Inventor

and Its Applications

Chapter 1A

S t u d e n t We b S i t e

Keyboard Shortcuts
Inventor shortcut keys, or keyboard shortcuts, allow you to access certain tools by pressing
a single key or a key combination. Many shortcut keys correspond to command aliases. Function keys along the top of the keyboard provide instant access to tools and are programmable
to perform a series of commands. Control and shift key combinations require that you press
and hold the [Ctrl] or [Shift] key and then press a second character. Like many Inventor interface
items, keyboard shortcuts are only available for certain file types or work environments. Some
files or work environments share the same keyboard shortcuts.
File Types:

IPT = part file

IAM = assembly file
IDW and DWG = drawing file
IPN = presentation file

Keystrokes

Tool or
Function

Description

File Types

Work Axis

Creates a new work axis

IPT, IAM

Work Plane

Creates a new work plane

IPT, IAM

[.]

Work Point

Creates a new work point

IPT, IAM

[;]

Grounded Work
Point

Creates a grounded work point and

activates the 3D Move/Rotate tool

IPT

Inventor and Its Applications 2010

Copyright by Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Inventor
and Its Applications

Chapter 1A

S t u d e n t We b S i t e
Keystrokes

Tool or
Function

Description

File Types

[Alt]+ dragging
the mouse

varies

Defines a mate constraint in an

assembly, or moves spline shape points
on a sketch

IPT, IAM

[Alt]+( ] )

User Work
Plane Visibility

Makes work planes visible

IPT, IAM

[Alt]+[/]

User Work Axes

Visibility

Makes work axes visible

IPT, IAM

[Alt]+[.]

User Work
Points Visibility

Makes work points visible

IPT, IAM

[Alt]+[F8]

Macros

Opens the Macros dialog box

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[Alt]+[F11]

Visual Basic
Editor

Launches the Microsoft Visual Basic

Editor

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[A]

Baseline Set,
Animate, Arc

Activates the Baseline Set, Animate,

or Arc tool, depending on the work
environment.

IDW, DWG, IPN

[B]

Balloon, BOM

Activates the Balloon tool or displays

the BOM Properties dialog box,
depending on the work environment.

IDW, DWG

Inventor and Its Applications 2010

Copyright by Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Inventor
and Its Applications

Chapter 1A

S t u d e n t We b S i t e
Keystrokes

Tool or
Function

Description

File Types

[C]

Circle,
Constraints

Activates the Circle tool or displays

the Place Constraints dialog box,
depending on the work environment

IDW, DWG,
IAM

[Ctrl]+( ] )

Origin Plane
Visibility

Makes the default origin planes visible

IPT, IAM

[Ctrl]+[/]

Origin Axes
Visibility

Makes the default origin axes visible

IPT, IAM

[Ctrl]+[.]

Origin Points
Visibility

Makes the default origin points visible

IPT, IAM

[Ctrl]+[A]

Select All

Selects everything on the screen

IPN

[Ctrl]+[C]

Copy

Copies selected items

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[Ctrl]+[F]

Find

Presents the Find Part Sketches

dialog box in part files; opens the Find
Assembly Components dialog box in
assembly files

IPT, IAM

[Ctrl]+[N]

New

Displays the New File dialog box

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[Ctrl]+[O]

Open

Displays the Open dialog box, to open

an existing file

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

Inventor and Its Applications 2010

Copyright by Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Inventor
and Its Applications

Chapter 1A

S t u d e n t We b S i t e
Keystrokes

Tool or
Function

Description

File Types

[Ctrl]+[P]

Print

Displays the Print dialog box

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[Ctrl]+[S]

Save

Displays the Save As dialog box

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[Ctrl]+[W]

SteeringWheels

Displays the SteeringWheel view tool

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[Ctrl] or [Shift]

Add/Remove

Adds or removes geometry from a set

of selected items

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[Ctrl]+[V]

Paste

Pastes a cut or copied item from one

location to another

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[Ctrl]+[W]

Steering Wheels

Toggles visibility of the default steering

wheel for each type of file

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[Ctrl]+[X]

Cut

Cut selected items

IAM

[Ctrl]+[Y]

Redo

Redoes previously undone commands

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[Ctrl]+[Z]

Undo

Undo the effects of commands

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[E]

Degrees of
Freedom

Displays degrees of freedom

IPT, IAM

Inventor and Its Applications 2010

Copyright by Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Inventor
and Its Applications

Chapter 1A

S t u d e n t We b S i t e
Keystrokes

Tool or
Function

Description

File Types

[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[K]

Chamfer

Activates the Chamfer tool

IPT, IAM

[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[L]

Loft

Activates the Loft tool

IPT, IAM

[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[M]

Mirror

Activates the Mirror tool

IPT, IAM

[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[N]

Mirror

Inserts a new drawing sheet

IDW, DWG

[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[O]

Circular Pattern

Opens the Circular Pattern dialog box

IPT, IAM

[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[Q]

iMate Glyph

Activates the iMate Glyph tool

IPT, IAM

[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[R]

Rectangular
Pattern

Opens the Rectangular Pattern dialog

box

IPT, IAM

[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[S]

Sweep

Activates the Sweep tool

IPT, IAM

[D]

varies

Begins the Dimensions tool and allows

you to place drawing dimensions on
a drawing, or sketch dimensions on
a sketch in part and drawing files;
performs a face draft on a planar face
of a feature in a part file.

IPT, IDW, DWG

[Delete]

Delete

Removes the selected item from the

model or drawing

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[E]

Extrude

Extrude a sketch

IPT, IAM

Inventor and Its Applications 2010

Copyright by Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Inventor
and Its Applications

Chapter 1A

S t u d e n t We b S i t e
Keystrokes

Tool or
Function

Description

File Types

[End]

Zoom Selected

Zoom in on a specifically selected item

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[Esc]

Cancel

Closes the active tool

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[F]

varies

Creates a fillet in part and assembly

files; places a feature control frame in
drawing files

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG

[F1]

Help

Opens the Inventor help files

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[F2]

Pan

View areas of the graphics window.

(You must hold the [F2] key down.)

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[F3]

Zoom

Realtime zoom in and out of the

graphics window. (You must hold the
[F3] key down.)

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[F4]

Rotate

Rotate a model

IPT, IAM, IPN

[F5]

Previous view

Return to the last display

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[F6]

Home View

Rotates objects in the graphics window

into an isometric orientation

IPT, IAM

Inventor and Its Applications 2010

Copyright by Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Inventor
and Its Applications

Chapter 1A

S t u d e n t We b S i t e
Keystrokes

Tool or
Function

Description

File Types

[F10]

Sketch Visibility

Makes sketches visible

IPT, IAM

[G]

Rotate

Activates the Rotate tool

IAM

[H]

Hole

Creates a hole in a feature

IPT, IAM

[Home]

Zoom All

Zoom to the extents of all objects in the

graphics window

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[I]

Vertical

Activates the vertical constraint tool

IPT, IAM

[L]

Line

Sketch a line

IPT, IAM

[M]

Measure
Distance

Opens the Measure Distance window

IPT, IAM

[N]

Create
Component

Displays the Create In-Place

Component dialog box

IAM

[O]

Ordinate
Dimensioning

Add ordinate dimensions

IDW, DWG

[P]

varies

Places a pin in a part file; places a

component in an assembly file

IPT, IAM

[Page Up]

View Face

Zoom in on and rotate the specified

face

IPT, IAM

[Q]

Create iMate

Displays the Create iMate dialog box,

for developing iMates

IPT, IAM

Inventor and Its Applications 2010

Copyright by Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Inventor
and Its Applications

Chapter 1A

S t u d e n t We b S i t e
Keystrokes

Tool or
Function

Description

File Types

[R]

Revolve

Revolve a sketch

IPT, IAM

[S]

Sketch

Create a sketch

IPT, IAM

[Shift]+[F3]

Zoom Window

Zoom to the area you define with a

window

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

[Shift]+[T]

Promote

Removes a part from a subassembly

and makes it an individual part in the
parent assembly

IAM

[T]

Text, Tweak

Activates the text tool in a drawing file

or tweaks components in a presentation

IDW, DWG, IPN

[V]

Move

Activates the Move tool

IAM

[W]

Fillet

Activates the Fillet tool

IPT, IAM

[X]

Trim

Activates the Sketch tool

IPT, IAM

[Z]

Zoom Window

Zoom to the area you define with a

window

IPT, IAM, IDW,

DWG, IPN

Inventor and Its Applications 2010

Copyright by Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.