Window's focus overrides perspective's focus? [A: yes, by design]

OmniFocus OmniFocus for Mac
#1

I got the impression the main windows focus overrides perspective’s focus.

If a perspective is ticked to open in a separate window with a focus on specific projects, it will only be presented as intended, if you open it from an unfocused main window. If the main window is focused on an specific folder/project and you open the perspective the focus of the main window overrides the perspective’s focus which is ticked within the perspective’s preferences.

I hope this is a bug and not a feature.

Keyboard shortcut to "sticky" focus?
#2

The design in OmniFocus 2 is that a window’s focus always applies to everything in that window, including any perspectives. A perspective’s focus always applies to that perspective only, and never to anything else.

When you apply a window focus to a perspective which has its own focus, then both will apply: you’ll narrow down the focus of the perspective even further so it only includes items which also match the window’s focus.

#3

I see! Thank you very much for the explanation!

#4

@kcase The behavior you describe is not what I see.

If I have three projects: Project A, Project B and Project C and a Perspective B set to focus Project B

  • If I view the Projects tab I see them all.
  • If I then apply a focus to only view Project A, I only see Project A, and the “focus bar” displays “Focusing on Project A”.
  • If I then open Perspective B, I see the Project A, Project B and Project C (and all my other projects) – and the focus bar still displays “Focusing on Project A”.
#5

Hmm, well, there might be a bug! Though I just checked, and it seems to be working as I described in my tests.

When you switch to Perspective B, you’re still in the same window? And it still says “Focusing on Project A” in the bar across the top (below the toolbar but above everything else)? But it’s showing items from other projects?

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#6

Yes, it’s one window and the “focus bar” says “Focusing on Project A” even when I’m in Perspective B, and then I see actions (and project names) for all projects.

Before I posted I tried in v86.0.206686 and one previous version. I just updated to v86.0.206687 and it behaves the same. I’ve double checked, as I messed up before in this thread where my original description was incorrect … ;-) That time I used my normal projects and hierarchies, and it was harder to see exactly what was happening. Now I’ve made exactly the same arrangement as described above (though in my normal library) and get the same result in all three versions I’ve tested.

#7

That’s certainly sounding like a bug! It would be good to track that down and get it fixed.

Could you send a screenshot of that perspective’s settings, along with screenshots of how it appears in the window, both when the window is focused and when it’s unfocused? You can email those to ofpreview (and you’re welcome to cc me directly at kc), or if you prefer you can just post them here.

Thanks!

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