Unwrap UVW Shortcuts

To use keyboard shortcuts for the Unwrap UVW modifier, the Keyboard Shortcut Override Toggle must be on.

In general, this table includes only functions that have default keyboard shortcuts and functions with descriptions that are not documented in the Unwrap UVW reference topics.

Unwrap UVW Function Keyboard Shortcut Description
Allow Selections Inside Transform Gizmo   Lets you select vertices inside the gizmo by Ctrl+clicking or Alt+clicking a vertex. When turned on, you can move only by dragging over empty space.
Always Bring Up The Edit Window   When on, the Edit UVWs dialog automatically opens when you access the Unwrap UVW modifier.
Blend Tiles To Background   Lets you blend the image in the Edit UVWs dialog with the background color. At 0 the image will be hidden while at 1 it will be at full intensity.
Box Map    
Break Selected Vertices Ctrl+B Breaks selected vertices so no texture polygon shares them; the same as breaking a vertex in Edit Mesh.
Brightness Affects Center Tile   The brightness control for the tile of image at 0,0 of the Edit UVWs dialog.
Contract Geom. Polygons   Shrinks the polygon selection in the viewport.
Copy   Copies the current polygon selection texture data into the paste buffer.
Cylindrical Map    
Detach Edge Vertices D, Ctrl+D Detaches the selected vertices into a separate element.
Display Seams   Highlights edges that are seams in texture space in the Edit UVWs dialog. A seam is an edge that has only one polygon attached to it.
Edge Sel to Pelt Seam (Add)   Converts the edge selection to pelt seams, adding to the current pelt seams.
Edge Sel to Pelt Seam (Replace)   Converts the edge selection to pelt seams, replacing the current pelt seams.
Edge Snap    
Edge to Polygon Select   Converts an edge selection into a polygon selection.
Edge to Vertex Select   Converts an edge selection into a vertex selection.
Edit UVWs Ctrl+E Opens the Edit UVWs dialog.
Expand Geom. Polygons   Grows the polygon selection in the viewport.
Polygon to Edge Select   Converts a polygon selection into an edge selection.
Polygon to Vertex Select   Converts a polygon selection into a vertex selection.
Filter Selected Polygons Alt+F When on, only polygons that are selected in the viewport will be displayed in the Edit UVWs dialog.
Flatten Map   Lays out the UV space so that no texture polygons overlap.
Flatten Map Dialog   Opens the dialog for Flatten Mapping settings.
Flip Horizontal   Detaches the current selection and then mirrors it in the U direction.
Flip Vertical   Detaches the current selection and then mirrors it in the V direction.
Freeform Mode   Toggles freeform editing tool in the Edit UVWs dialog.
Freeze Selected Ctrl+F Locks the current selection so you cannot select it anymore.
Geom. Edge Loop Selection    
Geom. Edge Ring Selection    
Geom. Element Select Mode   Puts you in an element-select mode for selecting polygons in the viewport.
Get Polygon Selection From Stack Alt+Shift+Ctrl+F Copies the polygon selection from the modifier stack to the polygon selection that Unwrap UVW uses.
Get Selection From Polygons Alt+Shift+Ctrl+P Transfers the polygon selection in the viewport to the selection in the Edit UVWs dialog.
Grid Snap   Turns on grid snapping.
Grid Visible   Toggles grid visibility.
Hide Selected Ctrl+H Hides the current selection in the Edit UVWs dialog.
Ignore Back Polygons   When on you can select only polygons in the viewport that are facing you.
Load Defaults   Loads the UI defaults from an .ini file.
Load UVW Alt+Shift+Ctrl+L Lets you load a .uvw file onto a mesh. The mesh must have similar topology as the source.
Lock Selected Vertices spacebar Locks the selection so you cannot add to or remove from it.
Mapping Align Normals    
Mapping Align To View    
Mapping Align X   Aligns the mapping gizmo to the X axis of the object's local coordinate system.
Mapping Align Y   Aligns the mapping gizmo to the Y axis of the object's local coordinate system.
Mapping Align Z   Aligns the mapping gizmo to the Z axis of the object's local coordinate system.
Mapping Center   Moves the mapping gizmo so that its pivot coincides with the center of the selection.
Mapping Fit   Scales the gizmo to the extents of the selection and centers it on the selection. Does not change the orientation.
Mapping Reset   Scales the gizmo to fit the selection and aligns it with the object's local space.
Mirror Horizontal Alt+Shift+Ctrl+N Mirrors the current selection along the U axis.
Mirror Vertical Alt+Shift+Ctrl+M Mirrors the current selection along the V axis.
Move Horizontal Alt+Shift+Ctrl+J  
Move Vertical Alt+Shift+Ctrl+K  
Normal Map   This creates a mapping based on the polygon normals.
Normal Map Dialog   Opens a dialog for making Normal Mapping settings.
Open Edge Mode   When turned on, selecting an open edge selects all attached open edges.
Open Edge Select   Selects all open edges connected to the current selection.
Pack   Lays out all selected elements so they don't overlap.
Pack Dialog   Opens the Pack dialog.
Paint Select Decrement Cursor Size   Applies to the Sketch tool.
Paint Select Increment Cursor Size   Applies to the Sketch tool.
Paint Select Mode   Applies to the Sketch tool.
Pan Ctrl+P  
Paste   Pastes the contents of the paste buffer onto the selection. For best results the source and target should have similar topology.
Paste Instance   The pasted and source UVs will share the same vertices.
Pelt Always Show Seams   Toggles display of the pelt seams in the viewports.
Pelt Dialog   Opens the Pelt Map Parameters dialog
Pelt Dialog Mirror Stretcher   Mirrors the stretcher points from one side of the mirror axis to the other.
Pelt Dialog Relax Simulation Heavy   Causes a relatively strong normalization of the distances between mapping vertices.
Pelt Dialog Relax Simulation Light   Causes a relatively weak normalization of the distances between mapping vertices.
Pelt Dialog Reset Stretcher   Returns the stretcher and the pelt UVs to their default shape and orientation.
Pelt Dialog Run Simulation   Runs the simulation, pulling the pelt seam vertices towards the stretcher points.
Pelt Dialog Select Pelt UVs   Selects all pelt UVs.
Pelt Dialog Select Stretcher   Selects all stretcher UVs.
Pelt Dialog Snap Seams   Aligns all the stretcher points to the edge seams on the pelt UVs.
Pelt Dialog Straighten Stretcher   Lets you specify a polygonal outline for the stretcher by moving points.
Pelt Edit Seams   Lets you specify a pelt seam by selecting edges with the mouse in the viewports.
Pelt Expand Selection To Seams   Expands the current polygon selection to meet the pelt seam border(s).
Pelt Map   Activates pelt-mapping mode.
Pelt Seam to Edge Sel (Add)   Converts the pelt seam to an edge selection, adding to the current edge selection.
Pelt Seam to Edge Sel (Replace)   Converts the pelt seam to an edge selection, replacing the current edge selection.
Pivot Snap ... (nine shortcuts)   Snaps the Freeform gizmo pivot to the specified gizmo edge.
Planar Map Faces/Patches Enter Applies a planar map to the current selection.
Planar Threshold   Turns on the Modify panel Planar Angle checkbox.
Point to Point Edge Selection   Lets you specify pelt seams by selecting vertices with the mouse in the viewports.
Polygon Mode   Applies only to triangle meshes. When turned on (the default), if you select a triangular face, 3ds Max will select all faces that belong to the poly that owns that face.
Polygon Select   Expands the current face selection to the poly.
Prevent Reflattening   When on, keeps Render To Texture from reflattening the mapping.
Relax   Applies the default Relax Tool settings to the current texture vertex selection.
Relax Brush Alt While held, toggles from UV Paint to the Relax brush.
Relax Dialog   Opens the Relax Tool dialog.
Render UVW Template   Renders the UVW coordinates to a bitmap.
Reset Pivot On Selection   When turned on (the default), the Freeform gizmo pivot is reset to the center every time the selection changes, otherwise the pivot maintains its offset.
Reset UVWs   Sets texture coordinates to the original values before Unwrap was applied.
Save Current Settings As Default   Saves current UI values to the default .ini file.
Save UVW   Lets you save the UVW data to disk as a .uvw file, which can be read in later or onto another mesh if they have similar topology.
Scale Horizontal   Scales the selection along the U axis.
Scale Vertical   Scales the selection along the V axis.
Select Inverted Polygons   Selects any polygons in the Edit UVWs dialog that are not facing you.
Select Overlapped Polygons   Selects overlapping polygons in the Edit UVWs dialog.
Show Edge Distortion   Uses a green-to-red color range to depict distortion.
Show Hidden Edges   Toggles display of all edges.
Show Map   Toggles display of the image map.
Show Seams in Viewport Alt+E Toggles display of cluster seams in the viewport. Works only when Edit UVWs dialog has focus.
Show Shared Sub-objects   Shows sub-objects that share edges/vertices.
Show Subobject Counter   Displays the number of selected objects in the editor window.
Show Vertex Connections   Tags all texture vertices that share the same geometry vertex with a unique ID.
Sketch   Activates Sketch Vertices.
Sketch Dialog    
Sketch Reverse Vertex Order   Reverses the order of the selected vertices for Sketch mode. Applies to the Use Current Selection option for Sketch.
Snap Ctrl+S Toggles snapping.
Snap to Grid/Vertex/Edge   Sets the snap type.
Soft Selection Edge Distance   Equivalent to turning on Edge Distance.
Soft Selection Edge Distance Range 1   Set Edge Distance to the specified value.
Soft Selection Edge Distance Range 2   Set Edge Distance to the specified value.
Soft Selection Edge Distance Range 3   Set Edge Distance to the specified value.
Soft Selection Edge Distance Range 4   Set Edge Distance to the specified value.
Soft Selection Edge Distance Range 5   Set Edge Distance to the specified value.
Soft Selection Edge Distance Range 6   Set Edge Distance to the specified value.
Soft Selection Edge Distance Range 7   Set Edge Distance to the specified value.
Soft Selection Edge Distance Range 8   Set Edge Distance to the specified value.
Spherical Map   Applies spherical mapping.
Stitch   Stitches together shared edges of a polygon.
Stitch Dialog   Opens the properties for the Stitch command.
Sync Selection Mode   Same as Sync to Viewport
Sync Texture Selection to Viewport   Synchronizes the selection in the Edit UVWs dialog to the selection in the viewport.
Sync Viewport Selection to Texture   Synchronizes the selection in the viewport to the selection in the Edit UVWs dialog.
Texture Vertex Contract Selection - (minus sign), - (on numeric keypad) Shrinks the selection in the Edit UVWs dialog.
Texture Vertex Expand Selection = (equal sign), + (on numeric keypad) Grows the selection in the Edit UVWs dialog.
Texture Vertex Move Mode Q Lets you move vertices in editor.
Texture Vertex Rotate Mode Ctrl+R Lets you rotate vertices in editor.
Texture Vertex Scale Mode   Lets you scale vertices in editor.
Texture Vertex Weld Selected Ctrl+W Welds selected vertices in editor.
Texture Vertex Target Weld Ctrl+T Lets you target-weld selected vertices in editor.
TV Edge Sub-object Mode   TV=Texture Vertex
TV Element Mode   TV=Texture Vertex
TV Polygon Sub-object Mode   TV=Texture Vertex
TV Vertex Sub-object Mode   TV=Texture Vertex
Unfold Map    
Unfold Map Dialog    
Unfreeze All   Unfreezes all frozen elements.
Unhide All   Unhides all hidden elements.
Unwrap Options Ctrl+O (letter "o")  
Update Map Ctrl+U Updates map in editor.
UV Edge Mode   When on, selecting an edge expands the selection to include all edges in its loop.
UV Edge Select   Expands an existing edge selection to include all edges in its loop.
Vertex Snap    
Vertex To Edge Select   Converts vertex selection to an edge selection and puts the editor in Edge mode.
Vertex To Polygon Select   Converts vertex selection to a polygon selection and puts the editor in Polygon mode.
Zoom Z  
Zoom Extents X  
Zoom Extents Selected Alt+Ctrl+Z  
Zoom Region Ctrl+X  
Zoom Selected Element    
Zoom to Gizmo Shift+spacebar