Blender is a comprehensive and ever expanding application for making all manner of 3D content. Its power derives to a large extent from the way its functionality is accessible through the use of keyboard shortcuts and combinations. For the User this can be a challenge in terms of remembering what shortcut keys do what in Blender.
Shortcut (hotkey) chart
Blender can do a lot of 'stuff' so having a chart of some sort to 'map'
all those keyboard shortcuts would be handy, especially if it were
printable. The following hotkey chart shows the basic shortcuts
available for Blender. A blank version is also provided for 'custom' key
mappings and mappings that differ based on system language.
General Navigation/Mouse Control
- MIDDLE mouse button (MMB)
- MMB+hold+drag
- Rotates the 3D View
- Strafes left/right, up/down other windows/editors - MMB scroll Up/Down
- Zoom 3D View and other Editors in/out
- Scrolls misc. Control & Property panels up/down - Shift+MMB
- Strafe/Translate viewport or editor left/right and up/down - Ctrl+MMB
- Zoom 3D View and other Editors in/out
- MMB+hold+drag
- LEFT mouse button (LMB)
- LMB Click
- Confirm or set an action or operation - LMB+hold+drag
- Initiates & drags X, Y, & Z Widget handles in 3D View - Ctrl+LMB
- Freestyle 'loop' Select
- Edit Outliner datablock names/ID's
- LMB Click
- RIGHT mouse button (RMB)
- RMB Click
- Select Object, item or element - Shift+RMB
- Multi-select or multi-deselect Objects, items or elements
- RMB Click
- G = free Translate/Manipulate (X, Y and Z to lock axis)
- S = free Scale/Resize (X, Y and Z to lock axis)
- R = free Rotate (X, Y and Z to lock axis)
- +Ctrl = Snaps to increment (^)
- +Ctrl +Shift = Snaps to smaller increment (^)
- +Shift = Slows movement (^)
- +Shift +Ctrl = Snaps to smaller increments (^)
General 3D View Orientation shortcut keys
- Home = re-centre 3D View (averaged on visible objects)
- NumPad 0 = Camera Perspective
- NumPad 1 = Front ortho (looking back)
- Ctrl+NumPad 1 = Back ortho (looking forwards)
- Shift+NumPad 1 = axis orientation to Z/X/Y (up/down, left/right, front/back)
- NumPad 4/6, 2/8 = Roll scene left/right, up/down (relative to view left/right) [*]
- NumPad 3 = Right ortho (looking left)
- Ctrl+NumPad 3 = Left ortho (looking right)
- Shift+NumPad 3 = axis orientation to Z/Y/X (up/down, front/back, left-right)
- NumPad 5 = toggle Perspective/Orthographic
- NumPad 7 = Top ortho (looking down)
- Ctrl+NumPad 7 = Bottom ortho (looking up)
- Shift+NumPad 7 = axis orientation to Y/X/Z (front/back, left/right, up/down)
- NumPad / = Local/Global orientation
- NumPad + = Zoom in
- NumPad - = Zoom out
- NumPad . = Focus on selection
- Ctrl + NumPad 4/6, 2/8 = Strafe/Pan scene Left/Right, Up/Down [*]
- Shift + NumPad 4/6 = Roll scene clockwise/anti-clockwise [*]
General Editor type shortcut keys
- Blender 2.50 up, to & including latest
- Shift+F1 = Link/Append
- Shift+F2 = Logic Editor
- Shift+F3 = Node Editor
- Shift+F4 = Console
- Shift+F5 = 3D View
- Shift+F6 = Graph Editor
- Shift+F7 = Properties
- Shift+F8 = Video Sequence Editor
- Shift+F9 = Outliner
- Shift+F10 = UV/Image Editor
- Shift+F11 = Text Editor
- Shift+F12 = Dope Sheet
-
Blender 2.49 or below
- Shift+F1 = Load Library (Append - File Browser)
- Shift+F2 = Export (File Browser)
- Shift+F3 = Node Editor
- Shift+F4 = Data Select
- Shift+F5 = 3D View
- Shift+F6 = IPO Curve Editor
- Shift+F7 = Buttons
- Shift+F8 = Video Sequence Editor
- Shift+F9 = Outliner
- Shift+F10 = UV/Image Editor
- Shift+F11 = Text Editor
- Shift+F12 = Action Editor
- Layout Schemes
- Ctrl+Left-arrow = toggle Layout Schemes ("Default", "3D View Full", "UV Editing" etc.)
- Ctrl+Right-arrow = (per above)
- Ctrl+Up-arrow = toggle Maximise/Minimise active view
- Ctrl+Down-arrow = toggle Maximise/Minimise active view
- Alt+F10 = toggle editor Full Screen
- View Schemes
- Home = View All
- NumPad . = View Selected
- H = Hide Selected
- Shift+H = Set Restrict View (hide all View proxy)
- Ctrl+H = Set Restrict Render (hide all Render proxy)
- Alt+H = Unhide All
- Misc. UI Functions
- F1 = Open (2.49 or below)
- F2 = Save As... (2.49 or below)
- Ctrl+N = New
- Ctrl+O = Open
- Shift+Ctrl+O = Open Recent
- Ctrl+Q = Quit Blender
- Ctrl+S = Save
- Ctrl+Alt+S = Save a Copy
- Ctrl+W = Save (2.49 or below)
- Ctrl+X = New (2.49 or below)
- Shift+Ctrl+S = Save As...
- Ctrl+Alt+U = User Preferences
- X = Delete (type/element)
- Misc. Panel Overlays
- N = Properties (generic editor/area properties) (^)
- 3D View
- Graph Editor
- Dope Sheet
- NLA Editor
- UV/Image Editor
- Video Sequence Editor
- Movie Clip Editor
- Node Editor
- Logic Editor
- T = Tool Shelf (generic editor/area tool shelf) (^)
- 3D View
- UV/Image Editor
- Movie Clip Editor
- Node Editor
- File Browser
3D View Object Mode shortcut keys
- N = Properties (generic editor/area properties) (^)
- 1 » 0 = Layers (top row)
- Alt+1 » 0 = Layers (bottom row)
- Ctrl+1 » 5 = Subdivision levels 1x thru 5x
- Shift+1 » 0 = multi-select Layers (top row)
- Shift+Alt+1 » 0 = multi-select Layers (bottom row)
- ' = Select All/Deselect All Layers
- . = Pivot Point - Cursor
- , = Pivot Point - Median (default)
- A = Select All/Deselect All
- Ctrl+A = Apply
- B = Border (Box) Select
- Alt+B = Clip Select (toggles off when used again)
- Shift+B = Zoom to Selected
- C = Paint (Circle) Select
- C+LMB = Additive election
- C+MMB = Subtractive deselection
- RMB/Esc = Cancel Action
- D = switch Draw mode (2.49 or below)
- Alt+D = Duplicate (linked)
- Shift+D = Duplicate (unlinked)
- F = toggle UV Edit mode (2.46 or below)
- Ctrl+G = Group
- Ctrl+Alt+G = Remove Selected from Active Group
- Ctrl+Shift+G = Add Selected to Active Group
- Shift+Ctrl+Alt+G = Remove from All Groups
- Shift+G = Select Grouped
- H = Hide
- Alt+H = Unhide All
- L = Make Local
- M = Move to Layer
- Ctrl+M = Mirror/Flip
- +X = along X axis (front/back)
- +Y = along Y axis (left/right)
- +Z = along Z axis (up/down)
- N = toggle View Properties
- N = Transform Properties (2.49 or below)
- O = toggle Proportional Editing
- P = Start Game Engine
- Ctrl+P = Set Parent To
- Alt+P = Clear Parent
- T = toggle Tool Shelf
- T = Texture Space (2.49 or below)
- Tab = toggle Object/Edit mode
- Ctrl+Tab = toggle Weight Paint mode
- Shift+Tab = toggle Grid-snap
- U = Make Single User
- V = toggle Vertex Paint mode
- W = Specials
- X = Delete
- Z = toggle Wireframe/Solid viewport shading
- Alt+Z = toggle Solid/Texture viewport shading
- Ctrl+Z = Undo
- Shift+Z = toggle Solid/Shaded Draw type (2.49 or below)
- Shift+Ctrl+Z = Redo
3D View Edit mode shortcut keys
- 1 » 0 = Layers (top row - selecting layers in Edit mode keeps active mesh in view)
- Alt+1 » 0 = Layers (bottom row)
- Ctrl+1 » 5 = Subdivision level 1x thru 5x
- Shift+1 » 0 = multi-select Layers (top row)
- Shift+Alt+1 » 0 = multi-select Layers (bottom row)
- ' = Select All/Deselect All Layers
- . = Pivot Point - Cursor
- , = Pivot Point - Median (default)
- A = Select All/Deselect All
- B = Border (Box) Select
- Alt+B = toggle Clip Select (on select/off)
- Ctrl+B = Bevel Edge selections
- Shift+Ctrl+B = Bevel Vertex selections
- Shift+B = Zoom to Selected
- C = Circle (Paint) Select
- C = Centre on Cursor (2.49 or below)
- Ctrl+C = Copy Face Selected (2.49 or below)
- D = switch Draw mode (2.49 or below)
- Shift+D = Duplicate (unlinked)
- E = Extrude
- Alt+E = Extrude Region
- Esc = Cancel action/operation
- Ctrl+E = Edges options/Specials (incl. 2.49)
- F = Generate Face
- Ctrl+F = Faces options/Specials (incl. 2.49)
- Ctrl+Shift+F = Flip Edge (2.49 or below)
- Ctrl+G = Vertex Groups
- Shift+G = Select Similar
- H = Hide
- Alt+H = Unhide All
- I = Inset
- J = Diagonal surface split (corner to corner)
- Ctrl+I = Invert selection
- Alt+J = convert Tris to Quads
- K = Knife
- Alt+M = Merge
- Ctrl+M = Mirror/Flip
- +X = along X axis (front/back)
- +Y = along Y axis (left/right)
- +Z = along Z axis (up/down)
- O = toggle Proportional Editing
- P = Separate (to Object)
- Alt+P = Poke Face
- Ctrl+P = Make Vertex Parent
- Ctrl+R = Loopcut
- Ctrl+T = Tessellation (triangulation)
- Tab = toggle Edit/Object mode
- Ctrl+Tab = Mesh Select Mode (Face, Edge, Vertex)
- Shift+Tab = toggle Grid-snap on/off
- U = UV Mapping
- U = UV Calculation (2.49 or below)
- V = Rip/Detach Vertex
- Shift+V = Slide selection (alt. double-tap "G")
- Ctrl+V = Vertices options
- Ctrl+V = Vertex Specials (2.49)
- W = Specials
- X = Delete options
- Ctrl+X = Dissolve Selected
- Ctrl+X = Delete All/Reset (2.49 or below)
- Y = Split Face/Edge/Vertex
- Z = toggle Wireframe/Solid viewport shading
- Alt+Z = toggle Solid/Texture viewport shading
- Ctrl+Z = Undo
3D View Pose Mode shortcut keys
- 1 » 0 = Layers (top row - selecting layers in Edit mode keeps active mesh in view)
- Alt+1 » 0 = Layers (bottom row)
- Ctrl+1 » 5 = Subdivision level 1x thru 5x
- Shift+1 » 0 = multi-select Layers (top row)
- Shift+Alt+1 » 0 = multi-select Layers (bottom row)
- ' = Select All/Deselect All Layers
- . = Pivot Point - Cursor
- , = Pivot Point - Median (default)
- A = Select All/Deselect All
- Arrow Keys
- Left = animation playback (towards 'start')
- Right = animation playback (towards 'end')
- Up = Jump to next Keyframe (towards 'start')
- Down = Jump to next Keyframe (towards 'end')
- B = Border (Box) Select
- C = Circle (Paint) Select
- C+LMB = Additive Select
- C+MMB = Subtractive Select
- RMB = Cancel Selection