Shortcuts
Every key and every modifier key, on one page
Here is every key in Janvas: the menu keys, the tool letters, the special keys, and what ⇧, ⌥ and ⌘ change during gestures.
⌘ is the Command key on the Mac and Ctrl on Windows and Linux: it is the same shortcut. ⌥ is Option on the Mac. Shortcuts do not fire while you are typing in a text or in a field (an "r" is a letter), but they do fire while you are holding a slider.
Tools
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| V | elements selection: the arrow |
| R | rectangle |
| E | ellipse-circle |
| W | regular polygons |
| L | line |
| U | arc |
| N | freehand: the Pencil tool |
| P | path: the Pen tool |
| B | brush: the Brush tool |
| K | blob brush: paints filled shapes that merge |
| T | text box |
| I | eyedropper: copies the style of what you click onto the selection |
| A | rotate from the page origin: free rotation around the reference point |
| S | scale from the page origin: free scaling from the reference point |
Without a letter: the three dimension tools (linear dimension, radius dimension, angular dimension) and insert image. The letter is shown in each button's tooltip.
With the blob brush in hand, [ and ] make the tip smaller and larger.
File
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌘ O | Open… |
| ⌘ S | Save |
| ⌘ ⇧ S | Save as… |
| ⌘ P | Print low resolution… |
New has no ⌘ N: the browser does not leave it to the page.
Edit
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌘ Z | Undo |
| ⌘ ⇧ Z | Redo |
| ⌘ X | Cut |
| ⌘ C | Copy |
| ⌘ V | Paste: where you are working |
| ⌘ D | Duplicate: repeats the last duplicating gesture |
| ⌫ or Del | Delete: to the trash. With a tween being edited, deletes the tween |
| ⌘ G | Group |
| ⌘ ⇧ G | Ungroup |
Stacking order
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌘ F | Bring to front |
| ⌘ B | Send to back |
| ⌘ ⇧ F | Move up |
| ⌘ ⇧ B | Move down |
View
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌘ 0 | Fit to view |
| ⌘ 1 | Zoom 100% |
| ⌘ ⌥ 0 | Zoom to selection |
| Space + drag | pans the view, with any tool |
| right button + drag | pans the view, with any tool |
| scroll wheel | zooms around the pointer |
| ⌘ + scroll wheel | pans the view |
Arrow keys
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| ← → ↑ ↓ | moves the selection by Arrow step |
| ⇧ + arrow key | ten steps |
| ⌥ ← / ⌥ → | rotates by Rotation step around the center |
| ⌥ ⇧ ← / ⌥ ⇧ → | reflects horizontally |
| ⌥ ⇧ ↑ / ⌥ ⇧ ↓ | reflects vertically |
With the Selection tool active and something selected. In anchor point mode the arrow keys do not move the anchor points.
Esc, Enter and digits
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Esc | in this order, the first thing there is to do: cancels the gesture in progress (and resets the reference point of the free tools); exits the current mode (anchor points of a path, gradient on the canvas, text threading, the Pen tool path, which is placed as with Enter); exits the open container; removes the snapping guides. In an open text it closes the text; in the value dialog it closes the dialog |
| Enter | with the Pen tool: places the open path and gives back the arrow, with the path selected. In a text: starts a new line. In the value dialog: confirms. In a panel field: confirms the value |
| a digit, . or , | with the Line tool or the Pen tool, once a stroke has started: opens the Length dialog with that digit |
Inside a text
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Enter | new line |
| Esc | closes the text |
| ⌘ Z | undoes within the text, styles included |
| ⌘ ⇧ Z | redoes within the text |
| arrow keys, ⌫, paste | as in a text box |
| ⇧ + click | extends the character selection |
| double-click | selects the word |
Modifier keys during gestures
Pressed once a gesture has started, they take effect immediately: the drawing is redone with the new constraint; ⇧ and ⌥ also change the cursor while you are standing still, over an anchor point or an outline.
| Gesture | ⇧ | ⌥ | ⌥ ⇧ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw a line | 45° from the first end | — | — |
| Rectangle, ellipse | square / circle | from the center | square from the center |
| Move | one axis only, no snapping | moves a copy | a copy along one axis only |
| Scale with the handles | proportionally | from the center | proportionally from the center |
| Rotate with the handle | in Rotation step increments | rotates a copy | a copy in increments |
| Rotate tool (A) | in Rotation step increments | rotates a copy | a copy in increments |
| Scale tool (S) | proportionally | — | — |
| Selection marquee | adds | only objects entirely inside | — |
| Click an object | adds or removes | on the origin: grabs it (with Show object origin on) | — |
| Click an anchor point of a path | adds or removes the point | deletes the point | makes the point a curve |
| Click the outline of a path | — | adds an anchor point | cuts |
| Drag a direction handle | stays aligned | breaks | aligned and symmetric |
| Corner radius widget | — | rounds all corners | — |
| Port of a text frame | — | unthreads | — |
| Geometry reflect | each on its own center | — | — |
| Double-click a color or gradient | — | in the document: the objects that use it as stroke; in the library: applies it to the stroke of the selection | — |
| Scroll wheel on a selected photo in a grid | — | rotates the photo | rotates in 15° increments |
| Player zoom | — | zooms out | — |
Lists and panels
| Where | Click | ⇧ + click | ⌘ + click | Double-click |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Document tree | selects the row | the range between two rows of the same list | adds or removes | selects and frames |
| Resource panels | selects the cell | the range | adds or removes | in the library: applies the paint to the selection; in the document: the objects that use it, or enters it |
| Images | selects | the range | adds or removes | the objects that use it, framed |
| Timeline, bars | selects the tween | adds or removes | adds or removes (only ⌘ on the Mac, not Ctrl) | — |
In the data panel of a table or a chart:
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tab / ⇧ Tab | the next / previous cell |
| Enter | the cell below |
| ⇧ Enter | a new line in the cell |
| ⌫ or Del | empties the selected cells |
| Esc | removes the selection of cells; in a cell, leaves it; with the menu open, closes it |
| ⌘ Z / ⌘ ⇧ Z or ⌘ Y | undo and redo in the panel, then in the document |
| ⌘ C, ⌘ X, ⌘ V | copy, cut and paste cells, also from a spreadsheet |
In the Google Sheet dialog: Enter loads the sheet, Esc closes the dialog.
Timeline
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⇧ + drag on the ruler | draws the loop |
| ⌥ + drag a bar | duplicates the tween |
| ⌥ + drag the end handle | scales the whole timeline proportionally |
| ⌘ + scroll wheel on the track | zooms the timeline |
The mouse on the canvas
| Gesture | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| double-click | on an object | opens it: a text, the anchor points of a path, a container, a symbol. On a table or a chart it opens the data panel |
| double-click | on an empty area inside a container | exits |
| double-click | on an empty area of a page | frames the page |
| double-click | on an empty area outside the pages | frames everything |
| click | on an empty area of a page | makes it the active page, without selecting it |
| double-click | on a ruler guide | asks for its position (Guide); takes precedence over exiting and framing |
| drag | from a ruler | a new guide: horizontal from the top ruler, vertical from the left one |
| drag | a guide, from an empty area | moves it; dropped on a ruler, deletes it. Locked guides do not move |
| right-click without moving | on the canvas | the context menu |
The value dialog
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Enter | confirms (Length, Rotate, Scale, Guide) |
| Esc | closes it without applying |