Why? There are plenty of projects which follow same pattern and could get a kick-start with actions/projects into OF

Simple suggestion?

2. I badly want to sync actions of certain types (meetings,deadlines,calendar tasks) between OF and iCal. Get errormessage from OSX Snow L that I need updated plug-in from manufacturer. Is that so ? Is there an option pack that I require ?

Or is there a fool-proof list of actions to set up the sync correctly?

I think OF is great for planning and detailed follow-up, but love the UI of the Apple calendars - the contents of which end up in a third-party logging system for showing clients what underlying actions have been completed in projects.

I am looking forward to iPad versions of Omni programs and already use Omnigraffle. Very excited about OF and OP for iPad.

Thanks for possible responces

Rgds Lasse (who uses Omni products to brainstorm and plan small film projects)
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lasse View Post
I have two unsolved questions:

1. I transfer data from email to OF and generate tasks/projects.
Is there a quick route to transfer "outline" of jobs/tasks/meetings from OmniProject or even a spreadsheet. Why? There are plenty of projects which follow same pattern and could get a kick-start with actions/projects into OF

Simple suggestion?
Unfortunately, you don't tell us what that same pattern is, which makes it harder to make tailored suggestions. However, here are some general techniques that might be helpful.

In the Mail application on the Mac, you can use the Clip-o-Tron to copy a message (including attachments) into a new action in OmniFocus, and a link to the original message will be added. The Clip-o-Tron is installed by going to the OmniFocus Preferences, selecting the Clippings page, and pressing the button at the bottom of the page. Once installed, simply select a message in the list of messages in Mail and use your clipping keyboard shortcut.

If you have a text list of tasks (one task per line) you want to convert to individual new rows in OmniFocus (perhaps the list is already in OmniFocus via the clipping shortcut above), select the text of the list and use the Copy keyboard shortcut or Edit->Copy. Now go to your OmniFocus Inbox, select the point at which you want to insert the new actions by clicking on the dot to the left of the row (very important!) and paste with the Paste keyboard shortcut or Edit->Paste. If you've done this correctly, you'll end up with as many new rows as there were lines in the selection you copied. If you didn't select the target row properly, you'll get a single row with multiple lines.
Quote:
2. I badly want to sync actions of certain types (meetings,deadlines,calendar tasks) between OF and iCal. Get errormessage from OSX Snow L that I need updated plug-in from manufacturer. Is that so ? Is there an option pack that I require ?
All the software is built into every copy of OmniFocus, as there are no add-ons or option packs or plug-ins. I'm a bit unclear about your request here — you stated that you were "successfully syncing OF and iCal individually between my MBP , iPhone and iPad." To clarify, do you mean that you have OF syncing between MBP, iPhone and iPad, and also have iCal syncing between MBP, iPhone and iPad, but do not have OF and iCal syncing with each other?

The OmniFocus <-> iCal sync support may prove disappointing to you, I am afraid. It was built in the days before the iPhone, and intended as a means to get task lists onto other mobile devices that supported syncing with iCal. It enters items only as to-do actions, not as calendar events, so there is no date or time associated, and the iPhone and iPad calendar apps do not display such items.

Quote:

I think OF is great for planning and detailed follow-up, but love the UI of the Apple calendars - the contents of which end up in a third-party logging system for showing clients what underlying actions have been completed in projects.
I think you might be the first person I've ever heard praising the UI of iCal app :)

You can export completed items from your OmniFocus database to show the clients what you have done on their behalf.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by whpalmer4 View Post

I think you might be the first person I've ever heard praising the UI of iCal app :)
I thought that iCal was widely regarded as well-done. If not, then consider me the second person you've ever heard praising its UI. There are a couple of improvements I would make, but, overall, I like working with iCal very much. I just wish that OF gave us more options in sync'ing with it so that I could use the two together.
(OF sends way too many tasks over to iCal -- I need it to suppress tasks that don't have a due date [and aren't flagged]. That's why I can't use them together.)
 
 


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