The working area
sudonotes keeps the capture loop in one window: choose a note on the left, write in the center, and use context about the note on the right.
Sidebar
The sidebar separates Prompts and Ideas. Each section can create a note and shows both top-level notes and collections. Select a row to open it. Dragging reorders items within the list; press Esc to cancel a drag.
Right-click a note (or a collection) for a short menu with Open note and Delete note. Middle-click asks for confirmation before deleting; it no longer autoscrolls the list.
A linked idea shows the project icon when one can be found. An unlinked idea uses a quiet placeholder so project drafts remain visually distinct.
Editor and collection view
A normal note opens in the Markdown editor. Links and placeholders receive lightweight formatting, but the saved text remains ordinary Markdown.
A prompt collection opens as cards instead. The header can add a prompt or copy the full chain. Double-click a card to edit its title, body, tags, and model. Press Ctrl/Cmd + Enter to save the card or Esc to cancel.
Right panel
The upper half lists Linked from backlinks. The lower half changes with the active note:
- Project appears for ideas and controls the
IDEAS.mdmirror. - Variables appears when a prompt contains
{{placeholders}}. - Details shows type, collection, tags, model, dates, and the file path.
- Review this note appears when AI assistance is enabled.
For an idea, the model row follows the bubble under the pointer or caret, so a model assignment can belong to one bubble rather than the whole idea.
Status bar
The bottom-right status bar shows the app version and an AI indicator. The dot is gray when AI assistance is off, green when it is on and the service is healthy, and amber when it is on but the service is struggling or unreachable.
Palettes and dialogs
Vault search, note linking, model selection, and tag suggestions use compact pickers. They share the same keyboard model: arrow keys move, Enter chooses, and Esc closes.
Confirmation dialogs protect operations such as deleting notes or replacing an existing
IDEAS.md. A destructive choice is named explicitly; clicking outside does not silently accept it.
Settings
Open Settings from the window controls. It contains:
- the per-vault AI assistance switch and its privacy explanation;
- automatic backup status, the backup directory, Back up now, and Restore a backup…;
- the installed app version.
Settings closes with its close button, by clicking outside, or with Esc.
Notices, errors, and saves
Short notices confirm successful work such as linking a project or writing a backup. Errors stay visible long enough to read and do not replace the Markdown note with a partial result. Both dismiss themselves after a few seconds; the close button clears them sooner.
Saving is automatic. sudonotes also flushes an in-flight edit when the window closes. If another program changes a file while that same note has unsaved edits, the open buffer is left alone rather than being overwritten.
Scale the interface
Use Ctrl/Cmd + + or - to adjust the entire interface. Ctrl/Cmd + 0 returns to 100%. The choice persists between sessions.