Blender shortcut keys: Here's a list of all the commands to boost your productivity

Blender is an open-source and free to use 3D creation suite. It supports the entire 3D pipeline including 3D modelling, rigging, animation, game designing, simulation, rendering, and motion tracking. It also offers the 2D animation pipeline for people who prefer old school. Here is a list of the universal Blender shortcut keys that can help in boosting your creativity while cutting down on the hard work:

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Blender for beginners: shortcut keys

If you have just come across Blender and are trying the program to write your new 3D/2D animation, these Blender commands might come in handy. All the commands mentioned below are universally accepted as Blender shortcuts across all the Blender versions. Here are all the most commonly used Blender shortcut keys used by Blender users across the world:

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Blender shortcuts for Properties

• Ctrl+C – Copy the (single) value of the button
• Ctrl+V – Paste the (single) value of the button
• Ctrl+Alt+C – Copy the entire vector or the colour field
• Ctrl+Alt+V – Paste vector as the whole or the whole colour field
• RMB (Right Mouse Button) – Open the context menu
• Backspace – Clear the value (clears a text field or sets the value to 0)
• Minus – Negate the number values (multiply by -1.0)
• Ctrl+Wheel (Mouse Scrolling Wheel) – Change the value in incremental steps, this option cycles the values for pop-up option menus and buttons
• Return/Enter – Activates the menus or toggles the values
• Alt – When held while editing values, it applies the changes to all the selected items, including objects, bones and sequence-strips. It can be used for number fields and toggles.

Blender shortcut keys for Animation

• I – insert a keyframe
• Alt+I – Clear the keyframe
• Shift+Alt+I – Clear all keyframes (removing all F-curves)
• Ctrl+D – Assign a driver
• Ctrl+Alt+D – Clear the driver
• K – Add a Keying Set
• Alt+K – Clear the Keying Set

Blender for beginners - Python Scripting

• Ctrl+C – Over any Operator Button, the shortcut copies the Python command into the clipboard (The program shortcut can be used in the Python console or the Text Editor while writing scripts)
• Shift+Ctrl+C – Over any property button, the hotkey is used to copy the data path for the property. The feature is also available from the context menu.
• Shift+Ctrl+Alt+C – Over the property buttons, the command copies the full data path for the data-block and property. Note: it is best to access values based on the context rather than by name, in most cases.

Blender shortcuts for Dragging

• Ctrl – while dragging to snap discrete and accurate steps
• Shift – Gives precision control to the values
• Shift+Ctrl – Precise snap, this command will move the object with high precision along with the snapping constraint.

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Blender for beginners – Text Editing shortcuts

• Home – Go to the beginning of the text
• End – Go to the ending of the text
• Left, Right – Move the cursor left or right one character at a time.
• Ctrl+Left, Ctrl+Right – Move the cursor left or right through an entire word
• Backspace, Delete -  Delete the characters
• Ctrl+Backspace, Ctrl+Delete – Deletes whole words
• Shift – Makes a selection while moving the cursor and holding the key.
• Ctrl+A – Selects the entire text
• Ctrl+C – Copies the selected text
• Ctrl+X – Cuts the selected text
• Ctrl+V – Pastes the text at the position of the cursor

Blender shortcut keys for Confirm or Cancel

• ESC or RMB (Right Mouse Button) – Cancels
• Enter or LMB (Left Mouse Button) – Confirms

Blender for beginners – Global Keys and shortcuts

• Ctrl+O – Open File
• Ctrl+S – Save File
• Ctrl+N – New File
• Ctrl+Z – Undo
• Ctrl+Shift+Z – Redo
• Ctrl+Q – Quit
• F1 – Help (context-sensitive)
• F2 – Rename Active Item
• F3 – Operator Search
• F4 – File Context Menu
• F5-F8 – Reserved for user actions
• F9 – Adjust the Last operation
• F11 – Show render window
• F12 – Render the current frame
• Q – Quick Access (Favourites)
• Ctrl+Spacebar – Toggle Maximie Area
• Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar – Toggle Fullscreen Area
• Ctrl+PageUp/Ctrl+PageDown – Next/Previous Workspace
• Spacebar – User configurable
• Shift+Ctrl+Spacebar – Playback Animations (reverse)

Blender shortcuts – Common Editor Keys

• A – Select all
• Alt+A – Select none
• Ctrl+I – Invert selection
• H – Hide selection
• Alt+H – Reveal Hidden Items
• T – Toggle Sidebar
• N – Toggle Sidebar

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Blender shortcut keys – 3D viewport

• Tab – Edit-mode toggle
• Ctrl+Tab – Mode switching pie menu (toggles pose mode for armatures)
• 1 – 3 – Edit Mesh vertex/edge/face toggle (Shift extends, Ctrl expands)
• AccentGrave (`) – 3D view navigation pie menu
• Ctrl+AccentGrave (`) – toggle gizmos
• Shift+AccentGrave (`) – Walk/Fly mode

Blender shortcuts – Platform-specific hotkeys

macOS

The Cmd key can be used as an alternative for Ctrl key on macOS devices. It works flawlessly with a few exceptions that conflict with the operating system. List of other macOS specific Blender shortcut keys:

• Cmd+Comma (,) – Preferences.

Blender for beginners – Industry Compatible Keymapping

Blender commands - General

• 1 – 9 – Mode/Element Switching
• RMB (Right Mouse Button) – Context Menu
• Tab – Operator search
• Shift+Tab – Quick Access (Favourites)
• Ctrl+D – Duplicate
• P – Set Parent
• Return – Rename
• Ctrl+Return – Render
• B – Proportional Editing/Soft Selection
• Ctrl+[ - toggle toolbar
• Ctrl+] – toggle sidebar

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Blender shortcut keys - Viewport

• Alt+LMB (Left Mouse Button) – Orbit View
• Alt+MMB (Middle Mouse Button) – Pan View
• Alt+RMB (Right Mouse Button) – Zoom View
• F1 – F4 – Front/Side/Top camera viewpoints
• F – Frame Selected
• A – Frame All

Blender shortcuts – Selection

• LMB (Left Mouse Button) – Select
• Ctrl+A – Select All
• Shift+Ctrl+A – Deselect All
• Ctrl+I – Select Inverse
• Up – Select more
• Down – Select less
• Double LMB (Left Mouse Button) – Select Loop
• Alt+Double LMB (Left Mouse Button) – Select Ring
• ] – Select linked

Blender commands - Tools

• W, E, R – Transform Tools
• Q – Box Select
• D – Annotate
• C – Cursor Tool

Blender shortcuts - Edit Mode Tools

• Ctrl+E – Extrude
• Ctrl+B – Bevel
• I – Inset
• K – Knife
• Alt+C – Loop Cut

Blender shortcut keys – Animation

• Spacebar – Play/Pause
• S – Set Location + Rotation + Scale Keyframe
• Shift+S – Insert Keyframe Menu
• Shift+W – Set Location Key
• Shift+E – Set Rotation Key
• Shift+R – Set Scale Key

Can I use these Blender commands on any version of the program?

All the Blender commands mentioned above can be used across all the variants of Blender programs. The commands also work seamlessly on devices running macOS with alternating the Cmd key with the Ctrl key. The compatibility of the Blender shortcut keys is subject to the developers of the program and can be provided or revoked as per their discretion. You can visit the official Blender web portal for a comprehensive list of all the shortcuts and hotkeys.

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