VectorStyler modifier keys (Shift, Control, Option and Command) are used in interactive editors, panels and views to access additional features, by holding the corresponding key down when pressing, dragging or releasing the mouse.
Some modifier keys may have different function when pressing, dragging or releasing the mouse.
Modifier keys can be customized in the Modifier Keys section of the Settings.
The default assignment of various modifier keys are listed here per editor, panel and view, in tables as follows:
The first column contains the key name.
The second column contains name of the feature in the Modifier Keys section of the application settings.
The third column contains a description of the feature.
Interactive Editors
Document View
alternateeditor
Command
Activate Alternate Editor
Activates alternate editing mode in the document view, depending on the active editor type
documentflippanning
None
Flip Document Panning Direction
Hold to flip the direction of document view panning
documentzooming
Option
Document Zoom Key
Hold to zoom in or out when scrolling with the mouse
rootdeepchange
Command
Change Inside Groups
Apply drag&drop changes on objects inside groups
rootlinkedimport
Option
Import Linked Files
Hold to import dropped files with linking to original
rootdontreplace
Control
Don't Replace Selection
Hold to avoid replacing selected content when dragging and dropping files on the document
rootblockrotation
Control
Block View Rotations when Using Gestures
Hold to avoid rotating the document view while zooming in or out with track pad gestures
rootopenfiles
Command
Open Dropped Files
Hold open dropped files as separate documents, instead of importing
contextmenu
Control
Contextual Menu With Click
Hold open the contextual menu when clicking in the document view
referencedrop
Command
Create Reference to Copied Object
Hold to create a reference when copying objects with drag and drop
clonedrop
Option
Create Clone to Copied Object
Hold to create a clone when copying objects with drag and drop
adjustrulerpos
Option
Adjust Document Ruler Origin
Hold to adjust the document origin by dragging from the ruler corner
Zooming
zoomoutmodekey
Option
Zoom Tool Click Zooms Out
Hold to click with the zoom tool for fixed zoom out amount
boxedzoomkey
Shift
Boxed Zooming Mode
Hold to enable the boxed zooming mode
Rotating View
limitangle
Command
Restrict the Document View Rotation
Hold to restrict the rotation angle of the document view
Guideline Editing
documentmetric
Shift
Open Document Units on Ruler Click
Hold to open the document units menu when clicking on the document ruler
swapguide
Shift
Swap Guideline Selection
Hold to add / remove guideline selections
selectallguide
Command
Select All Guidelines in Group
Hold when clicking on a guideline to select all guidelines in the group
updateplace
Control
Update Guideline Location
Hold while moving guidelines to update the location of the guidelines between an artboard or a canvas
snapguidetoruler
Shift
Snap Guideline to Ruler
Hold while moving the selected guidelines to snap their position to the current visible ruler units
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the guideline angle
editnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Editing
Temporarily disable snapping while moving guidelines
editcopy
Option
Copy while Changing
Hold to duplicate the selected guidelines
guidelineangle
Option
Swap New Guideline Direction
press to swap the guideline direction when dragging new guidelines from the ruler
Selection
Point Selection
selectbehind
Option
Select Behind Selected
Hold to select behind the selected objects
selectxor
Shift
Add / Remove Selection
Hold to add or remove from the current selection
deepselect
Option
Select Inside Groups
Hold to select inside groups also
Box Selection
selectxor
Shift
Add / Remove Selection
Hold to add or remove from the current selection
alternateselectionkey
Option
Alternate Selection Mode
Hold to select with the lasso tool while using the box selection mode
Lasso Selection
lassocloseall
Option
Close Lasso Selection
Hold to close the region of the lasso selection and select objects intersecting or inside the region
selectxor
Shift
Add / Remove Selection
Hold to add or remove from the current selection
Magic Wand Tool
selectxor
Shift
Add / Remove Selection
Hold to add or remove from the current selection
deepselect
Option
Select Inside Groups
Hold to select inside groups also
Drawing
Pencil Tool
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Draw squares
drawline
Control
Draw Lines with Pencil
Hold to draw lines while drawing with the Pencil tool
extenddraw
Command
Extend Shapes with Pencil
Hold to extend existing shapes with the Pencil tool
erasesegment
Shift
Activate Eraser Tool
Hold before pressing the mouse to activate segment eraser tool
none
Down Arrow
None
Decrease stroke width
none
Up Arrow
None
Increase stroke width
none
Tab
None
Swap between line and curve drawing modes
Various Brush Tools
These modifiers may be present in various brush and effect brush tools to adjust the brush tip.
brushtipkey
Option
Adjust Brush Tip Size and Scale
Hold to adjust the brush tip size and scale by dragging the mouse
brushtipangle
Control
Adjust Brush Tip Rotation
Hold to adjust the brush tip rotation, while adjusting the size and scale by dragging the mouse
proportionalbrush
Shift
Rounded Brush Tip
Hold to set the brush tip to rounded
Eraser and Path Brush Tools
The eraser and path brush tools pain a shape to erase from or add to the selected shapes.
combinepaintingshape
Option
Erase With a Shape Preset
Hold to use a shape preset or style to erase with
pickfilterbrushshape
Shift
Pick Eraser Shape
Hold to pick a shape from the canvas to be used as an eraser shape
Pen Tool
pathselectonly
Shift
Select Clicked Node with Pen
Select the node, instead of adjusting or removing, when a node is clicked
removepathmode
Option
Remove Controls with Pen
Removes the control points around the clicked node
smoothcorner
Command
Smooth Corner with Pen
Hold while dragging a control point to change to smooth corners
cuspcorner
Option
Cusp Corner with Pen
Hold while dragging a control point to change to cusp corners
drawpathline
Control
Draw Line with Pen
Hold while dragging with the pen tool, to create lines
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Hold while dragging a line or control point to restrict the angle
movenode
Space
None
Hold to move the node also, when adjusting a control point
Path Sketch Tool
extractsketch
Shift
Extract Closed with Sketch
Hold to extract a new closed path in the path sketch tool
linesketch
Control
Sketch with Lines
Hold sketch with lines
repaintsketch
Option
Repaint Previous Sketch
Hold to repaint the previous sketch
none
Tab
None
Swap between line and curve drawing modes
Drawing Lines
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Hold while drawing a line to restrict the angle
skipextendline
Shift
Do not Extend with Line
Hold when pressing the mouse to create a new object
drawnewpath
Command
New Path with Line Tool
Hold when pressing the mouse to create a new sub-path with the Line tool
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing lines
Shapes
Drawing Rectangles
proportional
Shift
Proportional Adjustment
Draw squares
centered
Control
Centered Adjustment
Draw rectangles or squares centered at the starting location
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing rectangles
Drawing 3-Point Rectangles
proportional
Shift
Proportional Adjustment
Draw squares
centered
Control
Centered Adjustment
Draw rectangles or squares centered at the starting location
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing rectangles
diagonalrectangle
Option
Draw Square with 3-Point Tool
Hold to draw a square with the 3-Point rectangle tool
Editing Rectangles
uniformshape
Shift
Uniform Shape Adjustment
Hold to bend the opposite sides of the rectangle in the same direction
opposingshape
Option
Opposite Shape Adjustment
Hold to bend the opposite sides of the rectangle in the opposite direction
editnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Editing
Temporarily disable snapping while editing rectangles
Drawing Ellipses
proportional
Shift
Proportional Adjustment
Draw circles
centered
Control
Centered Adjustment
Draw ellipses or circles centered at the starting location
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing ellipses
Drawing 3-Point Circles
diagonalcircle
Option
Diagonal Circle Drawing
Hold to draw a circle with only the diagonal
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing circles
Drawing Curvature Circles
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing circles
Editing Ellipses
uniformshape
Shift
Uniform Shape Adjustment
Hold to adjust closed concentric ellipse radius separately
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the angle while adjusting the pie angles
editnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Editing
Temporarily disable snapping while editing ellipses
Drawing Spirals
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Restrict the ending angle when drawing the spiral
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing spirals
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease spacing in the spiral shape
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase spacing in the spiral shape
Editing Spirals
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the angle while adjusting the spiral angles
skipangle
Control
Skip Angle Adjustment
Hold to keep the angle of the spiral fixed while adjusting
skipextent
Command
Skip Extent Adjustment
Hold to keep the radius of the spiral fixed while adjusting
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease spacing in the spiral shape
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase spacing in the spiral shape
none
Minus
None
Decrease gap decay in the spiral shape
none
Plus
None
Increase gap decay in the spiral shape
Drawing Polygonal Spirals
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Restrict the ending angle when drawing the spiral
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing spirals
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease spacing in the polygonal spiral shape
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase spacing in the polygonal spiral shape
none
Down Arrow
None
Decrease the number of facets in the polygonal spiral shape
none
Up Arrow
None
Increase the number of facets in the polygonal spiral shape
Editing Polygonal Spirals
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the angle while adjusting the polygonal spiral angles
skipangle
Control
Skip Angle Adjustment
Hold to keep the angle of the polygonal spiral fixed while adjusting
skipextent
Command
Skip Extent Adjustment
Hold to keep the radius of the polygonal spiral fixed while adjusting
none
Minus
None
Decrease gap decay in the spiral shape
none
Plus
None
Increase gap decay in the spiral shape
Drawing Polygons
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Restrict the ending angle when drawing the polygon
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing polygons
none
Down/Left Arrow
None
Decrease the number of sides of the polygon
none
Up/Right Arrow
None
Increase the number of sides of the polygon
Editing Polygons
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the angle while rotating the polygon
skipangle
Control
Skip Angle Adjustment
Hold to keep the rotation of the polygon fixed, while adjusting the radius
skipextent
Command
Skip Extent Adjustment
Hold to keep the radius of the polygon fixed, while adjusting the rotation
none
Down/Left Arrow
None
Decrease the number of sides of the polygon
none
Up/Right Arrow
None
Increase the number of sides of the polygon
Drawing Grids
proportional
Shift
Proportional Adjustment
Draw square grid
centered
Control
Centered Adjustment
Draw the grid centered at the starting location
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Restrict the ending angle when drawing the grid
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing grids
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease the horizontal spacing of the grid
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase the horizontal spacing of the grid
none
Down Arrow
None
Decrease the vertical spacing of the grid
none
Up Arrow
None
Increase the vertical spacing of the grid
Editing Grids
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the angle while rotating the grid
skipangle
Control
Skip Angle Adjustment
Hold to keep the rotation of the grid fixed, while adjusting the extent
skipextent
Command
Skip Extent Adjustment
Hold to keep the extent of the grid fixed, while adjusting the rotation
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease the horizontal spacing of the grid
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase the horizontal spacing of the grid
none
Down Arrow
None
Decrease the vertical spacing of the grid
none
Up Arrow
None
Increase the vertical spacing of the grid
Drawing Line Grids
proportional
Shift
Proportional Adjustment
Draw square line grid
centered
Control
Centered Adjustment
Draw the line grid centered at the starting location
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Restrict the ending angle when drawing the grid
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing grids
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease the spacing of the line grid
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase the spacing of the line grid
Editing Line Grids
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the angle while rotating the line grid
skipangle
Control
Skip Angle Adjustment
Hold to keep the rotation of the grid fixed, while adjusting the extent
skipextent
Command
Skip Extent Adjustment
Hold to keep the extent of the grid fixed, while adjusting the rotation
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease the spacing of the line grid
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase the spacing of the line grid
Drawing Wave Grids
proportional
Shift
Proportional Adjustment
Draw square wave grid
centered
Control
Centered Adjustment
Draw the wave grid centered at the starting location
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Restrict the ending angle when drawing the wave grid
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing wave grids
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease the spacing of the wave grid
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase the spacing of the wave grid
Editing Wave Grids
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the angle while rotating the wave grid
skipangle
Control
Skip Angle Adjustment
Hold to keep the rotation of the wave grid fixed, while adjusting the extent
skipextent
Command
Skip Extent Adjustment
Hold to keep the extent of the wave grid fixed, while adjusting the rotation
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease the spacing of the wave grid
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase the spacing of the wave grid
Drawing ZigZag Grids
proportional
Shift
Proportional Adjustment
Draw square zig zag grid
centered
Control
Centered Adjustment
Draw the zig zag grid centered at the starting location
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Restrict the ending angle when drawing the zig zag grid
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing zig zag grids
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease the spacing of the zig zag grid
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase the spacing of the zig zag grid
Editing ZigZag Grids
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the angle while rotating the zig zag grid
skipangle
Control
Skip Angle Adjustment
Hold to keep the rotation of the zig zag grid fixed, while adjusting the extent
skipextent
Command
Skip Extent Adjustment
Hold to keep the extent of the zig zag grid fixed, while adjusting the rotation
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease the spacing of the zig zag grid
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase the spacing of the zig zag grid
Drawing Concentric Shapes
proportional
Shift
Proportional Adjustment
Draw proportional concentric shapes
centered
Control
Centered Adjustment
Draw the concentric shape centered at the starting location
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing concentric shapes
Editing Concentric Shapes
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the angle while rotating the concentric shape
skipangle
Control
Skip Angle Adjustment
Hold to keep the rotation of the concentric shape fixed, while adjusting the extent
skipextent
Command
Skip Extent Adjustment
Hold to keep the extent of the concentric shape fixed, while adjusting the rotation
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease the spacing of the concentric shape
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase the spacing of the concentric shape
Drawing Stars
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Restrict the ending angle when drawing the star shape
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing star shapes
regularstar
Option
Draw Regular Stars
Hold to create a regular star shape
normalizedstar
Control
Normalize Star Winding
Hold to create a star shape with removed self intersecting regions
none
Down/Left Arrow
None
Decrease the number of sides of the star shape
none
Up/Right Arrow
None
Increase the number of sides of the star shape
Editing Stars
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the angle while rotating the star shape
shiftstar
Command
Shifted Star Shape
Hold rotate the inner nodes of the star separately
skipangle
Control
Skip Angle Adjustment
Hold to keep the rotation of the star shape fixed, while adjusting the extent
skipextent
Command
Skip Extent Adjustment
Hold to keep the extent of the star shape fixed, while adjusting the rotation
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease the number of levels in the star shape
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase the number of levels in the star shape
none
Down Arrow
None
Decrease the number of sides of the star shape
none
Up Arrow
None
Increase the number of sides of the star shape
Drawing Gear Shapes
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Restrict the ending angle when drawing the gear shape
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing gear shapes
none
Down/Left Arrow
None
Decrease the number of sides of the gear shape
none
Up/Right Arrow
None
Increase the number of sides of the gear shape
Editing Gear Shapes
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the angle while rotating the gear shape
shiftgear
Option
Shifted Gear Shape
Hold rotate the inner nodes of the gear separately
skipangle
Control
Skip Angle Adjustment
Hold to keep the rotation of the gear shape fixed, while adjusting the extent
skipextent
Command
Skip Extent Adjustment
Hold to keep the extent of the gear shape fixed, while adjusting the rotation
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease the number of levels in the gear shape
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase the number of levels in the gear shape
none
Down Arrow
None
Decrease the number of sides of the gear shape
none
Up Arrow
None
Increase the number of sides of the gear shape
Drawing Square Stars
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Restrict the ending angle when drawing the square star shape
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing square star shapes
none
Down/Left Arrow
None
Decrease the number of sides of the square star shape
none
Up/Right Arrow
None
Increase the number of sides of the square star shape
adjustspike
Shift
Adjust Square Star Spike
Hold to drag the endings of a square star into spikes
Editing Square Stars
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the angle while rotating the square star shape
shiftstar
Command
Shifted Star Shape
Hold rotate the inner nodes of the square star separately
skipangle
Control
Skip Angle Adjustment
Hold to keep the rotation of the square star shape fixed, while adjusting the extent
skipextent
Command
Skip Extent Adjustment
Hold to keep the extent of the square star shape fixed, while adjusting the rotation
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease the number of levels in the square star shape
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase the number of levels in the square star shape
none
Down Arrow
None
Decrease the number of sides of the square star shape
none
Up Arrow
None
Increase the number of sides of the square star shape
Drawing Symmetrigons
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Restrict the ending angle when drawing the symmetrigon
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing symmetrigons
none
Down/Left Arrow
None
Decrease the number of sides of the symmetrigon
none
Up/Right Arrow
None
Increase the number of sides of the symmetrigon
Drawing Super Ellipses
proportional
Shift
Proportional Adjustment
Draw proportional super ellipse shapes
centered
Control
Centered Adjustment
Draw super ellipse shapes centered at the starting location
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing super ellipse shapes
Editing Super Ellipses
editnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Editing
Temporarily disable snapping while editing super ellipse shapes
none
Down Arrow
None
Decrease the degree of the super ellipse shape
none
Up Arrow
None
Increase the degree of the super ellipse shape
Drawing Super Shapes
drawangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Drawing
Restrict the ending angle when drawing the super shape
drawnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Drawing
Temporarily disable snapping while drawing super ellipse shapes
none
Down/Left Arrow
None
Decrease the number of sides of the super shape
none
Up/Right Arrow
None
Increase the number of sides of the super shape
Editing Super Shapes
editnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Editing
Temporarily disable snapping while editing super ellipse shapes
none
Left Arrow
None
Decrease the number of sides of the super shape
none
Right Arrow
None
Increase the number of sides of the super shape
none
Down Arrow
None
Decrease the degree of the super shape
none
Up Arrow
None
Increase the degree of the super shape
Editing
Transform Tool
centered
Control
Centered Adjustment
Hold to scale the selection around the center point
direction
Shift
Direction Constraint
Hold to restrict the direction of movement to vertical or horizontal
scalecontent
Option
Scale Frame Content
Hold to scale the content of text frames
groupcontent
Option
Distribute Group Content
Hold to distribute the content of a group while scaling or rotating in distribute mode
opposingrotation
Control
Opposite Corner Pivot
Hold to use the opposite corner as rotation pivot
relativeanglesnapping
Control
Relative Rotation Constrain
Hold to constrain rotation angle relative to the current rotation
editcopy
Option
Copy while Changing
Hold to duplicate the moved or transformed objects
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to restrict the angle when rotating objects
proportional
Shift
Proportional Adjustment
Hold to scale the selected objects proportionally
collide
Shift
Move with Collider
Hold to to drag the selected objects from an outline location and collide with shapes. The *Snap to Shape* mode must be active.
editnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Editing
Temporarily disable snapping while adjusting characters
none
Space
None
Hold to adjust and distribute object positions instead of scaling objects
selectpage
Command
Create Overlapping Artboards
Hold to start drawing overlapping artboard, instead of selecting clicked artboard
selectslice
Command
Create Overlapping Slices
Hold to start drawing overlapping slices, instead of selecting clicked slice
multiplegap
Command
Single Gap Adjustment
Hold to adjust a single gap around the selected objects, in the Adjust Gap tool
offsetfrompath
Shift
Offset From Path
Hold adjust the object offset from the path in the Alignment on Path tool (from Alignment panel)
pathlocation
Control
Offset Along Path
Hold to adjust the object position along the path in the Alignment on Path tool (from Alignment panel)
gapadjustmentsnapping
Shift
Snap Gap for Equal Sizes
Hold to snap to gap positions making the adjusted objects of equal size
Shape Builder Tool
restorecut
Command
Restore Shape Builder Region
Hold to restore removed or merged regions that are pained over
removecut
Option
Remove Shape Builder Region
Hold to remove painted over regions
Bucket Fill Tool
swapbucketmerge
Option
Swap Style Merging Mode in Bucket Fill
Hold to swap the current style merging mode (context panel) in the bucket fill tool
Shape Paint Tool
adjustedges
Control
Adjust Shape Paint Edges
Hold to adjust shape paint object edges only
singlemode
Command
Single Shape Paint Region
Hold to select single shape paint regions of merged areas
swapindex
Shift
Swap Shape Paint Selection
Hold to swap shape paint region selection
restorecut
Command
Restore Shape Builder Region
Hold to restore removed or merged regions that are pained over
removecut
Option
Remove Shape Builder Region
Hold to remove painted over regions
Anchor Tool
pathselectonly
Shift
Select Clicked Node with Pen
Select the node, instead of adjusting or removing, when a node is clicked
removepathmode
Option
Remove Controls with Pen
Removes the control points around the clicked node
anchorsmoothcorner
Command
Smooth Corner with Pen
Hold while dragging a control point to change to smooth corners
anchorcuspcorner
Control
Cusp Corner with Pen
Hold while dragging a control point to change to cusp corners
anchorsymmetriccorner
None
Symmetric Corner with Anchor
Hold while dragging a control point to change to symmetric corners
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold while dragging a line or control point to restrict the angle
movenode
Space
None
Hold to move the node also, when adjusting a control point
Node Tool
cuspcorner
Option
Cusp Corner with Pen
Hold while dragging a control point to change to cusp corners
smoothcorner
Command
Smooth Corner with Pen
Hold while dragging a control point to change to smooth corners
symmetriccorner
Shift
Symmetric Corner with Anchor
Hold while dragging a control point to change to symmetric corners
pathlength
Command
Keep Line Segment Length
Hold to keep a line segment length unchanged as the node is moved
keeppathangles
Control
Keep Line Segment Angle
Hold to keep the angle formed with the next a line segment fixed
redirectpath
Option
Merge at Intersection Point
Hold when clicking at a path intersection point to intersect and merge the path
keeppathparts
Command
Redirect at Intersection Point
Hold when merging at intersection points, to keep both parts and only redirect the path
longerpath
Shift
Merge with Shorter Segments
Hold when merging at intersection points to remove the longer segments
movenode
Space
None
Hold to move the node also, when adjusting a control point
adjustsegmentsection
Option
Rotate Between Selected Nodes
Hold to stretch the path section between selected modes
keepsectionangle
Control
Keep Section Angle
Hold to keep the angle of a path section when stretching
keepsectionlength
Shift
Keep Section Length
Hold to keep the length of a path section when stretching
reversesection
Command
Reversed Section Between Nodes
Hold to reverse the path section when stretching
nodedirection
Shift
Restrict Node Movement Direction
Hold to constrain the node movement direction
Corner Tool
equalcorner
Control
Equal Corner Adjustment
Hold to equally adjust the opposite corner side
localizecorner
Option
Adjust Corner Locally
Adjust single corner size and shape
cornerattributes
None
Adjust Corner Attributes
Hold while adjusting corners to set the same corner attributes
swapcorner
Shift
Swap Corner Selection
Swap corner selection
Corner Brush Tool
filterbrush1
Option
Reverse Brush Adjustment
Hold to reduce painted corner radius
9-Slice Scaling Tool
sliceaddxpos
Option
Add Slice X Position
Hold to add a new horizontal region for the sliced scaling
sliceaddypos
Shift
Add Slice Y Position
Hold to add a new vertical region for the sliced scaling
sliceremove
Command
Remove Clicked Slice
Hold to remove the clicked slice region
Trim and Join Tool
closesweeppath
Shift
Close Eraser Region
Hold to close the region painted by the eraser and erase segments inside
extendjoinpath
Option
Join Path with Extension
Hold to extend paths for joining
Shape Picker Tool
pickbehind
Control
Pick Behind Selected
Hold to pick shapes under the selected objects
pickshape
Command
Pick Active Shape
Hold to pick active shape
deepselect
Option
Select Inside Groups
Hold to pick or apply shapes inside groups
Style, Shape and Image Effect Picker Tools
pickchange
Option
Pick Active Change
Hold to pick active style
changeselection
Alt
Change Picker Selection
Hold to select clicked objects as the current style
swapdirection
Shift
Swap Change Picker
Hold to pick from selected and apply on clicked
activatecolorpicker
Shift
Activate Direct Color Picker
Hold to use the direct color picker, instead of picking styles
Text Editing
textselection
Shift
Adjust Text Selection
Hold to adjust the text selection
selecttext
Shift
Select Text from Cursor
Hold to select the from the cursor to the clicked position
offsetfrompath
Shift
Offset From Path
Hold adjust the text offset from the path
pathlocation
Control
Offset Along Path
Hold to adjust the text position along the path
Character Tool
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold while rotating a character to restrict angle changes
proportional
Shift
Proportional Adjustment
Hold to scale the selected characters proportionally
editnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Editing
Temporarily disable snapping while adjusting characters
spacedchar
Command
Adjust Character Spacing
Hold to adjust character spacing when moving a character
Effects
Distortion Effects
These keys are common in all distortion effects editors. Some distortion editors may choose to not use these keys.
editnosnap
Command
Skip Snapping while Editing
Temporarily disable snapping while adjusting the distortion effect
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to restrict the angle parameter change in distortion effects
direction
Shift
Direction Constraint
Hold to restrict the direction of change to vertical or horizontal
adjustprofile
Command
Adjust Effect Width Profile
Hold to adjust offset path or stroke effect width profile
Image Effects
These keys may appear in some image effects.
insertfilteritem
Command
Insert Image Effect Item
Hold to insert a new step or shape in the image effect
Mesh Distortion
insertmesh
Option
Insert Mesh Edge
Hold to create a new mesh node along the mesh edge when clicking
linearmesh
Shift
Linear Mesh
Hold create mesh distortion with lines when clicking on a object with no distortion
Elastic Warp
rotaterigidwarp
Command
Rotate Elastic Warp Node
Hold to rotate the mesh around an elastic warp node
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to restrict the angle parameter change while adjusting the elastic mesh
removerigidnode
Option
Remove Elastic Mesh Node
Hold when clicking on a node to remove the elastic mesh node
restrictedanchor
Command
Limit Anchor Rotation Angle
Hold when creating new anchor nodes to restrict the rotation at the node
Bend Distortion
adjustbendprofile
Command
Adjust Bend Distortion Width Profile
Hold to adjust the width profile of the bend distortion effect
Blend Editor
extractblend
Command
Extract Blend Shape
Hold to extract the shape at the clicked location of the blend object
Contour Editor
adjustcontourprofile
Command
Adjust Contour Width Profile
Hold to adjust the width profile of the contour effect
Attributes
Mesh Gradient
insertmeshpoint
Command
Skip Mesh Node Insertion
Hold to skip creating a new mesh node when clicking with the Mesh Gradient tool
insertmesh
Option
Insert Mesh Edge
Hold to create a new mesh node along the mesh edge when clicking
linearmesh
Shift
Linear Mesh
Hold create mesh gradient with lines when clicking on a object with no mesh gradient
keepmeshlines
Command
Keep Mesh Gradient Lines
Hold when creating a new mesh node to keep mesh lines instead of converting these to curves
Gradient Editor
swapselection
Shift
Swap Node Selection
Hold to select / deselect additional gradient nodes
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to restrict the angle parameter change while adjusting the gradient
blendgradientshape
Command
Blend Gradient Shape
Hold to create a new intermediary gradient shape when inserting gradient shape locations
keepgradientangle
Option
Keep Gradient Angle
Hold to keep the gradient angle while adjusting the gradient
gradientradius
Option
Keep Gradient Radius
Hold to keep the gradient radius while adjusting the gradient
createconcentricgradient
Option
Create Concentric Gradient
Hold to create a concentric gradient when drawing new gradients
Tiling Pattern Editor
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to restrict the angle parameter change while adjusting the tiling pattern
keeppatternangle
Command
Keep Pattern Angle
Hold to keep the pattern angle while adjusting the size
keeppatternsize
Option
Keep Pattern Size
Hold to keep the pattern size while adjusting the angle
keeppatternscale
Option
Keep Pattern Scale
Hold to keep the pattern scaling while adjusting the size
Color Picker Tool
pickcolor
Shift
Pick Color
Hold to pick a color, instead of applying
unlinkpickedstyle
Option
Unlink Picked Styles
Hold to keep the pattern angle while adjusting the size
pickbehind
Control
Pick Behind Selected
Hold to pick colors under the selected objects
pickdeep
Option
Pick Color Inside Groups
Hold to pick colors from inside groups
Stroke Width Profile
symmetricscale
Option
Symmetric Width Profile
Hold to adjust width profile symmetrically on both sides
extendscale
Shift
Preserve Stroke Width
Hold to preserve local width while adjusting the profile
stretchnodes
Shift
Stretch Profile Nodes
Hold to stretch profile nodes when adjusting along the spine
duplicatenode
Option
Duplicate Profile Node
Hold to duplicate width profile node
keepprofilethickness
Command
Keep Profile Node Width
Hold to keep the width at bthe node while dragging along the spine
swapprofile
Command
Swap Profile Node Selection
Hold to add / remove width profile node selections
thinningmode
Option
Width profile Thinning
Hold to remove from the width when using the width profile brush tools
Panels and Views
General UI Keys
speedscrolling
Shift
Faster Scrubby Scrolling of Number Fields
Hold to scroll number fields faster with scrubby scrolling
slidescale
Shift
Increase Slider Scrolling
Hold scroll sliders faster in numeric fields
slidereduce
Option
Decrease Slider Scrolling
Hold scroll sliders slower in numeric fields
alertselect
Command
Alert View Button Select Modifier
Select buttons in alert views by pressing the this key and the highlighted letter of the button text
insertitem
Option
Duplicate Gradient Stop in Slider
Duplicate the selected gradient color stop
wordjump
Option
Jump to the Next /Previous Word
Hold to jump between words in text fields
linejump
Command
Jump to the Next /Previous Line
Hold to jump between lines in multi-line text fields
focusprev
Shift
Focus Previous Field
Hold when pressing the Tab key to move to the previous field
none
Tab
None
Press the Tab key to move the next field
openeditormode
Command
Open Style or Preset Editor
Hold to open the style or preset editor view when clicking on the style selection button
openitemmembers
Option
Open or Close Tree List Item
Hold to open the style or preset editor view when clicking on the style selection button
Appearance Panel
removefilter
Option
Remove Effect From Object
Hold to remove the image or shape effect when clicking the effect icon in the object row
copycontent
Command
Copy Object Appearance Item
Hold to copy the dragged object appearance item
Layers Panel
selectionswap
Command
Add / Remove Selection in Lists
Hold to add or remove items in the layers panel selection
selectionspan
Shift
Select Multiple Items
Hold to select multiple items in the layers panel
largepreview
Option
Open Large Preview
Hold to create large preview when clicking on the object icon
removefilter
Option
Remove Effect From Object
Hold to remove the image or shape effect when clicking the effect icon in the object row
copyelement
Option
Create a Copy of the Dragged Object
Hold to create a copy of the dragged object
cloneelement
Control
Create a Copy of the Dragged Object
Hold to create a clone of the dragged object
referenceelement
Command
Create a Copy of the Dragged Object
Hold to create a reference to the dragged object
reversesearch
Option
Search Backwards in Layers and Objects
Hold to search backwards in the layers panel when clicking on the search icon
editlayeroptions
Option
Create Layer by Editing Options
Hold to when creating a new layer to edit the layer options first
styledraganddrop
Shift
Copy Styles Only on Drag and Drop
Hold to copy style only when dragging and dropping objects
isolatelayer
Control
Isolate Group in Layers Panel
Hold and click on an object, group or layer in the Layers panel to isolate
selectlayer
Option
Select Objects in Layer
Hold and click on a layer to select all objects in the layer
layerlinkedimport
Option
Embedded Import in Layers Panel
Hold to copy create embedded import when drgging and dropping a file into the Layers panel
Transparency Panel
referencemask
Command
Create Reference to Mask Content
Hold to create a reference to the mask content
directmesh
Control
Create Direct Mesh Mask
Hold to create a mesh mask without setting a mesh grid options
Shape and Path Panel
compositeshape
Option
Create Composite Shape with Boolean Operation
Hold to create a composite shape when selecting boolean path operations from the path panel
flattenedcombine
Option
Flip Boolean Shape Operation Flattening Mode
Hold to flip the flattening mode of the boolean operation
Links Panel
selectionswap
Command
Add / Remove Selection in Lists
Hold to add or remove items in the content links panel selection
selectionspan
Shift
Select Multiple Items
Hold to select multiple items in the content links panel
selectprevious
Shift
Select Previous Content
Hold to select the previous instance in the document, of the clicked content
Canvas and Artboard Panel
copysheet
Option
Copy Canvas or Artboard
Hold to copy the canvas or artboard in the panel
Text Panels and Views
indenttab
Command
Select Indentation Marks First
Hold to select indentation marks first in the tab stops cell
tabsnaptounit
Command
Snap Tabs Stops to Units
Hold to snap the tab stop position to document units
Styles Panel
copyvariable
Option
Copy Style on Drag and Drop
Hold to copy the dragged and dropped styles
Find and Replace Panel and Views
copystyleset
Option
Copy Style Conditions
Hold to copy the dragged and dropped style conditions
Navigator Panel
editangle
Shift
Angle Constraint while Editing
Hold to constrain the angle while adjusting the view rotation in the Navigator panel
Color Editing
unlinkcolorstyle
Command
Detach Color Style on Change
Hold to detach color style changes
alternatetarget
Option
Alternate Color Selection
Hold to select color for the other color target (stroke or fill)
colorsetangle
Command
Restrict Color Harmony Angle
Hold to restrict color harmony angle changes
colorsetradius
Shift
Restrict Color Harmony Radius
Hold to restrict color harmony radius changes
colorvarspan
Shift
Select Span of Color Variations
Hold to select a span of color variations in the Variations panel
colorvarswap
Command
Add / Remove Color Variation Selection
Hold to add or remove selection of color variations in the Variations panel
Stroke Attribute Editing
strokeprofile
Command
Width Profile Position
Hold to keep the width profile node position fixed, while adjusting its the width
bothstrokeends
Command
Select Both Caps or Arrows
Hold to select both stroke caps or arrows to the selected style
syncstrokeends
Shift
Select Both Caps
Hold to synchronize stroke caps to the same cap style
syncarrow
Shift
Synchronize Stroke Arrow Style
Hold to synchronize stroke arrows to the same arrows style
editstrokecap
Option
Open the Stroke Cap Editor
Hold to open the stroke cap editor when clicking on the stroke cap icon
arrowdirection
Shift
Restrict Arrow Editing Movement
Hold to restrict the arrow offset movement to a single direction
arrowoffset
Command
Adjust Arrow Offset
Hold to adjust the arrow offset, instead of the arrow spacing
clickarrow
Option
Open the Stroke Arrow Editor
Hold to open the stroke arrow editor when clicking on the stroke arrow icon
Brush Attribute Editing
removebrushitem
Command
Remove Artistic Brush Section
Hold and click on an artistic brush stretching section to remove
brushintensity
Command
Bristle Brush Intensity Position
Hold to keep the bristle brush intensity node position fixed, while adjusting its intensity
none
Delete
None
Delete the selected bristle brush intensity node
Effect and Noise Views
noisepreview
Option
Open Large Noise Preview
Hold when clicking on a noise style in the noise browser to open a larger preview
noisemakerzoom
Option
Noise Editor Zoom
Hold to zoom in or out in the noise editor view
noisemakerswap
Command
Add / Remove Noise Browser Marker
Hold to add or remove a marker in the noise browser
resetrandomizer
Option
Reset Randomizer Scheme
Reset the image / shape effect seed randomizer scheme
shallowchange
Control
Adjust Single Noise Node
Adjust a single noise node when randomizing the parameters
zoomcolor
Option
Zoom Color Range View
Hold to zoom in or out in the color range filter preview
removecolor
Option
Remove Color Range Adjustment
Hold to remove a color range adjustment node when clicking
pickfiltercolor
Control
Pick Color Range Adjustment Color
Hold to pick a color in the color range adjustment preview
copyfilters
Option
Copy Image or Shape Effect
Hold to copy the image or shape effect by dragging in the panel or view list of effects
referencefiltershape
Shift
Create Reference to Image or Shape Effect
Hold to create a reference to the picked image or shape effect