Default Hotkeys

Use these default keyboard shortcuts to help you accomplish common tasks.

Edit hotkeys

The following table provides hotkeys for edit commands.

Command Hotkey
Restrict plane cycle F8
Restrict to x F5
Restrict to y F6
Restrict to z F7
Scale cycle Ctrl + E
Sub-object level cycle Insert

General hotkeys

The following table provides hotkeys for general commands.

Command Hotkey
Adaptive degradation toggle O
Clone Ctrl + V
Environment dialog toggle 8
Exit Esc
Expert mode toggle Ctrl + X
Fetch Alt + Ctrl + F
Help F1
Lock user interface toggle Alt + 0
Material editor toggle M
MAXScript Listener F11
New scene Ctrl + N
Open file Ctrl + O
Quick render Shift + Q
Render last F9
Render scene dialog toggle F10
Redo scene operation Ctrl + Y
Render to texture dialog toggle 0
Redo viewport operation Shift + Y
Save file Ctrl + S
Selection lock toggle ̺̺Spacebar
Search all actions X
Spacing tool Shift + I
Transform type-in dialog toggle F12
Undo scene operation Ctrl + Z
Undo viewport operation Shift + Z

Selection hotkeys

The following table provides hotkeys for selection commands.

Command Hotkey
Align Alt+ A
Cycle selection method Alt+ F
Hold Alt + Ctrl + H
Normal align Alt + N
Quick align Shift + N
Select N
Select all Ctrl + A
Select ancestor PgUp
Select and move W
Select and rotate E
Select and scale R
Select by name H
Select child PgDn
Select children Ctrl + PgDn
Select invert Ctrl + I
Select none Spacebar
Selection lock toggle Ctrl + D
Sub-object selection toggle Ctrl + B

Show/hide hotkeys

The following table provides hotkeys for showing/hiding elements.

Command Hotkey
Geometry toggle Shift+ G
Grids toggle G
Helpers toggle Shift + H
Particle systems toggle Shift+ P
Snaps toggle Shift + S
Space warps toggle Shift + W

Snap hotkeys

The following table provides hotkeys for snap commands.

Command Hotkey
Angle snap toggle A
Cycle active snap type Alt+ S
Cycle snap hit Alt+ Shift + S
Percentage snap toggle Ctrl+ Shift + P
Snap to frozen objects toggle Alt + F2
Snaps toggle S
Snaps use axis constraints toggle Alt + F3
Snaps use axis constraints toggle Alt + D

Sub-level hotkeys

The following table provides hotkeys for sub-level commands.

Command Hotkey
Border level 3
Edge level 2
Element level 5
Object level 6
Polygon level 4
Vertex level 1

Time hotkeys

The following table provides hotkeys for time commands.

Command Hotkey
Autokey mode toggle N
Backup time one unit '
Forward time one unit .
Go to end frame End
Go to start frame Home
Set keys K

Viewport hotkeys

The following table provides hotkeys for general viewport commands.

Command Hotkey
Arc rotate view mode Ctrl + R
Create camera from view Ctrl + C
Default lighting toggle Ctrl + L
Display as see-through toggle Alt + X
Maximize viewport toggle Alt + W
Place highlight Ctrl + H
Spot/Directional-light view Shift + 4

Viewport background hotkeys

The following table provides hotkeys for viewport commands related to the background.

Command Hotkey
Background lock toggle Alt + Ctrl + B
Update background image Alt + Ctrl + ShiftB
Viewport background Alt + B

Viewport display hotkeys

The following table provides hotkeys for viewport display commands related.

Command Hotkey
Disable viewport D
Display viewport statistics toggle 7
Pan view Ctrl + P
Pan viewport I
Shade selected faces toggle F2
Show safe frame toggle Shift + F
Show selection bracket toggle J
Transform gizmo size down -
Transform gizmo size up +
Wireframe/smooth + highlight toggle F3
View edged faces toggle F4

Viewport zoom hotkeys

The following table provides hotkeys for viewport zoom commands.

Command Hotkey
Zoom extents Alt+ Ctrl + Z
Zoom extents all Ctrl+ Shift + Z
Zoom extents all selected Z
Zoom in 2x Alt+ Ctrl + Shift + Z
Zoom mode Alt + Z
Zoom out 2x Alt + Shift + Z
Zoom region mode Ctrl + W
Zoom viewport in Ctrl + +
Zoom viewport out Ctrl + -

View hotkeys

The following table provides hotkeys for view commands.

Command Hotkey
Bottom view B
Camera view C
Front view F
Isometric user view U
Left view L
Perspective user view P
Top view T

Virtual viewport hotkeys

The following table provides hotkeys for virtual viewport (num-block) commands.

Command Hotkey
Pan down 2
Pan left 4
Pan right 8
Pan up 6
Virtual viewport toggle /
Virtual viewport zoom in +
Virtual viewport zoom out -