Advanced Shortcuts Support {Released on V.3.26}

Feature Requests šŸ‘€
#1

from @ Bwt615 and @kapild

1. Better error handling
Currently the automation will fail when there is an error (for example if ā€˜End Sessionā€™ shortcut is triggered when no Session is active.

2. Get Current Status:
I want an automation to start a session if I disable it on the hour)

How I wish I was using it: Iā€™d use personal automations to start opal every hour. Then, during sessions I would respectively start and cancel sessions. However, the shortcut action is literally the bare minimum. It will fail while cancelling if the session isnā€™t running which breaks the flow. And it will fail with the inverse. This could easily be remedied with an action to be able to check the current session or just not erroring when run. Or even better, Iā€™d love to be in a deep focus session all day that I canā€™t cancel and be able to trigger breaks with a shortcut session from Session.

3. Session Time input

What I meant was is there a way to make ā€œtime of sessionā€ made available as an input to the automation script? This way, I can start the session automatically for x minutes without needing to worry about creating another automation to end the session.

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Feedback on New Opal
Opal doesn't feel like a productivity app
#2

I wish more people would vote on this one :(. I use session for pomodoro cause of how well it is integrated with shortcuts, not having this is breaking my automation! Iā€™d love to also add toggling a break via shortcuts would be GREAT instead of cancelling.

#3

Hey @Bwt615 ! We made some improvements here:

  • Have you tried this? Opal FAQ | How to start a Pomodoro with Opal
  • We have introduced a new ā€˜End Sessionā€™ shortcut so you can theoretically use that to create a break:
    Start Session
    after X minutes
    End Session
    after X minutes
    Start Session
    Etc.
    Let me know if this works for you!
#4

Hi team!

I started using Opal via of of the automation techniques mentioned here but I ended up in a infinite Opal Deep focus mode. Opal FAQ | 5+ Ways to use Opal with shortcuts

What happened:

  • I created an automation to start Opal when I start one of my Pomodoro app
  • I set the automation to start in Deep mode,
  • The session started as expected.
  • But, since I am in a deep focus mode, the session has no ā€œend timeā€ limit nor I can cancel the session.

Is there a way to provide the time for which I want to start the Opal session via automatic approach?

Thanks
K

#5

Hello !
Deepfocus sessions started via shortcuts cannot be stopped from within the app, but can be stopped via another automation. So setting up another automation with the ā€œEnd Sessionā€ action correlated with the end of your pomodoro timer should work.

Regarding your other question, you can use the ā€œTime of dayā€ trigger in your shortcut automation would allow you to start a session on a schedule using shortcuts.

Regards !
Peter

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#6

Thanks for providing this info. @kapild does this work for you?

#7

Thanks for clarifying this it makes sense.

#8

Sorry for being unclear on this.

What I meant was is there a way to make ā€œtime of sessionā€ made available as an input to the automation script? This way, I can start the session automatically for x minutes without needing to worry about creating another automation to end the session.

#9

Crystal clear ! This is something we can consider adding for sure !
For now, you can achieve similar results by programming a session from within the app.

Regards

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#10

Hello there! @here

We are thrilled to share some exciting news with you. With the release of Opal 3.26, which aired today, we have revamped our shortcuts to enhance their functionality and incorporate all the suggestions from this thread and more. Here are the key improvements:

  • Our shortcuts now have the ability to display results and gracefully handle any failures that may occur.
  • In the start session shortcut, you can now set a custom session duration instead of just endless sessions
  • We have also introduced the option to start a session that lasts until the end of the day directly from the start session shortcut.
  • A new shortcut has been added, allowing you to check if an Opal session is currently running.
  • Additionally, we have introduced a convenient shortcut to monitor your screen time for the day, providing the duration in seconds and enabling integration with automations.

We sincerely hope that you will enjoy these enhancements. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

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