Redline

Keyboard reference

The canonical shortcut map — the modifier philosophy behind it, and every binding it produces.

Shortcuts are bound centrally through the conductor, and the settings engine can override any of them per user. This page is the shipped default set.

Modifier philosophy#

Modifier	Purpose
Bare letter	Activate a draw or measure tool
Ctrl (Linux/Windows) · Cmd (macOS)	Edit and file operations
Alt (Linux/Windows) · Ctrl (macOS)	Viewport navigation
Shift + letter	Measurement tools — keeps them off the bare-letter draw keys
Esc	Return to Select, deselect

Keeping navigation, editing and tool activation on three different modifiers is what stops the map from colliding with itself as tools are added.

Action	Linux / Windows	macOS	Notes
Pan tool	`H`	`H`	Also `Space`-drag or middle-mouse for a quick pan
Zoom tool	`Z`	`Z`	Click zooms in, `Alt`-click zooms out
Text Select tool	`K`	`K`	Select and copy the PDF's own text
Zoom in / out	`Ctrl+=` / `Ctrl+-`	`Cmd+=` / `Cmd+-`	Discrete steps
Fit page / reset	`Ctrl+0`	`Cmd+0`
Quick pan (hold)	`Space`-drag	`Space`-drag	Also middle-mouse drag

Edit, clipboard and history#

Action	Linux / Windows	macOS
Undo	`Ctrl+Z`	`Cmd+Z`
Redo	`Ctrl+Shift+Z` (also `Ctrl+Y`)	`Cmd+Shift+Z`
Cut	`Ctrl+X`	`Cmd+X`
Copy	`Ctrl+C`	`Cmd+C`
Paste	`Ctrl+V`	`Cmd+V`
Delete	`Del` / `Backspace`	`Del` / `Backspace`
Select all	`Ctrl+A`	`Cmd+A`
Select / Pointer	`Esc` (also `V`)	`Esc` (also `V`)

Ctrl+Y is a secondary Redo on Windows and Linux only; the macOS convention omits it.

File#

Action	Linux / Windows	macOS
Open	`Ctrl+O`	`Cmd+O`
Save	`Ctrl+S`	`Cmd+S`
Import	`Ctrl+Shift+I`	`Cmd+Shift+I`
Export	`Ctrl+Shift+E`	`Cmd+Shift+E`
Print	`Ctrl+P`	`Cmd+P`

Draw tools — bare letter#

Tool	Key
Line	`L`
Arrow	`A`
Rectangle	`R`
Ellipse	`E`
Circle	`C`
Polyline	`P`
Polygon	`G`
Arch	`H`
Pen	`N`
Text	`T`
Triangle	`Shift+T`

Measurement ticks are a style toggle on the measurement tools rather than a tool of their own, so they have no key.

Measurement tools — Shift + letter#

Tool	Key	Notes
Length	`Shift+L`
Area	`Shift+A`
Perimeter	`Shift+P`
Count	`Shift+C`
Length Dimension	`Shift+D`	Dimension line with witness lines and arrowheads
Volume	`Shift+V`
Multi-Length	menu	Running length of an open chain
Diameter / Radius / Angle	menu	Lower frequency — menu until there is demand
Smart measure / area / count	menu	Assisted
Set scale (calibrate)	menu
Set origin	menu

Annotation tools#

Keynote is proposed on K. Revision bubble, section mark, elevation mark, stamps, mirror, flip, rotate, attach, capture and combine are menu-driven; keys are assigned as each tool lands, so the map does not fill up with bindings for tools that do not exist yet.

Callout is in the Annotate group with no bare key. It takes two clicks — the arrow tip, then the box location — and then you type. Alt-clicking a selected callout leader inserts a bend, and the properties bar's + Leader button adds another leader branch.

Remapping#

Every binding above is a default. The settings engine overrides them per user, and because bindings resolve to conductor action ids, a remapped key and a menu item and an AI dispatch all reach exactly the same code.