Keyboard Shortcuts

ZnDraw provides keyboard shortcuts for the navigation and interaction. Shortcuts are organized by interaction mode.

Note

Keyboard shortcuts are disabled when typing in input fields (text boxes, search, etc.).

Global Shortcuts

These shortcuts work in any mode:

Shortcut	Action
← / →	Navigate to previous / next frame
Shift + ← / Shift + →	Jump to previous / next bookmark
Space	Toggle playback
B	Add bookmark to current frame
C	Center camera on selection (or all particles)
R	Rotate camera 15° around view axis
Shift + R	Rotate camera 45° around view axis
Ctrl + R	Rotate camera in opposite direction
I	Toggle info boxes (property inspector)

View Mode Shortcuts

These shortcuts are available in the default view mode:

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl/Cmd + A	Select all particles
X	Enter drawing mode
E	Enter editing mode

Drawing Mode

Drawing mode allows interactive curve creation. Press X to toggle.

Shortcut	Action
X	Exit drawing mode (return to view)
Click	Add point to active curve

How Drawing Mode Works:

1. Press X to enter drawing mode

2. A drawing marker appears at your cursor position

3. Click to add control points to the active curve

4. The marker turns red when over an invalid position

5. Press X again to exit and return to view mode

Note

Drawing mode only works with Curve geometries that have static positions. The room is temporarily locked while drawing to prevent conflicts.

Editing Mode

Editing mode allows interactive transformation of geometries. Press E to toggle.

Shortcut	Action
E	Exit editing mode (return to view)
T	Cycle transform mode (translate → rotate → scale)
X (hold)	Constrain to X axis
Y (hold)	Constrain to Y axis
Z (hold)	Constrain to Z axis
↑ / ↓	Adjust transform sensitivity
Shift + ↑/↓	Larger sensitivity adjustment
S	Save frame edits
Delete / Backspace	Delete selected curve markers

How Editing Mode Works:

1. Press E to enter editing mode

2. The editing indicator appears showing the current transform mode

3. Select geometry instances by clicking on them

4. Use transform gizmo to translate, rotate, or scale

5. Press T to cycle between transform modes

6. Hold X, Y, or Z to constrain movement to a single axis

7. Press S to save your changes

8. Press E again to exit and return to view mode

Axis Constraints:

When holding an axis key, a colored chip appears indicating the active constraint:

• Red chip: X axis constraint

• Green chip: Y axis constraint

• Blue chip: Z axis constraint

Virtual Markers (Curves):

In editing mode, curves display virtual markers between control points. Click a virtual marker to insert a new control point at that position.