Nova Editor 26U1: Professionalism is here

In Nova Editor 26U1, we've transformed the entire editing experience from the ground up. This update brings a professional word processor feel, major performance improvements, and a completely redesigned home page. Whether you're drafting a quick note or working on a lengthy document, everything is faster, smoother, and more intuitive.

Major Improvements

📄 Redesigned Document Editor

We've completely reimagined the document editing experience to feel more like a real word processor.

Standardized Document Layout The editor now features a professional light-grey desktop background (#f8f9fa) that puts your content front and center. Your document sits on a perfectly sized 8.5" x 11" paper canvas with precise 1-inch margins on all sides, complete with multi-layered shadows that give it a physical paper feel.

Real-time Word Processor Features

  • Interactive Ruler: A visual ruler at the top of the page with inch markings and dynamic scaling helps you track alignment and width

  • Floating Status Pill: A sleek, translucent metadata display in the bottom-right corner shows real-time word count, character count, page numbering, and estimated reading time

  • Visual Page Breaks: Manual and automatic page breaks now appear as physical gaps between sheets with professional "PAGE BREAK" indicators

Enhanced Typography & Interaction We've set professional defaults with 11pt Arial and optimized line heights. The new "Infinite Sheet" system lets you type continuously while intelligently mapping your content to pages in real-time. Plus, smooth zoom transitions keep everything crisp and sharp at any zoom level.

🎯 New Menu Bar

Access everything you need with our new comprehensive menu system:

📁 File Menu: New Document (Ctrl+N), Rename, Download options, Print (Ctrl+P), and Version History (coming soon)

✏️ Edit Menu: Undo/Redo (Ctrl+Z/Y), Select All (Ctrl+A), and Find & Replace (Ctrl+K) with Spotlight Search

➕ Insert Menu: Add images, tables, links (Ctrl+K), horizontal lines, and page breaks

🎨 Format Menu: Bold/Italic/Underline with shortcuts, strikethrough, and clear formatting

🔧 Tools Menu: Word count display, Spelling & Grammar (coming soon), and the Astro AI Assistant

⚡ Massive Performance Boosts

We've optimized the editor to be faster and more responsive than ever:

No more lag from constant word count updates
Less CPU usage during fast typing
Fewer background save operations
Smoother page break calculations

Under the hood: We've implemented memoized calculations for stats, debounced the status display (300ms), increased autosave intervals (2 seconds), optimized page calculations (1 second), and removed duplicate event listeners. The result? A noticeably snappier editing experience.


🏠 Redesigned Home Page

Your Nova Editor homepage has been completely refreshed with a modern, premium look:

Hero Section: A sleek welcome banner with your name, animated gradient background, and prominent quick action buttons

Dynamic "Create New" Cards: Larger, more impactful cards with hover animations, subtle parallax/glow effects, and glass-morphism styling

Recent Documents Carousel: Horizontal scrolling with larger preview thumbnails and smooth hover animations

Activity Timeline & Stats: View your document count, this week's edits, and visual progress indicators at a glance

Enhanced Search & Filters: Premium search bar with icons and smooth transitions

Floating Astro AI Assistant Button: A persistent, animated AI assistant with premium gradient styling is always just a click away


✨ Additional Updates

  • Fixed form templates: Template creation now works as expected

  • Astro Create Suite: The Astro document creation feature is back and better than ever

  • Redesigned Docs Toolbar: A cleaner, more intuitive toolbar and paper area

Enjoy the new Nova Editor experience! 🚀

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