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Recurring calendar entry automation
Split out from here: https://forums.obsidianportal.com/discussion/comment/48670/#Comment_48670
One thing I'd love to see added/redesigned is recurring calendar entry automation. Something along the lines of pick a day of the week, a start time and end time, a location, a description, an end date for the recursion, and then check a box to set how often you'd like it to be built on the calendar (weekly, biweekly, monthly). Click build and viola, you just saved yourself from manually entering all of that info 52 times a year (or however often you play). It isn't flashy but it's convenient.
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@Abersade,
I have PTSD from developing a recurring appointment feature in a medical system I worked on in the past. : ) It can get out of hand quite quickly and everyone wants their personal pet timeframe/recurrence included in the options. And the thing that really kills it is needing the ability to Delete/Edit the recurring appointments if a change is needed, or if only some of the appointments need to be deleted, and not all of them, or if past appointments need to stay as is, but future appointments should be Edited.
So, I have a counter suggestion that I think will save members some time, and actually has a chance of getting done.
On the "EDIT Event" screen, we could put a section that says something like "Duplicate this event to [DATE PICKER]" followed by a "Duplicate Event" button.
(The Date Picker would default to one week from the current Event's date.)
Then clicking the Duplicate Event button would create a copy of the Event on the selected date, and would drop you on the EDIT Event page for that newly created Event.
So, if you wanted to create 12 weeks of weekly recurring Events, it would be 12 instances of "click the Duplicate Event button and wait for page refresh", and your mouse pointer would be able to stay in pretty much exactly the same spot to do that. If you wanted them to be bi-weekly, it would be a couple more clicks per Event to shift forward a week, but basically the same repeated procedure. (We might be able to try to glean what recurrence interval you were going for from the previous duplicate, and have the Date Picker default to that on the next EDIT Event, but I'm not sure about that.)
Would that help with what you're trying to solve with this feature request?
Obsidian Portal Developer
I mean, I guess that could work. To be clear, I'm not looking for a way to mass edit/delete events on the calendar, just something to post the initial events up. If we can get that far I'm happy to do the edits on my own, since editing calendar entries involves less field entries than creating them does.
GM of Stream of Kairos - 2025 Campaign of the Year
GM of Rise of the Durnskald: Wrath of the Fallen Goddess - February 2016 CotM
GM of Core: The Ashes of Alcarna - April 2020 CotM
Need CSS Help? It may be covered here: Abersade's CSS Hub
Alright, cool, we'll aim for this stripped down option, and see if it helps you or not.
I see that you're not looking for a way to mass edit/delete, but mass delete/edit will be expected by other members that see the ability to add recurring appointments.
For example, a GM might intend to run a recurring weekly Friday game for a whole year, creating 52 events with one button click. And then after the first game, it turns out that some of the Players would rather do Saturdays. So, now the GM has to do 51 edits or deletes. That won't be a happy GM. : )
Obsidian Portal Developer
I was wondering about an annual recurring event to mark character and/or player birthdays, annniversaries, and the like.
Hey @righteousdude! Thanks so much for the idea, I'll make sure that's added to our list of recommendations. I could see that being a fun little addition to the game!
If anyone else is interested, please let us know- and share whatever other ideas you might have too!
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In the interest of not opening another post to discuss the same suggestion, has any progress been made on this front?
GM of Stream of Kairos - 2025 Campaign of the Year
GM of Rise of the Durnskald: Wrath of the Fallen Goddess - February 2016 CotM
GM of Core: The Ashes of Alcarna - April 2020 CotM
Need CSS Help? It may be covered here: Abersade's CSS Hub
I can always check in, and let ya know! @Abersade I'll be back ☺
Obsidian Portal Support Druid | [email protected]
@Abersade - not yet! But it's still on our radar!
Hey @Abersade!
If you Edit a Calendar Event, there is now a “Duplicate Event” link near the top.
Clicking that will open a panel with a “Duplicate Starts at” field to choose the start of the duplicate.
When you click the “Duplicate Event” button, it will create the duplicate, and then drop you on the duplicate Event with the panel open. It will also try to guess what interval you are duplicating at, like weekly, 2-weekly, or monthly. It defaults to weekly if it can’t figure it out. And then it will put that as the new “Duplicate Starts at” date/time.
Creating a Duplicate Event does not send any notifications at the time that it is created/duplicated. It will have the same Notifications as the original though, and will send those when the time comes.
Don’t go crazy with creating a bunch of Calendar Events all at once. They have to be manually deleted if you decide you want something to be changed.
Just use this to create a few out into the future. And then when you get to the last one, use this to push a few more out, and so on.
Fantastic. Just gave it a try, this is SO much faster than adding everything in manually.
Thanks!
GM of Stream of Kairos - 2025 Campaign of the Year
GM of Rise of the Durnskald: Wrath of the Fallen Goddess - February 2016 CotM
GM of Core: The Ashes of Alcarna - April 2020 CotM
Need CSS Help? It may be covered here: Abersade's CSS Hub
Great news, friend! @Abersade
Obsidian Portal Support Druid | [email protected]