Custom Obsidian Setup: Hometab Images, Search, Radar, and Workspaces

This guide explains how to configure your Obsidian setup with embedded images, searchable hometabs, radar charts, and a default workspace. It requires some core and community plugins, and code snippets.

Table of Contents

  1. Themes and Plugins
  2. Embedding Images in Hometab
  3. Adding a Search Menu to Hometab
  4. Implementing a Radar Chart
  5. Setting a Default Workspace on Startup

Themes and Plugins

Theme in use

Core Plugins

Community Plugins

Embedding Images in Hometab

Adding images to Hometab is done with a CSS snippet.

Steps:

  1. Install and enable the Hometab plugin.
  2. Navigate to your vault’s .obsidian/snippets folder.
  3. Create a CSS snippet that includes a .hometab selector.(or copy the basic snippet from below)
  4. Convert your image to Base64 to avoid path conflicts.

  1. Include your Base64 file inside the snippet. This is one resource for conversion Base64 convertor site

/*Banner for HomeTab plugin */
.home-tab::before {
  content: "";
  display: block;
  width: 100%;
  height: 320px;
  background-image:
    linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 70%, var(--background-primary) 100%),
    url(data:) /*insert base64 image here*/
    background-size: cover;
  background-position: center;
  border-radius: var(--input-radius);
  box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
  margin-bottom: 0; /* no extra gap */
  z-index: 0;
}

/* Ensure the container fills the view */
.home-tab {
  position: relative;
  height: 100%;
  min-height: 100vh;
  overflow: hidden;
}

Activate the snippet in Obsidian appearance settings and configure text/display options in the Hometab plugin settings.

snippets

Adding a Search Menu to Hometab

Search functionality can be added using Omnisearch.

Steps:

Install and enable Omnisearch.

Open Hometab plugin settings.

Enable Use Omnisearch.

Optionally, enable Recent Files.

Implementing a Radar Chart

Radar charts can be implemented to help visualize tag usage or focus areas across notes.

Steps:

Install and enable Dataview and Charts View.

In Dataview settings, enable all options.

Create a note and paste your radar chart snippet:

Dataview Radar Code Snippet

Copy this into your note inside a dataviewjs code block e.g(dataviewjs ...):

// === Fetch Tags & Counts Automatically ===
const tagMap = {};
dv.pages().forEach(p => {
  if (p.file.tags) {
    p.file.tags.forEach(tag => {
      tagMap[tag] = (tagMap[tag] || 0) + 1;
    });
  }
});

const tagData = Object.entries(tagMap)
  .map(([tag, count]) => ({
    label: tag.replace(/^#/, ""), // Remove leading "#"
    value: count
  }))
  .sort((a, b) => b.value - a.value); // Most frequent first

// Build YAML data lines
const chartYaml = tagData
  .map(t => `  - label: "${t.label}"\n    value: ${t.value}`)
  .join("\n");

dv.paragraph(`
\`\`\`chartsview
type: Radar
data:
${chartYaml}
options:
  xField: "label"
  yField: "value"
  seriesField: null
  enableSearchInteraction: true  # <-- enables clicking
  areaStyle:
    fill: "rgba(0,200,83,0.2)"
  lineStyle:
    stroke: "rgba(0,200,83,1)"
    lineWidth: 2
  point:
    size: 4
    style:
      fill: "rgba(0,200,83,1)"
\`\`\`
`);

Customize according to your tracking needs.

Setting a Default Workspace on Startup

You can set a workspace to open automatically with your preferred layout.

Steps:

Enable Workspaces from core plugins.

Install and enable Homepage.

Customize your layout and pin notes if necessary.

Go to workspace settings:

    Save your workspace layout.

    Enable Open on Default.

enjoy