Version 5 of Atlantis Word Processor is in the works. It will introduce the "Save as PDF" command. Atlantis will be able to create PDFs without using a virtual PDF printer. Hyperlinks from the source document will be preserved in the PDF version. Plus, there will be an option to have a stand-alone table of contents in the PDF file. The new version should be available later this year.
I would just like to make a comment. The one thing that keeps me using LibreOffice Writer as my primary application is that it has a Track Changes feature, which I regard as indispensable in serious writing in the year 2025. I hope that this feature will not become like the Tables feature was for many, many years.
We happy Atlantans have been looking for a "track changes" tool for many a year. But like Atlantis itself, it doesn't seem to exist except in our minds.
I just updated to version 5 but I don't see the option to export as PDF. I followed the instructions to no avail. Anybody else having this issue? Am I missing something?
There are two options to save as PDF: a main menu command and a toolbar button. Which one do you mean? If you mean a toolbar button, you may have previously customized your toolbars. If so, you can install a new toolbar button through the "Tools | Customize | Toolbars..." menu command.
admin wrote: Tue Sep 16, 2025 1:05 am
There are two options to save as PDF: a main menu command and a toolbar button. Which one do you mean? If you mean a toolbar button, you may have previously customized your toolbars. If so, you can install a new toolbar button through the "Tools | Customize | Toolbars..." menu command.
Thanks for the suggestions.
However, the main menu command doesn't show save as PDF. I am running Windows 10.
To get the feature working I installed a tool bar button.
I hope this clarifies the issue.
I am heartbroken.
I don't think I can update to version 5 without Track Changes being included. I really need that feature. I love the program, have supported it for years, and I will continue with it, but I won't update yet. Are there any plans at all for Track Changes to be included?
Lynne Connolly wrote: I am heartbroken.
I don't think I can update to version 5 without Track Changes being included. I really need that feature. I love the program, have supported it for years, and I will continue with it, but I won't update yet. Are there any plans at all for Track Changes to be included?
Lynne, I understand your frustration about the lack of «Track Changes» in Atlantis, which in some ways is superior to any other word processor that I have used.
I would urge you to reconsider your decision about the upgrade.
Things that keep me highly supportive of Atlantis are:
Atlantis has an efficient handling of Styles. Because of the lack of «Track Changes» in Atlantis, I really have to use LibreOffice Writer a lot. (I will never use a current version of Microsoft Word, if only because of the subscription business model.) So I use LibreOffice, which I think is a good office suite. But I absolutely hate, loathe, and despise the horrible mess that it creates with its Styles. You are stuck with a zillion default styles, which clutter up everything. Atlantis, by contrast, will open with a Normal style and only three Heading styles below it. What a relief. I have been making templates of various types for many years, and I really appreciate the clean approach to Styles that Atlantis takes.
Atlantis has a nice interface. It takes a little time to get used to it, with the plethora of icons; but once you learn your way around, you come to love having the icons available.
Atlantis has many great features. If I try to list them, I will forget some of them, I know. But some things that come quickly to mind are:
THE CLIPPY BANK: It is wonderful for storing some text, tables, or graphics that you re-use a lot. (All right, I had not used it for a while and had forgotten how to open it. Its location is a little obscure, I have to say. You will find it under Edit > Clippy Bank, which opens a menu with options. You can also use F8 to open/close it.)
THE FORMAT PALETTE: I have used that a lot for quickly formatting words and phrases. For example, if you are writing a book about how to use some software, you might have your body text in an 11-point serif font, but then (in the text of the same paragraph) you want to include a command or the name of a menu in a slightly smaller sans-serif font for the purpose of contrast. You can put your desired sans-serif font and its smaller size into the Format Palette. This makes formatting quick and easy.
FOOTNOTES AND ENDNOTES: These are easy to use and they are efficient. Excellent features.
EBOOK CREATION: It works great. It is not like that with some other applications.[/list=]
In general, Atlantis is a very sophisticated application that nonetheless allows the user to have a pleasant experience. For that reason, I will continue to use it.
Yes, I also feel frustrated that a Track Changes feature is not even seen as part of the future at this point. In my opinion, Atlantis is like a wonderful automobile with all kinds of impressive features that are hard to imagine. In writing this little article on Atlantis, I discovered some great features that I did not know about already or had forgotten. The application is beautiful and efficient.
To continue the metaphor: Maybe this Atlantis automobile can drive into a lake and go right on moving in «boat mode». And maybe this Atlantis automobile, like the submarine in that ancient TV series «Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea», can even send a charge through the hull to repel attackers. Yes, Atlantis is a wonderful creation.
But the car has one drawback. It has no headlights for nighttime driving. And why? Because driving at night is dangerous, and you really should try to avoid driving at night anyway, so let's just forget about something that you really do not need.
This Atlantis automobile is otherwise a wonderful vehicle, and I intend to drive it when I can. I will use LibreOffice Writer when I am working on text that I will have to revise extensively. And when I have the text in pretty good shape, I will transfer it from LO over to Atlantis. Not an ideal situation, I know, but you do what you have to.
Happy Writing, everyone!
P.S. Sorry if any of the above got garbled. I have worked on this all that I care to right now.
Atlantis is a wonderful application. I am using it right now to create a couple of stage play templates for people who do not have dedicated script software but are able to create .rtf/.docx files. I decided to do this after I repeatedly saw questions about stage play format on Reddit.
