Zim to Obsidian Converter

This Python script provides a robust solution for converting Zim Wiki notebooks into Obsidian vaults. It aims to preserve as much formatting, structure, and metadata as possible during the migration process, ensuring a smooth transition for users moving from Zim to Obsidian.

Features

The converter handles a wide range of Zim Wiki syntax and features, including:

• Headers: Converts Zim's heading styles (====== H1 ======, ===== H2 =====, etc.) to Markdown's # H1, ## H2.
• Text Formatting:
  • Bold (**text**)
  • Italic (//text// to *text*)
  • Highlight (__text__ to ==text==)
  • Strikethrough (~~text~~)
  • Inline Code (''text'' to `text`)
  • Subscript and Superscript
• Lists: Translates both unordered and ordered lists.
• Checkboxes: Converts Zim's various checkbox states ([ ], [*], [x]) into Markdown-compatible task list items (- [ ], - [x]).
• Tags: Migrates Zim tags (@tag) to Obsidian's hashtag format (#tag).
• Links: Intelligently converts internal Zim links (+Page:SubPage) to Obsidian's wikilink format ([[Page/SubPage]]).
• Attachments & Images:
  • Embeds images ({{image.png}}) and other file attachments ([[file.pdf]]) using Obsidian's ![[attachment]] syntax.
  • Preserves image width attributes ({{image.png?width=300}} becomes ![[image.png|300]]).
  • Copies all associated files from the Zim notebook directory to the new Obsidian vault.
• Code Blocks: Converts formatted code blocks, preserving the specified language for syntax highlighting.
• Equations: For equations rendered as images, the script finds the corresponding .tex file and embeds the LaTeX source in the Markdown file using $$...$$.
• Metadata: Extracts the Creation-Date from Zim files and uses file modification time to generate created and updated fields in Obsidian's frontmatter.
• Logging: Generates a detailed log file (zim2obsidian.log) to track the conversion process and troubleshoot any issues.

Requirements

• Python 3.6+
• PyYAML

Installation

1. Clone or download the repository.
2. Install the required dependency:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

The script is executed from the command line.

python zim2obsidian.py <path_to_zim_notebook> <path_to_output_obsidian_vault> [options]

Arguments

• input_dir: (Required) The full path to the root directory of your Zim Wiki notebook.
• output_dir: (Required) The full path to the directory where the Obsidian vault will be created.
• --log-level: (Optional) Set the logging level. Choices are debug, info, warning, error, critical. Default is info.
• --log-file: (Optional) Specify a custom path for the log file. Default is zim2obsidian.log in the output directory.

Example

python zim2obsidian.py "C:\Users\YourUser\Documents\ZimNotes" "C:\Users\YourUser\Documents\ObsidianVault" --log-level debug

This command will convert the Zim notebook located at C:\Users\YourUser\Documents\ZimNotes and create a new Obsidian vault at C:\Users\YourUser\Documents\ObsidianVault with debug-level logging.