Complex filtering for a "Today" perspective

OmniFocus
#1

I’m building a Today perspective where I would like to see the following items:

  1. Anything uncompleted that is flagged. The way I use flags is for any item that I want to follow up on, but maybe doesn’t really have a concept of being due. A link to an article I want to read, for example, or a note about a topic I intend to research when I have some time blocked off.

  2. Anything due soon (2 days) even if it isn’t “available” so that I don’t miss something that is blocked by another task that I have not set a due date on. So, status of “remaining”.

  3. Caveat to number 2, I don’t want to see an item if it has a defer date after today, even if it is due soon, which I have set to two days.

Example: I have a daily reminder task that is deferred until, and due at, 10am every day. I don’t want to see tomorrow’s task in my Today perspective once I’ve completed it.

Here is how I have the filter set up to catch 90% of my use case

Any:

-> All:
–> Status: Flagged
–> Availability: Remaining

-> All:
–> Status: Due Soon
–> Availability: Remaining
–> None:
—> Has a defer date

-> All:
–> Has a defer date
–> Status: Due Soon
–> Availability: Available

This captures all flagged items, all non-deferred items that are due soon regardless of being blocked by another task, and all available tasks that have been deferred and are due soon. It does not capture deferred items that are due soon if the they are blocked by something other than the defer date.

What I’m looking for, in a sentence, is: Show me anything I’ve flagged, and also show me anything that is due soon unless I’ve explicitly deferred it to some date after today. Any ideas?

1 Like
#2

I added an extra section to your current perspective which will show deferred available items due soon, which either are available or have a tag which is active or on hold - and I think that does what you want!

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I believe this will do what you want, I’ve just added another All block:

  • Status: Due Soon
  • Has a defer date
  • Any:
    • Availability: Available
    • Has a tag which is active or on hold

I confess, I haven’t gone through to see if I can simplify the perspective anywhere, I just added a block - it’s quite possible that you could eliminate a block or two - or maybe even simplify it to do things better. It will probably trip up if your deferred item has an on hold tag though.

3 Likes