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Rivet Works

Started in late 2022 as a Unity TODO helper. Expanded into extensions plus Rivet Core. Current direction is shifting toward desktop-first workflow as Codex changes how I capture work.

2/5/2026

  • Origin: late 2022 Unity tool to capture TODO snapshots linked to scene/object/code.
  • Expansion: VS Code, Edge, and desktop hub workflows with local JSON stores.
  • Current shift: less extension reliance, more Rivet Core + Codex-assisted planning.
Current buildIn developmentLocal-first
workflownotestodoextensionsavalonia

Timeline

  • Late 2022: started as a Unity tool for game TODO snapshots
  • Later: expanded to VS Code and Microsoft Edge extensions
  • Current: Rivet Core desktop app on Fedora/Avalonia as the main hub
  • February 2026: still active, not broadly released yet

Problem as experienced

I kept breaking flow when I needed to capture a quick TODO or note while already in another app. The capture itself was small. The context switch was the real cost.

Why existing tools didn’t fit

The issue was never “no note apps exist.” The issue was capture friction at point of work.

If I had to leave VS Code, Unity, Neovim, or Edge to write something down, I paid a context-switch tax every time.

Iteration path

Unity origin

The first version was Unity-focused. It logged TODO entries with snapshot context so I could come back later and open exactly what mattered:

  • Scene
  • Game object
  • Code file/line

That let me pick a task and reopen working context quickly.

VS Code extension

I built a VS Code extension with strong keyboard flow and Vim-motion-friendly navigation.

  • Quick keyboard capture
  • Search/view/create from inside the extension
  • Linked file + line references
  • Open target directly and resume work

Microsoft Edge extension

This became useful during degree work and research-heavy browsing.

  • Create note from selection
  • Auto-fill title/context
  • Store source URL and reference details

A recent user email led to a shipped update with:

  • More content-focused viewing
  • Better image integration

Rivet Core desktop

Rivet Core is now the center.

  • Fedora + Avalonia desktop app
  • Reads multiple extension stores from selected/monitored folders
  • Merge/copy/store management across sources
  • Includes quick notes, scratchpad, whiteboard (Excalidraw), and time-block scheduling
  • Export for downstream processing (including LLM workflows)

Current components and status

  • Rivet Core desktop: active daily use
  • VS Code extension: working
  • Unity integration: working
  • Microsoft Edge extension: active with recent update
  • Visual Studio extension: scaffolded, paused since moving off Windows
  • Neovim integration: early and on docket for expansion

Note model

Base fields:

  • Title
  • Body
  • Priority (with color)
  • Category
  • Due date
  • Subtasks

Source-specific metadata:

  • VS Code: file + line
  • Unity: code file + line + game object linkage
  • Edge: selected content + source context/URL
  • Neovim (current test): title/body-first, expanding later

What changed with Codex

Codex reduced how much I need extension-based TODO capture in VS Code.

Current pattern:

  • Work in editor
  • Ask Codex to update task/docs in repo
  • Start a new chat later and have Codex read that file for planning

That shifted value away from “capture everywhere at all costs” and toward a cleaner desktop hub + scratch workflow.

Related note: /notes/rivet-works-codex-shift

What is still high value

  • Scratchpad: instant text drop zone with zero setup friction
  • Quick note capture in Rivet Core
  • Cross-store visibility and merge workflows
  • Time-block scheduler that matches how I plan my day

Architecture and constraints

  • Local-only
  • JSON file stores
  • Offline-first
  • No cloud dependency
  • No telemetry/content scanning
  • User owns data fully

Backup approach is practical: keep note stores in the project repo and let git handle version history/backup.

Design principle: not a lock-in ecosystem. Rivet Works should help move notes/tasks into other systems (OneNote, Notion, docs, etc.), not trap them.

What got cut, paused, or reframed

  • Visual Studio work paused after moving off Windows
  • Excalidraw embedding went back and forth; currently kept, but on Linux/Avalonia the WebView is still a separate window
  • Ongoing product question remains: this is another TODO app in a world full of TODO apps, so scope has to stay practical and workflow-driven

Next milestones

  1. Publish VS Code extension to the store.
  2. Publish Linux Rivet Core download (likely AppImage).
  3. Add tighter LLM integration so generated task docs/scratch content can be converted into structured Rivet items faster.

Typical workflow examples

  1. In VS Code, I capture a quick item without leaving flow, then later open the linked file/line and continue immediately.
  2. In Edge, I capture selected content with source context, then review that with other notes in Rivet Core.
  3. In Rivet Core, I merge items from multiple sources, then export and feed an LLM (for example Codex) to produce project docs and implementation task breakdowns.

Current status

Rivet Works is still an active build. The direction is becoming clearer: desktop-first practical workflow, with extensions where they are still useful.