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Virtual Events

Show recurring events beyond your generation horizon without creating physical files.

How Virtual Events Work​

Virtual events are read-only calendar entries that extend your recurring series beyond the physical notes you've generated. They appear in the calendar view but don't create actual files in your vault.

Physical vs Virtual Events​

Physical Events (up to "Future instances count" setting):

  • Actual .md files created in your vault
  • Inherit complete structure from configuration node (frontmatter + content)
  • Editable and available for batch operations
  • Searchable within Obsidian
  • Take up storage space

Virtual Events (beyond generation horizon):

  • Calendar-only display items showing recurring pattern
  • Visual continuation of your recurring schedule into the future
  • Read-only (cannot be edited or selected for batch operations)
  • Don't create physical files, have no properties, or consume storage

Benefits​

Vault Management​

  • Keep your vault lean - avoid cluttering with hundreds of future notes
  • Reduce search noise - only current/near-future events appear in searches
  • Faster vault performance - fewer files to index and sync

Planning Visibility​

  • See long-term patterns - visualize your recurring schedule months/years ahead
  • Spot scheduling conflicts - identify overlapping events even far in the future
  • Plan around recurring commitments - understand your availability patterns

Configuration​

Setting Generation Horizon​

Control the physical/virtual boundary with the "Future instances count" setting (1-52):

Recommended: 1-2 instances for most use cases to avoid vault clutter.

How counting works:

  • Daily/Monthly/Yearly: Count = number of individual events
  • Weekly with multiple days: Count = number of weeks, not individual days

Examples:

  • RRule: weekly + RRuleSpec: monday, wednesday, friday + Count = 2 → Creates 6 physical files (2 weeks × 3 days per week)
  • RRule: monthly + Count = 2 → Creates 2 physical files (2 monthly events)

Practical ranges:

  • 1-2 instances: Recommended for most recurring events (keeps vault lean)
  • 3-8 instances: For intensive planning periods or project phases
  • 12+ instances: Only if you need extensive advance preparation

Converting Virtual to Physical​

Need to edit a virtual event? Increase your "Future instances count" to make it physical:

  1. Go to plugin settings
  2. Increase "Future instances count"
  3. The system automatically generates physical files for the new range
  4. Previously virtual events become editable files

Example Scenario​

Configuration: Weekly team meetings with "Future instances count" = 2

RRule: weekly
RRuleSpec: monday, wednesday, friday

Physical Events (2 weeks ahead):

  • 6 actual .md files created (2 weeks × 3 meetings per week)
  • Each inherits complete meeting template (frontmatter + agenda + notes sections)
  • Editable, searchable, available for batch operations
  • Covers your immediate planning horizon

Virtual Events (week 3 onwards):

  • Calendar entries showing meeting pattern continuing indefinitely
  • Display the recurring schedule visually in calendar
  • Read-only display only
  • No files created in vault
  • Full visibility without vault clutter

Best Practices​

1. Start with Low Counts​

  • Most users: Count = 1-2 is sufficient for regular recurring events
  • Active planners: Count = 3-4 for events requiring advance preparation
  • Special cases: Higher counts only for intensive project phases

2. Consider Multi-Day Weekly Patterns​

Remember that weekly counts multiply:

  • monday, wednesday, friday + Count = 2 → 6 files
  • tuesday, thursday + Count = 3 → 6 files
  • Single day + Count = 6 → 6 files

3. Storage vs Accessibility Balance​

Find the sweet spot between:

  • Having enough physical events for immediate work (usually 1-2 intervals ahead)
  • Not overwhelming your vault with dozens of future files

4. Dynamic Adjustment​

Adjust the count as your needs change:

  • Increase temporarily before intensive planning sessions
  • Decrease during vault cleanup to reduce file count
  • Most users find 2 instances covers their active planning horizon

5. Visual Distinction​

Virtual events appear with:

  • Different visual styling in the calendar
  • Indicators showing they're read-only
  • Display basic scheduling information (title, time) from the recurring pattern

Virtual events give you the best of both worlds: complete visibility of your recurring patterns while keeping your vault focused on actionable, current events.