VCarve Desktop Keyboard Shortcuts

Quick Keys

Various values can be typed in while dragging out shapes. In most cases, the left mouse button must be pressed in order to input a value (i.e.dragging to create a circle, dragging a vector to move it, or dragging one of the rotating/scaling points around a vector to rotate/scale it).

The exception to this is the polyline tool and the arc tool. Once the first point is entered the Quick Keys can be used without having to depress the left mouse key. Entering values defines the next end-point.

Spac

Pressing Space re-opens the last vector creation form you used. This is very useful when using other forms in between each shape / text / dimension you create

General Shortcut Keys

Keys

Ctrl +A

Select All vectors

Esc

Deselect all vectors

Select Right to Left

Selects all vectors inside and touching selection rectangle

Select Left to Right

Only selects vectors fully inside selection rectangle

N

Toggles between Selection and Node Editing modes

Esc

Switches to Selection Mode (exits Node editing or Transform mode)

T

Opens the Scale form for Transforming the vectors.

M

Opens the Move form

R

Opens the Rotate form

J

Opens the Join Vectors form

9

Rotates selected object 45° counterclockwise

0

Rotates selected object 45° clockwise

Esc

Exits vector drawing and editing tools and closes the data entry form

Right mouse click

Exits vector drawing and editing tools and closes the data entry form

Space-bar

Re-opens the last vector creation form you used. This is very useful when using other forms in between each shape / text / dimension you create.

Z

Zoom - click top left and bottom right corners to zoom

Esc

Exits zoom mode returning to Selection mode

Ctrl + F

Zoom to fit Job

F

Zoom to fit Material

F6

Zoom to fit Material

F1

Opens the Help File

F2

Opens the 2D Drawing window

F3

Opens the 3D Preview window

F4

Opens the Snap Settings form

F5

Refreshes the 2D window

F6

Scales 2D view to fit material

F9

Center selected object in view

F10

Opens the Alignment Tools form

Right mouse click

Opens context sensitive menus

Ctrl + Z

Edit Undo

Ctrl + Y

Edit Redo

Ctrl + C

Copy the selected vectors

Ctrl + V

Paste the selected vectors

Ctrl and Drag

Pastes a copy of the selected vectors each time the left mouse button is released.

Ctrl + X

Cut the selected vectors

Alt and Drag

Moves the object either horizontally or vertically aligned with its original position

Ctrl + Alt and Drag

Creates a copy of the original object horizontally or vertically aligned to its original position

Ctrl + N

Create New file

Ctrl + O

Open an Existing file

Ctrl + S

Save file

Ctrl + I

Import file

Page Up

Vertically tiles the 2D View and the 3D View window so you can see them both simultaneously. Currently Selected window is on the left - typically best to select the 2D View first when doing this.

Page Down

Horizontally tiles the 2D View and the 3D View window so you can see them both simultaneously. Currently Selected window is at the top - typically best to select the 2D View first when doing this.

Quick keys

Ctrl + M

Opens Measure tool form

Tab Navigation

Keys

F11

Toggle Drawing Tab on

F12

Toggle Toolpath Tab on

Ctrl + L

Opens the Layers Tab

Ctrl + D

Opens the Drawing Tab

F8

Toggles between the Drawing and Modeling Tab

Double Sided Job Setup

Keys

1

Toggle Top Side on

2

Toggle Bottom Side on

=

Toggle Multi-Sided View on

Mirror

Keys

H

Mirror Horizontally

Ctrl + H

Create Mirror Copy Horizontally

Shift + H

Mirror Horizontally, around center of material

Ctrl + Shift + H

Create Mirror Copy Horizontally, around center of material

V

Mirror Vertically

Shift + V

Mirror Vertically, around center of material

Ctrl + Shift + V

Create Mirror Copy Vertically, around center of material

Alignment

Keys

F9

Moves selected object to the center of the material

F10

Opens the Alignment Tools form

Groups

Keys

G

Group the selected objects

U

Ungroup the selected objects to their original layers, sub-groups remain grouped.

Ctrl + U

Ungroup the selected objects to the group's layer, sub-groups remain grouped.

Shift + U

'Deep' ungroup the selected objects to their original layers. Sub-groups are also ungrouped.

Ctrl + Shift + U

'Deep' ungroup the selected objects to the group's layer. Sub-groups are also ungrouped.

Arrow Keys

Nudge selected vectors using the Arrow keys.

Keys

Hold Ctrl

Reduce the nudge distance

Hold Shift

Increase the nudge distance

Hold Ctrl + Shift

Nudge by the Fixed Nudge Distance which is specified in the Snap Settings (F4)

Node Editing

Available while in the node editing mode.

Drag Node when using Quick Keys.

Keys

I

Insert a Point

D

Delete Point / Span

S

Smooth / Unsmooth Point

C

Cut Vector opens the vector

B

Convert span to Bezier

A

Convert span to Arc

L

Convert span to Line

P

Makes the selected node the Start Point for machining

X

  • Displays a single node's X and Y location properties
  • Changes the X co-ordinate position of selected nodes to match the position of the first one (when more than one selected)

Y

Changes the Y co-ordinate position of selected nodes to match the position of the first one (when more than one selected)

H

Enter horizontal mirror mode (press again to exit)

V

Enter vertical mirror mode (press again to exit)

K

Toggle Keep Bezier Tangency mode, which will fix the start and end directions of Bezier curves when they are being dragged directly

J

Join two selected open vectors (at two end nodes if also selected)

Right mouse click

Opens context sensitive menus

Quick keys

Value Enter

Moves node from original position by that amount in direction of cursor.

Equivalent to:Value L

Value , Value Enter

Move the node by that amount relative to its current position.

Equivalent to: Value D Value W

Value X Value Y

Moves node to the absolute position X and Y

Moving Objects

Drag Object when using Quick Keys.

Quick keys

Value Enter

Moves object the Value from original position in direction of cursor.
Equivalent to: Value L.

Value , Value Enter

Moves object relative to its position by X and Y.

Equivalent to: Value D Value W.

Value X Value Y

Moves object to the absolute position X and Y

Rotating Objects

Drag rotation handle when using Quick Keys.

Quick keys

Value Enter

Rotate the selection by Value degrees counterclockwise.
Equivalent to: Value L.

Scaling Objects

Drag scaling handle when using Quick Keys.

Quick keys

Value Enter

Default when dragging edge scale nodes only.
Set the width or height of the object to 'Value' (depending on which handle is being dragged).
Equivalent to: Value L.

Value , Value Enter

Default when dragging corner scale nodes only.
Set the width and height of the object to the given values.
Equivalent to: Value D Value W.

Value S

Scale the object by a factor.

Polyline Tool

Once the first point is entered the Quick Keys can be used without having to depress the left mouse key. Entering values defines the next end-point.

Quick keys

Value Enter

Places next point Value away from the last point in the direction of cursor.
Equivalent to: Value L.

Value , Value Enter

Place the next point offset by that amount relative to the last point's position.
Equivalent to: Value D Value W.

Value X Value Y

Places the next point at position X and Y

Value A Value L

Creates a line with an angle of A° and a length L

Draw Circle

Quick Keys can be used while creating (left mouse button depressed)

Quick keys

Value Enter

Create a circle with the given radius.
Equivalent to: Value R.

Value D

Create a circle of Diameter D

Draw Ellipse

Quick Keys can be used while creating (left mouse button depressed)

Quick keys

Value Enter

Create a circle with the given diameter.
Equivalent to: Value L.

Value , Value Enter

Create an ellipse with width and height.
Equivalent to: Value W Value H.

Value X

Create an ellipse with width X and use the current height

Value Y

Create an ellipse with height Y and use the current width

Draw Rectangle

Quick Keys can be used while creating (left mouse button depressed)

Quick keys

Value Enter

Create a sqaure with the given side length.
Equivalent to: Value L.

Value , Value Enter

Create a rectangle with given width and height.
Equivalent to: Value W Value H.

Value X

Create a rectangle with width X and use the current height

Value Y

Create a rectangle with height Y and use the current width

Value R Value X

Create a rectangle with a radius R and width X, using current height

Value R Value Y

Create a rectangle with a radius R and height Y, using current width

Value W Value H

Create a rectangle with width W and height H

Value , Value Enter

Create a rectangle with width and height

Draw Polygon

Quick Keys can be used while creating (left mouse button depressed)

Quick keys

Value Enter

Create a polygon inscribed on circle with the given radius.
Equivalent to: Value R.

Value D

Creates a Polygon with diameter D

Value S Value R

Create a polygon with number of sides S and radius R

Value S Value D

Create a polygon with number of sides S and diameter D

Draw Star

Quick Keys can be used while creating (left mouse button depressed)

Quick keys

Value Enter

Create a star with the given radius.
Equivalent to: Value R.

Value D

Create a star with diameter D

Value P Value R

Create a star with number of points P and radius R

Value P Value D

Create a star with number of points P and diameter D

Value P Value I Value R

Create a star with number of points P , Internal Radius % I and radius R

Value P Value I Value D

Create a star with number of points P , Internal Radius % I and diameter D