Use Cases & Example Workflows - travisvn/obsidian-vision-recall GitHub Wiki
Vision Recall Example Workflows
This guide showcases practical workflows for using Vision Recall in your knowledge management system. These examples demonstrate how to integrate screenshot capture, processing, and retrieval into your daily workflow.
Research and Study Workflows
Academic Paper Review
Workflow:
- Capture: Take screenshots of key figures, tables, and paragraphs from academic papers
- Process: Let Vision Recall analyze the content and extract text
- Organize: Review the generated notes and add your own insights
- Link: Connect the generated notes to your research notes using Obsidian links
Benefits:
- Quickly extract and reference visual information from papers
- Create a searchable database of research figures
- Build connections between visual data and your notes
Textbook Study
Workflow:
- Capture: Screenshot important diagrams, formulas, and explanations from digital textbooks
- Process: Vision Recall will extract text and analyze the content
- Organize: Use the generated tags to categorize by subject and topic
- Review: Create spaced repetition notes linking to these screenshots
Benefits:
- Transform static textbook content into an interactive knowledge base
- Easily find and reference key concepts during review
- Build connections between related concepts across different sources
Professional Workflows
Software Development
Workflow:
- Capture: Screenshot error messages, code snippets, and UI designs
- Process: Vision Recall will extract code text and analyze the content
- Organize: Tag screenshots by project, language, and error type
- Reference: Link to these screenshots in your development notes or documentation
Benefits:
- Build a searchable database of error messages and solutions
- Quickly reference UI designs and implementation details
- Document code patterns and anti-patterns visually
Project Management
Workflow:
- Capture: Screenshot project dashboards, Gantt charts, and meeting notes
- Process: Let Vision Recall extract data and summarize the content
- Organize: Tag by project, phase, and team
- Track: Create a daily note that links to relevant project screenshots
Benefits:
- Track project progress visually over time
- Quickly reference historical project data
- Create a visual audit trail of project decisions
Personal Knowledge Management
Web Research
Workflow:
- Capture: Screenshot interesting articles, diagrams, and web content
- Process: Vision Recall will extract text and analyze the content
- Organize: Use the AI-generated tags to categorize content
- Connect: Link these screenshots to your existing notes on the topic
Benefits:
- Save important web content without creating bookmark clutter
- Extract key information from visual web content
- Build a personal web archive that's fully searchable
Recipe Collection
Workflow:
- Capture: Screenshot recipes from websites, books, or social media
- Process: Vision Recall will extract ingredients, instructions, and analyze the dish
- Organize: Tag by cuisine, meal type, and ingredients
- Enhance: Add your own notes about modifications or results
Benefits:
- Build a searchable recipe database
- Find recipes by ingredient or cuisine type
- Keep track of cooking experiments and modifications
Screenshot Capture Methods
Method 1: Intake Folder Monitoring
Setup:
- Configure your intake folder in Vision Recall settings
- Enable auto-processing
Workflow:
- Take screenshots using your OS screenshot tool
- Save screenshots to your designated intake folder
- Vision Recall automatically processes new screenshots
- Access processed screenshots and notes in the Vision Recall view
Best for: Regular screenshot collection throughout the day
Method 2: Clipboard Upload
Setup:
- Ensure clipboard upload is enabled in settings
Workflow:
- Take a screenshot using your OS screenshot tool (copied to clipboard)
- In Obsidian, use the "Upload Screenshot from Clipboard" command
- Vision Recall processes the screenshot immediately
- Access the processed screenshot and note in the Vision Recall view
Best for: Quick, one-off screenshots that need immediate processing
Method 3: Deep Link Intake
Setup:
- Configure your deep link settings
Workflow:
- Set up a shortcut or automation tool that captures screenshots
- Configure the tool to call the Vision Recall deep link with the screenshot
- Vision Recall processes the screenshot automatically
- Access the processed screenshot and note in the Vision Recall view
Best for: Advanced users with custom automation needs
Method 4: File Upload Modal
Setup:
- No special setup required
Workflow:
- In Obsidian, use the "Add New Screenshot" command
- Select a screenshot file from your computer
- Vision Recall processes the screenshot
- Access the processed screenshot and note in the Vision Recall view
Best for: Processing existing images or screenshots
Integration with Other Obsidian Plugins
Dataview Integration
Combine Vision Recall with Dataview to create powerful queries across your screenshot database:
TABLE file.cday as "Captured", tags
FROM "Screenshots/Notes"
WHERE contains(tags, "#diagram")
SORT file.cday DESC
Templater Integration
Create templates that automatically include relevant screenshots:
<%*
// Get recent screenshots with specific tag
const screenshots = await tp.system.suggester(
(s) => s.title,
app.plugins.plugins["vision-recall"].api.getScreenshotsByTag("meeting")
)%>
### Meeting Notes

<% screenshots.notes %>
Calendar Integration
Link daily notes to screenshots captured that day:
- Use the Calendar plugin to navigate to a specific day
- Use Vision Recall's date filter to find screenshots from that day
- Link relevant screenshots to your daily note
Advanced Workflows
Automated Documentation
Use Vision Recall with other automation tools to build documentation:
- Set up a script to capture screenshots at regular intervals
- Process these screenshots with Vision Recall
- Use Templater or another automation plugin to compile these into documentation
- Update documentation automatically as new screenshots are processed
Knowledge Graph Building
Create a rich knowledge graph from visual information:
- Process screenshots with Vision Recall
- Use the generated tags and notes to create connections
- Visualize these connections with Obsidian's graph view
- Identify patterns and gaps in your visual knowledge base
Getting Started with These Workflows
To implement any of these workflows:
- Ensure Vision Recall is properly set up with your preferred LLM provider
- Configure your intake folder and processing settings
- Start with a simple workflow and gradually incorporate more advanced features
- Experiment with different tagging and organization strategies
- Regularly review and refine your workflow based on what works best for you