Blender is one of the best free 3D modeling programs available for anyone who wants to create computer graphics. It's polished and powerful, going so far as to outshine quite a few paid alternatives.

If you use this highly recommended piece of open-source software for 3D modeling, texturing, animation, and more on your Windows PC, why not give your workflow a leg-up by becoming familiar with the most useful Blender keyboard shortcuts? You can discover them in our cheat sheet below.

We have grouped the shortcuts into logical sections like Navigation, Modeling, Rigging, Animation, Rendering, and so on to make it easy to find specific shortcuts.

Keep in mind that keyboard shortcuts vary from one Blender version to another. The shortcuts below are applicable to version 2.8 of Blender on Windows.

FREE DOWNLOAD: This cheat sheet is available as a downloadable PDF from our distribution partner, TradePub. You will have to complete a short form to access it for the first time only. Download Blender 2.8 Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet for Windows.

Blender 2.8 Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet for Windows

Shortcut

Action

Basics

Shift + A

Add object/node

X OR Delete

Delete

F3

Search for function

G

Move

S

Scale

R

Rotate

R + X/Y/Z

Rotate along global axis

R + XX/YY/ZZ

Rotate along local axis

Double press R

Free rotate with trackball

Shift (hold)

Precise movement

Ctrl (hold)

Incremental movement

Shift + D

Duplicate

Alt + D

Duplicate linked

H

Hide

Alt + H

Unhide all

Shift + H

Hide all except selected

D (hold) + ¹LMB (drag)

Annotate

D (hold) + ¹RMB (drag)

Erase annotation

Q

Quick favorites

Window Shortcuts

T

Toolbar

N

Properties bar

Ctrl + Space

Maximize area (but keep toolbar)

Ctrl + Alt + Space

Fullscreen area

Ctrl + Alt + Q

Quad view

Alt + Z

Toggle X-Ray view

NumPad 7

Top view

NumPad 1

Front view

NumPad 3

Right view

Ctrl + NumPad 3

Left view

NumPad ,

Center selected

Shift + ^

Walk navigation

Change Windows

Shift + F2

Movie Clip

Shift + F3

Nodes

Shift + F4

Python Console

Shift + F5

3D Viewport

Shift + F6

Graph

Shift + F7

Properties

Shift + F8

Video Sequencer

Shift + F9

Outliner

Shift + F10

UV/Image

Shift + F11

Text

Shift + F12

Dope Sheet

General Selections

¹LMB

Select

A

Select all

Alt + A OR Double press A

Deselect all

B OR ¹LMB (drag)

Marquee box select

C

Circle select

Ctrl + ¹RMB

Lasso select

Ctrl + i

Invert selection

Shift + L

Select linked

Shift + G

Select similar

Alt + ¹LMB

Select from many

Navigation

¹MMB

Orbit

Shift + ¹MMB

Pan

Scroll OR Ctrl + ¹MMB

Zoom in/out

Shift + ~

Fly

Object Mode

Ctrl + Tab

Open pie menu

Tab

Edit OR Object mode toggle

Ctrl + M then X/Y/Z (OR ¹MMB(drag)

Mirror

Ctrl + P

Set parent (last selected)

Alt + P

Clear parent

Shift + Tab

Toggle snapping

Alt + G

Reset position

Alt + R

Reset rotation

Alt + S

Reset scale

Ctrl + A

Apply location / scale / rotation

Ctrl + J

Join selected objects

Ctrl + L

Copy attributes to new objects

Ctrl + 0/1/2/3/4/5

Add subdivision level

Alt + B

Mask view to region OR Clear mask

Shift + C

Center 3D cursor

M

Move active object to collection

Ctrl + Alt + NumPad 0

Move active camera to view

Ctrl + NumPad 0

Set as active camera

Selection in Edit Mode

Ctrl + L

Select connected mesh

L

Select connected mesh under cursor

Alt + ¹LMB

Select edge loop

Ctrl + Alt + ¹RMB

Select edge ring

1

Vertex select mode

2

Edge select mode

3

Face select mode

Ctrl + Shift + M

Mirror current selection

Ctrl +/-

Grow/Shrink image

Ctrl + E

Edge crease

Curve Editing

E OR Ctrl + ¹RMB

Add new handle

V

Change handle type

Ctrl + X

Delete but maintain connection

Alt + C

Close curve

Ctrl + T

Tilt

Alt + T

Clear tilt

Modeling

E

Extrude

i

Inset

Ctrl + B

Bevel

Ctrl + Shift + B

Bevel vertices

Ctrl + R

Loopcut

G,G

Vertex/Edge Slide

K

Knife

F

Fill face

Ctrl + Shift + Alt + S

Shear

Shift + W

Bend

Y

Split

V

Rip

Alt + V

Rip fill

Alt + M

Merge

Shift + N

Recalculate normals

Ctrl + Shift + N

Invert normals

O

Proportional editing on/off

Shift + O

Proportional falloff type

P

Separate to new object

Texturing

U

Unwrap

Ctrl + E

Mark seam

UV Editor

L (under cursor) OR Ctrl + L

Select island

V

Stitch

Shift + W

Weld

P

Pin

Alt + P

Unpin

Shift + P

Select pinned

Image Editor

N

Properties, Scopes, Slots and Metadata

1 (NumPad)

View at 100%

Shift + Home

View to fit

J

Next render slot

Alt + J

Previous render slot

1-8

Select render slot

Alt + S

Save image

Shift + S

Save image as

Image Editor (Paint)

Alt + N

Create new blank image

Alt + O

Open image

N

Brush properties

F

Brush size

Shift + F

Brush strength

S

Sample color

X

Flip brush colors

Nodes

Ctrl + ¹RMB (drag)

Cut connection

F

Connect selected

N

Properties

Ctrl + X

Delete selected but maintain connection

Ctrl + Shift + D

Duplicate selected and maintain connection

M

Mute selected

Ctrl + G

Group selected

Ctrl + Alt + G

Ungroup selected

Tab

Enter/Exit group (Toggle)

Ctrl + J

Frame selected nodes

Ctrl + H

Show/Hide inactive nodes

Compositor

Alt + ¹MMB

Move backdrop

V / Alt + V

Zoom backdrop

N

Properties and performance

Sculpting

Shift + Space

Brush image

F

Brush size

Shift + F

Brush strength

Ctrl + F

Brush angle

R

Angle control

E

Stroke control

B

Mask (box)

M

Mask (brush)

Alt + M

Clear mask

Ctrl + i

Invert mask

H

Hide (box)

Rendering

F12

Render

Ctrl + F12

Render animation

Ctrl + F11

Playback rendered animation

Ctrl + B

Set render region

Ctrl + Alt + B

Reset render region

Animation (General)

Space

Play/Pause playback

Ctrl + Shift + Space

Reverse play

Alt + Scroll

Scroll through frames

Left/Right Arrow

Next/Previous frame

Shift + Left/Right Arrow

First/Last frame

Up/Down Arrow

Jump to keyframe

I

Add keyframe

Alt + i

Delete keyframe

Animation (Dopesheet)

Ctrl + Tab

Toggle Dopesheet

Ctrl + T

Toggle frames/seconds

Home OR NumPad .

Zoom to fit active keyframes

T

Set keyframe interpolation

V

Set keyframe handle type

Shift + E

Set keyframe extrapolation

Ctrl + M

Mirror keyframes

P then ¹LMB (drag)

Set preview range

Ctrl + Alt + P

Auto set preview range

Alt + P

Clear preview

M

Marker

Ctrl + M

Rename marker

Ctrl + B

Bind selected camera to selected marker

[ / ]

Select keyframes before/after current frame

Ctrl + K

Select all keyframes on current frame

Graph Editor

Ctrl + ¹RMB

Add keyframe at cursor

N

Properties and modifiers

Tab

Lock selected channel

Rigging (Armatures)

E

Add new bone

Shift + D

Duplicate bone

Shift + W

Bone settings

Ctrl + R

Roll

Alt + R

Clear roll

Shift + N

Recalculate roll

Ctrl + Alt + A

Align bone

Alt + F

Switch bone direction

Alt + M

Merge bones

Ctrl + X

Dissolve bones

Y

Split

P

Separate

] and [

Scroll hierarchy

Posing Mode

i

Add keyframe

Alt + G

Clear location

Alt + R

Clear rotation

Alt + S

Clear scale

Ctrl + A

Apply pose

Alt + P

Propagate pose

Ctrl + E

Push pose from breakdown

Alt + E

Relax pose to breakdown

Shift + E

Pose Breakdowner tool

Ctrl + C

Copy pose

¹LMB = Left Mouse Button MMB = Middle Mouse Button
 RMB = Right Mouse Button

Beyond 3D Modeling

Blender is used to create animated films, computer games, interactive apps, and more. With a combination of models created in Blender and 3D printing techniques, you can even create exciting new objects right at home!

And did you know that Blender also doubles up as a video editor?