Keyboard shortcuts
The in-app Help ▸ Keyboard Shortcuts dialog is hand-written and out of date. For example, it lists Ctrl+I as "Import STEP", and it omits Ctrl+C, Ctrl+F, Ctrl+G, Y and the workspace keys. Use this page.
Navigation profile note: The default navigation profile is Studio (direct) — mouse buttons orbit, pan and dolly without a modifier key. See Navigation for the full mouse-control table.
Where a shortcut works
Each table says where its keys work:
- Main window — while the main VIZid window is active. These keys do not work from a floating panel window.
- Anywhere — in the main window and in floating panel windows. Not while a dialog is open.
- Focused panel — only while that panel has keyboard focus. Click inside the panel first.
A focused panel or text field can take a key for itself. The exceptions are listed under each table.
File (main window)
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+N | New |
| Ctrl+O | Open… (opens a document; .vizid first, USD files also listed) |
| F1 | Open the online User Guide; panel-specific links activate after the new guide is published |
| Ctrl+R | Recent… |
| Ctrl+I | Import 3D Model… (STEP or OBJ) |
| Ctrl+Shift+I | Import 3D Model (Options…) — always shows the import dialog |
| Ctrl+S | Save |
| Ctrl+Shift+S | Save As… |
Studio light Solo uses Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S (anywhere), or the Solo button in the Environment panel.
Edit and selection
Anywhere:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Z | Undo |
| Ctrl+Y | Redo |
| Ctrl+A | Select All Parts (selects groups too; locked items are skipped) |
| Ctrl+D | Duplicate Selected |
| Delete | Delete Selected (or the selected light when no part is selected) |
| / | Isolate Selected |
| Ctrl+G | Group the selection |
| Ctrl+Alt+G | Ungroup the selected group |
Main window:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+T | Transform… |
| Ctrl+Shift+C | Copy Material |
| Ctrl+Shift+V | Paste Material |
Selection clicks (viewport):
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Shift+click | Add or remove from selection |
| Ctrl+click | Select parent group |
| Ctrl+Shift+click | Select top-level group |
Exceptions: in the Animation panel, Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y, Ctrl+G and Delete act on the panel (see below). With the Library thumbnail grid focused, Ctrl+D toggles the selected asset's favourite star instead of duplicating scene objects.
Transform tools (anywhere)
| Shortcut | Tool |
|---|---|
| Q | Select Tool |
| W | Move Tool |
| E | Rotate Tool |
| R | Scale Tool |
| T | Combined Tool |
| Y | Drag Tool (see Placing objects) |
| Esc | Cancel the active gizmo drag or placement (viewport focused) |
Exceptions: tool keys are ignored while you type in a text or number field. With the Animation panel focused, E opens the ease picker. With the Node Graph or the HDRI pin canvas focused, T belongs to that panel.
Viewport and camera
| Shortcut | Action | Where |
|---|---|---|
| F | Frame the selection (all parts if nothing is selected) | Anywhere |
| 1 | Front view | Main window |
| 3 | Side view | Main window |
| 7 | Top view | Main window |
| 5 | Toggle orthographic / perspective | Main window |
| F11 | Enter or leave the fullscreen viewport | Main window |
| Ctrl+Alt+1 | Show or hide both viewport rails | Viewport focused |
| Ctrl+Alt+2 | Same as Ctrl+Alt+1 | Viewport focused |
| Shift+right-click | Place the 3D cursor | Viewport |
| Ctrl+left-drag | Screen-move the selected part (Studio profile) | Viewport |
Gizmo modifiers:
- Ctrl during a gizmo drag — temporarily inverts snap
- Shift during a gizmo drag — precision steps (Precision divisor)
Exceptions: with the Animation panel focused, F frames the curves and 1 / 2 / 3 switch the curve display. With the Node Graph focused, F connects the two selected nodes.
In the fullscreen viewport only these keys work:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Play / pause |
| Left / Right | Step one frame back / forward |
| F11 | Leave fullscreen |
Esc does not leave fullscreen. Every other key is ignored.
Workspaces (main window, Advanced interface)
| Shortcut | Workspace |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+1 | Model |
| Ctrl+2 | Look Dev |
| Ctrl+3 | Shading |
| Ctrl+4 | Lighting |
| Ctrl+5 | Camera |
| Ctrl+6 | Materials |
| Ctrl+7 | Animate |
| Ctrl+8 | Render |
These keys do nothing in the minimal interface.
Render and output (main window)
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+E | Save Image… |
| Ctrl+Shift+E | Render Current View As… |
| Ctrl+C | Copy Image (the ray-traced frame, to the clipboard) |
Exceptions: in a text field Ctrl+C copies text. In the Animation panel or the Node Graph it copies keys or nodes. Render ▸ Copy Image always copies the image.
Object nudge (anywhere)
With an object selected:
| Shortcut | Action | Step size |
|---|---|---|
| Arrow keys | Translate ±X / ±Y | 0.25 world units |
| Page Up / Down | Translate ±Z | 0.25 world units |
| Shift + Arrow | Rotate around Z / X | 5° |
| Shift + Page Up/Down | Rotate around Y | 5° |
| Shift + + / − | Scale uniformly | 5% |
Exceptions:
- Animation panel focused: Left / Right (and Shift+Left / Shift+Right) step frames; Home / End go to the start / end. Up, Down, Page Up and Page Down still move the selected object.
- Outliner tree focused: Up / Down / Left / Right move through the rows. Shift+arrows and Page Up / Down still move the selected object.
- Text field focused: Left / Right edit the text. Up, Down, Page Up and Page Down still move the selected object.
Playback (anywhere)
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Play / pause the timeline |
Space types a space in a text field and pans in the Node Graph.
Panels (anywhere)
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+F | Jump to the Outliner search. With the Animation panel focused: search channels. With the Node Graph focused: find a node. Esc in the Outliner search clears it. |
| Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S | Toggle Solo for the selected studio light. |
With the Library thumbnail grid focused, Ctrl+D toggles the selected asset's favourite star. It does not duplicate scene objects, including when the grid is empty. Outside the grid, Ctrl+D duplicates the scene selection.
Animation panel (focused)
These keys act on the Animation panel only while it has focus (not while you type in its search field). See Animation for the full table.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Shift+R | Frame ranges and rate (opens the range popover) |
| Ctrl+C | Copy the selected keys, or Copy Ease when no key is selected |
| Ctrl+V | Paste keys at the playhead, or Paste Ease when no keys were copied |
| Ctrl+G | Group selected rows (when row folders are available) |
| Ctrl+Shift+G | Ungroup |
| Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y | Undo / Redo in the panel |
| Delete | Delete Keys |
Record (main window)
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Shift+R | Record (auto-key) on / off — except with the Animation panel focused, where it opens the range popover |
Known shortcut conflicts
| Shortcut | Conflict | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Delete | In the HDRI pin canvas and on a gradient bar, Delete deletes the selected scene objects instead of the pin or stop. | Use X to delete a pin and Backspace to delete a gradient stop. Undo restores objects deleted by mistake. |
| Ctrl+Shift+R | Record everywhere; the range popover in the focused Animation panel. | Intentional. |
| Ctrl+G | Groups the selection everywhere; groups rows in the focused Animation panel. | Intentional. |
| Ctrl+C | Copy Image everywhere; copies keys in the focused Animation panel. | Use Render ▸ Copy Image. |