Obsidian Image Occlusion

An Excalidraw script for creating Anki image occlusion cards in Obsidian, similar to Anki's Image Occlusion Enhanced add-on but integrated into your Obsidian workflow.

Overview

This script allows you to create image occlusion flashcards directly in Obsidian using Excalidraw. It's designed to work seamlessly with your existing note-taking workflow while providing similar functionality to Anki's Image Occlusion Enhanced.

Comparison with Anki's Image Occlusion Enhanced

Advantages

1. Integrated Workflow

   • Create cards directly in Obsidian
   • Use Excalidraw's drawing tools
   • Keep source files with your notes
   • Edit cards without leaving Obsidian

2. Enhanced Features

   • Supports shape grouping
   • Maintains source file links
   • Batch operations for card management
   • Better file organization

3. Version Control

   • All files are plain text/images
   • Easy to backup and sync
   • Works with git and other VCS

Limitations

1. Editing Experience

   • No real-time preview of occlusions
   • Must regenerate cards after edits
   • Cannot edit existing cards directly

2. Card Types

   • Only supports "Hide One" and "Hide All" modes
   • No support for "Hide All, Guess One by One"
   • Cannot mix different occlusion types in one card

3. Performance

   • Generating multiple cards takes longer
   • Manual sync with Anki required
   • Larger file size due to image storage

Use Cases

• Creating anatomy flashcards
• Learning diagrams and charts
• Memorizing maps and locations
• Studying technical illustrations
• Learning character components

Usage Instructions

Prerequisites

1. Install required Obsidian plugins:

   • Excalidraw
   • Templater
   • Obsidian to Anki

2. Copy template files to your templates folder:

   templates/
   ├── Anki Card.md      # For image occlusion cards
   

Creating Image Occlusion Cards

1. Open or create an Excalidraw file
2. Insert an image you want to study ( Scenes including directly inserting images into the canvas of excalidraw; inserting another excaldraw as an image; cropping a work of excaldraw and displaying a portion of the image before inserting it as an image into the excalidraw canvas.)
3. Draw shapes over areas you want to occlude:
   • Use rectangles or ellipses
   • Group related shapes if needed
   • Position shapes precisely over target areas
4. Select both the image and all shapes you want to use as masks
5. Run the "Image Occlusion" script
6. Choose occlusion mode:
   • ⭐ Add Cards: Hide One, Guess One
     • Creates one card per mask
     • Only one area is hidden at a time
   • ⭐⭐ Add Cards: Hide All, Guess One
     • Creates cards where all areas are hidden except one
     • Tests recognition of individual items

Managing Existing Cards

1. To mark cards for deletion:

   • Select source Excalidraw file
   • Run "Image Occlusion" script
   • Choose 🗑️ Delete Cards: Delete all old cards
   • This adds DELETE marker before Anki card IDs
   • Sync with Anki to remove cards

2. To permanently delete files:

   • Select source Excalidraw file
   • Run "Image Occlusion" script
   • Choose 🗑️💥 Delete Cards: Delete all old cards file and related images
   • Confirm deletion
   • This removes:
     • All related card files
     • Generated images
     • Batch marker files

File Organization

Excalidraw-Image-Occlusions/
└── excalidraw-name-timestamp/
    ├── batch-marker.md     # Links to source file
    ├── q-timestamp.png     # Question images
    ├── a-timestamp.png     # Answer images
    └── timestamp.card.md   # Card files

Tips

• Draw precise masks around areas you want to study
• Use meaningful names for your Excalidraw files
• Group related shapes when they form a logical unit
• Review generated cards in Anki before bulk deletion
• Keep your source Excalidraw files organized

Troubleshooting

• If cards don't appear in Anki:
  • Check Obsidian to Anki plugin settings
  • Verify card template format
  • Ensure proper sync with Anki
• If images don't display correctly:
  • Check file paths in card markdown
  • Verify image files exist in correct location
• For deletion issues:
  • Ensure you're selecting the correct source file
  • Check if files are properly linked

⚠️ Important Safety Notes

Data Protection

1. Always Backup Your Data

   • Backup your vault before using deletion features
   • Keep copies of important Excalidraw files
   • Export your Anki deck regularly

2. Deletion Risks

   • Delete Cards: Delete all old cards file and related images is IRREVERSIBLE
   • This operation will:
     • Permanently delete all card files
     • Remove entire image folders
     • Delete batch marker files
   • No way to recover deleted files without backup

3. Safe Deletion Practice

   • Use Delete Cards: Delete all old cards (only add DELETE marker) first
   • Review marked cards in Anki
   • Sync with Anki to verify deletion
   • Only then consider using permanent deletion

4. Before Using Permanent Deletion

   • Double check selected source file
   • Verify which cards will be affected
   • Ensure you have backups
   • Consider using Obsidian's file recovery if available
   • Wait for Anki sync to complete

Recommended Workflow

1. Regular Backups

   - Daily: Obsidian vault backup
   - Weekly: Anki deck export
   - Monthly: Full system backup
   

2. Safe Deletion Process

   1. Mark cards for deletion
   2. Review in Anki
   3. Sync with Anki
   4. Verify deletion
   5. Backup vault
   6. Run permanent deletion
   

3. Recovery Options

   • Keep backups for at least 30 days
   • Use version control if possible
   • Document your deletion operations
   • Test backup restoration periodically