Codex Press is becoming a real publishing tool

Edward Hawkins

Edward Hawkins

— 1 min read
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Codex Press began as a set of JavaScript compilers running through Obsidian’s Templater plugin. It proved that a complete publishing workflow could live inside a writing vault—but it also showed the limits of that approach.

We have now begun rebuilding Codex Press as a dedicated Obsidian plugin.

The new workflow starts where publishing should start: with the book. Codex Press identifies the active manuscript, loads its structure and metadata, checks it for problems, and only then asks whether the author wants to produce a PDF, EPUB or—later—a DOCX file.

The first foundations are already in place:

  • single-book project discovery
  • active-manuscript selection
  • book structure and metadata checks
  • publishing-tool validation
  • tested support for callouts, images and Chat View dialogue
  • a clear separation between manuscript selection and output settings

PDF and EPUB are the immediate priorities. Trilogy-wide compilation has been deliberately deferred, and DOCX will follow once the shared publishing core is stable.

The existing compilers remain our production system while the new plugin is tested against real books. The aim is not simply to replace Templater. It is to create a dependable, reusable publishing environment for authors who want to write, manage and publish books from Obsidian.

Codex Press is moving from an ingenious script to a proper publishing platform.

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