ATAN2 in SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026: quadrants, radians and bearings
Find a point’s direction with PlanMaker ATAN2(x,y), calculate quadrant-aware angles and compass bearings, and avoid argument-order errors.
Verification status: Official documentation referenced; example outcomes independently reasoned or arithmetically checked where stated. Not executed in SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: =ATAN2(x, y) returns a direction angle in radians for a point at Cartesian coordinates (x,y), measured from the positive x-axis. =DEGREES(ATAN2(1,1)) has the independently calculated expected value 45°. The argument order x first, y second is confirmed by SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026’s ATAN2 reference (checked 2026-10-13). Results below are mathematical expectations, not actual PlanMaker outputs.
What ATAN2 solves that ATAN cannot
ATAN accepts one ratio, so =ATAN(y/x) loses essential information: two different quadrants can have the same ratio, and x=0 entails a division by zero. ATAN2(x,y) receives both coordinates and can calculate an angle whose direction distinguishes the quadrants. It is useful for maps, position coordinates, engineering arrows, motion vectors and directional labels. The returned unit is radians, not degrees. For degrees use the separately documented DEGREES function. ATAN2 2026; ATAN 2026; DEGREES 2026.
PlanMaker versus programming libraries: Python’s math.atan2(y, x) takes y before x. PlanMaker’s English syntax takes x before y. Copying a programming example directly into a worksheet without reversing its parameters can silently give the wrong angle. This language-to-application comparison uses Python solely as an independent mathematical oracle and the SoftMaker function reference as the evidence for the PlanMaker argument order.
Exact syntax, argument order, types and defaults
=ATAN2(x, y)
| Position | Documented argument | Required? | Expected data | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x |
Yes | Numeric value or reference to a numeric result | Signed horizontal coordinate measured from the origin. |
| 2 | y |
Yes | Numeric value or reference to a numeric result | Signed vertical coordinate measured from the origin. |
Both arguments are required. The vendor’s 2026 and 2024 English reference entries document the same two-argument ordering and radian return unit; they specify no optional arguments or default values. Neither page establishes behaviour for empty cells, numeric text coercion, or alternative function spellings, so this tutorial does not assert any. The English reference has ATAN2, with no documented separate English alias in those entries. 2026 reference; 2024 reference.
Use an initial = for spreadsheet formulas. The examples use the English manual’s comma list separator and dot decimals. Regional number settings can change numeric entry; SoftMaker documents system-default and custom decimal/thousands settings in PlanMaker 2026’s Edit options. Localized function names and argument separators have not been tested: use Formula → Function in the installed application to inspect the appropriate syntax. Entering formulas.
Reproducible worksheet: all four quadrants
Create columns A = x coordinate, B = y coordinate, C = angle in radians, and D = angle in degrees. Type numeric values in A2:B10. In C2, enter =ATAN2(A2,B2). In D2, enter =DEGREES(C2); copy C2:D2 down to row 10. Do not put the coordinates inside quotation marks. The expected outputs below are independently calculated using the Cartesian geometric convention, not observed in PlanMaker.
| Row | A: x | B: y | C formula (copy down) | Expected D, degrees | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 0 | =ATAN2(A2,B2) |
0° | Positive x-axis |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | =ATAN2(A3,B3) |
45° | Northeast / quadrant I |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | =ATAN2(A4,B4) |
90° | Positive y-axis |
| 5 | -1 | 1 | =ATAN2(A5,B5) |
135° | Northwest / quadrant II |
| 6 | -1 | 0 | =ATAN2(A6,B6) |
180° | Negative x-axis; branch-boundary convention |
| 7 | -1 | -1 | =ATAN2(A7,B7) |
-135° | Southwest / quadrant III, signed representation |
| 8 | 0 | -1 | =ATAN2(A8,B8) |
-90° | Negative y-axis |
| 9 | 1 | -1 | =ATAN2(A9,B9) |
-45° | Southeast / quadrant IV |
| 10 | 3 | 4 | =ATAN2(A10,B10) |
53.1301023542° | General first-quadrant vector |
The 180° row uses the common principal-value convention. The SoftMaker ATAN2 reference does not explicitly state the exact signed-axis/boundary policy; native validation is required before making guarantees about negative zero or every endpoint. For ordinary nonboundary vectors, the expected principal angles are unambiguous. Format D to a few decimals rather than comparing full floating-point text; the cell may display more or fewer places than the mathematical expectation.
Single-cell checks
=ATAN2(1,1)→ independently 0.7853981633974483 radians, matching SoftMaker’s rounded 0.7854 example.=DEGREES(ATAN2(-1,1))→ independently 135°.=DEGREES(ATAN2(1,-1))→ independently -45°.=DEGREES(ATAN2(-1,-1))→ independently -135°.=DEGREES(ATAN2(3,4))→ independently 53.1301023542°.
Advanced example 1: direction between two locations
For two points P0 = (2,3) and P1 = (-1,7), the displacement is Δx = -1-2 = -3 and Δy = 7-3 = 4. Put starting x and y in F2:G2 (2, 3), destination x and y in H2:I2 (-1, 7). Calculate:
=DEGREES(ATAN2(H2-F2,I2-G2))
Expected direction relative to the positive x-axis: 126.8698976458° (counterclockwise; quadrant II). This is not a compass bearing. Put the displacement components in intermediate cells to debug sign mistakes if the two points are inputs from different datasets. Formula meaning: SoftMaker 2026 ATAN2; DEGREES. Numeric result: independent trigonometry.
Advanced example 2: compass bearing from east/north displacements
Cartesian angles ordinarily begin at east (positive x) and rise counterclockwise. Compass bearings normally begin at north and increase clockwise. For an eastward displacement in A2 and a northward displacement in B2, a bearing within [0,360) can be calculated as:
=MOD(450-DEGREES(ATAN2(A2,B2)),360)
For east/north pairs (10,0), (0,10), (-10,0), (0,-10), (10,10), independently expected bearings are 90°, 0°, 270°, 180°, 45°. Adding a full turn changes 90° to 450° without changing the bearing. For a principal Cartesian angle between −180° and 180°, the numerator is then positive (270° to 630°), so MOD reduces it to a bearing without relying on negative-input remainder rules; consult PlanMaker’s own MOD reference. SoftMaker explicitly warns about some negative-value remainder conventions, so this formula deliberately keeps both MOD arguments positive.
Coordinate convention matters: this formula presumes a flat Cartesian plane with x=east and y=north. Latitude/longitude differences over the Earth’s curved surface, magnetic variation and geographic projection require a different model; an ATAN2 result alone is not a geodetic bearing. For identical start and end coordinates (0,0 displacement), the direction is undefined mathematically; validate inputs before computing.
Advanced example 3: distinguish angle from slope
With (x,y)=(-3,4), y/x=-1.333333... and =DEGREES(ATAN(-1.3333333333)) would yield about -53.13°, pointing to a different quadrant. =DEGREES(ATAN2(-3,4)) independently yields 126.86989765°. When x is zero, the ratio approach cannot be evaluated at all. The ATAN manual defines the one-number inverse tangent; the ATAN2 manual specifies coordinate arguments. This comparison is a mathematical illustration, not a native program benchmark.
Troubleshooting and limits
| Symptom or special case | What the evidence supports | Recommended check |
|---|---|---|
| Unexpected 45° instead of -45°, or similar quadrant mismatch | A likely coordinate-sign or argument-order reversal; ATAN2 takes x, then y. | Label input columns and compare the quadrant table. |
| Numbers around 1.57 instead of around 90 | ATAN2 returns radians by specification. | Wrap in DEGREES(…) if the desired display is degrees. |
ATAN(y/x) fails for x=0 |
Division by zero is not allowed; it also discards quadrant. | Use two-coordinate ATAN2 and evaluate the zero vector separately. |
| Both x and y are zero | Angle is mathematically undefined. SoftMaker’s short ATAN2 function page does not specify the precise returned error for (0,0). | Exclude the zero vector or test it in the target PlanMaker build. Excel independently documents #DIV/0! for this input, but that is not proof of PlanMaker’s runtime error. |
| Invalid text or omitted arguments | PlanMaker’s general help lists #VALUE! for inappropriate types and #NULL! for malformed function calls; actual per-input code was not executed. |
Use numeric cells and two arguments, then inspect errors. |
| Differences in final decimals or signed axis endpoint | Finite precision and the arctangent branch boundary. | Use reasonable rounding, and test exact negative-axis endpoints on the actual platform if consequential. |
Official PlanMaker 2026 error-value categories (checked 2026-10-13) describe #DIV/0!, #NULL!, #VALUE! and #NUM! generally. They do not constitute observed ATAN2 test results.
PlanMaker release, edition/platform, locale and Excel compatibility
| Context | Documentation-based conclusion | Explicit limitation |
|---|---|---|
| PlanMaker 2026 / NX English manual | Documents ATAN2(x,y), a numeric x/y coordinate interpretation, radian result and sample ATAN2(1,1). 2026 reference. |
No native execution on PlanMaker 2026 or NX. |
| PlanMaker 2024 English manual | Documents the same name, argument order and example. 2024 reference. | No 2024 runtime run; older versions not inferred. |
| Windows, macOS, Linux | SoftMaker markets the 2026 desktop suite across these platforms. Product page. | This is product-level evidence, not a per-platform ATAN2 test. |
| iOS, Android, FreeOffice, other editions | A shared English manual and a marketing product matrix are not an edition-specific function execution matrix. | Support for a particular build is unverified; do not extrapolate. |
| Regional formula syntax | English function reference gives ATAN2(x,y). Settings document regional decimal separators. |
Translated name and list-separator form not tested. |
| Microsoft Excel | Microsoft’s independent reference also documents ATAN2(x_num,y_num) with the same coordinate order. Microsoft Excel ATAN2. |
Corresponding documentation is not an actual PlanMaker↔Excel round-trip test; do not transfer Excel’s error guarantees. |
Related documentation
- ATAN2 in PlanMaker 2026 — exact function signature and result units.
- ATAN2 in PlanMaker 2024 — historical version comparison.
- DEGREES — radians-to-degrees conversion.
- ATAN and TAN — related one-argument trigonometry.
- MOD — positive-divisor bearing normalization; heed documented caveats for signed inputs.
- Entering formulas and error values — vendor instructions for troubleshooting.
- Microsoft Excel ATAN2 — separate compatibility reference, not PlanMaker validation.
Evidence and testing disclosure
Reference-check date: 2026-10-13. The 2026 and 2024 SoftMaker function references were checked separately. Mathematical examples were independently calculated with the standard double-precision math.atan2(y,x) convention and compared with geometry and angular identities. Native PlanMaker 2026/2024/NX executions: 0; Excel executions: 0; export/import conversions: 0; screenshots: 0.