Core Features

A complete overview of what Nebula Writer can do, from AI-assisted writing to local-first project management.

When to Use This Page

• You want a full tour of what Nebula Writer offers
• You are comparing workflows across Markdown, LaTeX, and DOCX
• You want to understand how AI features fit into the editor

At a Glance

• Local-first vaults with standard file formats
• AI editing with diff review so you stay in control
• LaTeX + academic tooling with built-in compilation
• DOCX editing with formatting preserved
• Research tools for web and academic sources
• Export workflows for polished PDF output

AI Writing Assistant

Your documents deserve more than a chatbot. Nebula Writer's AI has access to your project folder and can take real actions.

Conversational Editing

Chat naturally about your work. Ask for revisions, expansions, or restructuring. The AI understands context and can reference any file in your project folder.

Capabilities:

• Read and understand any document in your project folder
• Make targeted edits to specific sections
• Search across all your files
• Create new documents and organize your workspace

Visual Diff Review

Every AI edit is shown as a visual diff before it's applied. You stay in control.

• Side-by-side comparison of original and modified text
• Navigate through changes one by one
• Accept all or cherry-pick individual changes
• Line statistics showing additions and deletions

Smart Context

The AI automatically includes relevant context:

• Your currently open document
• Files you @mention in your message
• LaTeX project structure when working on .tex files
• Bibliography entries for citation suggestions

Writing & Editing Workflows

Multi-Format Editing

Write in Markdown, LaTeX, or DOCX and keep everything in one workspace:

• Switch files without leaving the editor
• Keep references and drafts side by side
• Work on multiple formats inside the same folder

Rich Editing Controls

• Headings, lists, and inline formatting
• Find and replace across documents
• Command palette for quick actions

PDF Export

Create polished PDFs from Markdown, LaTeX, or DOCX with one click.

LaTeX & Academic Writing

Built from the ground up for academic work. No external LaTeX installation required.

Integrated Compiler

Write LaTeX and see results instantly. Nebula Writer includes Tectonic — a modern, self-contained LaTeX compiler.

• One-click compilation to PDF
• Live PDF preview panel
• SyncTeX for source ↔ PDF navigation
• Automatic package downloads
• Full BibTeX/BibLaTeX support

Academic Paper Search

Search five major databases without leaving the app:

One-Click Citations

Find a paper → add to bibliography → insert citation in one step:

1. Ask the AI to find papers on your topic
2. Select the relevant result
3. Citation key auto-generated (e.g., smith2024deep)
4. Entry added to your .bib file
5. \cite{smith2024deep} ready to use

Bibliography Management

• View all entries with formatted previews
• Detect duplicate citations by DOI or title
• Auto-generate consistent citation keys
• Validate entry formatting

Word Document Editing

Edit .docx files natively — no Microsoft Office required.

Lossless DOCX Editing

Nebula Writer parses Word documents at the XML level, preserving every formatting detail.

Supported formatting:

• Text: bold, italic, underline, strikethrough
• Fonts: family, size, color
• Paragraphs: alignment, spacing, indentation
• Headings: Heading 1, 2, 3, custom styles
• Lists: numbered and bulleted
• Tables: full structure support

AI-Powered DOCX Editing

The AI can edit Word documents just like text:

• Modify specific paragraphs
• Apply formatting changes
• Insert content with proper styles
• Search and replace throughout

Import & Export

• Import: Open any .docx directly
• Export: Save back to .docx with formatting intact
• PDF: Generate PDFs from any document

Canvas Word Processor

A custom-built editor for pixel-perfect control.

Page Layout

Real document pagination with accurate page breaks.

• WYSIWYG page layout
• Adjustable margins via ruler
• Page numbering
• Multiple page sizes

Rich Editing

Full word processor capabilities:

• Text formatting
• Paragraph alignment
• Headings and styles
• Tables with cell editing
• Image insertion
• Find and replace

PDF Export

Export canvas documents to polished PDFs with one click.

Project Management

Folder-Based Workspace

Each project folder is a self-contained workspace:

• Use separate folders for different projects
• Folder hierarchy for organization
• Quick folder switching
• Standard file formats on disk

Document Types

Asset Management

Keep project files together:

• Images referenced in documents
• PDFs for reference
• Bibliography files
• Supporting materials

Version Control & History

Action History

See every action the AI has taken. Undo anything.

Tracked:

• File edits with before/after snapshots
• File creation and deletion
• Document moves and renames

Checkpoints

For complex tasks, the AI creates checkpoints you can resume from.

Research Tools

Web Search

Search the live web from within Nebula Writer. Get current information without context switching.

PDF Text Extraction

Extract text from PDFs so the AI can understand and reference them.

Navigation & Organization

Sidebar Navigation

• Quick switch between documents
• Folder structure for large projects
• Clear file type indicators

Global Search

Find files and jump quickly without leaving the editor:

• Search by filename
• Use the command palette for fast access

User Experience

Keyboard Shortcuts

Full keyboard navigation for power users.

Command Palette

Press Cmd + K for quick access to any action.

Settings

• Editor preferences
• AI model selection
• Theme options

Privacy & Local-First

• Local storage: All documents on your computer
• No cloud required: Works offline (AI needs internet)
• Standard formats: Export anytime, no lock-in
• Desktop app: Native performance

Next Steps

• Start with Quick Start for setup
• Dive into AI Assistant for prompting guidance
• Use Reference for shortcuts and formats