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Migrating from Other Apps

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Eric Rhys Taylor edited this page May 4, 2026 · 4 revisions

If you are coming from Scrivener, Ulysses, or a traditional manuscript tool, Obsidian will feel different because it is a note-based, markdown-first app. Radial Timeline works with that model by reading and writing scene metadata in properties at the top of each note.

YAML (friendly definition): YAML does not refer to camels. It stands for Yet Another Markup Language. It is human-readable, designed to help, and gives you full control over the information you track in each note (scene, beat, backdrop, etc). It can feel intimidating at first, but most writers get comfortable quickly and appreciate the power it provides.

Quick Orientation

  • Binder vs. File Explorer: Scrivener organizes content in a binder. Obsidian shows your vault as folders and files in the File Explorer.
  • Corkboard vs. Timeline: Scrivener’s corkboard is a card view. Radial Timeline is a visual timeline that reads your scene notes and metadata.
  • Inspector vs. Properties: Scrivener hides metadata in the Inspector. Obsidian shows properties (YAML frontmatter) at the top of each note so metadata is visible and editable.

Import and Migration Tips

  • Start with Obsidian’s official import guidance and the Importer plugin. These explain how to bring notes from other apps and how Obsidian expects file structures to look.
  • If your current tool can export to Markdown, import those files into your vault and then connect them to Radial Timeline using the onboarding steps.

Links:

Markdown Basics (How Notes Work)

Obsidian is built around plain-text Markdown. If you have never used Markdown before, the syntax guide is the quickest way to get comfortable.

File View Differences (Sorting and Ordering)

Obsidian’s File Explorer can be sorted by name, modified time, or created time. This affects how files appear in the sidebar, but Radial Timeline scene order is controlled by scene number + Act, not file order.

Properties and Frontmatter (Metadata You Can See)

Obsidian stores note metadata in properties (YAML frontmatter). Radial Timeline uses these fields for scene order, dates, subplots, and more. Unlike Scrivener, this metadata is visible at the top of the note and can be edited directly.

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