February 13, 2025 / 🐎 Dependencies on a Timeline, Sidebar changes, Searching text on a Whiteboard, Performance fixes

[mdubakov]

Today’s release has a lot of major and minor changes. We’re also experimenting with video format with some informal explanations, so let us know whether it is useful and we will continue doing it.

Dependencies on a Timeline View

Dependency management was one of the top requested capability in Fibery (well, the top). Now you can create dependencies between same-database entities, visualize them on Timeline View and enjoy automatic dates shift when manipulating cards on Timeline View.

There is a new Dependency relation type under the hood, so we have more ideas how to deal with dependencies in other places in the future. Check dependency management user guide and this short video to see how dependencies work:

Dependency Management in Fibery

Notes and restrictions:

• Can I turn an existing self-relation to dependency? → Yes, edit this relation field, click Advanced and turn on Use relation as dependency switcher. Make sure that dependency direction is set correctly
• It is not possible to create dependencies between entities in different databases
• It is not possible to manually re-order cards on timeline vertically (yet)
• When entities are far apart and you have to scroll the timeline, dependencies will not be visible between these entities (yet). Use zoom to fit them into a screen
• Dependencies work in One Entity per lane mode only
• Automatic dates shifting strategies work only when you manipulate cards on Timeline View

Please try dependency management and share your feedback!

Left Sidebar changes

We’re continuing relatively major changes in the left Sidebar, and this release also includes several changes that will definitely piss some people off:

• My Items took the first spot in the sidebar switcher
• My Items section was completely removed from All Items section
• Add to My Item context menu moved higher and overall context menus for all items in the sidebar were unified
• When you navigate to some database, Sidebar switches to All Items mode, show this database and expand it
• When you navigate to Space you will be redirected to the first Database (if databases are visible), or to the first View (if not)

Fibery navigation changes

Here is what going to happen in the next release (or maybe it 2 weeks, we will see ):

• It will be possible to create Folders on top level and put Spaces into Folders
• Admin will be able to create Folders and move Spaces there, and when a Space moved to any Folder, it will be automatically removed from Spaces section and Hidden Spaces section for all users. Eventually we expect that Spaces and Hidden Spaces sections will be empty and disappear from the left sidebar. But if an Admin will not move any Space, left Sidebar will will exactly as it looks now. Here we just trying to provide a graceful migration path
• We will implement some rules to add things to My Items automatically (like when you was invited to Space or becomes a member of a Team)
• Add personal Folders to My Items.

Searching text on the Whiteboard

Locating text on a busy board can be a challenge. Use the Search this view option to quickly locate sticky notes, text, section names, and cards across your whiteboard.

How to use Search on the Board:

• Click the search bar or use a shortcut (Mac: ⌘ + F or Windows: Ctrl + F)
• Type the text you want to find.
• As you type, matching objects will appear instantly, with results highlighted in objects.
• Click one of the search results and the board will take you to the object

Performance improvements

• Documents and Rich Text fields are loading faster and more stable now. The trick is that we now retrieve content over http protocol and use web-sockets for exchanging info about changes in a document after that.
• Timeline View works faster now and scroll got somewhat better with less jumps.

Improvements

• If you downgrade or cancel your paid subscription, we’ll switch the plans at the end of the billing cycle. An upgrade, on the other hand, will apply immediately. Enjoy premium features you purchased for as long as possible.

Fixed Bugs

• Pin column and edit field → column gets unpinned and moves to the end
• Navigation:
  • Nothing happens when you click on the integration in sidebar
  • Wrong screen about lack of DBs in Space appears on navigation to Space via breadcrumbs
  • Edit Space name pop-up does not appear on Space creation
  • User does not get scrolled to the recently added Space
• Automations: Accounts list is not loaded for external action in just created rule
• AI: Transcription fails, but works on retry

P.S. Your thoughts, ideas, problems and rants will help us make Fibery better. Don’t hold yourself if you have anything to say!

[helloitse]

I still maintain that hidden items should feel hidden and not carry the same visual weight in the UI as any other folder.
But that touches on another point of frustration for me with the sidebar, the toggles, folder icons, database initials, and emojis all feel out of sync with each other. I find myself trying to create some consistency in the sidebar and I can’t.
Maybe it’s a matter of sizing and spacing but when I see screenshot of the 2022 sidebar I feel like it was just right. I miss it
Is a UI refresh for the sidebar in the works? At the very least a more compact representation of toggles so they dont add to the width of a line?

[Mircea_Braescu]

Excellent addition with the dependency management.

I was hoping that the solution implemented for the dependency relations could be expanded and used for two-way relations, such as “[Tast] RELATES TO [Task]”, but at least in its current form that does not seem to be the case.

As a fun little off topic, I found this hilarious

[mdubakov]

@Mircea_Braescu

I was hoping that the solution implemented for the dependency relations could be expanded and used for two-way relations, such as “[Tast] RELATES TO [Task]”

Could you explain it? Is it self-relation or not?

[mdubakov]

@helloitse

Is a UI refresh for the sidebar in the works? At the very least a more compact representation of toggles so they dont add to the width of a line?

Right now we only want to add Icons to folders and do some minor tweaks here and there, like spacing, but no major re-styling is planned. I personally don’t feel that sidebar is incoherent… Such things are hard to argue about…

[njyo]

Lots of goodies in this update! Thanks!

@mdubakov, are you still planning to allow for nested spaces or will the folders become the default top level?

For us, I would like to have nested spaces as I currently have something like:

• Product
• Product » Management
• Product » Deployment
• Business
• Business » Staff
• etc.

So I would definitely prefer to have the ability to nest the spaces rather than placing them into folders. I’ve also colour coded them right now, where nested spaces would be nice.

My main concern is also knowing what’s the final plan because I want to do one change to the nex format as some webhooks and other things might break.

Still, happy that this is moving forward!
Thanks!

[mdubakov]

@njyo

So I would definitely prefer to have the ability to nest the spaces rather than placing them into folders. I’ve also colour coded them right now, where nested spaces would be nice.

My main concern is also knowing what’s the final plan because I want to do one change to the nex format as some webhooks and other things might break.

We evaluated nested spaces and technically it was quite hard to implement, so we decided to stick to Folders and this is final solution. We will add icons to folders, but not colors. Colors are reserved for Spaces

[RonMakesSystems]

Lovely update as always! Love the addition of dependency management!

I’m still a bit resistant to all these new sidebar changes. I’m a bit confused about the where you are trying to get the user to spend more time in: My items or all items? It sounds like you’re pushing more towards my items, but then having access as an admin to reorder the all items space for everyone is useless because no one is going to even be there… everyone will be using it through my items and reordering it however they want.

I see the value of letting users reorder to their liking, and I see how this balance is a tricky situation to please everyone (admins and users). I’m not sure about a solution, and I’m happy to try, explore, and listen to my team, and share feedback on here. Keep going!

[mdubakov]

@RonMakesSystems

everyone will be using it through my items and reordering it however they want.

Unfortunately this is not the case. According our stats only 20% of users are doing it. So the solution is

1. Let admin dictate the process and structure in All Items
2. Let users do whatever they want in My Items
3. Educate and push users to learn and use My Items + add some automations to reduce manual burden

[tycecycle]

3. Educate and push users to learn and use My Items + add some automations to reduce manual burden

Can you give an example(s) of what you’re thinking here?

[mdubakov]

@tycecycle

Can you give an example(s) of what you’re thinking here?

If you are asking about automations, then we have some in mind but still thinking:

1. When a user is added to Space in non-Viewer role, it will be added to My Items
2. When a user is added to an entity which is a permission group, this entity will be added to My Items (for example, Team or Department can be the case)
3. If a user has access to any entity in top level Smart Folder (in default/top space), this Smart Folder will be added to My Items (here we assume that on top level only important smart folders will be created, like for teams or departments)

[interr0bangr]

For the upcoming folders in sidebar improvements, are they going to be regular folders or smart folders?

I guess my real question is, will spaces always have to be the top level inside of a folder? or can they essentially be hidden entirely if desired?

[mdubakov]

Please check this video, I tried to explain how it will work:

[RonMakesSystems]

I see, I think I might have not been clear.

Am I right to assume that your desired UX for Fibery is to push users to use the My Items tab. Putting it first, defaulting to it, and as you say here:

@mdubakov

1. Educate and push users to learn and use My Items + add some automations to reduce manual burden

Where I see this is tricky comes from the perspective of the admin vs the user.

Admin: I want to set up the workspace in a way that makes the most sense us as an organisation. I will set up the All Items in a way that makes sense for everyone.

User: I want to set up the workspace in a way that makes the most sense for my work. I will move things to my items to be able to tinker and move things to how I like it.

I feel theres a conflict here. Now lets say the admin decides on an org restructure and moves spaces, databases, etc and wants it to be reflected for all users. But most users are using the “My items” and wont even see these changes. The “All spaces” will be basically useless. Especially with the automations to add things to my items (which i hope will be optional). So while you are giving “more power” to the admin by letting them dictate the all spaces. This power doesn’t mean anything if no one will use the app spaces navigation.

As an admin, I don’t want people to use My Items. Because then I don’t know what they do and do not see. And I don’t know how they see it. I can’t explain where something is. Especially if the team is less tech savy.

Again, I don’t have a direct solution to this, but I have some ideas that came by while writing, idk if they are good but I’ll share anyway:

Shortcuts (personal per user). On click, brings you to the main nav and to space. This can already be done kind of if we set “Current user” as the “Home page” (or filteres smart folder for now) then add a rich text to that they can edit it as they like and add shortcuts and their own notes and stuff. If you look at the way Notion does it. I think their nav bar is shit, so instead, people make their own nav bars inside of the pages and it works. These are just shortcuts.

OOH another idea: Copy Arc browser. You can create different navs and name it however you like. (Kinda like Monday) And the admin can set permissions on the nav for who can move / add things / remove things. PLUS maybe space for the users to make their own shortcuts / favourites, but actually leads to the proper place in the “real” navigation. Or maybe allow users to “pin for me” and it will look like in arc? Or shortcuts that are at the top and are easily removable. (no … for entitity or view actions, just an x to remove)

Or maybe treat “my items” like a browser. The “all items” is the companies space. And you can create a new tab and search for a view, entity, or anything, and it open it with the intention of it being closed after use (some people have tabs open for months, but lets have that as a rare use case). Might be a bit outlandish, and not sure anyone would benefit from doing it like this. its a question of how things are used.

But I think the underlying confusion for me why. What is this new nav thing trying to solve? A cluttered sidebar? Which when wanting to improve by letting admins make it less cluttered with folders and reorganising meant that we lose user autonomy which is where the my items came from? I think I see the thought process, but it still feels off in the solution. (Based on everything said above). When will people use My Items and when do people use All Items? When do people use the left navigation at all? I don’t know. I might also be completely wrong. I personally really like its all in one nav bar. But I also work with relatively small orgs. Bigger ones might want stronger seperation across business areas. (Like monday or airtable do it). This has just been a bit of a stream of consciousness, and not sure how helpful. But I’ll post anyway in case you see any value.

Conclusion: Admin control of how things look and are organized, users have shortcuts to different things that brings them back to the context the admin dictated. (Shortcuts could be in the nav, above spaces). And that when trying to brainstorm this I see how comfusing it is to also think about permissions, where the data lives vs where the ui is, this is quite the headache… If I trust anyone to do it right its you guys. For sure across iterations. If you have questions or disagree i’d be happy to hear it. Keep going <3

[mdubakov]

@RonMakesSystems

But most users are using the “My items” and wont even see these changes.

I wish we will have situation like this
In reality I still think majority of users will not bother with My Items and just follow what Admin puts into All Items.
To me the logic is if a user is savvy, she will find how to use My items for her needs.
If a user does not bother, All Items will do the trick.

We’ll see how it will work in real life. All thoughts experiments are good till some point, then only real usage shows the viability of the idea.

[Mircea_Braescu]

Yes, it’s a self relation

But instead of getting 2 relations:
A blocks B
B is blocked by A

You get a single relation:
A relates to B
B relates to A

[mdubakov]

I don’t understand the difference. You can just put another names in relation fields?