Standard Keymaps

Interactive keymap

Pick the keymap, the editor and the mode, then point at a key to see what it does there. Hold Shift, Ctrl or Alt (on screen or on your own keyboard) to see those combinations, or type an action to find its key. The keys come straight from the Bforartists source, so they always match the current version.

Bforartists is the keymap Bforartists starts with. Blender and Industry Compatible are the two other presets in Edit › Preferences › Keymap: pick one there to work with the keys you already know, and switch to it here to see them.

How the Bforartists keymap differs

A few differences you meet on the first day. Switch the keymap above between Bforartists and Blender to compare them key by key.

1. Transform by dragging, then the same modal keys. In Blender you press G, R or S once and the selection follows the mouse until you click. In Bforartists, W, E and R pick the Move, Rotate and Scale tools, and you drag the gizmo or the object. While a transform runs, both work the same way: X, Y or Z lock it to an axis (press twice for the local axis), typing a number gives an exact value, and Esc or a right click cancels. These keys only show while a tool runs, so they are easy to miss, and they are the quickest way to move things precisely.
2. Modes on the number row. 1 Object Mode, 2 Edit Mode, 3 Sculpt Mode, 4 Vertex Paint, 5 Weight Paint, 6 Texture Paint. Blender uses Tab for Edit Mode and the number row for vertex, edge and face select; in Bforartists those are X, C and V. Ctrl + Tab opens the mode pie menu in both.
3. F frames the selection. F zooms the view to what is selected, which Blender puts on Numpad .. Handy on a laptop without a numpad.
4. Closer to other 3D software. Move, rotate and scale on W, E and R, and frame on F, are what Maya and most game engines use, and what the Industry Compatible keymap does too.
5. A small keymap to make your own. Bforartists starts with about a quarter fewer hotkeys than Blender, so there is room for yours. Right-click any button or menu item and choose Assign Shortcut; change or remove any key in Edit › Preferences › Keymap.