150 Maya Keyboard Shortcuts: Complete Hotkey List (2026)
Quick Answer
The most essential Maya shortcuts are W (Move), E (Rotate), R (Scale), G (Repeat Last Action), Ctrl+Z (Undo), Ctrl+D (Duplicate), and S (Set Key). These cover the core actions used in almost every Maya workflow.
Maya shortcuts (also called Maya hotkeys) are keyboard combinations that trigger commands in Autodesk Maya without touching the menu bar. Used by 3D modelers, animators, and VFX artists, they dramatically speed up modeling, rigging, animation, and rendering workflows.
This guide covers 150+ Maya keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac, organized by category. A free PDF download is available at the bottom.
Top 20 Most-Used Maya Shortcuts
Whether you are just starting out or have been using Maya for years, these are the shortcuts that come up in almost every session. Learn these first before memorizing anything else.
| # | Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Move Tool | W | W |
| 2 | Rotate Tool | E | E |
| 3 | Scale Tool | R | R |
| 4 | Select Tool | Q | Q |
| 5 | Undo | Ctrl + Z | Cmd + Z |
| 6 | Redo | Ctrl + Y | Cmd + Y |
| 7 | Repeat Last Action | G | G |
| 8 | Duplicate | Ctrl + D | Cmd + D |
| 9 | Save Scene | Ctrl + S | Cmd + S |
| 10 | Set Key | S | S |
| 11 | Frame All in View | A | A |
| 12 | Frame Selected | F | F |
| 13 | Wireframe Display | 4 | 4 |
| 14 | Shaded Display | 5 | 5 |
| 15 | Smooth Preview | 3 | 3 |
| 16 | Toggle Playback | Alt + V | Option + V |
| 17 | Hide Selection | Ctrl + H | Cmd + H |
| 18 | Show Last Hidden | Ctrl + Shift + H | Cmd + Shift + H |
| 19 | Parent | P | P |
| 20 | Unparent | Shift + P | Shift + P |
File Shortcuts
Use these for scene management. Note that Maya does not auto-save by default make Ctrl + S a habit to avoid losing work.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| New Scene | Ctrl + N | Cmd + N |
| Open Scene | Ctrl + O | Cmd + O |
| Save Scene | Ctrl + S | Cmd + S |
| Save Scene As | Ctrl + Shift + S | Cmd + Shift + S |
| Import | Ctrl + I | Cmd + I |
| Export Selection | Ctrl + E (File menu) | Cmd + E (File menu) |
| Quit Maya | Ctrl + Q | Cmd + Q |
| Open Recent Scene | Ctrl + Shift + O | Cmd + Shift + O |
Edit Shortcuts
These cover the core editing operations. Duplicate Special (Ctrl + Shift + D) is especially useful for creating multiple evenly-spaced copies of an object in a single step.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Cmd + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Y | Cmd + Y |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | Cmd + X |
| Copy | Ctrl + C | Cmd + C |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | Cmd + V |
| Duplicate | Ctrl + D | Cmd + D |
| Duplicate Special | Ctrl + Shift + D | Cmd + Shift + D |
| Duplicate with Transform | Shift + D | Shift + D |
| Group | Ctrl + G | Cmd + G |
| Ungroup | Ctrl + Shift + G | Cmd + Shift + G |
| Parent | P | P |
| Unparent | Shift + P | Shift + P |
| Delete | Delete | Delete / Backspace |
| Delete History | Alt + Shift + D | Option + Shift + D |
| Repeat Last Action | G | G |
| Select All | Ctrl + A | Cmd + A |
| Deselect All | Ctrl + Shift + A | Cmd + Shift + A |
| Invert Selection | Ctrl + Shift + I (or via menu) | Cmd + Shift + I |
View & Display Shortcuts
These control how your scene is displayed in the viewport. The number keys 1–6 are among the most frequently used shortcuts in any Maya session.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Rough Quality Display | 1 | 1 |
| Medium Quality Display | 2 | 2 |
| Smooth Display | 3 | 3 |
| Wireframe | 4 | 4 |
| Shaded | 5 | 5 |
| Shaded + Textured | 6 | 6 |
| Lighting Display | 7 | 7 |
| Frame All in View | A | A |
| Frame Selected | F | F |
| Toggle Full Screen Viewport | Space | Space |
| Persp / Ortho View | Space (tap) | Space (tap) |
| Toggle UI Elements | Ctrl + Space | Cmd + Space |
| Isolate Select | Shift + L | Shift + L |
| Hide Selection | Ctrl + H | Cmd + H |
| Show Last Hidden | Ctrl + Shift + H | Cmd + Shift + H |
| Show All | Ctrl + Shift + H (with nothing selected) | Cmd + Shift + H |
| Toggle Grid | Shift + G (via menu) | Shift + G |
| Zoom In Viewport | Alt + Right Mouse Drag | Option + Right Mouse Drag |
| Pan Viewport | Alt + Middle Mouse Drag | Option + Middle Mouse Drag |
| Tumble (Rotate) Viewport | Alt + Left Mouse Drag | Option + Left Mouse Drag |
Modeling & Sculpting Shortcuts
These cover polygon modeling and sculpting operations. The component mode shortcuts (F8–F12) let you instantly switch between object, vertex, edge, face, and UV editing essential for any modeling workflow.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Extrude | Ctrl + E | Cmd + E |
| Bevel | Ctrl + B | Cmd + B |
| Bridge | Ctrl + Shift + B | Cmd + Shift + B |
| Object / Component Toggle | F8 | F8 |
| Vertex Mode | F9 | F9 |
| Edge Mode | F10 | F10 |
| Face Mode | F11 | F11 |
| UV Mode | F12 | F12 |
| Grow Selection | > | > |
| Shrink Selection | < | < |
| Select Edge Loop | Double-click edge | Double-click edge |
| Select Edge Ring | Ctrl + Double-click edge | Cmd + Double-click edge |
| Multi-cut Tool | Ctrl + Shift + X | Cmd + Shift + X |
| Modify Upper Brush Radius | B (hold) + Left Drag | B (hold) + Left Drag |
| Modify Lower Brush Radius | Shift + B | Shift + B |
| Flood with Current Value | Alt + F | Option + F |
| Mirror Geometry | Mesh → Mirror (no default key) | Mesh → Mirror |
| Merge Vertices | Alt + M | Option + M |
| Target Weld | Ctrl + Shift + M (or tool) | Cmd + Shift + M |
Snapping Shortcuts
Snapping shortcuts in Maya are held down while you drag not toggled on/off. Release the key to stop snapping. These are essential for precise placement in modeling and scene layout.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Snap to Grid | X (hold) | X (hold) |
| Snap to Points / Vertices | V (hold) | V (hold) |
| Snap to Curves | C (hold) | C (hold) |
| Discrete Move / Rotate / Scale | J (hold) | J (hold) |
| Relative Discrete Snap | Shift + J (hold) | Shift + J (hold) |
| Move Along Normals | Ctrl + Middle Drag | Cmd + Middle Drag |
Selection Shortcuts
Fast selection is critical in complex Maya scenes. Use these to quickly switch selection modes and build or modify your selection without going to the menu.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Select Tool | Q | Q |
| Select All | Ctrl + A | Cmd + A |
| Deselect All | Ctrl + D (in some modes) | Cmd + D |
| Add to Selection | Shift + Click | Shift + Click |
| Remove from Selection | Ctrl + Click | Cmd + Click |
| Lasso Select | Ctrl + F8 | Cmd + F8 |
| Paint Selection | Ctrl + F9 | Cmd + F9 |
| Grow Selection | > | > |
| Shrink Selection | < | < |
| Isolate Select | Shift + L | Shift + L |
| Quick Select Sets | Ctrl + 1–9 | Cmd + 1–9 |
Animation & Keyframe Shortcuts
These cover keyframe setting, timeline navigation, and Graph Editor controls. Use Shift + W, Shift + E, Shift + R instead of S when you only want to key a specific transform channel it keeps animation curves cleaner.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Set Key (all channels) | S | S |
| Set Key for Translate only | Shift + W | Shift + W |
| Set Key for Rotate only | Shift + E | Shift + E |
| Set Key for Scale only | Shift + R | Shift + R |
| Insert Key on Curve | Alt + I | Option + I |
| Move to Next Key | . | . |
| Move to Previous Key | , | , |
| Step Forward One Frame | Alt + . | Option + . |
| Step Backward One Frame | Alt + , | Option + , |
| Toggle Playback | Alt + V | Option + V |
| Go to Min Frame (Start) | Alt + Shift + V | Option + Shift + V |
| Virtual Time Slider (scrub) | K + Middle Mouse Drag | K + Middle Mouse Drag |
| Select Next Key (Graph Editor) | Ctrl + Alt + . | Cmd + Option + . |
| Select Previous Key (Graph Editor) | Ctrl + Alt + , | Cmd + Option + , |
| Toggle Multicolor Feedback | J | J |
| Delete Key at Current Frame | Shift + Delete | Shift + Delete |
| Tangent Weight On/Off | Ctrl + W (Graph Editor) | Cmd + W |
Playback Control Shortcuts
Use these to control playback in the Timeline and Time Slider without moving your hand to the transport controls.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Play / Stop | Alt + V | Option + V |
| Play Backwards | Alt + Shift + V (reversed) | Option + Shift + V |
| Next Frame | Alt + . | Option + . |
| Previous Frame | Alt + , | Option + , |
| Next Key | . | . |
| Previous Key | , | , |
| Go to Start Frame | Alt + Shift + V | Option + Shift + V |
| Scrub Timeline | K + Middle Mouse Drag | K + Middle Mouse Drag |
Rigging Shortcuts
These shortcuts are used during character rigging the process of creating a skeleton and control system for a 3D character. Rigging in Maya is one of the most technically demanding workflows and these hotkeys speed it up considerably.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Joint Tool | Skeleton → Joint Tool | Skeleton → Joint Tool |
| Insert Joint | Skeleton → Insert Joint | Skeleton → Insert Joint |
| Mirror Joint | Skeleton → Mirror Joints | Skeleton → Mirror Joints |
| Parent Joint | P | P |
| Unparent Joint | Shift + P | Shift + P |
| Set Preferred Angle | Skeleton → Set Preferred Angle | Skeleton → Set Preferred Angle |
| Bind Skin | Skin → Bind Skin | Skin → Bind Skin |
| Detach Skin | Skin → Detach Skin | Skin → Detach Skin |
| Paint Skin Weights | Skin → Paint Skin Weights | Skin → Paint Skin Weights |
| Go to Bind Pose | Alt + Shift + G | Option + Shift + G |
UV Editor Shortcuts
UV shortcuts are used during the texturing and UV unwrapping stage of 3D modeling. These are especially important for game assets and character texturing workflows.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Open UV Editor | Ctrl + F10 | Cmd + F10 |
| UV Mode (in viewport) | F12 | F12 |
| Unfold UVs | UV → Unfold | UV → Unfold |
| Layout UVs | UV → Layout | UV → Layout |
| Snap UVs to Grid | X (hold) in UV Editor | X (hold) |
| Move UV Shell | W (in UV Editor) | W |
| Scale UV Shell | R (in UV Editor) | R |
| Rotate UV Shell | E (in UV Editor) | E |
| Select UV Shell | Ctrl + F11 | Cmd + F11 |
| Frame All UVs | A (in UV Editor) | A |
| Stitch UVs | UV → Stitch | UV → Stitch |
Graph Editor Shortcuts
The Graph Editor is where animators refine the timing and easing of their keyframes. These shortcuts work specifically inside the Graph Editor window and are used daily by professional animators.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Open Graph Editor | Shift + T or Windows menu | Shift + T |
| Frame All Curves | A | A |
| Frame Selected | F | F |
| Insert Key on Curve | Alt + I | Option + I |
| Move to Next Key | . | . |
| Move to Previous Key | , | , |
| Next Selected Key | Ctrl + Alt + . | Cmd + Option + . |
| Previous Selected Key | Ctrl + Alt + , | Cmd + Option + , |
| Pan Graph Editor | Alt + Middle Mouse | Option + Middle Mouse |
| Zoom Graph Editor | Alt + Right Mouse | Option + Right Mouse |
| Spline Tangent | T + S (in Graph Editor) | T + S |
| Linear Tangent | T + L | T + L |
| Flat Tangent | T + F | T + F |
| Stepped Tangent | T + P | T + P |
Rendering Shortcuts
These shortcuts cover the rendering workflow in Maya, including viewport rendering, batch render triggers, and IPR (Interactive Photorealistic Rendering) used with Arnold and other renderers.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Render Current Frame | Ctrl + R | Cmd + R |
| IPR Render (Interactive) | Render → IPR Render | Render → IPR Render |
| Open Render Settings | Ctrl + Shift + R (or menu) | Cmd + Shift + R |
| Textured Display (viewport) | 6 | 6 |
| Lighting Preview | 7 | 7 |
| Hardware Render Viewport | Renderer → Viewport 2.0 | Renderer → Viewport 2.0 |
| Toggle Shadow Display | Lighting menu in viewport | Lighting menu in viewport |
Painting Operations Shortcuts
These shortcuts apply when using Maya’s Artisan paint tools, including Paint Skin Weights, Sculpt Geometry, and 3D Paint Tool.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Increase Brush Size | B (hold) + Left Drag Right | B (hold) + Left Drag Right |
| Decrease Brush Size | B (hold) + Left Drag Left | B (hold) + Left Drag Left |
| Increase Brush Strength | M (hold) + Left Drag Right | M (hold) + Left Drag Right |
| Decrease Brush Strength | M (hold) + Left Drag Left | M (hold) + Left Drag Left |
| Flood with Current Value | Alt + F | Option + F |
| Toggle Reflection | Alt + R (in paint mode) | Option + R |
| Relax Brush | Shift (hold) while painting | Shift (hold) |
Download Maya Shortcuts PDF
All the Maya keyboard shortcuts on this page are available as a free PDF cheat sheet. Print it out and keep it next to your workstation, or save it to your device for quick reference while working in Maya.
The PDF includes all 150+ shortcuts organized by category, with both Windows and Mac versions side by side.
The PDF is updated for Autodesk Maya 2026 and covers all major workflow categories modeling, animation, rigging, UV editing, rendering, and viewport navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I repeat the last action in Maya?
Press G to repeat the last action in Maya. This works for any tool or command and is one of the most-used shortcuts in daily workflows.
What is the duplicate shortcut in Maya?
Press Ctrl + D to duplicate an object in Maya. Use Ctrl + Shift + D for Duplicate Special, or Shift + D to Duplicate with Transform.
How do I isolate an object in Maya?
Press Shift + L to toggle Isolate Select in Maya, which hides everything except your selected object.
How do I unparent an object in Maya?
Press Shift + P to unparent a selected object in Maya.
Are Maya shortcuts different on Mac?
Yes. On Mac, Ctrl becomes Command (⌘) and Alt becomes Option (⌥) for most shortcuts. For example, Undo is Ctrl+Z on Windows and Command+Z on Mac.
How do I open the Hotkey Editor in Maya?
Go to Windows → Settings/Preferences → Hotkey Editor. From there you can view, modify, and export your custom shortcut set.
What is the shortcut for smooth display in Maya?
Press 3 for smooth display. Press 1 for rough and 2 for medium quality display.
How do I snap to grid in Maya?
Hold X while moving an object to snap to the grid. Hold V to snap to points, and C to snap to curves.
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