I have a StudySet with about 200GB of video clips. I put them all on an external SSD to save space on my local drive. The StudySet is in iCloud. I plugged the SSD into my iPad and opened the StudySet. It doesn’t see the documents on the external drive.
What is the correct way to do this? Do I have to add the external drive on the iPad? Will it then correctly reference all of the documents that I added on the Mac? Is the file path the same on Mac and iPad, or will MarginNote 4 get confused?
Basically, I want to know if the StudySet can be edited on Mac and iPad as long as the SSD is connected.
Based on the documentation you provided, here is a clear, step-by-step guide on the correct way to set this up and the critical points to understand.
Short Answer
Yes, you can edit the Study Set on both Mac and iPad, but you must set it up correctly. The current issue is that you haven’t told MarginNote 4 on your iPad where to find the files. Simply plugging in the SSD isn’t enough. You need to use the “USB Storage Document Library” feature.
The Correct Workflow & Key Concepts
Here is the correct procedure, based on the “USB Storage Document Library” section of your document.
Step 1: On Your Mac - Create the External Document Library
Organize your videos on the SSD: Ensure all your video clips are in a well-named folder (e.g., “My Video Study Clips”) on your external SSD.
Open MarginNote 4 on your Mac.
Plug in the SSD.
Add the External Folder to MarginNote:
In the Document Management interface, click the ... (More) button next to the “Folders” section.
Select “Add External Folder”.
Navigate to your folder on the SSD (e.g., “My Video Study Clips”) and select it.
This folder will now appear in your MarginNote library with a special icon, indicating it is an externally linked “USB Storage Document Library.”
Step 2: On Your Mac - Build Your Study Set
Create or open your Study Set that is stored in iCloud.
Add documents from the external library: Inside your Study Set, import the videos from the external USB Storage Document Library you just added, not from your local drive.
Take notes and create cards as normal. The Study Set data (your notes, cards, brain map) is saved to iCloud. The reference to the video file on the SSD is also saved within the Study Set.
Step 3: On Your iPad - Connect the External Library
This is the step you missed. The iPad needs the same “map” to the files.
Plug the same SSD into your iPad.
Open MarginNote 4 on your iPad.
Add the External Folder on the iPad (Crucial Step):
Just like on the Mac, go to the Document Management interface, click the ... button next to “Folders”.
Select “Add External Folder”.
Navigate to and select the exact same folder on the SSD (e.g., “My Video Study Clips”).
Step 4: On Your iPad - Open and Use the Study Set
Open your iCloud-synced Study Set. MarginNote 4 will now look for the external drive. Because you’ve added the external folder on the iPad, it will successfully find the video files.
You can now view the videos, review your notes, and add new notes. Any changes to the Study Set (notes, cards) will sync via iCloud.
Critical Answers to Your Questions
Will it correctly reference all the documents I added on the Mac?
Yes, but only if you add the external folder on the iPad first. The reference is based on the folder’s unique identifier on the drive, not a full Mac-style file path. When you add the same folder on the iPad, MarginNote can match the reference.
Is the file path the same on Mac and iPad? Will MarginNote 4 get confused?
No, the file path is not the same (e.g., /Volumes/SSD/Videos on Mac vs. a different internal path on iPad). However, MarginNote 4 is designed not to get confused by this. It uses a system-level method to create a portable reference to the folder itself, rather than relying on a specific path string. This is the entire purpose of the “USB Storage Document Library” feature.
Can the Study Set be edited on Mac and iPad as long as the SSD is connected?
Yes, this is the primary use case for this feature. The key rule is: The external SSD must be connected to whichever device you are using.
If you open the Study Set on a device where the SSD is not connected, the video documents will appear as “disconnected” and you will not be able to play them. However, you can still see and edit all your notes and cards.
As the documentation states: “USB storage library files, after removing the external storage device, will be disconnected. After reinserting the mobile storage device, the disconnected files will be automatically linked.”
Important Considerations from the Documentation
Do Not Rename Files on the Drive: The document warns that “modifying the file name will synchronously affect the source file.” If you rename a video file on the SSD using the Finder/Files app, MarginNote will update its reference. However, if you rename it outside of MarginNote (e.g., directly on the drive), the link in your Study Set will break because it can no longer find the file under the old name. It’s best to manage file names within MarginNote.
Same Folder, Don’t Add Twice: You cannot add the same external folder twice to the same MarginNote library.
Summary Checklist for Success
On Mac: Add the SSD video folder to MarginNote 4 via “Add External Folder”.
On Mac: Build your Study Set using videos from that external library.
On iPad: Plug in the SSD and add the exact same folder to MarginNote 4 via “Add External Folder”.
On iPad: Open your iCloud-synced Study Set. It should now find the videos.
Always have the SSD plugged in when you want to access the videos.
Avoid renaming files directly on the SSD; do it within MarginNote if needed.
By following this workflow, you can successfully keep your 200GB of videos on an external drive while seamlessly working with your Study Set across both your Mac and iPad.
Thanks for the extremely comprehensive answer. I was worried that the StudySet might get messed up if I added the iPad-referenced folder to a StudySet with a Mac-referenced folder.
I have now tried this and it works.
This is one of the best features of v4. Previously, I couldn’t share the StudySet because it would fill up iCloud as well as the local Mac Documents folder. This is a nice solution. I can share the StudySet across devices, have a large store of documents, but not double up on the local disk and iCloud.