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Shortcuts

Created: November 26, 2019 | Updated: August 03, 2020 | Applies to versions: 20.0, 20.1 and 20.2
Now reading version 20. For the latest, read: Shortcuts for version 25
 

Perhaps the single thing you can do to become more productive in any software environment is to learn the shortcut keys. Keystrokes are more efficient than carefully positioning a mouse over a button or drilling through menus, and once learned, they become second nature. This article gathers together the default shortcuts that are available across the various design domains.

Accessing Shortcuts

In a multi-editor environment like Altium Designer, it can be hard to remember the shortcuts, particularly those special-purpose ones that are available when you are running a command. To help with this, Altium Designer provides a shortcut menu that can be used from within all interactive Schematic and PCB commands. When an interactive command is running, for example, Place » Wire in the Schematic Editor, use the Shift+F1 keyboard shortcut to access a menu that lists all valid shortcuts for that stage of the interactive command. You can either process another command by choosing it from the menu or by pressing Esc to close the menu without impact on the currently running command.

f1
Use the Shift+F1 shortcuts menu to refresh your memory about the shortcuts available or use it in the traditional menu sense to
select the required option with the mouse.

Alternatively, while the interactive command is running, use the F1 keyboard shortcut. This gives access to the Graphical Editing Hot key List dialog that provides a listing of the shortcuts available (but that cannot be launched), as well as access to the documentation for the currently running command.

Rather than using the Close button to exit the dialog, which can affect the currently running command with a change to the current cursor location, press Esc or Enter instead.

Use the Graphical Editing Hot key List dialog to refresh your memory about the shortcuts available for the currently running interactive command.
Use the Graphical Editing Hot key List dialog to refresh your memory about the shortcuts available for the currently running interactive command.

Editing Shortcut Keys

The fastest way to add or edit the shortcut keys assigned to a command is to Ctrl+click on the entry for that command on the relevant menu or toolbar. This will open the Edit Command dialog in which you can add a shortcut or edit the currently assigned shortcut.

To add or edit a shortcut, hold Ctrl as you click on the menu or toolbar entry to open the Edit Command dialog.
To add or edit a shortcut, hold Ctrl as you click on the menu or toolbar entry to open the Edit Command dialog.

To define the shortcut, click in the Primary field (in the Shortcuts region of the dialog), then press the key combination you want to use on your keyboard. Alternatively, use the drop-down list then scroll to the required key(s). If that shortcut key combination is currently in use, the command using it will be displayed below in the Currently in use by field. If you continue with the new assignment, it will be removed from that other command.

An alternative approach to customizing shortcuts or commands is to open the Customizing Editor dialog. You can access this dialog by double-clicking in a command-free region of the main menu bar or right-click on a menu bar or a toolbar then select Customize from the drop-down menu. To locate the command for which you want to add/edit the shortcut, select the [All] option in the dialog's Categories list, then use the filter field to quickly find it. Double-click on the required command in the Commands list to open the Edit Command dialog and add/edit the shortcut key.

The Customizing Editor dialog gives access to all commands and their shortcuts. Use the filter to quickly locate a command.
The Customizing Editor dialog gives access to all commands and their shortcuts. Use the filter to quickly locate a command.

Shortcut Listings

Click on any of the following collapsible sections (on the title) to access a listing of the default shortcuts available for the indicated Editor.

When referring to shortcuts, use of the plus (+) symbol denotes holding multiple keys down on the keyboard in the indicated sequence. For example, Shift+F1 means holding down the Shift key then pressing the F1 key. Likewise, Shift+Ctrl+PgUp means holding down the Shift key then holding down the Ctrl key at the same time and pressing the PgUp key.
Where use of the standard mouse buttons is made, Click refers to a single click of the left-hand mouse button, Double-Click refers to two clicks of the left-hand mouse button, and Right-Click refers to a single click of the right-hand mouse button.

Accelerator Keys

In addition to standard shortcut keys, Altium Designer also employs the use of Accelerator Keys. These are used as part of the main menu system (not right-click context menus) to be able to access commands through the sequential use of one or more such keys.

Specifying an Accelerator Key

An accelerator key is specified as part of a menu or command's caption by adding the ampersand (&) character immediately before the letter that you want to use as the accelerator. Within a menu, the current accelerator key is distinguished by the use of underlining.

Ctrl+Click on a menu entry that opens a sub-menu, to access the Edit Drop Down Menu dialog. Ctrl+Click on a command entry to access the Edit Command dialog. Add the & character at the required position within the defined Caption.
Within any given menu or sub-menu a particular letter can be used only once as an accelerator key.

Strictly speaking, access to a root main menu through its accelerator key requires holding down the Alt key. This is because the same key also may be assigned to a pop-up menu. For example, access to the Route menu in the PCB Editor is made by using Shift+A.

In many cases, a main menu also will have a pop-up key assigned. Where this is the case, using that key will access the menu in pop-up form. For example, the File menu can strictly be accessed using Alt+F, but also in pop-up form using F. This functionality is defined for a menu in the Edit Drop Down Menu dialog, by using the Popup Key field.

A menu can be accessed as a pop-up by specifying a popup key.
A menu can be accessed as a pop-up by specifying a popup key.

For obvious reasons, pop-up keys are not assigned to menus in text-based editors and main menus can only be accessed through use of the Alt key.

The following table summarizes the accelerator and pop-up keys assigned to various main menus available across editors:

Menu Accelerator Key Popup Key
File F F
Edit E E
View V V
Project C C
Place P P
Design D D
Tools T T
Route U U
Reports R R
Window W W
Help H H

Accelerator Key Sequence Examples

Click on one of the following collapsible sections (on the title) to access a listing of example accelerator key sequences available for the indicated Editor. With hundreds of permutations available, you will soon build your own list of favorite keyboard sequences that you will want to keep in mind and use as you design.

When referring to accelerator key sequences, use of the comma (,) symbol denotes pressing each key in the sequence in succession. For example, T, V, U means pressing the T key, then press the V key, and then press the U key.
In some of the examples, accelerator keys are used in combination with key sequences within dialogs, ultimately arriving at a quick sequence of keystrokes to achieve a dialog setting and apply it.

 

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Note

The features available depend on your Altium product access level. Compare features included in the various levels of Altium Designer Software Subscription and functionality delivered through applications provided by the Altium 365 platform.

If you don’t see a discussed feature in your software, contact Altium Sales to find out more.

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