File types and shortcuts
Look up which files Nebula Writer opens, how each one exports, the keyboard shortcuts and the main limits.
File types#
| Format | Extensions | Opens in | Editing | PDF export |
|---|
| Word | .docx | Word editor | Yes | Yes |
| PowerPoint | .pptx | PowerPoint editor | Yes | Yes. Every slide, with text shown as images. |
| Excel | .xlsx | Spreadsheet editor | Yes | Yes. Visible worksheets, without charts. |
| Legacy Excel | .xls | Spreadsheet editor | Yes. Save changes as .xlsx. | Yes. Visible worksheets, without charts. |
| CSV | .csv | Spreadsheet editor | Yes | Yes |
| LaTeX | .tex, .bib, .sty, .cls | LaTeX editor | Yes | Yes, from .tex. Compiles the document first. |
| Markdown and text | .md, .markdown, .txt | Markdown editor | Yes | Yes |
| PDF | .pdf | PDF viewer | Read-only | Already a PDF |
| Images | .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .svg, .webp | Image viewer | View only | No |
Agent edits to Word, PowerPoint and Excel files are kept or discarded as one decision. Per-change decisions are only available for Markdown, LaTeX and plain text. See Review and undo.
Saving and exporting#
- File → Save (⌘S or Ctrl+S) saves the open file in its own format.
- File → Save As… (⌘⇧S or Ctrl+Shift+S) saves a copy under a new name. Use it to turn an
.xls file into .xlsx.
- File → Export to PDF… (⌘⇧E or Ctrl+Shift+E) exports the open file to PDF.
- In a spreadsheet, the toolbar's more menu (…) lists PDF / Print, Spreadsheet (.xlsx) and CSV (.csv) under Export.
- In a deck, the toolbar's more menu (…) lists Save presentation copy and Export PDF under File.
You can't export a Word, PowerPoint or Excel file to PDF while an agent edit to it is waiting for review.
Keyboard shortcuts#
Shortcuts marked "outside a document" only work after you click the sidebar or the agent pane, because the editors use those keys themselves. Settings → Shortcuts has a searchable list.
General#
| Mac | Windows and Linux | Action |
|---|
| ⌘, | Ctrl+, | Open Settings |
| ⌘⇧P | Ctrl+Shift+P | Open the command palette |
| ⌘K | Ctrl+K | Open commands: the command palette outside a document, inline commands in Markdown |
| ⌘/ | Ctrl+/ | Show keyboard shortcuts (outside a document) |
| Esc | Esc | Close the open dialog, or leave Focus Mode |
Files and windows#
| Mac | Windows and Linux | Action |
|---|
| ⌘N | Ctrl+N | New document, in your default type |
| ⌘⇧N | Ctrl+Shift+N | New project |
| ⌘O | Ctrl+O | Open a file |
| ⌘⇧O | Ctrl+Shift+O | Open a project folder |
| ⌘S | Ctrl+S | Save |
| ⌘⇧S | Ctrl+Shift+S | Save as |
| ⌘⇧E | Ctrl+Shift+E | Export to PDF |
| ⌘W | Ctrl+W | Close the document |
| ⌘⇧W | Ctrl+Shift+W | New window |
Find and view#
| Mac | Windows and Linux | Action |
|---|
| ⌘F | Ctrl+F | Find in the document |
| ⌘H | Ctrl+H | Find and replace |
| ⌘⇧F | Ctrl+Shift+F | Find in the project |
| ⌘B | Ctrl+B | Show or hide the project sidebar (outside a document) |
| ⌘L | Ctrl+L | Show or hide the agent pane (outside a document) |
| ⌘\ | Ctrl+\ on Linux | View → Toggle Assistant |
| ⌘= | Ctrl+= | Zoom in |
| ⌘- | Ctrl+- | Zoom out |
| ⌘0 | Ctrl+0 | Actual size |
Editing and agent changes#
| Mac | Windows and Linux | Action |
|---|
| ⌘Z | Ctrl+Z | Undo |
| ⌘⇧Z | Ctrl+Shift+Z | Redo. Outside a document, undo the last agent action. |
| ⌘⇧Y | Ctrl+Shift+Y | Redo the last agent action (outside a document) |
| ⌘⇧H | Ctrl+Shift+H | Show or hide File changes (outside a document) |
Review bar#
These keys work when the review bar has focus.
| Key | Action |
|---|
| Y | Keep |
| N | Discard |
| J or → | Next change |
| K or ← | Previous change |
Spreadsheets and slides#
| Mac | Windows and Linux | Action |
|---|
| F2 | F2 | Edit the selected cell |
| Enter | Enter | Finish editing a cell |
| Tab or ⇧Tab | Tab or Shift+Tab | Finish editing and move right or left |
| Backspace | Delete | Clear the selected cells |
| ⇧F5 | Shift+F5 | Present from the current slide |
Limits#
- Legacy
.xls files can't be overwritten. Use Save As to make an .xlsx copy.
- A CSV file holds one flat table, so it can't keep formulas, multiple sheets, charts or formatting.
- PowerPoint PDF export renders text as images. Fonts and effects may differ from PowerPoint.
- Excel PDF export uses Letter or A4 pages and leaves out charts, drawings, print areas, scaling, headers and footers.
- PDFs open read-only.
- System spell check works in the Markdown, LaTeX and source editors, not in Word, PowerPoint or Excel files.
- The agent can't move or delete folders. Files it deletes go to the system Trash.
- Restore points are stored on this device, and older automatic ones may be removed over time.
- A full TeX Live install uses about 10 GB of disk space.