Keyboard Shortcuts#

This page collects all keyboard shortcuts in one place for quick reference. For more detail on each tool, follow the cross-references.

Switching Tools#

Tools can be selected by pressing Ctrl and the corresponding number key.

Shortcut	Tool
`Ctrl`+`1`	Navigation Tool
`Ctrl`+`2`	Draw Tool
`Ctrl`+`3`	Template Tool
`Ctrl`+`4`	Selection Tool
`Ctrl`+`5`	Manipulation Tool
`Ctrl`+`6`	Bond-Centric Manipulation Tool
`Ctrl`+`7`	AutoOptimization Tool
`Ctrl`+`8`	Measure Tool
`Ctrl`+`9`	Animation Tool

The Align Tool and Label Tool do not currently have tool-switching shortcuts.

Global Shortcuts#

These shortcuts work regardless of which tool is currently selected.

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl`+`A`	Select all atoms
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`A`	Deselect all atoms
`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`O`	Optimize geometry

Navigation#

The Navigation Tool responds to mouse and keyboard input. Many of these actions also work while other tools are active, as long as the action is not already defined for that tool.

Mouse#

Action	Effect
Left-click + drag	Rotate (x/y axes)
Middle-click + drag	Rotate (z-axis)
Right-click + drag	Pan (x/y)
Scroll wheel	Zoom
Middle double-click	Reset camera
——–	——–
`Alt / Option Left-click + drag`	Rotate (x/y axes)
`Shift` + left-click + drag	Rotate (z-axis)
`Ctrl` + left-click + drag	Pan (x/y)

If you do not have a multi-button mouse or touch-pad, you can use the modifier keys Alt or Shift or Ctrl for these actions.

Keyboard#

Three equivalent sets of directional keys are supported: Arrow keys, WASD, and HJKL.

↑ = W = K (referred to as up below)
↓ = S = J (down)
← = A = H (left)
→ = D = L (right)

Shortcut	Action
Directional keys	Rotate (x/y axes)
`Shift` + `left` / `right`	Rotate (z-axis)
`Ctrl` + directional keys	Pan (x/y)
`Shift` + `up` / `down`	Zoom

Hold Alt together with any keyboard navigation action to increase the step size.

Warning

Ctrl+W, Ctrl+A, and Ctrl+S are mapped to other functions and cannot be used for panning. Use the arrow keys or HJKL instead.

Draw Tool#

See Draw Tool for full details.

Shortcut	Action
Type element symbol (e.g. `O`, `As`)	Change current element
`1`	Single bond order
`2`	Double bond order
`3`	Triple bond order

Selection Tool#

See Selection Tool for full details.

Modifier	Click	Click + drag	Double-click
(none)	Select atom	Marquee select	Select molecule
`Shift`	Add to selection	Add to selection	Add molecule to selection
`Ctrl`	Toggle atom	Invert in box	Invert in molecule

Template Tool#

See Template Tool for full details and the complete shortcut tables.

Centers Tab#

Element: Type any element symbol (e.g. Fe, Cu, Ni).

Key	Action
`+`	Increase formal charge
`-`	Decrease formal charge

Coordination geometry:

Key	Geometry
`1`	Linear (terminal)
`2`	Linear
`3`	Trigonal planar
`4`	Tetrahedral
`44`	Square planar
`5`	Trigonal bipyramidal
`55`	Square pyramidal
`6`	Octahedral
`66`	Trigonal prismatic
`7`	Pentagonal bipyramidal
`8`	Square antiprismatic

Ligands Tab#

Monodentate:

Key	Ligand
`a` or `o`	Aqua (H₂O)
`co`	Carbonyl (CO)
`cn`	Cyano (CN⁻)
`n`	Ammine (NH₃)
`p`	Phosphine (PH₃)
`pyr`	Pyridyl
`s`	Thiol (SH⁻)

Bidentate:

Key	Ligand
`acac`	Acetylacetonate
`bpy`	Bipyridine
`dmg`	Dimethylglyoxime
`dmpe`	1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane
`dppe`	1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane
`en`	Ethylenediamine
`ox`	Oxalate
`phen`	Phenanthroline

Tridentate and higher:

Key	Ligand
`tpy`	Terpyridine (tridentate)
`pc`	Phthalocyanine (tetradentate)
`por`	Porphin (tetradentate)
`sal`	Salen (tetradentate)
`edta`	EDTA (hexadentate)

Haptic:

Key	Ligand
`e2`	η²-Ethylene
`e3`	η³-Allyl
`e4`	η⁴-Cyclooctadiene
`e5` or `cp`	η⁵-Cyclopentadienyl
`e6`	η⁶-Benzene

Groups Tab#

Alkyl chains:

Key	Group
`c` or `c1`	Methyl
`c2`	Ethyl
`c3` – `c9`	Propyl – Nonyl
`c0`	Decyl

Cycloalkyl (uppercase C):

Key	Group
`C3` – `C9`	Cyclopropane – Cyclononane
`C0`	Cyclodecane

Branched alkyl:

Key	Group
`I`	Iso-propyl
`K` or `cm`	tert-Butyl

Common functional groups:

Key	Group
`a`	Phenyl
`C` or `co2`	Carboxylate
`cn`	Nitrile
`co`	Aldehyde
`E`	Ester
`F`	Trifluoromethyl
`N` or `no2`	Nitro
`om`	Methoxy
`P` or `po3`	Phosphate
`S` or `so3`	Sulfonate

Protecting groups:

Key	Group
`boc`	BOC
`cbz`	CBZ
`fmoc`	FMOC
`ms`	Mesyl
`tos` or `ts`	Tosyl
`tr`	Trityl
`troc`	TROC

Tip

Template Tool shortcuts are case-sensitive. For example, c6 selects hexyl while C6 selects cyclohexane.

Note

Multi-character shortcuts have a 2-second timeout. The buffer clears automatically after 5 characters if no match is found.

Align Tool#

See Align Tool for full details.

Key	Action
`x`	Set alignment to X axis
`y`	Set alignment to Y axis
`z`	Set alignment to Z axis

Label Tool#

See Label Tool for full details.

Key	Action
`Enter`	Confirm label

Key	Action
`←` or `[`	Previous tab
`→` or `]`	Next tab