Getting Started

Quick Start Guide

Welcome to Andromeda Writer. This guide covers how to download, launch, and configure your local compilation environment in under two minutes.

Andromeda is built from the ground up as a native desktop application. It requires no user registrations, internet connections, or recurring cloud subscriptions.

💡 Instant First Launch

On first startup, Andromeda automatically inspects your system PATH to locate existing LaTeX binaries (such as TeX Live, MiKTeX, or MacTeX). If detected, compilation is ready out-of-the-box.

Toolchain

TeX Engine Auto-Detection & Config

Andromeda supports multiple LaTeX compilers including pdflatex, xelatex, lualatex, and latexmk.

Automatic Discovery Strategy

During initialization, Andromeda queries the OS environment:

Windows: Checks standard registry keys and paths like C:\texlive\2026\bin\windows and C:\Program Files\MiKTeX\miktex\bin\x64.
Linux: Resolves system binary symlinks in /usr/bin/pdflatex, /usr/local/texlive/2026/bin/x86_64-linux.

Configuring Custom Binary Paths

If you use a custom or portable TeX distribution, you can specify the binary path directly in settings.json:

            settings.json
            JSON
          

{
  "tex_path": "C:\\texlive\\2026\\bin\\windows",
  "default_engine": "pdflatex",
  "auto_compile_on_save": true,
  "synctex_enabled": true
}

Workflow

Creating & Compiling Your First Document

Create academic articles, conference papers, and slide decks effortlessly with instant PDF split-view.

Press Ctrl + B (or F5) to trigger immediate compilation. The background worker compiles your document and automatically refreshes the PDF canvas without resetting your scroll position.

            paper.tex
            LaTeX
          

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\title{My First Andromeda Document}
\author{Your Name}
\date{\today}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\section{Introduction}
Andromeda provides instantaneous rendering for inline formulas like $E = mc^2$ 
and multi-line equations:

\begin{equation}
  \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} e^{-x^2} dx = \sqrt{\pi}
\end{equation}

\end{document}

Editor Features

Monaco Editor Capabilities

Powered by the industry standard Monaco Engine (the core of VS Code).

Enjoy modern editor capabilities including multi-cursor editing (Alt + Click), automatic bracket closing, intelligent code folding, syntax color customization, and live error underlines parsed directly from LaTeX log files.

Navigation

SyncTeX Bidirectional Jump

Never lose your place in 50-page manuscripts with real-time coordinate synchronization.

Direct Jump (Editor → PDF)

Place your cursor on any line in the code editor and press Ctrl + Click to highlight the corresponding paragraph in the PDF preview.

Reverse Jump (PDF → Editor)

Double click any word or equation in the PDF preview canvas to scroll the Monaco code editor directly to that exact line number.

Math Preview

Live Math Hover Tooltip

Instant visual confirmation of complex LaTeX equations before compiling.

Hover your mouse pointer over any $...$ or \begin{equation} block. Andromeda's embedded KaTeX sub-engine instantly generates a rendered mathematical tooltip above the cursor, ensuring syntax errors are caught before running the full compiler.

AI Integration

AI Academic Assistant & Model Tuning

Accelerate your paper writing with context-aware AI tools.

Andromeda features fine-tuned model integration with Google Gemini:

Compile Error Diagnostic: Translates cryptic TeX errors (e.g. ! Missing $ inserted) into exact code fix proposals.
Table & Matrix Formatter: Converts raw CSV/Markdown tables into clean, beautiful booktabs LaTeX tables.
BibTeX Generator: Generate clean BibTeX citations from DOIs, arXiv URLs, or paper titles.

Reference

Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet

Boost your productivity with Andromeda's default keybindings.

Action	Shortcut (Windows & Linux)	Description
Compile Document	`Ctrl` + `B` / `F5`	Runs the local TeX engine and updates live PDF
SyncTeX Jump to PDF	`Ctrl` + `Click`	Navigates PDF preview to source code cursor position
Toggle File Explorer	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `E`	Opens/closes the project workspace sidebar
Toggle PDF Split Pane	`Ctrl` + `\`	Expands code editor to full window width
Open Settings Panel	`Ctrl` + `,`	Configure TeX engine path and editor preferences
AI Assistant Panel	`Ctrl` + `Space`	Trigger AI diagnostics and writing tools

Security

Offline Architecture & Privacy

Your manuscripts belong to you. Andromeda operates entirely on local hardware.

🔒 Absolute Data Ownership

Andromeda has zero tracking pixels, analytics beacons, or telemetry. LaTeX compilation runs strictly via local OS subprocesses. Your files never touch a remote server.

Support

Frequently Asked Questions & Troubleshooting

Q: "pdflatex not found" error during first compile?

Ensure you have a working TeX distribution (such as TeX Live or MiKTeX) installed. Open Andromeda Settings (Ctrl + ,) and enter the full directory path to your pdflatex.exe or pdflatex binary.

Q: Can I use custom .cls or .sty journal templates?

Yes! Place your custom .cls, .sty, and .bib files directly into your project folder. Andromeda preserves the working directory during compilation so all local assets are linked smoothly.