Not everything in a vault is a note. Obsidian knows three further file types, and Quartz can turn all three into pages — each through a plugin of its own.
| Type | Extension | What it is | Quartz plugin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 – Bases | .base | a query over the vault, as a table, cards or a list | bases-page |
| 3.2 – Canvas | .canvas | an infinite surface with cards and connections | canvas-page |
| 3.3 – Excalidraw | .excalidraw.md | a drawing | obsidian-plugin-excalidraw |
What they have in common
All three become page types of their own. That means: they get a row of their own in the layout editor of QuartzControl and can use a page grid of their own — a canvas needs the full width, a bases table does not.
All three are also files, not texts. They are edited in Obsidian, not in the editor of QuartzControl. The vault is therefore the right place for them.
What sets them apart
Bases and Canvas are core features of Obsidian — they need no plugin in the vault. Excalidraw is a community plugin; without it a drawing cannot be opened in Obsidian. On the built site that makes no difference: there the Quartz plugin renders.