# [[2022-12-26 Visual Thinking Workshop - Session 3]] Course:: [[Visual Thinking Workshop]] %% <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Klw_NPwvFqI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> %% ## Summary > [!abstract] Summary > One thing to decide when creating a visual PKM is whether you want to create an icon library or a stencil library. An icon library is a collection of images you've imported from outside Obsidian/Excalidraw, and a stencil library is a collection of drawings you or others have created using Excalidraw. > > Icon libraries are more scalable (if you use the .svg versions) and easier to link and tag (because they will show up in ExcaliBrain if you use them in multiple places). However, you're not going to be able to change anything about them later. Relying on icons also means that you'll need to individually choose, download, and import them. > > Stencil libaries are not scalable and are a little trickier to make taggable (you have to remember to add hidden text within the stencil), but you can change everything about them, including colours and shape. Because Excalidraw also has a lot of libraries, you can import quite a few of them and not have to choose which ones to import. ## Log - We should be finished with reading the book and already have highlights in Obsidian. - stencil library vs. icons ### Steps to follow to create a book on a page - Step 1: Zsolt creates a page on Emergence in Obsidian, even before he's read the book. - Summary (starts out blank) - Links - Notes - Other things he might want to relate to Emergence - Similar books he's read (and those he hasn't read) - Step 2: Read the book and highlight as he goes. - Step 3: Import clippings to Obsidian. - Step 4: Highlighting clippings via highlights - He adds drawings and photos as he goes through the highlights. - Step 6: Develop storyline, mini-summary - He may also do research on the side, about things that are tangentially related. - Example: *Insane biology of ants* video, podcast interview with the author, [[Steven Johnson]], books or studies mentioned in the book. - NoMa method by Nick Milo (note-making) - Asking yourself five questions - Double-bubble map: - ![[zsolt-double-bubble-map.png]] - In the middle are similarities - On either side are differences - Step 7: Copy visual permanent notes to BoaP - Step 8: Save permanent notes - Step 9: Publish ### Stencil library vs. icon library - Icon library - File formats - SVG - Scalable, and it looks the same at every size. - PNG, JPG, BMP, WEBP, ICO, GIF - Not scalable - they get pixellated if you zoom in too much - Animated GIFs - Don't animate in Excalidraw, but when you embed them in Obsidian, they do. - Images that other people have made, that you've imported into your vault. - Preface with `Icon - ` - You can also view where icons have been used in ExcaliBrain - Excalidraw Scripts - Rename icons - Disadvantage - You can't change the colours later - so you have to make sure you decide on a colour scheme first, so that they're all cohesive. - It's harder to keep track of creators for attribution - Stencil library - You can access lots of libraries from [Excalidraw](https://libraries.excalidraw.com) - You can change everything abotu the icon (take them apart, change colours) - Disadvantages - They don't really exist separate of Excalidraw, so can't be tagged. BUT, what you can do is add a tag in text to the group and then you can make it invisible (*hide* the text). In this way, you can add tags or links or even Dataview metadata to stencils as well. - They're still not scalable... which you can mitigate by using the size guide to determine what size you should save it as.