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omnifocus or omniplan? Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
is it just me, or is it somewhat inevitable that when one is using omnifocus, one wishes there were some omniplan features available, and when one is using omniplan, one wishes there were omnifocus features available...

in other words, isn't this two apps which could/should be combined and/or be made configurable for much greater overlap or integration? wouldn't it be great to see project progress changes in omniplan reflected in omnifocus and vice versa? the ability to have a visual representation of timelines in omnifocus for example, GTD views etc.

then again, i think omnioutliner and omnigraffle should be combined, along the lines of mindjet mindmanager (i hated going to another outliner since i like omnioutliner so much...)

if omni considered integration more, they would truly be world-beating at their game imo.
 
You bring up an excellent point about there being a lot of overlap between four different kinds of apps:

1) Omni Focus (dedicated GTD-type app)
2) Omni Plan (project management)
3) Omni Outliner (flexible outliner that can be used for many different kinds of things including 1 and 2 above)
4) Graphical representation of ideas linked together

On Windows, MindJet's Mind Manager is much more powerful than the watered-down (dumbed-down) Mac version, and it can export very well to Microsoft Project and other tools.

The Mac has a good implementation of Inspiration, which can show ideas graphically and in outline fashion.

It's easy to say "combine them", but then you end up with a complex tool that has too many options and different user bases. A project management tool considers start and end times more, priorities, resource assignments, and things like Gant (sp) / PERT charting, things beyond a GTD-type app.

I no longer work in corporate America, but I did for about 15 years as a programmer, database analyst, and manager of some very complex projects.

I would have a file for each project in Microsoft Project (or on the Mac side Omni Plan). I would keep my tasks in Bonsai (or Omni Focus). I would use Omni Outliner to perhaps replace Omni Focus especially since it allows the addition of columns to an outline. I would use Inspiration or Mind Manager or Omnigraffle (sp) for brainstorming.

The main limitation for me of Omni Focus is that there is no way to have multiple contexts, tags, or keywords easily assigned to an activity. Hopefully this will be fixed because it is a huge limitation. I use Bonsai right now for my GTD-type app, but for the Mac-only users, maybe Omni Outliner would work if implemented well (I am licensed for Omni Outliner but haven't explored it enough yet).

Sometimes copy / past, import, export, save as, ... can enable moving or copying information from one app into another. Very few tools though keep things in Sync, with the exception of Mind Manager and MS Project.
 
We are looking at ways to create more cooperation between OmniPlan and OmniFocus in 2.0 (of both apps). Also, OmniGraffle Pro has a nifty little outline sidebar that will probably become even more powerful in 5.0. All this to say that we agree the lines between these apps are a little bit fuzzy and we continue to seek the balance between flexible tools and feature bloat.
 
I've been havering about buying OmniPlan because of its limitations in handling multiple related projects. Now that I have finally decided to, I discover that 2.0 is due to be released in "months", but will require a new license.

So I will wait a while longer. And I could SO use OmniPlan-with-more-than-20 tasks now!

Last edited by Rose de Beauharnais; 2008-01-20 at 04:51 AM..
 
OmniPlan 2.0 is still a ways out; at the moment we're still working on OmniPlan 1.5! It's too early to make any real projection of how soon it will ship. (I'd love to see it ship by this time next year, but even that seems optimistic for a major release of a complex product.)
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Journey View Post
You bring up an excellent point about there being a lot of overlap between four different kinds of apps:

I use Bonsai right now for my GTD-type app, but for the Mac-only users, maybe Omni Outliner would work if implemented well (I am licensed for Omni Outliner but haven't explored it enough yet).
That is my exact issue with OF, the lack of either multiple contexts or tagging or adding columns. I really need to track things not only by project but by whom the task is assigned and of course the context. My solution has been to use Omni Outliner and heavy use of scripts to create "filters" for each option in each column.

For me anyway it works very well.

The discussion of future version is interesting, I would love to see OO evolve into more of a semi-structured database with strong applescript support. Something lighter than Filemaker, but more powerful than a spreadsheet (I think most people use a spreadsheet for a database as much as a for numbers).

I'm sure this would have the writers guild users of OO turning over complaining but its just a thought.

George
 
Indeed, combining OmniFocus with OmniPlan would make for an unbeatable pairing. I use both and love each of them, but I find it both redundant and frustrating to be mapping projects with OmniPlan and trying to ensure that what I have listed there fits with OmniFocus.

OmniFocus and the Getting Things Done process is brilliant for getting you to think through the steps in each project and plan accordingly, but what it doesn't do it allow you to get a high-level picture of all of the tasks that are going on at the same time. That's the beauty of OmniPlan -- it allows you to see what your time looks like across multiple projects and plan ahead. If one was to rely on just OmniFocus, you might find yourself with a month where huge project deadlines collide (trust me, I've been there -- hence my need to use both) because you were too focussed on getting things done in the day-to-day, week-to-week kind of way.

One of the simplest ways to ingrate the programs is to allow task assignment in one program to transpose to the other. A true inter-program sync with iCal would make this unbeatable.

Cameron
 
I also agree that integration of these products or even if they could just share information would be excellent. With the introduction of the iPhone app, I could see myself syncing with Omnifocus to get all of the outstanding tasks from Omniplan (for the next x number of days) into the iPhone Omnifocus. That way I would carry around a complete list of activities that are due with me in my iPod Touch. If the distribution could be on a user bases, then each person in the plan could have their own daily rip of data. Put a facility into Omnifocus to fee back when actions are marked as done an have the plan updated automatically at the next sync. That would be very cool. I use a lot of internal markets (HR, IT, Facilities etc) and it would be great to be able to go to these people an ask them how a deliverable is going and if they say its complete, just tick of the item and have it reflected in (my) plan. iPhone with push - the plan could update from multiple iPhones!
 
Is OmniPlan 2.0 and OmniFocus 2.0 any closer to being a reality? The connection of the two is keeping me from moving to something web based for project management.

BZ
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnorman View Post
One of the simplest ways to ingrate the programs is to allow task assignment in one program to transpose to the other. A true inter-program sync with iCal would make this unbeatable.
I agree and I'll go one step further and suggest that OmniGroup make a dedicated OmniCalendar and OmniContact module that will work with Focus and Plan and will integrate with iCal and AB for syncing. I'm currently using Daylite for contacts and calendar and I'm dying to find a better solution, and believe me, so are countless other mac users. There is a great void in this area for mac users.

Regarding the overlap of Focus and Plan. I have both as well, and honestly, the structure of both is very similar. If you're a project manager you can pretty much do everything that Focus does with Plan and if you just need GTD, then Focus is really all you need since you can schedule and iCal the items. I use Plan for work and scheduling Projects, and I use Focus for brain dumps, and sorting tasks. I theoretically can do that with Plan if needed as well. But sure, if we can create a perfect scenario then there really should only be ONE application, not 2 with similar attributes.
 
 


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