ideaDrop.nvim

A Neovim plugin for capturing, organizing, and managing ideas inside an Obsidian-compatible vault with graph visualization, tagging, search, and project todo lists.

Features

• Right-Side Split Panel: Notes open in a fixed split on the right side of your editor
• Project Todo List: Toggle a todo panel with checkbox toggling ([ ] / [x])
• Obsidian.nvim Integration: Optional deep integration with obsidian.nvim for backlinks, search, renaming, and more
• Smart Tagging System: Add, remove, and filter ideas by #tags
• Advanced Search: Fuzzy search through titles and content
• File Tree Browser: Integrated nvim-tree for file navigation
• Graph Visualization: Obsidian-style force-directed graph view of [[linked notes]]
• Markdown Support: Full markdown editing with syntax highlighting
• Auto-save: Changes saved automatically on write and window close
• Date-based Organization: Automatic date-based file naming
• Folder Support: Nested organization with subdirectories

Installation

Using lazy.nvim

{
  "CarGDev/ideadrop.nvim",
  name = "ideaDrop",
  dependencies = {
    "nvim-tree/nvim-tree.lua",
    "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons",
    -- Optional: for enhanced vault features
    -- "epwalsh/obsidian.nvim",
  },
  config = function()
    require("ideaDrop").setup({
      idea_dir = "/path/to/your/obsidian/vault",
    })
  end,
}

Using packer

use {
  "CarGDev/ideadrop.nvim",
  requires = {
    "nvim-tree/nvim-tree.lua",
    "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons",
  },
  config = function()
    require("ideaDrop").setup({
      idea_dir = "/path/to/your/ideas",
    })
  end,
}

Configuration

require("ideaDrop").setup({
  idea_dir = "/Users/carlos/Nextcloud/ObsidianVault",
  graph = {
    animate = false,      -- Set true for animated layout
    show_orphans = true,  -- Show unconnected notes
    show_labels = true,   -- Show note names
    node_colors = nil,    -- Custom colors by folder/tag
  },
  todo = {
    file = ".todo.md",    -- Todo filename in idea_dir
    width = 0.25,         -- Panel width (25% of screen)
  },
  obsidian = {
    enabled = true,       -- Enable obsidian.nvim integration
    auto_keymaps = true,  -- Set up obsidian keymaps on idea buffers
  },
})

Option	Type	Default	Description
idea_dir	string	vim.fn.stdpath("data") .. "/ideaDrop"	Directory where files are stored
graph.animate	boolean	false	Enable animated graph layout
graph.show_orphans	boolean	true	Show nodes without connections
graph.show_labels	boolean	true	Show node labels by default
graph.node_colors	table	nil	Custom colors by folder/tag
todo.file	string	".todo.md"	Todo list filename
todo.width	number	0.25	Todo panel width ratio
obsidian.enabled	boolean	true	Enable obsidian.nvim integration
obsidian.auto_keymaps	boolean	true	Auto-set obsidian keymaps on buffers

Commands

Core Commands

Command	Description
:Idea [name]	Open today's idea (or named idea) in right-side split
:IdeaBuffer [name]	Open idea in current buffer
:IdeaRight [name]	Alias for :Idea
:IdeaClose	Close the right-side panel
:IdeaToggle	Toggle the right-side panel
:IdeaTree	Open nvim-tree file browser

Todo Commands

Command	Description
:IdeaTodo	Toggle the project todo list panel
:IdeaTodoAdd [text]	Add a new todo item

Tag Commands

Command	Description
:IdeaTags	Shows tag picker to browse files by tag
:IdeaAddTag tag	Adds a tag to the current idea file
:IdeaRemoveTag tag	Removes a tag from the current idea file
:IdeaSearchTag tag	Searches for files with a specific tag

Search Commands

Command	Description
:IdeaSearch query	Fuzzy search through titles and content
:IdeaSearchContent query	Search only in content
:IdeaSearchTitle query	Search only in titles

Graph Commands

Command	Description
:IdeaGraph	Open the graph visualization
:IdeaGraph animate	Open graph with animated layout
:IdeaGraph refresh	Refresh graph data
:IdeaGraph close	Close the graph window
:IdeaGraphFilter tag name	Filter graph by tag
:IdeaGraphFilter folder name	Filter graph by folder
:IdeaGraphClearCache	Clear graph cache

Obsidian Commands

Command	Description
:IdeaObsidian backlinks	Show backlinks for current note
:IdeaObsidian search	Search vault with obsidian.nvim
:IdeaObsidian daily	Open today's daily note
:IdeaObsidian new	Create a new note
:IdeaObsidian switch	Quick switcher
:IdeaObsidian tags	Browse tags via obsidian.nvim
:IdeaObsidian paste	Paste image from clipboard
:IdeaObsidian rename	Rename note (updates backlinks)
:IdeaObsidian open	Open in Obsidian app
:IdeaObsidian status	Show integration status

Todo List

The todo list opens as a fixed panel on the right side of your editor. It persists as .todo.md in your idea directory.

Keymaps (inside todo panel)

Key	Action
<CR> or <Space>	Toggle checkbox
o	Add new item below cursor
dd	Remove checkbox item
q	Close panel

Example

# Todo

- [x] Set up project structure
- [x] Add search functionality
- [ ] Write tests for graph module
- [ ] Update deployment docs

Obsidian.nvim Integration

When epwalsh/obsidian.nvim is installed, ideaDrop automatically detects it and provides enhanced features:

• Link following: gf on [[wiki-links]] uses obsidian.nvim's resolver
• Backlinks: <leader>ob shows all notes linking to the current one
• Search: <leader>os uses obsidian.nvim's search
• New notes: <leader>on creates notes with obsidian.nvim templates
• Open in Obsidian: <leader>oo opens the note in the Obsidian desktop app
• Rename: <leader>or renames notes and updates all backlinks
• Paste images: <leader>op pastes clipboard images with proper paths
• Quick switch: <leader>oq opens the quick switcher

If obsidian.nvim is not installed, all features work standalone using ideaDrop's built-in capabilities.

Graph Visualization

The graph view visualizes connections between your notes using [[wiki-style links]].

Graph Keymaps (inside graph window)

Key	Action
h/j/k/l	Navigate between nodes
Enter	Open selected note
t	Filter by tag
f	Filter by folder
r	Reset filter
L	Toggle labels
c	Center graph
+/-	Zoom in/out
?	Toggle help
q/Esc	Close graph
R	Refresh graph

Linking Notes

# My Note

This relates to [[Another Note]] and also to [[Projects/My Project]].
Check out [[2024-01-15]] for more context.

Usage Examples

Quick Notes

:Idea                         " Open today's note in right split
:Idea project/vision          " Open project/vision.md
:IdeaToggle                   " Toggle the panel

Todo Workflow

:IdeaTodo                     " Open todo panel
:IdeaTodoAdd Fix login bug    " Add item
" Press <CR> on a line to toggle [x]

Tag Management

:IdeaAddTag #work
:IdeaTags                     " Browse all tags
:IdeaSearchTag #work          " Find tagged files

File Organization

:Idea meetings/2024-01-15     " Nested folders auto-created
:IdeaTree                     " Browse with nvim-tree

Obsidian Features

:IdeaObsidian backlinks       " Show backlinks
:IdeaObsidian daily           " Open daily note
:IdeaObsidian search          " Search vault

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for a detailed list of changes.

License

MIT License - feel free to use this plugin in your own projects!

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Development Setup

1. Clone the repository
2. Install dependencies (nvim-tree, optionally obsidian.nvim)
3. Run stylua --check . to verify formatting
4. Test with the provided commands

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Module not found errors: Ensure all dependencies are installed
2. Tree not opening: Make sure nvim-tree is properly configured
3. Search not working: Verify your idea directory path is correct
4. Tags not showing: Check that your idea directory exists and contains markdown files
5. Graph showing no connections: Use [[Note Name]] syntax for links
6. Graph layout looks cramped: Zoom out with - or use :IdeaGraph animate
7. Obsidian commands not working: Install epwalsh/obsidian.nvim and check :IdeaObsidian status