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Files & attachments

Add images and files, organize them in the file library, and use them in notes and slips.

Every image and file you bring into Todebaran lands in one place: your file library. Add a file once and you can use it in a task's notes, on a slip, or keep it filed away — it's stored on your Mac and travels with sync.

Adding files#

There are a few ways in, and they all end up in the same library:

  • Import — open Files from the sidebar and click Import to pick files with the standard macOS dialog. Any file type is welcome.
  • Drag and drop — drop files straight onto the Files window. They land in the folder you're currently viewing.
  • Inside a note — while writing a task's notes you can drag a file in, paste one (including a screenshot straight from the clipboard), or use the slash menu (/) and choose Image, Image from URL, or File attachment.

However a file gets in, it's added to your library — so a picture you paste into a note is also there in Files, ready to reuse.

In your notes#

How a file appears in a note depends on what it is:

  • Images embed inline, shown right there in the note.
  • Other files (PDFs, documents, archives…) appear as a link with the file's name. Click it to save a copy wherever you like.

On slips#

Slips build their layout from blocks, and an image block can pull a picture straight from your file library (as well as from a URL or from AI). Add an image block, choose From Files, and pick the image. See Slips for the full picture.

The file library#

Open Files from the sidebar to manage everything you've added:

  • Folders — group files into folders (and nest them). Files you haven't filed show up under Uncategorized. Drag files onto a folder to move them.
  • Rename — double-click a file to rename it. You're renaming the display name; the file extension stays put.
  • Search — start typing to filter by name.
  • Grid or list — switch views to taste.
  • Save a copy — download any file back out to a location you choose.

If someone shares a space with you, attachments from it appear in a Shared section — read-only, but you can Save to my files to keep your own copy.

How files are stored#

Files are stored by their contents, which has a couple of handy consequences:

  • No duplicates. Import the same file twice and Todebaran keeps a single copy — you'll see a File already exists note rather than a second entry.
  • Images get previews. Todebaran makes thumbnails for images, so they show a real preview in the library, your notes and slips. Other file types show a generic icon (there's no preview for PDFs, video or documents).

Renaming a file only changes its name in Todebaran — nothing on disk is rewritten.

Deleting files#

Deleting a file removes it everywhere

A file lives in one place, so deleting it from the library removes it from every note and slip that used it — an embedded image becomes broken, an attachment link stops working. The same goes for deleting a folder, which deletes the files inside it. This can't be undone, so delete only files you're sure you're done with.

Files and sync#

When sync is on, your files travel with your tasks — the tasks and notes sync first, and the attachments follow right behind. Until a file finishes downloading on another Mac you'll see a placeholder in its place. Large files simply take longer. Previews are regenerated on each Mac, so they're not re-sent over the wire.