Cortex 2.0

A quick-capture checklist view for Obsidian with image support, Android integration via URI handler, and cron-compatible checkbox format. Replaces the plain-text _Cortex.md workflow with a proper UI — mobile-first, cross-platform.

Installation

1. Build the plugin:

   npm run build
   

2. Copy manifest.json, main.js, and styles.css to your vault:

   <vault>/.obsidian/plugins/cortex-capture/
   

3. Enable in Obsidian: Settings > Community Plugins > Cortex 2.0

Usage

Open the Cortex view via the brain icon in the ribbon or the command palette ("Cortex: Open capture view"). Type an idea and press Enter (or tap Capture). Attach images via paste, drag-and-drop, or the image button. Check items off when processed.

Settings

Setting	Default	Description
Capture file path	_Cortex.md	Vault-relative path to the capture file
Prepend new items	true	New items go to the top
Show timestamps	false	Prepend timestamp to each item
Timestamp format	YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm	Format string for timestamps

URI Handler

Open Cortex programmatically with obsidian://cortex:

Parameter	Description	Example
text	Pre-fill the input	?text=my+idea
image	Attach an image from path	?image=/path/to/img.png
submit	Auto-submit without manual tap	?submit=true

Examples:

• obsidian://cortex — just open the view
• obsidian://cortex?text=Remember+this&submit=true — capture instantly
• obsidian://cortex?text=Photo+note&image=/path/to/photo.jpg — text + image

Android Homescreen Shortcut

Long-press home screen > Add shortcut > URL shortcut > obsidian://cortex

Tasker Integration (Android Share Intent)

Obsidian plugins cannot add their own entry to Android's share sheet — that's an OS-level feature for native apps. Tasker bridges this gap by intercepting share intents and routing them to Cortex 2.0 via the URI handler.

Why Tasker?

When you share a screenshot or text from any Android app, the share sheet shows "Obsidian" but that only offers "Import to Vault" with no control over destination. Tasker intercepts the share intent before Obsidian sees it, extracts the content, and fires obsidian://cortex with the right parameters. Result: one-tap capture from any app's share button.

Setup: Share Images to Cortex (screenshots, photos)

This is the most useful flow — share a screenshot directly into Cortex.

Step 1: Create the Task (what happens when you share)

1. Open Tasker > Tasks tab > tap + > name it Cortex Image Capture
2. Add actions in this order:

#	Action	Settings
1	Variables > Variable Set	Name: %img_uri — To: %intent_data. If %intent_data is empty, use %intent_extra_stream
2	File > Copy File	From: %img_uri — To: /storage/emulated/0/Tasker/cortex-share.jpg — Use Root: Off
3	Net > Browse URL	URL: obsidian://cortex?image=/storage/emulated/0/Tasker/cortex-share.jpg

Why the copy step? Android shares images as content:// URIs which Obsidian can't read directly. Copying to a fixed path on internal storage makes the file accessible to Obsidian's vault adapter.

Step 2: Create the Profile (when to trigger)

1. Go to Profiles tab > tap +
2. Select Event > Intent Received
3. Set:
   • Action: android.intent.action.SEND
   • Mime Type: image/*
4. Link it to the Cortex Image Capture task

Step 3: Test it

1. Take a screenshot on your phone
2. Tap Share in the screenshot preview
3. Select Tasker from the share sheet
4. Obsidian should open with the image attached in Cortex — add a note and tap Capture

Setup: Share Text to Cortex (URLs, copied text, notes from other apps)

Step 1: Create the Task

1. Tasks tab > + > name it Cortex Text Capture
2. Add actions:

#	Action	Settings
1	Variables > Variable Set	Name: %shared_text — To: %intent_extra_text
2	Variables > Variable Search Replace	Variable: %shared_text — Search: (space) — Replace: + — Replace All: On
3	Net > Browse URL	URL: obsidian://cortex?text=%shared_text&submit=true

Note: submit=true auto-captures the text immediately. Remove it if you want to review/edit before submitting.

Step 2: Create the Profile

1. Profiles tab > + > Event > Intent Received
2. Set:
   • Action: android.intent.action.SEND
   • Mime Type: text/plain
3. Link it to the Cortex Text Capture task

Setup: Combined (text + image in one share)

Some apps share both text and an image together (e.g., sharing a tweet with a screenshot). Create a third profile:

1. Profile: Event > Intent Received > Action: android.intent.action.SEND > Mime Type: */*
2. Task: combine the image copy step with the text extraction, then:

   Browse URL: obsidian://cortex?text=%shared_text&image=/storage/emulated/0/Tasker/cortex-share.jpg
   

   (Omit submit=true so you can review the combined capture before submitting)

Priority note: If you have all three profiles, set the image/* and text/plain profiles to higher priority than the */* fallback so specific types match first.

Alternative: MacroDroid (free)

If you don't own Tasker, MacroDroid can do the same thing for free:

1. Create a Macro with trigger: Intent Received (same action and mime type settings)
2. Add action: Open Website/URL with the same obsidian://cortex?... URL pattern
3. For image shares, use MacroDroid's Shell Script action to copy the file first

Troubleshooting

• "Tasker" doesn't appear in share sheet: Open Tasker > Preferences > UI > Show Tasker As Share Destination > On
• Image not found after share: Check that /storage/emulated/0/Tasker/ exists. Create it manually if needed.
• Obsidian opens but no image appears: The content:// URI couldn't be copied. Try changing the copy destination or check Tasker has storage permissions.
• URL encoding issues with special characters: For text with &, =, or %, add a Variable Search Replace step for each: & to %26, = to %3D, % to %25 (do % first)

Sync Conflict Warning

Concurrent captures from two offline devices can create an Obsidian Sync conflict file. The conflict preserves any items that would be lost. Review conflict files if they appear.

Cron Integration

The file format is standard checkbox markdown. The external cortex-cron.sh processes - [ ] items and marks them - [x] when done. Old checked items are periodically removed.

Migration

If you have an existing plain-text _Cortex.md, run the migration script before enabling the plugin:

VAULT_PATH=/path/to/vault bash scripts/migrate-cortex.sh

This converts plain text lines to - [ ] line format. A backup is created at _Cortex.md.bak.