Blog
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OmniPlan 2.0.3 released!
Posted by Skwirl on 12.12.11 | 1 Comment
OmniPlan v2.0.3 is a free update to licensed OmniPlan v2.0 users. This release includes a critical fix to project syncing with an OmniPlan server repository. If you'd like to check out the full release notes, click here.
We love hearing from you! You can reach us by tapping using the Send Feedback feature in OmniPlan, sending email to omniplan@omnigroup.com, tweeting to @omniplan, or calling 1-800-315-OMNI or +1 206-523-4152.
To start using the new version, you can use the built-in software updater in OmniPlan v2.0 or you can download it from our website here.
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Wherever you go, there you are: location reminders in OmniFocus
Posted by Brian on 10.14.11 | 13 Comments
Howdy, everybody! With a new release of iOS and new iPhone hardware, there’s been a ton of excitement and news this week; fun times!
In addition to all the cool new stuff Apple’s released, we’ve been able to build a few things using their toys that we hope will also be pretty exciting; I wanted to take a few moments and tell you about one of them. Specifically, the new location-based notifications we’ve added to OmniFocus for iPhone 1.12 and OmniFocus for iPad 1.4!
One of the first things we added to OmniFocus was time-based reminders; it wasn’t too long after that that folks asked for location-based ones as well. In fact, the first request we got for location-based reminders was back in May of 2007, before we’d even shipped version 1.0 of the Mac app! Over the years, we got more requests, especially once OmniFocus for iPhone and iPad appeared - wouldn’t it be great if the device you were carrying around in your pocket could tell where you were and remind you of the things you needed to do?
The first couple versions of iOS mostly made use of location data on maps. It was useful - you could create a context for a pharmacy you used, add the address, and see a dot on the map if any actions needed doing. You had to remember to look at the map screen, though. With iOS 4, it started to look like the pieces we needed to add the feature were coming together - that version of the OS had the ability to monitor location information and notify an application when the device was in a certain area. We did some preliminary work towards implementing location reminders; the feature worked and didn’t use much battery charge, but it became apparent it wasn’t as fast or as accurate as we hoped. We decided to pause work on the feature.
We were pretty excited by some of the changes Apple made in their recent hardware, though; they found a way to improve the accuracy of location monitoring without using more power. Specifically, the iPhone 4 (and 4S) include a feature called “region monitoring”, which lets them track the devices’ location via GPS without running down the battery. iPad 2 models with 3G also have this capability. Unfortunately, devices released before then don’t have a low-power way to monitor their location as accurately, so they won’t be able to use this type of reminder in OmniFocus. (The Reminders app included in iOS 5 has the same limitation.)
Still, if you have a device that supports it, the location reminders can give you an extra nudge, helping you to complete actions you might otherwise forget. Because battery life is a top priority, though, it’s important to remember that the location is only being checked from time to time. If you pass through an area quickly (by driving past it on the highway, for example) you may not get an alert. It’s also important to note that the regions being monitored are fairly broad - the smallest “distance” setting still corresponds to about one city block, and things get more broad from there. Hopefully in the future we’ll have never-fail pinpoint-accuracy location monitoring, but we’re not quite there yet.
Since we shipped this feature, we’ve gotten questions from some customers that are seeing the “your location is being monitored” indicator more often than they used to, and it’s true that it’ll show up more often. As long as you have an available action in a context with a location attached, OmniFocus will stay subscribed to location information, activating that indicator.
The folks that are concerned by this are usually worried that their battery will be drained more quickly, and in previous versions of iOS, that would have been the case. In iOS 5, though, you shouldn’t have to worry as much. Behind the scenes, iOS 5 is handling things. We can’t know the exact details of how it works, but Apple’s stated goal was to be reasonably accurate while minimizing battery drain. The location monitoring indicator is mainly to help you manage your privacy; avoiding battery drain was a useful side-effect. But in iOS 5, the device is better able to conserve the battery.
It may also be helpful to know that OmniFocus’ map view also shows the indicator: that view determines your location more precisely than the location reminders do - you will see some battery impact there. In fact, shortly after shipping the iPhone update, we discovered that the Map view doesn’t remember to stop monitoring your location after you close the view; that actually can cause battery drain! Thanks to the folks that reported this problem - we’ll get an update out that fixes that as soon as possible.
For more details on location reminders, check the new help pages; they’re accessible from the Settings screen in each app. In the meantime, I hope this post helps you decide if location reminders will work for your purposes. Have ideas, suggestions, or concerns? We’d love to know what you think! Drop some comments here, or email our support ninjas; you’re also welcome to ask questions in our forums or on Twitter. Thanks, everyone!
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OmniPlan v2.0.1 released!
Posted by Skwirl on 09.14.11 | Comment
OmniPlan v2.0.1 is a free update to licensed OmniPlan v2.0 users. This release is focused on addressing bugs and usability issues found in v2.0. Some of the areas we worked on include importing & exporting, publishing & subscribing, printing & imaging, filtering, and overall stability. If you'd like to check out the full release notes, click here.
We love hearing from you! You can reach us by tapping using the Send Feedback feature in OmniPlan, sending email to omniplan@omnigroup.com, tweeting to @omniplan, or calling 1-800-315-OMNI or +1 206-523-4152.
To start using the new version, you can use the built-in software updater in OmniPlan v2.0 or you can download it from our website here.
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OmniGraphSketcher Goes Logarithmic
Posted by Robin on 08.29.11 | 9 Comments
“Wow, your customers are nerdy!”
That was a friend’s response recently when I mentioned that logarithmic axes are the number-one feature request for OmniGraphSketcher.
The way I see it, our customers understand that logarithmic scales are the best way to present many types of data and ideas. Stock prices, advances in technology, and many other phenomena tend to change by multiples rather than additions. Logarithmic scales show each doubling as a constant distance, so you can compare percent changes without large differences in absolute size getting in the way.
So I’m very excited to announce that OmniGraphSketcher 1.2 for Mac and OmniGraphSketcher 1.5 for iPad are now available, with full support for logarithmic axes!
.png "Hydraulic Bucket Size")
You don’t even need to know anything about logarithms to use this feature. You just turn it on via the axis inspector, for either or both axes. (The resulting charts are sometimes called lin-log and log-log.) There is no step two!
These logarithmic axes are designed to follow best practices in information visualization, and they work seamlessly with all the other features of the app, such as dragging, nudging, snapping, sketch recognition, axis manipulation, and scale-to-fit. And because logarithmic scales are more likely to span many orders of magnitude, we now support much larger and smaller numbers (up to 10300 and down to 10-300), more decimal precision (up to 13 digits), and scientific notation (so you can use numbers like 3 x 10200 without typing 200 zeroes).
Given that the known sizes of physics only range from about 10-35 meters (the Planck distance in quantum theory) up to 1026 meters (the size of the observable universe), we figure that +/- 300 orders of magnitude should be plenty.
At least for now.
As part of these updates, we’ve also refined the algorithms that draw axis tick marks and tick labels. When there is not enough room to label every tick mark, we now consistently label every other tick mark, or every 5th, or every 10th, etc. If we skip a lot, we’ll automatically use major/minor tick marks to make it easier to see which tick marks are getting labeled.
On logarithmic axes, we show just the first five numbers between each power of ten when possible, then only the powers of ten themselves, and then evenly-spaced powers of ten. OmniGraphSketcher makes all of these decisions for you, so you never have to think about it.
And did I mention that your axis ranges don’t have to end on powers of ten? Suppose your data values fall between 8 and 200. In many charting programs, the best you can do is this:
But we think logarithmic axes should be just as flexible as linear ones, and we want you to be able to switch between linear and logarithmic scales seamlessly. Again, we’ve done the work so you can get what you’d expect:
Last but not least, we’ve added a really nifty new feature called line interpolation. As you know, OmniGraphSketcher lets you draw lines freehand even if you don’t have exact data to back them up. This is great if you have a rough idea of a trend or want to visualize several possible scenarios. But wouldn’t it be cool if you could also turn your sketched lines into sampled data points for analysis or re-plotting in another program? That’s exactly what line interpolation does. It samples at each horizontal tick mark (x-value) to convert your line into a data series.
The reason we’re introducing this at the same time as logarithmic axes is because it lets you see how the shape of a line differs in linear vs. logarithmic space. Regular lines in OmniGraphSketcher simply connect two or more data points as smoothly as possible, so intermediate values do not necessarily stay the same when you convert between linear and logarithmic scales. Line interpolation solves this by letting you anchor some of the intermediate points. Now you can easily demonstrate, for example, how a straight line in logarithmic space becomes an exponential curve in linear space:
Download the latest versions of OmniGraphSketcher from the App Store (Mac, iPad) or from our online store (Mac); or use the built-in software update to download automatically.
And let us know what you think!
(If you want all the details, check out the release notes for the Mac and iPad versions.)
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OmniPlan 2.0.1 beta released!
Posted by Skwirl on 08.24.11 | Comment
Hello OmniPlan planners!
Hot on the heels of OmniPlan v2.0, we give you OmniPlan v2.0.1 beta! For this beta we improved stability, fixed a few publish & subscribe issues involving calendars, and updated the default project template so the UI is not as large. We also addressed some issues with scheduling, opening/importing of files, as well as various bugs that were reported by users over the last couple of weeks. If you'd like to check out the full release notes, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
As always, please keep in mind that this version is still in development so feedback is encouraged and we apologize if it breaks your computer, corrupts your files, or ruins your weekend. We're looking forward to hearing your thoughts about OmniPlan v2.0.1 beta: You can contact us directly by our support page or by using the Send Feedback feature in your copy of OmniPlan.
You can download the beta from our website here.
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OmniPlan v2.0 is now available!
Posted by Skwirl on 07.18.11 | 14 Comments
We're thrilled to announce that OmniPlan v2.0 ships today! Since releasing OmniPlan v1.0, we've learned a lot about how people are using OmniPlan to manage their projects and we think that OmniPlan v1.0 grew into an excellent resource for project planning workflow for a single person. However in undertaking OmniPlan v2.0, we knew that people wanted to bring this workflow and user experience to their teams — and so that's what we focused on: collaboration.
Collaboration in OmniPlan v2.0 allows a manager to create and share a project with their team. By syncing over MobileMe, Omni Sync Server or a WebDAV server, teams are able to synchronize their work and stay up to date on the latest changes.
While collaboration is the most exciting new feature, OmniPlan v2.0 also adds scheduling and printing options and improves performance with large projects to add speed and versatility to your workflow.
We know a lot of you have been anxiously waiting for this, so let's jump right into some of the new features we've added in OmniPlan v2.0:
Collaboration: Sync, Publish, Edit, and Track Changes
Use a WebDAV server to sync your projects between resources. Then, publish your tasks automatically upon saving. Grab new changes automatically via Bonjour or at a specified interval. (You can also publish and update manually, of course.) Publish tasks and pull in updates from a server-based calendar. Export your plan automatically in any supported format. Execute custom AppleScripts from within the app during export.
Use Apple's Calendar Server to pull in free times and busy times for your resources. Import vacation and holiday schedules from a web-hosted calendar.
Keep track of the changes to the project with visual change tracking. See your own edits on a personal project or see the synced changes on a team project. Accept and reject changes on a task-by-task basis or all at once.
Scheduling
Fiscal years are now supported in addition to calendar years so you can choose whether your tasks are due in Q2 or Spring. Schedule projects backwards from a fixed end date. Create, save, and compare your projects against multiple baselines. Highlight the critical path to individual milestones in the new ‘‘Project: Milestones’’ inspector. Resource schedules now have optional start and end dates.
Tasks and Resources
Split your tasks to schedule around interruptions. Create hammock tasks that have start and end dates based on prerequisites that you define. Effort and Duration can now be unlinked. Default task and resource attributes can be configured per project or in a template for faster task creation. Color-code tasks based on their resource. Choose independent display formats for duration and effort values.
Filtering
Save multiple, commonly-used filters for quick re-use later. Configure publishing actions to use filters.
Printing Options
Headers and footers are now more flexible. Expand or collapse all notes and task and resource groups. Page margins support mirroring on facing pages. Customize the margin above and below the header and footer.
OmniPlan v2.0 is available from our store and from the Mac App Store for $199.99. Folks who purchased OmniPlan v1.0 from the Mac App Store and our online store between January 6, 2011 and July 17th, 2011 will receive a free upgrade to OmniPlan v2.0. For folks who purchased OmniPlan v1.0 before that date, an OmniPlan v2.0 upgrade is available from our online store for $99.99.
We hope that you'll enjoy the new features, improvements, and updated user interface in OmniPlan v2.0. We've been working very hard on this new version and we're looking forward to hearing your thoughts about OmniPlan v2.0: please send any feedback, questions or comments to us at omniplan@omnigroup.com and someone from our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
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OmniPlan 2.0 rc released!
Posted by Skwirl on 07.12.11 | Comment
Hello OmniPlan planners!
The release candidate is here! We're getting very close to OmniPlan 2.0 final, so if you find any issues with this release please let us know. If you'd like to check out the full release notes, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
As always, please keep in mind that this version is still in development so feedback is encouraged and we apologize if it breaks your computer, corrupts your files, or ruins your weekend. We're looking forward to hearing your thoughts about OmniPlan v2.0: You can contact us directly by our support page or by using the Send Feedback feature in your copy of OmniPlan.
To start using the new rc, you can use the built-in software updater in OmniPlan v2.0 or you can download it from our website here.
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OmniPlan 2.0 beta updated!
Posted by Skwirl on 06.23.11 | 1 Comment
Hello again OmniPlan planners!
For this beta update we fixed 5 more distinct crashers and added support for full screen mode and hidden scroll bars in Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion). We also addressed some issues with scheduling, publishing & subscriptions, as well as various bugs that were reported by beta testers over the last couple of weeks. If you'd like to check out the full release notes, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
As always, please keep in mind that this version is still in development so feedback is encouraged and we apologize if it breaks your computer, corrupts your files, or ruins your weekend. We're looking forward to hearing your thoughts about OmniPlan v2.0: You can contact us directly by our support page or by using the Send Feedback feature in your copy of OmniPlan.
To start using the new beta, you can use the built-in software updater in OmniPlan v2.0 or you can download it from our website here.
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OmniPlan 2.0 beta updated!
Posted by Skwirl on 06.01.11 | 2 Comments
Hello again OmniPlan planners!
For this beta update we fixed 16 more distinct crashers, plugged some memory leaks, and started work on compatibility with Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion). We addressed some issues with scheduling, change tracking, and publishing & subscriptions, as well as various bugs that were reported by beta testers over the last couple of weeks. If you'd like to check out the full release notes, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
As always, please keep in mind that this version is still in development so feedback is encouraged and we apologize if it breaks your computer, corrupts your files, or ruins your weekend. We're looking forward to hearing your thoughts about OmniPlan v2.0: You can contact us directly by our support page or by using the Send Feedback feature in your copy of OmniPlan.
To start using the new beta, you can use the built-in software updater in OmniPlan v2.0 or you can download it from our website here.
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OmniFocus for iPad v1.3 has been approved!
Posted by Ken Case on 05.17.11 | 21 Comments
OmniFocus for iPad v1.3 updates Forecast Mode: Never spread yourself too thin. Enable Calendar integration to see your hard landscape events alongside your overdue and due soon OmniFocus actions. Use the View options menu to show your items with a start date. Reschedule your projects and actions—with just a tap or two—to keep your days balanced.
This update also includes full screen note viewing and editing, improved support for screen mirroring, and a number of other user interface and workflow improvements.
[NOTE: If you're reading this within a few hours of approval, your local App Store might not have the update yet. If that happens, just wait an hour or so and then try again: it will be there soon!]
We love hearing from you! You can reach us by tapping Contact Omni (in the Gear Menu above the sidebar), sending email to omnifocus-ipad@omnigroup.com, tweeting to@omnifocus, or calling 1-800-315-OMNI or +1 206-523-4152.
Forecast
- Forecast mode now integrates calendar events into a convenient timeline. Use the View options menu to configure which calendars appear on the timeline, and the range of hours for which events are displayed. (This feature requires iOS 4.0 or later.)
- Forecast mode now includes an additional section for viewing items starting on the days of the upcoming week. Use the View options menu to hide or show this section.
- Tapping “View” on a Due Reminder alert now takes you to the Forecast screen, showing you all items which have become overdue at once.
- The Note section of the Editor now includes an expand button. Tap on the expand button to view or edit your notes full screen.
- When searching in the Project and Context pickers, Smart Match terms are underlined in the search results.
- When assigning a Project or Context to an Action, search results are now presented in Library order rather than alphabetically.
- The application’s badge counts the union of overdue, due soon, and flagged items. Items that are both flagged and overdue or due soon are no longer counted twice.
- Folders’ remaining count incorrectly included Single-Action Lists.
- Dropped Contexts are only visible in the Context move popover when the current View options are set to All.
- Dropped Folders are only visible in the Project move popover when the current View options are set to All.
- Errors from automatic sync sessions no longer interrupt you with an alert. Instead, the Sync button is badged. Tapping the Sync button will display the error alert and offer to retry the sync.
- OmniFocus takes advantage of hardware screen mirroring when available.
- When mirroring your iPad 2 on a secondary display, OmniFocus now shows your gestures—taps, pinches, swipes, and all—so that your viewers can follow along.
- Untitled items are now correctly represented in Project, Action, and Context lists.
- Fixed a bug that could cause incorrect sorting of a Perspective’s actions when grouped by a date.
- The Inbox badge count no longer includes completed items.
- Items blocked by a future start date are once again excluded from the Inbox badge count.
- Paste and New Action are now available from the contextual menu for the Inbox header.
- Fixed a bug which prevented you from moving an item to the top of the Inbox.
- Projects within the Review sidebar are sorted in Library order.
- Fixed a bug where launching OmniFocus into Review mode with the Inbox selected incorrectly resulted in an empty list of projects needing review.
- When there are no remaining Projects requiring review, the plus button no longer gives multiple choices for creating an Inbox item.
- Fixed a crash which could occur when entering the background and using Bonjour syncing.
- Fixed a rare problem which could lead to a crash if OmniFocus received a memory warning while in landscape orientation.
- Fixed a regression where Email Debug Info (to the OmniFocus support ninjas) was inappropriately using the in-app mail client.
