[WML-Source: Windows_and_Hotkeys.wml][TOC][Part00]
[chapter]
[section]Blender windows - general introduction
This section describes the general functions of the mouse and
keyboard, both of which work uniformly throughout the Blender
interface. Each Blender window also offers a number of specific
options. These options are described in the following sections.
[subsection]The Mouse
Each time you place the mouse cursor over the edge of a Blender
window, the mouse cursor changes shape. When this happens, the
following mouse keys are activated:
[point]LeftMouse (hold-move)
Drag the window edge horizontally
or vertically. The window edge always moves in increments of 4 pixels,
making it relatively easy to move two window edges so that they are
precisely adjacent to each other, thus joining them.
[point]MiddleMouse or Right Mouse
A PopupMenu prompts for "Split Area" or "Join Areas".
Choosing "Split Area", Blender allows you to indicate the exact split
point or to cancel "split" by pressing ESC. "Split" divides the window
into two windows, creating an exact copy of the original window.
Choosing "Join Areas", Windows with a shared edge are joined if
possible. The active Window remains.
If there is no Header in the Window, the PopupMenu contains also the item "Add Header".
[point]The Window Header
Blender window headers offer the following extra options in combination with mouse keys:
[point]LeftMouse on the header
The entire Blender window pops to the foreground.
[point]CTRL+LeftMouse on the header
The entire Blender window pops to the background.
[point]MiddleMouse (hold-move) on the header
If the Blender
window is not wide enough to display the entire header, the
MiddleMouse key can be used to horizontally shift the header.
[point]RightMouse on the header
A PopupMenu appears asking for "Top", "Bottom" or "No Header". That way
the header can be moved to the top or the bottom of the Blender
window or can be hidden.
You can add a header to a Window by pressing the middle Mouse over an
edge of a headerless Window.
[subsection]Window HotKeys
Certain window managers also use the following hotkeys. So ALT-CTRL
can be substituted for CTRL to perform the functions described below.
[point]CTRL+LEFTARROW
Go to the previous Screen.
[point]CTRL+RIGHTARROW
Go to the next Screen.
[point]CTRL+UPARROW
or CTRL+DOWNARROW
Maximise the window or return to the previous window display size.
[point]SHIFT+F4
Change the window to a DataView
[point]SHIFT+F5
Change the window to a 3DWindow
[point]SHIFT+F6
Change the window to an IpoWindow
[point]SHIFT+F7
Change the window to a ButtonsWindow
[point]SHIFT+F8
Change the window to a SequenceWindow
[point]SHIFT+F9
Change the window to an OopsWindow
[point]SHIFT+F10
Change the window to an ImageWindow
[point]SHIFT+F11
Change the window to a TextWindow
[point]SHIFT+F12
Change the window to a SoundWindow
[subsection]Universal HotKeys
The following HotKeys work uniformly in all Blender windows:
[point]ESCKEY
- This key always cancels Blender functions without changes.
- or: FileWindow, DataView and ImageSelect: back to the previous window type.
- or: the RenderWindow is pushed to the background (or closed, that depends on the operating system).
[point]SPACEKEY
Open the main menu of Blender, the Toolbox.
[point]TABKEY
Start or quit EditMode.
[point]F1KEY
Loads a Blender file. Changes the window to a FileWindow.
[point]SHIFT+F1
Appends parts from other files, or loads as Library-data. Changes the
window to a FileWindow, making Blender files accessible as a directory.
[point]F2KEY
Writes a Blender file. Change the window to a FileWindow.
[point]SHIFT+F2KEY
Exports the scene as a DXF file
[point]CTRL+F2KEY
Exports the scene as a VRML1 file
[point]F3KEY
Writes a picture (if a picture has been rendered). The fileformat is
as indicated in the DisplayButtons. The window becomes a FileWindow.
[point]CTRL+F3KEY
Saves a screendump of the active window. The fileformat is
as indicated in the DisplayButtons. The window becomes a FileWindow.
[point]SHIFT+CTRL+F3KEY
Saves a screendump of the whole Blender screen. The fileformat is
as indicated in the DisplayButtons. The window becomes a FileWindow.
[point]F4KEY
Displays the LampButtons (if a ButtonsWindow is available).
[point]F5KEY
Displays the MaterialButtons (if a ButtonsWindow is available).
[point]F6KEY
Displays the TextureButtons (if a ButtonsWindow is available).
[point]F7KEY
Displays the AnimButtons (if a ButtonsWindow is available).
[point]F8KEY
Displays the RealtimeButtons (if a ButtonsWindow is available).
[point]F9KEY
Displays the EditButtons (if a ButtonsWindow is available).
[point]F10KEY
Displays the DisplayButtons (if a ButtonsWindow is available).
[point]F11KEY
Hides or shows the render window.
[point]F12KEY
Starts the rendering of the active camera.
[point]LEFTARROW
Go to the previous frame.
[point]SHIFT+LEFTARROW
Go to the first frame.
[point]RIGHTARROW
Go to the next frame.
[point]SHIFT+LEFTARROW
Go to the last frame.
[point]UPARROW
Go forward 10 frames.
[point]DOWNARROW
Go back 10 frames.
[point]ALT+A
Change the current Blender window to Animation Playback
mode. The cursor changes to a counter.
[point]ALT-SHIFT+A
The current window, plus all 3DWindows go into
Animation Playback mode.
[point]ALT+E
Start or leave EditMode.
[point]IKEY
Insert Key menu. This menu differs from window to window.
[point]JKEY
Toggle the render buffers. Blender allows you to retain two different rendered pictures in memory.
[point]NKEY
Number buttons. These buttons differ depending on the type of Blender window. Numeric information for the active selection can be visualised and specified using these buttons.
[point]CTRL+O
Opens the last saved file.
[point]QKEY
"OK? Quit Blender". This key closes Blender. "Blender quit" is displayed in the console if Blender is properly closed.
[point]ALT-CTRL+T
TimerMenu. This menu offers access to information about drawing speed. The results are displayed in the console.
[point]CTRL+U
"OK" Save User defaults". The current project (windows, objects,
etc.), including UserMenu settings are written to the default file
that will be loaded every time you start Blender or set it to defaults
by pressing CTRL-X
.
[point]CTRL+W
Write file. This key combination allows you to write the Blender file without opening a FileWindow.
[point]ALT+W
Write Videoscape file. Changes the window to a FileWindow.
[point]CTRL+X
Erase All. Everything (except the render buffer) is erased and released. The default scene is reloaded.
[subsection]EditMode HotKeys - General
[point]TABKEY
/ ALT+E
This button starts and stops EditMode.
[point]AKEY
Add Menu. In EditMode, this menu can only be used to add
primitives of the same type like the Object that is in EditMode. If a different Object type is added Blender automatically leaves EditMode.
[point]BKEY
Border Select. In EditMode, this function only works on the vertices. It works as described in the previous section.
[point]BKEY-BKEY
Circle Select. If you press BKEY a second time after starting Border Select, Circle Select is invoked. This mode selects vertices with LeftMouse and deselects vertices with MiddleMouse.
Use PAD_PLUS or PAD_MINUS to adjust the circle size.
Leave Circle Select with RightMouse or ESC.
[point]NKEY
NumberMenu. In EditMode Mesh, Curve, Surface: The location of the active vertex is displayed.
[point]PKEY
seParate. All selected vertices, edges, faces and curves are removed from the EditMode and placed in a new Object. This operation is the opposite of Join (CTRL+J).
[point]CTRL+P
"Make Vertex Parent". Select 1 or 3 vertices from a
Mesh, Curve or Surface. Now this Object becomes the Vertex Parent of
the selected Objects.
If only 1 vertex is selected, only the location of this vertex
determines the Parent transformation; the rotation and dimensions of
the Parent do not play a role here.
If three vertices are selected, it is a 'normal' Parent relationship
in which the 3 vertices determine the rotation and location of the
Child together. This method produces interesting effects with Vertex
Keys. In EditMode, other Objects can be selected with
CTRL+RightMouse.
[point]CTRL+S
Shear. In EditMode this operation enables you to make selected forms 'slant'. This
always works via the horizontal screen axis.
[point]UKEY
(For Font Objects: ALT+U) Reload Original Data. When starting
EditMode, the original ObData block is saved. This option enables you
to restore the previous situation. By continually leaving EditMode
while working (TAB-TAB) you can refresh this 'undo buffer'.
[point]WKEY
Specials PopupMenu. A number of tools are included in this PopupMenu as
an alternative to the EditButtons. This makes the buttons accessible
as shortcuts, e.g. EditButtons->Subdivide is also 'WKEY, 1KEY'.
[point]SHIFT-D
Add Duplicate. The selected vertices (faces, curves, etc.) are
copied. Grab mode starts immediately thereafter.
[point]SHIFT+W
Warp. Selected vertices can be bent into curves with
this option. It can be used to convert a plane into a tube or even a
sphere. The centre of the circle is the 3DCursor. The mid-line of the
circle is determined by the horizontal dimensions of the selected
vertices. When you start, everything is already bent 90
degrees. Moving the mouse up or down increases or decreases the extent
to which warping is done. By zooming in/out of the 3Dwindow, you can
specify the maximum degree of warping. The CTRL limitor increments
warping in steps of 5 degrees.
[subsection]EditMode Mesh Hotkeys
[point]EKEY
Extrude Selected. "Extrude" in EditMode transforms all the selected
edges to faces. If possible, the selected faces are also duplicated.
Grab mode is started directly after this command is executed. #->$13
[point]FKEY
Make Edge/Face. If 2 vertices are selected, an edge is created. If 3
or 4 vertices are selected, a face is created.
[point]SHIFT+F
Fill
selected. All selected vertices that are bound by edges and form a
closed polygon are filled with triangular faces. Holes are
automatically taken into account. This operation is 2D; various layers
of polygons must be filled in succession.
[point]ALT+F
Beauty Fill. The edges of all the selected triangular faces are
switched in such a way that equally sized faces are formed. This
operation is 2D; various layers of polygons must be filled in
succession. The Beauty Fill can be performed immediately after a
Fill.
[point]HKEY
Hide Selected. All selected vertices and faces are temporarily hidden.
[point]SHIFT+H
Hide Not Selected: All non-selected vertices and faces are temporarily hidden.
[point]ALT+H
Reveal. All temporarily hidden vertices and faces are drawn again.
[point]LKEY
Select Linked. If you start with an unselected vertex near the mouse
cursor, this vertex is selected, together with all vertices that share
an edge with it.
[point]SHIFT+L
Deselect Linked. If you start with a selected vertex,
this vertex is deselected, together with all vertices that share an
edge with it.
[point]CTRL+L
Select Linked Selected. Starting with
all selected vertices, all vertices connected to them are selected
too.
[point]CTRL+N
Calculate Normals Outside. All normals from selected
faces are recalcultated and consistently set in the same direction. An
attempt is made to direct all normals 'outward'.
[point]SHIFT-CTRL+N
Calculate Normals Inside. All normals from selected faces are
recalculated and consistently set in the same direction. An attempt is
made to direct all normals 'inward'.
[point]CTRL+T
Make Triangles. All selected faces are converted to triangles.
[point]XKEY
Erase Selected. A PopupMenu offers the following options:
- "Vertices": all vertices are deleted. This includes the edges and faces they form.
- "Edges": all edges with both vertices selected are deleted. If this 'releases' certain vertices, they are deleted as well. Faces that can no longer exist as a result of this action are also deleted.
- "Faces": all faces with all their vertices selected are deleted. If any vertices are 'released' as a result of this action, they are deleted.
- "All": everything is deleted.
- "Edges and Faces": all selected edges and faces are deleted, but the vertices remain.
- "Only Faces": all selected faces are deleted, but the edges and vertices remain.
[point]YKEY
Split. This command 'splits' the selected part of a Mesh without
deleting faces. The split parts are no longer bound by edges. Use
this command to control smoothing. Since the split parts have
vertices at the same position, selection with LKEY is recommended.
[subsection]EditMode Curve Hotkeys
[point]CKEY
Set the selected curves to cyclic or turn cyclic off. An individual
curve is selected if at least one of the vertices is selected.
[point]EKEY
Extrude Curve. A vertex is added to the selected end of the
curves. Grab mode is started immediately after this command is
executed.
[point]FKEY
Add segment. A segment is added between two selected vertices at the
end of two curves. These two curves are combined into 1 curve.
[point]HKEY
Toggle Handle align/free. Toggles the selected Bezier handles between free or aligned.
[point]SHIFT+H
Set Handle auto. The selected Bezier handles are converted to auto type.
[point]CTRL+H
Calculate Handles. The selected Bezier curves are calculated and all handles are assigned a type.
[point]LKEY
Select Linked. If you start with an non-selected vertex near the
mouse cursor, this vertex is selected together with all the vertices
of the same curve.
[point]SHIFT+L
Deselect Linked. If you start with a selected vertex,
it is deselected together with all the vertices of the same curve.
[point]TKEY
Tilt mode. Specify an extra axis rotation, i.e. the tilt, for each vertex in a 3D curve.
[point]ALT+TKEY
Clear Tilt. Set all axis rotations of the selected vertices to zero.
[point]VKEY
Vector Handle. The selected Bezier handles are converted to vector type.
[point]WKEY
The special menu for curves appears:
- Subdivide. Subdivide the selected vertices
- Switch direction. The direction of the selected curves is
reversed. This is manly for Curves that are used as paths!
[point]XKEY
Erase Selected. A PopupMenu offers the following options:
- "Selected": all selected vertices are deleted.
- "Segment": a curve segment is deleted. This only works for single segments.
Curves can be split in two using this option. Or use this option to specify the cyclic position within a cyclic curve.
- "All": delete everything.
[subsection]EditMode Font Hotkeys
A complete list of all key combinations for special characters can be found elsewhere in this manual. (Reference to text section of Curves and Surfaces chapter-cw-)
[point]SHIFT+TAB
The ASCII code for TAB.
[point]RIGHTARROWKEY
Move text cursor 1 position forward
[point]SHIFT+RIGHTARROWKEY
Move text cursor to the end of the line.
[point]LEFTARROWKEY
Move text cursor 1 position backwards.
[point]SHIFT+LEFTARROWKEY
Move text cursor to the start of the line
[point]DOWNARROWKEY
Move text cursor 1 line forward
[point]SHIFT+DOWNARROWKEY
Move text cursor to the end of the text.
[point]UPARROWKEY
Move text cursor 1 line back.
[point]SHIFT+UPARROWKEY
Move text cursor to the beginning of the text
[point]ALT+U
"Reload Original Data" (undo). When EditMode is started, the original text is saved. You can restore this original text with this option.
[point]ALT+V
Paste text. The text file "/tmp/.cutbuffer" is inserted at the cursor location.
[subsection]EditMode Surface Hotkeys
[point]CKEY
Toggle Cyclic menu. A PopupMenu asks if selected surfaces in the 'U' or the 'V' direction must be cyclic. If they were already cyclic, this mode is turned off.
[point]EKEY
Extrude Selected. This makes surfaces of all the selected curves, if possible. Only the edges of surfaces or loose curves are candidates for this operation.
Grab mode is started immediately after this command is completed.
[point]FKEY
Add segment. A segment is added between two selected vertices at the ends of two curves. These two curves are combined into 1 curve.
[point]LKEY
Select Linked. If you start with an non-selected vertex near the mouse cursor, this vertex is selected together with all the vertices of the same curve or surface.
[point]SHIFT+L
Deselect Linked. If you start with a selected vertex, this vertex is deselected together with all vertices of the same curve or surface.
[point]SHIFT+R
Select Row. Starting with the last selected vertex, a complete row of vertices is selected in the 'U' or 'V' direction. Selecting "Select Row" a second time with the same vertex switches the 'U' or 'V' selection.
[point]WKEY
The special menu for curves appears:
- Subdivide. Subdivide the selected vertices
- Switch direction. This will switch the normals of the selected parts.
[point]XKEY
Erase Selected. A PopupMenu offers the following choices:
- "Selected": all selected vertices are deleted.
- "All": delete everything.
[subsection]Ika Hotkeys
[point]TABKEY
Turns the calculation of 'Inverse Kinematics' on or off.
[point]EKEY
Extrude Ika. An extra Limb is added to the selected Ikas. Grab mode is started immediately thereafter.
[point]CTRL+K
Make sKeleton. A Skeleton is created (anew) in the active Ika Object. All selected Ikas and Empty Objects become part of the Skeleton. To indicate that an Ika has a Skeleton, the 'end-effector' is now drawn in blue (instead of yellow).
[point]CTRL+P
Make Parent. If the Parent is an Ika, a PopupMenu offers three options:
- "Use vertex": one of the vertices from the Ika chain becomes the Parent. Only the location transformation is passed on to the Child Objects. Indicate which vertex with the NumberButton that pops up.
- "Use limb": one of the limbs of the Ika becomes the Parent. Indicate which Limb with the NumberButton that pops up.
- "Use skeleton": all Ikas and Emptys that make up the skeleton, become the Parent and can distort the Child Objects. Distortion only works on Objects that are directly parented to the Skeleton.
[subsection]VertexPaint Hotkeys
[point]SHIFT+K
All vertex colours are erased; they are changed to the current drawing colour.
[point]UKEY
Undo. This undo is 'real'. Pressing Undo twice returns you to the previous situation.
[point]WKEY
"Shared Vertexcol": The colours of all faces that share vertices are blended.
[subsection]FaceSelect Hotkeys
[point]TAB
Switches to EditMode, selections made here will show up when
switching back to FaceSelectMode with TAB
.
[point]AKEY
Selects all faces.
[point]BKEY
Border select.
[point]RKEY
Calls a menu allowing to rotate the UV coordinates or the VertexCol.
[point]UKEY
Calls the "UV Calculation" menu. The following modes can the applied to the selected faces:
- Cube : Cubical mapping, a number button asks for the
cubemap size
- Cylinder : Cylindrical mapping, calculated from the center
of the selected faces
- Sphere : Spherical mapping, calculated from the center of
the selected faces
- Bounds to x: UV coordinates are calculated from the actual
view, then scaled to a boundbox of 64 or 128 pixels in square
- Standard x: Each face gets default square UV coordinates
- From Window : The UV coordinates are calculated using the
projection as displayed in the 3DWindow
-cw-
Last modified: Tue Oct 24 11:53:07 CEST 2000
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