Bookmarks & Annotations
Use bookmarks, highlights, and notes features
Rodel Reader's three readers provide different levels of bookmark and annotation features to suit their respective use cases.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Book Reader | PDF Reader | Web Novel Reader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookmarks | ✅ Precise position | ✅ Page level | ✅ Chapter level |
| Text Highlight | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Underline | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Strikethrough | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Wavy Line | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Notes | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Shape Markup | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Freehand Markup | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Book Reader Annotations
The book reader (EPUB, Mobi, FB2, TXT) uses EPUB CFI for precise positioning, supporting text-level annotations.
Adding Highlights
After selecting text, click the highlight color in the popup menu to add annotation:
| Step | Operation |
|---|---|
| 1 | Select the text to annotate |
| 2 | Choose annotation type and color from popup menu |
| 3 | Annotation saves automatically |
Annotation Types
| Type | Appearance | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Highlight | Semi-transparent background | Mark important content |
| Underline | Straight line below text | Emphasize keywords |
| Wavy Line | Wavy line below text | Content needing review |
Annotation Colors
7 preset colors available:
- Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Purple
After selecting a color, your preference is remembered for next use.
Adding Notes
On top of highlights, you can attach note content:
- Select text and click the Note button
- Enter content in the sidebar note editor
- Markdown format supported
- Can modify highlight type and color
- Click save or auto-save
Tip
Notes support Markdown format, including headings, lists, code blocks, etc.
Managing Annotations
View and manage all annotations in the Annotations panel in the sidebar:
Tabs
| Tab | Content |
|---|---|
| Highlights | All highlight marks, including those without notes |
| Notes | Only annotations with note content |
Operations
| Operation | Method |
|---|---|
| Jump | Click annotation item |
| Edit | Right-click → Edit |
| Delete | Right-click → Delete |
| Search | Use search box to filter |
When searching, you can choose whether to also search the original text of annotations.
Bookmark Feature
Bookmarks are used to mark important positions for quick return later.
Adding Bookmarks
- Click the Bookmark button in the bottom bar
- Current position will be saved as a bookmark
Bookmark Information
Each bookmark contains:
- Position (EPUB CFI)
- Chapter location
- Text snippet at position
- Creation time
Managing Bookmarks
In the Bookmarks panel in the sidebar:
- Click bookmark to jump to that position
- Right-click to delete unwanted bookmarks
PDF Reader Annotations
The PDF reader uses Canvas (Konva.js) to render annotation layers, supporting rich graphic markup tools.
Toolbar
The PDF reader provides a dedicated annotation toolbar at the top:
| Tool | Description | Operation |
|---|---|---|
| Select | Select and edit existing annotations | Click to select annotation |
| Rectangle | Draw rectangular frame | Drag to draw |
| Circle | Draw circle or ellipse | Drag to draw |
| Arrow | Draw arrow indicator | Drag to draw |
| Freehand Draw | Draw freely with pen | Mouse drag to draw |
| Freehand Highlight | Draw semi-transparent highlight | Mouse drag to draw |
Text Markup
After selecting text in PDF, a quick menu appears:
| Markup Type | Effect |
|---|---|
| Highlight | Yellow semi-transparent background |
| Underline | Blue line below text |
| Strikethrough | Red line through text |
Style Settings
After selecting an annotation, you can adjust:
| Setting | Applicable Tools |
|---|---|
| Color | All tools |
| Opacity | Shapes, freehand tools |
| Line Width | Shapes, freehand tools |
Annotation List
In the Annotations panel in the sidebar:
- All annotations displayed grouped by page number
- Click annotation item to jump to that position
- Can add note content
- Right-click to delete annotation
Bookmark Feature
PDF reader bookmark features:
- Managed in the Bookmarks panel in sidebar
- Bookmarks record page number position
- Click bookmark to jump to that page
Note
PDF annotations are saved in the app database and don't modify the original PDF file.
Web Novel Reader Bookmarks
The web novel reader (Legado online books) only supports chapter-level bookmarks, not annotation features.
Adding Bookmarks
- Click the Bookmark button in the top bar
- Current chapter will be marked as a bookmark
Bookmark Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Chapter Level | Bookmarks point to entire chapters, not specific positions |
| Chapter Title | Shows chapter name for easy identification |
| Quick Jump | Click bookmark in sidebar to jump to that chapter |
Why No Annotation Support?
The web novel reader uses virtual scrolling technology where chapter content is dynamically loaded and unloaded. In this architecture:
- Chapter content doesn't persist in the DOM
- Cannot reliably position and render annotations
- Therefore only chapter-level bookmarks are provided
Note Export & Sync
The book reader supports exporting notes in multiple formats or syncing to external services.
Export Entry
In the reader sidebar's Annotations panel, switch to the Notes tab and click the export button dropdown menu.
You can also right-click a book on the bookshelf page and select the desired format from the Export Notes submenu.
Export Formats
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
| Markdown | Export as .md file, including title, author, cover, and notes grouped by chapter |
| WeRead Format | Export as WeChat Read-style plain text, convenient for sharing on social platforms |
| XMNote | Sync notes, reading progress, and duration to XMNote App (see XMNote page for details) |
Tip
Markdown and WeRead formats require at least one note to export. XMNote sync can sync reading progress and duration even without notes.
FAQ
Annotations not showing?
- Check if it's a temporarily opened book (preview directly from data source)
- Temporarily opened books don't support annotation features
- Need to import the book to library first
How to batch delete annotations?
- Book Reader: In sidebar annotation panel, right-click to select "Clear All Highlights" or "Clear All Notes"
- PDF Reader: Currently need to delete one by one
Can annotations be exported?
Book reader notes can be exported as Markdown, WeChat Read format, or synced to XMNote. See the "Note Export & Sync" section above for details.
Highlights, underlines, and other annotations without note content cannot be exported individually. Annotation data is saved in the local database; back up the library directory to preserve them.
Will annotations remain after switching devices?
Annotations are saved in the library database file. Copy the entire library directory to the new device and use "Open Existing Library" to restore all annotations.