Vectorworks was among the pioneering companies to develop BIM-capable software, catering to trained architects, engineers, and designers. It’s worthwhile to invest time in learning Vectorworks shortcuts to optimize your workflow and maximize productivity. Vectorworks prioritizes understanding project setup, honing 2D drafting skills, and creating compelling presentations.
An exceptional feature of Vectorworks is its user-friendly interface, allowing for flexible and intuitive model manipulation. Below, you’ll find a list of Vectorworks shortcuts designed to expedite design work, facilitate quick learning, enhance work efficiency, and make the process more enjoyable. Download the Vectorworks Shortcuts list in PDF format.
Action Vectorworks Shortcuts Windows Vectorworks Shortcuts Mac New Ctrl + N Command + N Open Ctrl + O Command + O Close Ctrl + W Command + W Save Ctrl + S Command + S Page Setup Ctrl + Alt + P Command + Option + P Print Ctrl + P Command + P Exit Alt + F4 Option + F4
Action Vectorworks Shortcuts Windows Vectorworks Shortcuts Mac Undo Ctrl + Z Command + Z Redo Ctrl + Y Command + Y Copy Ctrl + C Command + C Paste Ctrl + V Command + V Cut Ctrl + X Command + X Paste in Place Ctrl + Alt + V Command + Option + V Duplicate Ctrl + D Command + D Duplicate Array Ctrl + Shift + Alt + D Command + Shift + Option + D Select All Ctrl + A Command + A
Action Vectorworks Shortcuts Windows Vectorworks Shortcuts Mac Layer Options Active Only Ctrl + Alt + 3 Command + Option + 3 Layer Options Gray Others Ctrl + Alt + 4 Command + Option + 4 Layer Options Gray or Snap Others Ctrl + Alt + 5 Command + Option + 5 Layer Options Show Others Ctrl + Alt + 6 Command + Option + 6 Layer Options Show or Snap Others Ctrl + Alt + 7 Command + Option + 7 Layer Options Show/Snap/Modify Others Ctrl + Alt + 8 Command + Option + 8 Zoom – Normal Scale Ctrl + 3 Command + 3 Zoom – Fit to Page Area Ctrl + 4 Command + 4 Standard views: Top/Plan Ctrl + 5 Command + 5 Zoom – Fit to Objects Ctrl + 6 Command + 6 Set 3D View Ctrl + 0 Command + 0 Unified View Ctrl + Alt + L Command + Option + L Create Multiple Viewports Ctrl + Shift + M Command + Shift + M Next View Ctrl + Shift + . Command + Shift + . Previous View Ctrl + Shift + , Command + Shift + , Class Options Active Only Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 3 Command + Shift + Option + 3 Class Options Gray Others Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 4 Command + Shift + Option + 4 Class Options Gray or Snap Others Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 5 Command + Shift + Option + 5 Class Options Show Others Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 6 Command + Shift + Option + 6 Class Options Show or Snap Others Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 7 Command + Shift + Option + 7 Class Options Show/Snap/Modify Others Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 8 Command + Shift + Option + 8 Rendering – Wireframe Ctrl + Shift + W Command + Shift + W Rendering – Sketch Ctrl + Shift + S Command + Shift + S Rendering Sketch Options Ctrl + Shift + Alt + S Command + Shift + Option + S Rendering Open GL Ctrl + Shift + G Command + Shift + G Rendering – Final Quality Renderworks Ctrl + Shift + F Command + Shift + F Rendering – Hidden Line Ctrl + Shift + E Command + Shift + E Rendering – Dashed Hidden Line Ctrl + Shift + D Command + Shift + D Rendering – Final Shaded Polygon Ctrl + Shift + P Command + Shift + P
Action Vectorworks Shortcuts Windows Vectorworks Shortcuts Mac Move Ctrl + M Command + M Move 3D Ctrl + Alt + M Command + Option + M Send to Front Ctrl + F Command + F Send Forward Ctrl + Alt + F Command + Option + F Send to Back Ctrl + B Command + B Send Backward Ctrl + Alt + B Command + Option + B Align to Grid Ctrl + – Command + – Align/Distribute Ctrl + = Command + = Align/Distribute 3D Ctrl + Shift + = Command + Shift + = Rotate Left 90 Ctrl + L Command + L Rotate Right 90 Ctrl + Shift + R Command + Shift + R Flip Horizontal Ctrl + Shift + H Command + Shift + H Flip Vertical Ctrl + Shift + V Command + Shift + V Set Working Plane Ctrl + \ Command + \ Trim Ctrl + T Command + T Join Ctrl + J Command + J Join and Fillet Ctrl + Alt + J Command + Option + J Join – no Trim Ctrl + Shift + J Command + Shift + J Convert to Group Ctrl + K Command + K Convert to Mesh Ctrl + Alt + R Command + Option + R Convert to 3D Polys Ctrl + Alt + O Command + Option + O Convert to NURBS Ctrl + Alt + N Command + Option + N Group Ctrl + G Command + G Ungroup Ctrl + U Command + U Edit Ctrl + [ Command + [ Exit Ctrl + ] Command + ] Show Guides Ctrl + Alt + G Command + Option + G Hide Guides Ctrl + Shift + Alt + G Command + Shift + Option + G Unrotate 3D Objects Ctrl + Shift + 0 Command + Shift + 0 Add Surface Ctrl + Shift + Alt + A Command + Shift + Option + A Clip Surface Ctrl + Shift + Alt + C Command + Shift + Option + C Intersect Surface Ctrl + Shift + Alt + I Command + Shift + Option + I Compose Ctrl + Shift + Alt + P Command + Shift + Option + P
Action Vectorworks Shortcuts Windows Vectorworks Shortcuts Mac Add Solids Ctrl + Alt + A Command + Option + A Subtract Solids Ctrl + Alt + S Command + Option + S Intersect Solids Ctrl + Alt + I Command + Option + I Section Solids Ctrl + Alt + T Command + Option + T Extrude Ctrl + E Command + E Multiple Extrude Ctrl + Alt + E Command + Option + E Extrude Along Path Ctrl + Alt + X Command + Option + X Tapered Extrude Ctrl + Alt + U Command + Option + U Sweep Ctrl + Alt + W Command + Option + W Create Fillet Surface Ctrl + Alt + Y Command + Option + Y Create Planar Caps Ctrl + Alt + Q Command + Option + Q Create Surface from Curves Ctrl + Alt + K Command + Option + K
Action Vectorworks Shortcuts Windows Vectorworks Shortcuts Mac Palettes – Snapping Ctrl + Shift + C Command + Shift + C Palettes – Attributes Ctrl + Shift + A Command + Shift + A Palettes – Navigation Ctrl + Shift + N Command + Shift + N Palettes – Working Planes Ctrl + Shift + K Command + Shift + K Palettes – Activate Object Info Palette Ctrl + ‘ Command + ‘ Palettes – Object Info Ctrl + I Command + I Palettes – Resource Manager Ctrl + R Command + R Palettes – Visualization Ctrl + Shift + Alt + V Command + Shift + Option + V
Action Vectorworks Shortcuts Windows Vectorworks Shortcuts Mac Organization Ctrl + Shift + O Command + Shift + O User Origin Ctrl + 9 Command + 9 SmartCursor Settings Ctrl + 8 Command + 8 Plug-in Manager Ctrl + Shift + Z Command + Shift + Z Workspace Editor Ctrl + Shift + Alt + W Command + Shift + Option + W
Action Vectorworks Shortcuts Windows Vectorworks Shortcuts Mac Number Instruments Ctrl + Shift + Alt + N Command + Shift + Option + N Auto Number Positions Ctrl + Shift + Alt + O Command + Shift + Option + O Focus Instruments Ctrl + Shift + Alt + F Command + Shift + Option + F Replace Instruments Ctrl + Shift + Alt + R Command + Shift + Option + R Find and Modify Ctrl + Shift + Alt + M Command + Shift + Option + M Label Legend Manager Ctrl + Shift + Alt + L Command + Shift + Option + L Refresh Instruments Ctrl + / Command + /
Basic Palette Shortcuts Action Vectorworks Shortcuts Windows Vectorworks Shortcuts Mac 2D Locus 0 0 keys 1 1 Line 2 2 Arc 3 3 Rectangle 4 4 Polyline 5 5 Circle 6 6 Fillet 7 7 2D Polygon 8 8 Symbol Insertion Alt + 0 Option + 0 Callout Alt + 1 Option + 1 Double Line Alt + 2 Option + 2 Quarter Arc Alt + 3 Option + 3 Rounded Rectangle Alt + 4 Option + 4 Freehand Alt + 5 Option + 5 Oval Alt + 6 Option + 6 Chamfer Alt + 7 Option + 7 Double-line Polygon Alt + 8 Option + 8 Flyover Shift + C Shift + C Triangle Shift + T Shift + T Eyedropper Shift + E Shift + E Attribute Mapping Shift + A Shift + A Offset Shift + – Shift + – Clip Shift + N Shift + N Move by Points Shift + M Shift + M Selection X X Pan H H Zoom C C Visibility V V Reshape – – Rotate Alt + = Option + = Mirror = = Split L L Connect or Combine ; ; Move Page Alt + Z Option + Z Trim Alt + Shift + L Option + Shift + L Regular Polygon Alt + Shift + R Option + Shift + R Spiral Alt + Shift + S Option + Shift + S
3D Modelling Tool Shortcuts Action Vectorworks Shortcuts Windows Vectorworks Shortcuts Mac Flyover Shift + C Shift + C Set Working Plane Shift + 1 Shift + 1 Align Plane Alt + Shift + 1 Option + Shift + 1 Push or Pull Shift + R Shift + R 3D Locus Shift + 0 Shift + 0 NURBS Curve Shift + 7 Shift + 7 Sphere Shift + 3 Shift + 3 Hemisphere Alt + Shift + 3 Option + Shift + 3 Fillet Edge Shift + F Shift + F Chamfer Edge Shift + J Shift + J Shell Solid Shift + G Shift + G Loft Surface Shift + K Shift + K Extract Shift + L Shift + L Create Contours Shift + H Shift + H Project Shift + ; Shift + ; Analysis Shift + ‘ Shift + ‘
Visualization Tool Set Shortcuts Action Vectorworks Shortcuts Windows Vectorworks Shortcuts Mac Flyover Shift + C Shift + C Walkthrough Shift + U Shift + U Translate View Shift + V Shift + V Rotate View Shift + W Shift + W Light Shift + Z Shift + Z Attribute Mapping Shift + A Shift + A
Cycles through Modes Shortcuts Action Vectorworks Shortcuts Windows Vectorworks Shortcuts Mac 1st group U U 2nd group I I 3rd group O O 4th group P P 5th group [ [ 6th group ] ]
Snapping Palette Settings Shortcuts Action Vectorworks Shortcuts Windows Vectorworks Shortcuts Mac Snap to Grid A A Snap to Angle S S Smart Points D D Smart Edge – 2D only F F Snap to Working Plane – 3D only F F Snap to Object Q Q Snap to Intersection W W Snap to Distance E E Snap to Tangent – 2D only R R
Standard View Shortcuts Action Vectorworks Shortcut keys Windows Vectorworks Shortcut keys Mac Top/Plan or Rotated Top/Plan 0 0 Left Isometric 1 1 Front 2 2 Right Isometric 3 3 Left 4 4 Top 5 5 Right 6 6 Left Rear Isometric 7 7 Back 8 8 Right Rear Isometric 9 9
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