Introduction to Notemd
Notemd is an MIT-licensed Obsidian plugin for transforming notes into files you can inspect and keep: wiki-linked Markdown, concept notes, research summaries, translations and diagrams. You choose the provider, task and output scope. Model-generated results need review before they become part of your knowledge base.
What is Notemd?
Notemd connects existing Vault workflows to 36 provider presets, including hosted APIs, gateways and local servers. Tasks write files or update notes according to their individual output contracts. You can run actions separately or compose them into sidebar workflows.
Stored outputs remain in your Vault. When you use a cloud provider, task content is sent to that endpoint; web research also makes network requests. Local storage and local inference are separate choices.
Choose Your Starting Point
| You want to… | Start here |
|---|---|
| Install and inspect your first output | Quick start |
| Run repeatable note or folder tasks | Workflows and batch processing |
| Build, test or extend the plugin | Developer guide |
| Discover the supported Agent contract | Agent guide |
Core Capabilities
Wiki-Links And Concept Notes
Ask a model to identify concepts and add wiki-links. Add-links creates a separate processed note by default. A configured concept folder can receive concept files; standalone extraction defaults to title-only notes without backlinks. Linking and concept notes explain the difference.
Research And Local Context
Select Tavily or DuckDuckGo for web research, then append a model-written summary to the active note. Optional scoped local retrieval can add note excerpts to generation tasks. The current local index is lexical; it is not an embedding-based semantic search system. Research explains source and network boundaries.
Translation And Original-Text Extraction
Translate a file or folder to the chosen output language. Use original-text extraction for question-directed source passages, then compare quotations with the source. File translation does not become selection-only merely because text is highlighted. Translation covers naming and overwrite behavior.
Diagrams And Exports
Select several chart types in one run and choose multiple output formats independently for each type. Unchecking a type retains its format preferences; leaving every type unchecked uses automatic analysis. Diagram manual: Draw.io, Drawnix, Mermaid, CircuitikZ.
Workflows
The default One-Click Extract sequence adds links, generates content for eligible notes in the concept or selected folder, then repairs Mermaid blocks in the complete folder. It can include pre-existing concept notes. Custom workflows retain each action's prerequisites and output behavior. Workflows provides the exact DSL.
Getting Started
- Install Notemd in the intended Vault.
- Configure an accessible provider/model and test a disposable note.
- Choose the concept folder and inspect output destinations.
- Review the resulting files before enabling a larger batch.
There is no guaranteed completion time or minimum note length for useful model output. Start small enough to inspect the result.
Diagram Capability Direction
The current diagram pipeline uses typed specifications and target-specific rendering for supported catalog entries. Developer contracts such as DiagramSpec describe that boundary; they are not a promise that arbitrary diagram syntax or every reference layout is supported.
Circuit output is constrained to supported circuitikz structures. TikZJax is an external tool, and an in-plugin preview is not proof of native compilation. Drawnix static relationships do not guarantee attached cross-branch arrows after rearrangement. Keep these limits when choosing an export for further editing.
Architecture
The plugin routes a task to its selected provider, validates or parses the task output, and writes the relevant note or artifact. Search and local retrieval supply optional context. Preview and export have additional format-specific constraints.
Use the developer guide for source ownership, extension contracts and verification commands. Use the Agent guide for the bounded public export commands; the internal operation registry is not a general public automation API.
Comparing Tools
Choose according to the work you need to complete: file transformation, conversation, deterministic linking, retrieval or native editing. Check each project's current documentation and test a representative sample. Record tool versions, enabled features and the same sample task when comparing results.
Data And Compatibility Boundaries
Cloud providers receive task inputs; search providers receive queries; local excerpts become prompt content when enabled. Review task-specific routing before assuming a workflow is local. Cancellation stops further work where supported and retains completed outputs; it cannot guarantee remote generation or billing stops.
The manifest declares Obsidian 0.15.0 as its minimum and permits mobile loading. Physical mobile devices and that minimum version are not currently validated by the project's release evidence. Optional native exports can require desktop tools. The website has 34 locale routes and the plugin UI has 21 locales; model translation capability is separate.
Acknowledgments and Referenced Projects
Notemd is independently maintained. A reference acknowledges influence or interoperability; it does not imply endorsement, affiliation, bundled code, or a claim of code reuse.
- Reference projects: cloudy-tech-diagrams-skill, Drawnix, diagrams.net, repo-saga.
- Foundations and tools: Mermaid, Vega-Lite, Slidev, CircuitikZ, Tectonic, Docusaurus.
- Each retains its own license. Notemd uses the MIT License.
Open Source And Support
Source code · GitHub Issues · Contributing
For a problem report, provide exact versions, steps and sanitized evidence. For the first task, follow the quick start.