Frequently asked questions

Is Athanor free?

Yes. The Free plan draws, converts, names and exports with no limit and no account, in the browser and on Windows. The paid plans, arbastro Suite Lite, Suite Plus and Suite Ultra, add more AI credits, more cloud storage, larger classes and other extras. Suite Lite is $4.99 a month. See plans and pricing.

Do I need an account?

Not to draw in the browser. Open athanor.arbastro.com/app and start. A free arbastro account adds cloud sync between devices, the AI assistant, product prediction and route planning, sharing and classes. The Windows desktop app asks you to sign in when it starts.

Can Athanor open ChemDraw files?

Yes. Press Ctrl+O (Open a file) and choose a .cdx or .cdxml file, or drag it onto the window. Structures stay editable chemistry, not pictures. Athanor also exports CDXML and CDX, so you can send a file back to someone who uses ChemDraw.

Where is the save button?

There is none. Every change is kept as you make it, and the document stays in Home. See Where your work is saved.

Does Athanor work offline?

The Windows app draws, edits and exports without a connection. Product prediction, route planning, the AI assistant and sync need one.

Is there a Mac or Linux app?

Not yet. On a Mac, on Linux or on a Chromebook, use Athanor in the browser: it is the whole editor. See How to open Athanor.

Is my work used to train AI models?

No. The AI assistant runs on Anthropic's Claude models through arbastro's server, which stores neither what you send nor what comes back, and Anthropic's commercial terms do not allow training on it. The details are on the Trust page.

Which file formats can I export?

Pictures (PNG, SVG, PDF, TIFF, EMF, EPS, JPEG, WMF), structure files (MOL, SDF, ChemDraw CDXML and CDX, SMILES and more) and the document itself as .athanor. Press Ctrl+Shift+E to open Export. See Export.

How do I insert a molecule by name?

Press / for Quick insert, type a name, SMILES or CAS number, and press Enter. See Quick insert.

How do I find a command I know from ChemDraw?

Press Ctrl+K (Search everything) and type ChemDraw's name for it, such as "clean up structure". Athanor's commands carry ChemDraw's names as search words. See Search everything.

Can I use ChemDraw's keyboard shortcuts?

Yes. In Settings › Shortcuts, switch Shortcut set to ChemDraw classic. See How to change a keyboard shortcut.

Why is an atom flagged?

Athanor checks every structure as you draw. When something is chemically wrong, such as a carbon with five bonds, the issues badge at the bottom left of the canvas shows a count instead of No issues. Athanor flags the problem and leaves the fix to you; it never silently changes your chemistry. Click the badge to see the list.

How do I undo?

Ctrl+Z undoes and Ctrl+Shift+Z redoes. Version history (Shift+H) shows every edit as a picture you can step back to.

What does the .athanor file contain?

An .athanor file is a ZIP archive: a description of the document in JSON, plus every structure as its own standard MOL V3000 file. Unzip it with any tool and the chemistry is there, readable by other chemistry software.

How do I learn the shortcuts?

Press ? in a document for the Controls cheat sheet, or read Keyboard shortcuts. Every result in Ctrl+K also shows its shortcut.

How do I report a bug?

Choose Help › Report a problem in the Main menu and say what happened and what you expected. Your app version and platform are added to the report, and What is included with it shows exactly what. Nothing is sent from the app: the report opens in your email app, or you can copy it. You can also email [email protected].