Keyboard shortcuts

Learn the keys for the tasks that you do often, and you'll need the mouse less. This page lists the keyboard shortcuts in the Gridfinity Layout Tool, tool by tool. Each table gives the keys for Windows and Linux, and the keys for macOS.

TIP

Shortcuts don't work while the cursor is in a text field. If a key does nothing, click an empty part of the canvas and press it again.

Open the shortcut list

Can't remember a key? Press ? or / in any tool to open the Keyboard shortcuts panel. Its Shortcuts tab lists the main shortcuts, and the search field finds a shortcut by its name.

Shortcuts in more than one tool

Windows and Linux	macOS	Action	Where
? or /	Same	Open the shortcut list	Every tool
Ctrl+K	Cmd+K	Open the command palette	Layout editor
Ctrl+Z	Cmd+Z	Undo	Layout editor, bin designer
Ctrl+Y or Ctrl+Shift+Z	Cmd+Y or Cmd+Shift+Z	Redo	Layout editor, bin designer
Shift+D	Same	Go from the layout editor to the bin designer, or back	Layout editor, bin designer

Layout editor

Edit bins

Windows and Linux	macOS	Action
Ctrl+D	Cmd+D	Duplicate the selected bins
Ctrl+A	Cmd+A	Select all bins on the active layer
Delete or Backspace	Same	Delete the selected bins. A bin in a pair takes its partner with it.
R	Same	Rotate the selected bin. Select one bin only.
L	Same	Edit the label of the selected bin. Select one bin only.
Arrow keys	Same	Move the selected bins one grid unit. If a selected bin has a half-unit size, they move half a unit.
[ and ]	Same	Give the selected bins the previous or next category. With no bin selected, change the category for new bins.
H	Same	Turn half-grid mode on or off
Escape	Same	Stop the current drag or draw, clear the selection and stop paint mode

Move around the layout

Windows and Linux	macOS	Action
W	Same	Go to the layer above
S	Same	Go to the layer below
A	Same	Select the previous bin on the active layer
D	Same	Select the next bin on the active layer. The order goes from the front row to the back, left to right.
Arrow keys	Same	With a bin in keyboard focus and no selection, move the focus to the nearest bin in that direction
+ or =	Same	Zoom in
-	Same	Zoom out
Ctrl+O	Cmd+O	Open the layout manager
Shift+N	Same	Make a new layout and open it

3D preview

Windows and Linux	macOS	Action
V	Same	Show or hide the 3D preview. The key works after you open the preview once.
Space	Same	Make the 3D preview larger, or return it to its usual size
Escape	Same	Close the large preview
E	Same	Turn the exploded layer view on or off. This needs a desktop screen and two or more layers.

Mouse with a modifier key

Windows and Linux	macOS	Action
Ctrl+click a bin	Cmd+click a bin	Add the bin to the selection, or remove it
Alt+drag a bin	Option+drag a bin	Duplicate the bin and move the copy
Shift+drag a bin	Same	Swap the bin with the bin you drop it on, if the two can change places
Hold Ctrl while you draw or drag	Hold Control while you draw or drag	Stop the automatic fit. Without the key, a moved bin that hits another bin goes to a free spot nearby, and a new bin stops at the other bin.
Click a row or column number	Same	Select every bin in that row or column of the active layer
Shift+click a row or column number	Same	Add all rows or columns from the last one you clicked
Ctrl+click a row or column number	Cmd+click a row or column number	Add the bins in that row or column, or remove them

Drawer shape editor

These keys work in the Draw drawer shape dialog, where you draw a drawer that is not a rectangle.

Windows and Linux	macOS	Action
Hold Space and drag	Same	Pan the view
Ctrl+Z	Cmd+Z	Undo the last change to the shape
Ctrl+A	Cmd+A	Select every corner
Delete or Backspace	Same	Delete the selected corners
Arrow keys	Same	Move the selected corners one snap step, or 1 mm when snap is off
Shift+arrow key	Same	Move the selected corners ten steps
Escape	Same	Clear the corner selection

Bin designer

3D preview

Windows and Linux	macOS	Action
1	Same	Front view
2	Same	Side view
3	Same	Top view
4	Same	Isometric view
R	Same	Reset the view
W	Same	Turn the wireframe view on or off
X	Same	Turn the X-ray view on or off
P	Same	Change between perspective and orthographic

Cutout editor tools

The Cutout editor has its own keys. Some letters do a different task there than in the 3D preview.

Windows and Linux	macOS	Action
V	Same	Select tool
R	Same	Rectangle tool. With cutouts selected, turn them 90 degrees clockwise.
C	Same	Circle tool
G	Same	Polygon tool
P	Same	Pen tool
S	Same	Slot tool
K	Same	Knife slot tool
T	Same	Text tool
M	Same	Ruler tool
I	Same	Import SVG
J	Same	Import STL

Cutout editor edits

Windows and Linux	macOS	Action
Ctrl+A	Cmd+A	Select all cutouts
Ctrl+C	Cmd+C	Copy the selected cutouts
Ctrl+V	Cmd+V	Paste. If you copied no cutout, an image on the clipboard opens as a photo to trace.
Ctrl+D	Cmd+D	Duplicate the selected cutouts
Ctrl+Shift+D	Cmd+Shift+D	Make a repeat from one selected cutout, or collapse a pattern of copies into one repeat
Ctrl+G	Cmd+G	Group the selected cutouts. Select two or more.
Ctrl+Shift+G	Cmd+Shift+G	Ungroup the selected cutouts
Ctrl+L	Cmd+L	Lock or unlock the selected cutouts
Shift+H	Same	Flip the selection from left to right
Shift+V	Same	Flip the selection from front to back
Delete or Backspace	Same	Delete the selected cutouts
Arrow keys	Same	Move the selected cutouts 0.5 mm
Shift+arrow key	Same	Move the selected cutouts 5 mm
Tab or Shift+Tab	Same	Select the next or the previous cutout
Escape	Same	Cancel the current drag. Press again to step out of a group, then to clear the selection.
Ctrl+0	Cmd+0	Fit the board to the view
Hold Space and drag	Same	Pan the view

Cutout editor: paths and the mouse

Windows and Linux	macOS	Action
Ctrl+Z while you draw a path	Cmd+Z	Remove the last point
Escape while you draw a path	Same	Cancel the path
Delete while you edit points	Same	Delete the selected point
Escape while you edit points	Same	Stop the point edit
Alt+drag a curve handle	Option+drag a curve handle	Move one handle without the other
Shift+drag on an empty part of the board	Same	Measure a distance
Hold Shift while you draw a shape	Same	Keep the width and the depth equal
Hold Alt while you draw a shape	Hold Option	Draw out from the center
Hold Shift while you drag	Same	Move along one axis only
Hold Shift while you rotate	Same	Turn in 15 degree steps
Alt+drag a cutout	Option+drag a cutout	Duplicate the cutout and move the copy

Bento canvas

These keys work on the Bento canvas, where you draw compartments of any size.

Windows and Linux	macOS	Action
Arrow keys	Same	Move the selected compartment one cell
Delete or Backspace	Same	Delete the selected compartment
Escape	Same	Cancel the current drag. Press again to clear the selection, then to close the canvas.
Ctrl+0	Cmd+0	Fit the canvas to the view
Hold Space and drag	Same	Pan the view

Workshop builds

These keys work in a build that you start with New Workshop build (experimental) in Saved designs.

Windows and Linux	macOS	Action
1 to 4	Same	Front, side, top and isometric views
P	Same	Change between perspective and orthographic
R	Same	Turn the selected parts 90 degrees
Arrow keys	Same	Move the selected parts one snap step, in the direction that the view faces
Alt+arrow key	Option+arrow key	Move the selected parts 0.1 mm
Hold Alt while you drag	Hold Option	Use a finer snap
Ctrl+A	Cmd+A	Select all parts
Ctrl+C	Cmd+C	Copy the selected parts
Ctrl+V	Cmd+V	Paste under the pointer, or next to the original part
Ctrl+D	Cmd+D	Duplicate the selected parts
Delete or Backspace	Same	Delete the selected parts
Escape	Same	Cancel a part that you are about to place, or clear the selection

Baseplate generator

Windows and Linux	macOS	Action
X	Same	Turn the X-ray view on or off
P	Same	Change between perspective and orthographic

Next steps

• Keyboard and command palette: find the commands that have no key of their own.
• Place and edit bins: learn what each bin edit does on the grid.
• Arrange cutouts: group, repeat and align cutouts in the cutout editor.
• Work with several bins: select many bins and change them at the same time.