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iPad Pdf annotator with insert note function that allows writing.

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brucen36

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 22, 2015
19
0
I have the 2020 iPad Pro 11". Most of the pdf annotating apps have an insert note feature at a particular point in a pdf. In some cases you can even append such a note to a highlighted section. However, every app I have found only allows typing into these note boxes. Is there any app out there that will allow you to attach such a note a particular spot in the pdf but instead allows you to write and draw in the attached box with the Apple Pencil?

Thanks
 
gwhizkids said:
PDF Expert allows this. Also, you can do it natively using the Markup tool in iOS.
Click to expand...

Thanks, can you explain how to do it in PDF Expert? When I click on the 'insert note' icon, it only allows me to type in it. Is there another place to click for being able to write in a note with the Apple Pencil?

I don't want to write directly on the pdf, I want to write only in the note.
 
brucen36 said:
Thanks, can you explain how to do it in PDF Expert? When I click on the 'insert note' icon, it only allows me to type in it. Is there another place to click for being able to write in a note with the Apple Pencil?

I don't want to write directly on the pdf, I want to write only in the note.
Click to expand...

Ah. I thought you just meant in general. I’m not aware how to do specifically what you are looking to do.

I like PDF Expert a lot, but its implementation of PencilKit is not the greatest.
 
brucen36 said:
I don't know, I can't try it out for free. If you have it can you try and add a pop up note to a pdf and try to writing in it.
Click to expand...

you can add a sticky note which floats over the document and write in that with the pencil. There doesn't appear to be a way to hide them once created though, or to stick them in the margins or anything. I don't use Notability much though so maybe I'm missing something.
 
zhenya said:
you can add a sticky note which floats over the document and write in that with the pencil. There doesn't appear to be a way to hide them once created though, or to stick them in the margins or anything. I don't use Notability much though so maybe I'm missing something.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks, that's interesting. So maybe Notability can come close.
 
gwhizkids said:
I’m always interested in unusual use cases, so I’ll ask why you need to be able to do this?
Click to expand...

Good question!

I want to study from large textbooks. I hate writing in the margins because usually there is not enough space to work out complex problems, say in math or chemistry. And even if there was enough room in the margins it still makes the pdf look messy and distracts from reading the text, IMO. So I'd rather have small links that can be stuck to specific points in the pdf and that ideally open up into a full ruled page which can be written or drawn onto, and minimize back when closed. These note pages then can be accessed independently as a notebook outside the pdf. I have not found any app that allows writing in pop out note pages. The closest I've found is flexcil, but there the note pages don't get linked to specific points in the text. Perhaps Notability can end up doing this, I'll have to look into it.
 
brucen36 said:
Good question!

I want to study from large textbooks. I hate writing in the margins because usually there is not enough space to work out complex problems, say in math or chemistry. And even if there was enough room in the margins it still makes the pdf look messy and distracts from reading the text, IMO. So I'd rather have small links that can be stuck to specific points in the pdf and that ideally open up into a full ruled page which can be written or drawn onto, and minimize back when closed. These note pages then can be accessed independently as a notebook outside the pdf. I have not found any app that allows writing in pop out note pages. The closest I've found is flexcil, but there the note pages don't get linked to specific points in the text. Perhaps Notability can end up doing this, I'll have to look into it.
Click to expand...

I have never used it, but it sounds like Liquid Text might be what you are looking for. I don’t think the sticky notes in Notability is going to do what you’re after.
 
brucen36 said:
Good question!

I want to study from large textbooks. I hate writing in the margins because usually there is not enough space to work out complex problems, say in math or chemistry. And even if there was enough room in the margins it still makes the pdf look messy and distracts from reading the text, IMO. So I'd rather have small links that can be stuck to specific points in the pdf and that ideally open up into a full ruled page which can be written or drawn onto, and minimize back when closed. These note pages then can be accessed independently as a notebook outside the pdf. I have not found any app that allows writing in pop out note pages. The closest I've found is flexcil, but there the note pages don't get linked to specific points in the text. Perhaps Notability can end up doing this, I'll have to look into it.
Click to expand...

I am from the paper text book era where we didn’t have this issue, but I can understand why you’d want to do this. Sounds like it might be a good app creation opportunity if it’s not out there already.

As a side note, I was very big on using iPads as textbooks when it first started happening (my kids got them in high school about 6 or 7 years ago). It certainly saved on textbook cost but I think the trade-offs, like the issue you are experiencing or the inability while doing math problems to easily flip between pages, makes the utility of digital texts somewhat less than I had first hoped.
 
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