Keyboard Shortcuts
The Graphics Editor allows you to use a set of keyboard shortcuts to navigate around the application and individual views, as well as carry out commands while working with elements on an active canvas.
Angle Center
Angle Center Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Move element and snap-to-grid (if enabled) | Click and drag element |
Make a copy of one or more elements on the canvas | CTRL and click and drag element Step of 0 / 50 / 100, % or edge length. |
Move element and ignore snap-to-grid, if enabled | SHIFT and drag element |
Arc and Pie Angle
Arc and Pie Center Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Move element and snap-to-grid (if enabled) | Click and drag element Use angle grid, Individual angle |
Make a copy of one or more elements on the canvas | CTRL and click element Synchronize start and end angle |
Move element and ignore snap-to-grid, if enabled | SHIFT and drag element |
Draw an Element
From the Home tab, in the Elements group, you have already selected the element you want to draw on the canvas.
Move Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Draw element and snap-to-grid (if enabled) | Click and draw element |
Draw squares and paths with 45 degree angles | CTRL and draw |
Draw element and ignore snap-to-grid, if enabled | SHIFT and drag element |
Element Keyboard
The following keyboard shortcuts are available when you are working with elements on the active canvas:
Element Keyboard Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Select all the elements on the active canvas | CTRL+A |
Cut selected elements | CTRL+X, or SHIFT+DEL |
Create a copy of the active elements | CTRL, click and drag |
Copy selected elements to the clipboard | CTRL+C, or CTRL+INSERT |
Paste selected elements to the selected layer in the Element Tree | CTRL+V, or SHIFT+INSERT |
Paste selected elements to their original layers | CTRL+ALT+V |
Delete selected elements | DEL |
Scroll to the far left | HOME |
Scroll to the far right | END |
Scroll to the top | CTRL+HOME, or PAGE UP |
Scroll to the bottom | CTRL+END, or PAGE DOWN |
Access quick Panning mode | SPACE |
Access quick Zooming mode | Z + Click mouse pointer changes to |
Zoom to 100% | CTRL+0 (0=Zero) |
Move selected elements by one pixel |
Arrows: UP, LEFT, DOWN, RIGHT |
(In Panning mode) | |
(When editing a line/polyline node) | |
Move selected elements by the grid pixels |
CTRL+UP, CTRL+LEFT, CTRL+DOWN, CTRL+RIGHT |
(In Panning mode) Shift view by grid pixels | |
(When editing a line/polyline node.) | |
Move elements back to their original position and cancel moving operation | ESC |
Enable font stretching while resizing a selected text element and maintain ratio to current element size | F and click and drag |
Enable font-stretching while resizing a text element | F |
Element Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Select an element on the canvas | LEFT and click |
Toggle between activating and deactivating an element on the canvas | CTRL+LEFT and click |
Select an element on the canvas and its respective: | CTRL+SHIFT+LEFT and click |
Element Tree View
The keyboard shortcuts available in the Element Tree view allow you work with and manage items.
Element Tree View Keyboard Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Go to the next item in the list | DOWN arrow key |
Go up to the previous item in the list | UP arrow key |
Expand children of the last selected item. Expand a pane | RIGHT arrow key |
Collapse children of the last selected item | LEFT arrow key |
Expand all children recursive of all selected items | * |
Collapse all children recursive of all selected items | / |
Add/remove the item to/from the selection | CTRL and click |
All elements between the first clicked and last clicked element will be highlighted | SHIFT and click |
Find and Replace View
Find and Replace Keyboard Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Search and locate next item | F3 |
Search and locate previous item | SHIFT+F3 |
General
The following general keyboard shortcuts allow you work with the views in the Graphics Editor.
General Keyboard Shortcuts | |
To ... | Press the following keys… |
Clear symbol cache and Refresh all open graphics | F5 |
Clear symbol cache and Close all open graphics | CTRL + F5 You are prompted to save any changes before the graphics are closed. |
Toggle the Aerial View On/Off | F12 |
Inline Text Element
You can edit a text element directly on the active canvas by double-clicking on the element or pressing the F2 key. Please refer to this list of keyboard shortcuts.
Inline Text Element Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Insert a return carriage | CTRL+ENTER |
Insert a tab | TAB |
Accept changes | ENTER |
Undo | ESC |
Modify Line and Path
Modify Line and Path Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Modify line and path element and snap-to-grid (if enabled) | Click and drag line or path element |
Modify line and path element in maintain 45 degree angle | CTRL and click a line or path element and drag |
Modify line and path element and ignore snap-to-grid, if enabled | SHIFT and drag line or path element |
Move
Move Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Move element and snap-to-grid (if enabled) | Click and drag element |
Make a copy of one or more elements on the canvas | CTRL, click element and drag |
Move element and ignore snap-to-grid, if enabled | SHIFT and drag element |
Path
The following keyboard shortcuts are available when you are using the path element to draw shapes on the canvas. With the crosshair mouse on the canvas, you can press a key to specify the path segment type.
Path Keyboard Shortcuts | |
To Draw…. | Press the following keys… |
Polyline segment, default for every Path drawn. | P key |
Arc segment | A key |
Cubic Bezier | B key |
Quadratic Bezier | Q key |
Pipe Element
NOTE: You can combine keyboard shortcuts as long as the shortcut keys apply to the handle type selected.
Pipe Keyboard Shortcuts | |
To…. | Press the following keys… |
| CTRL + E + Drag Applies to: All Pipe handles, except Vertex handle. |
Extend the segment with a restricted 450/900 angle | Snap Enabled + Drag Applies to: Start, End, Midpoint, and Vertex handles. |
Select a segment End or Start type | Right-Click + Select a Type |
Merge with another segment or Pipe element. | CTRL + Q + Click + Drag + Release at Merge Location Applies to: Start, End, and Midpoint handles. |
Activate an edit pixel-by-pixel mode and move handle with arrow keys Press ESC to exit | CTRL + W + Click Handle + [Release W + Mouse] + Press Arrow Keys Applies to all handles. |
Disconnect the branch end from a segment | Right-Click + Select Disconnect Applies to Branch and Connection handles. |
Select a Pipe section | SHIFT + Click on Pipe Segment |
Bring Pipe segment forward or send backward | SHIFT + Click on Pipe Segment + Right-Click on Pipe The Selection menu displays the Bring Forward and Send Backward options. |
Select and delete Pipe segment | SHIFT + Click on Pipe Segment + Press Delete Deletes the pipe segment from the Pipe element. |
Rectangle Radius
Rectangle Radius Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Move element and snap-to-grid (if enabled) | Click and drag element Ignore grid, Sync RadiusX & RadiusY |
Make a copy of one or more elements on the canvas | CTRL, click element and drag No Sync |
Resize
You can resize elements and snap to grid, by enabling the Snap, Display Grid, and Display Guidelines tasks available under View > Workspace. From the Graphic section in the Properties view you can also select lines or markers for your grid style.
Resize Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Resize element and snap-to-grid (if enabled) | Click and drag element |
Maintain the following shapes:
| CTRL and click element |
Resize element and ignore snap-to-grid, if enabled | SHIFT and drag |
Resize and maintain the element’s aspect ratio | ALT and drag |
Resize text element only (stretch the font) | F key |
Rotate
Rotate Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Rotate element and snap-to-grid (if enabled) | Click and drag |
Rotate element and ignore snap-to-grid, if enabled | SHIFT and drag element |
Rubber Band
Rubberband Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts | |
To... | Press the following keys… |
Activate elements contained in the rubber band | Click and drag |
Toggle between activating and deactivating selected elements | CTRL, click and drag |
Active elements that intersect with the rubber band | ALT, click and drag |
Related Topics
For workspace overview, see Graphics Editor Workspace
For related procedures, see Additional Graphics Editor Procedures