---
auto_generated: true
created: 2026-05-19
manual_updated_at: 2026-05-19
modified: 2026-05-19
name: User_Manual
status: active
tags:
- domain/ai
- tech/docker
- tech/fastapi
- tech/mermaid
- tech/react
- type/daily
- type/reference
- type/sop
type: sop
---

# Obsidian Second Brain: User Manual

## What This Tool Does
This Obsidian Vault configuration utilizes a suite of specialized plugins to transform standard markdown notes into a dynamic, time-aware knowledge base. The core functionality revolves around **Periodic Notes** (Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly), **Calendar Integration**, **Task Management**, and **Visual Diagramming**. It allows users to link thoughts across time and visualize complex relationships.

## Who Uses It
- **Knowledge Workers**: Who need to manage complex projects and ideas.
- **Personal Organizers**: Who rely on daily logging and task tracking.
- **Developers/Technical Users**: Who benefit from code-block diagrams (Mermaid) and structured data handling.

## How to Access
1. Open **Obsidian**.  
2. Ensure the following plugins are installed and enabled in `Settings > Community Plugins`:
   - `nldates-obsidian`
   - `mermaid-tools`
   - `obsidian-tasks-plugin`
   - `calendar`
   - `obsidian-local-images-plus`
3. The **Calendar** plugin will automatically appear in your left sidebar.

## Main Workflows

### 1. Managing Periodic Notes (Daily/Weekly/Monthly)
This system relies on the `nldates-obsidian` and `calendar` plugins to automatically generate notes based on date formats.

**Default Formats:**
- **Daily**: `YYYY-MM-DD` (e.g., 2023-10-27)
- **Weekly**: `gggg-[W]ww` (e.g., 2023-W43)
- **Monthly**: `YYYY-MM` (e.g., 2023-10)
- **Quarterly**: `YYYY-[Q]Q` (e.g., 2023-Q4)
- **Yearly**: `YYYY` (e.g., 2023)

**Steps:**
1. Click a date on the **Calendar** sidebar to open/create the corresponding Daily Note.
2. The plugin checks for `periodic-notes` settings first. If unavailable, it falls back to internal Obsidian `daily-notes` or `weekly-notes` plugin settings.
3. Use the calendar view to navigate between weeks/months seamlessly.

### 2. Creating and Tracking Tasks
The `obsidian-tasks-plugin` manages tasks embedded in your notes.

**Supported Syntax:**
Use checkboxes with specific tags for task metadata.
```markdown
- [ ] Task Name 📅2023-10-27 🔁every day
```

**Steps:**
1. Write a task in any note using `- [ ]`.
2. Add metadata if needed (e.g., `📅` for due date, `🔁` for recurrence).
3. View all tasks across your vault in the **Tasks** view panel.

### 3. Visualizing Data with Mermaid
The `mermaid-tools` plugin allows you to render diagrams directly from code blocks.

**Supported Diagrams:**
- **Flowchart**: `flowchart LR`
- **Class Diagram**: `class`
- **Entity Relationship**: `erDiagram`
- **Gantt Chart**: `gantt`
- **Git Graph**: `gitGraph`
- **Sequence Diagram**: `sequenceDiagram`
- **Pie Chart**: `pie`
- **Mindmap**: `mindmap`

**Steps:**
1. Insert a code block labeled `mermaid`.
2. Write the diagram syntax.
3. Switch to `Live Preview` or `Reading` mode to see the rendered graph.

**Example:**
```mermaid
flowchart LR
Start --> Stop
```

### 4. Managing Local Images
The `obsidian-local-images-plus` plugin ensures images are stored locally rather than linked externally.

**Steps:**
1. Paste an image into a note.  
2. The plugin automatically copies the image to your vault's attached folder.
3. The note will reference the local file path.

## FAQ

**Q: What happens if I don't have `periodic-notes` installed?**
A: The `calendar` and `nldates-obsidian` plugins will fall back to Obsidian's core `daily-notes` or `weekly-notes` settings for folder paths and date formats.

**Q: How do I customize the date format for weekly notes?**
A: Update the settings in the `nldates-obsidian` plugin or your core `weekly-notes` plugin settings. The default is `gggg-[W]ww`.

**Q: Can I use Mermaid in source mode?**
A: Yes, you can edit the Mermaid syntax directly, but the visual graph only renders in Preview or Reading mode.

**Q: Why are my tasks not appearing?**
A: Ensure the `obsidian-tasks-plugin` is enabled and that your task syntax includes the required checkbox `- [ ]`. Check the plugin settings for any filtering rules.

## Related
- [[01 Projects/obsidian-vault/DEVELOPER_MANUAL]]
- [[01 Projects/obsidian-vault/DEVELOPER_MANUAL.md]]