Edit Markdown files that do not belong in any vault, from Obsidian.
Hidden directory in the vault, with a symlink or copy of the file getting created there upon open and destroyed on close. All plugins would then be available (I’m thinking “editing” plugins, such as Advanced Tables, Templater, etc…)
Adding my vote to this! I imagine there could be a global set of settings and plugins for this.
I feel like this would be particularly nice for mobile >.>
Yes, please! I want to be able to open files from within Obsidian, or within the Mac Finder – whichever seems most convenient at the moment.
This would open up some alfred workflow possibilities 
I would love this
YES, PLEASE.
I’ve been looking for something to take over Typora, and I absolutely love Obsidian’s real time rendering, and really want it to be my one-stop-shop for markdown editing too.
I have written a program that implements the proposed solution for Windows. One difference is that it doesn’t delete the symbolic link (actually junction) when closing Obsidian, but you can limit the maximum number of directory links (10 by default).
See VaultRecent/Recent mode.
For macOS, this script does approximately the same thing. Installation & configuration is described on that page. The link from inside the vault to the file is not auto-deleted, but you can do that by hand if you want to.
Exactly this!
Obsidian’s inability to open individual Markdown files outside of a vault is quite unusual and feels out of place in today’s software landscape.
For those who prefer a single Markdown editor, being able to open files directly is essential. That’s why Typora became the go-to choice. Despite Obsidian’s many features, this fundamental limitation made it a deal breaker.
Hoping for a resolution soon, it’s worth noting that this feature request has been around for a while with limited progress. If Obsidian introduces this capability in the future, returning to it would definitely be a no-brainer.
For me, I don’t care that much about using Obsidan to edit standalone Markdown files. I do very much want to be able to use the Finder (the Mac’s system file explorer — I’m a Mac guy) to navigate the vault.
I use folders extensively and I find Obsidian’s folder and built-in file explorer support to be weak.
Could Obsidian support opening standalone Markdown files without needing to put them in a vault? Sometimes I just want to quickly edit or review a file without the extra steps of setting up or switching vaults. It’d make Obsidian way more flexible for people working across multiple projects, letting us access those great features without having to fully commit each file to a vault.