Not every markdown file belongs in your library - sometimes you just want to open a loose .md file, make a quick edit, and move on. That's what Light Windows are for.

Open a loose file

Double-click any .md file in Finder and Nodes opens it in a Light Window: a clean, standalone editor with none of the workspace around it. It behaves like a normal document window, so the familiar keys apply:

⌘O - open a file
⌘S - save

It's the fastest way to read or tweak a markdown file that lives somewhere out in your filesystem, without pulling it into your library or opening the full app.

Bring it into your library

If a loose file turns out to be a keeper, choose Import into Nodes. The file is copied into your library and handed off to the workspace, where it becomes a full note - ready to link, tag, and find in search.

Workspace vs. Light Window

The workspace is your connected library; a Light Window is a single document on its own. Because Light Windows are standard document windows, ⌘O and ⌘S open and save the file - whereas in the workspace those same keys mean Search and Toggle Sidebar. Nodes routes them to whichever window you're using, so the right thing happens automatically.