Keyboard and Mouse
Reference of all mouse and keyboard commands: camera navigation, views, selection, drawing and general shortcuts
Overview
This page summarizes all mouse and keyboard commands of VICUS Districts: navigation in the 3D scene, switching views, selecting objects, commands while drawing, as well as general program shortcuts. The quick reference is also available directly within the program.
Opening
- Key F1 – opens the quick reference for keyboard and mouse control in the program
- alternatively menu Help > Keyboard and mouse control …
Camera and Navigation
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Hold left mouse button | Orbit mode: the camera rotates around the clicked point |
| Hold right mouse button | First-person mode: the mouse rotates the camera around the camera position |
| Hold middle mouse button | Move the camera (pan) |
| Mouse wheel | Move the camera forward/backward (zoom) |
| W / S | Move the camera forward/backward |
| A / D | Move the camera left/right (relative to the viewing direction) |
| R / F | Move the camera up/down |
| Q / E | Rotate the camera around the Z axis |
| Shift (hold) | Slow down the camera movement |
| Space (hold) | Speed up the camera movement |
The movement keys can be combined with the right mouse button held down, to move through the model as in a first-person view.
Practical tip:
For quick navigation in large networks, combine the WASD keys with the right mouse button held down and additionally hold Space to speed up the movement. Conversely, for precisely reaching a spot, the Shift key helps by slowing the movement down. This way you switch smoothly between a rough overview and fine positioning.
Views
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+2 / Ctrl+4 / Ctrl+8 / Ctrl+6 | View from north / east / south / west (use the numeric keypad) |
| Ctrl+5 | View from above |
| Ctrl+7 / Ctrl+9 / Ctrl+1 / Ctrl+3 | Bird’s-eye view from north-west / north-east / south-west / south-east |
| Ctrl+G | Find selected geometry: the camera jumps to the local coordinate system |
 2D mode | Toggles the orthographic top view (2D mode) on/off – button in the toolbar of the 3D scene |
For the view shortcuts with Ctrl+digit, the numeric keypad must be used.
Selection
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Left-click | Select an object exclusively (clears the previous selection) |
| Ctrl + left-click | Add an object to the selection or remove it from it (additive toggle) |
| Ctrl + left-click drag | Draw a selection window (rubber band). The drag direction determines the effect: from left to right captures all touched objects, from right to left only fully enclosed objects; dragging upward deselects the captured objects instead of selecting them |
| Shift + left-click | Instead of the clicked object, select its parent object (parent) with all associated child objects |
| Alt + left-click | Select only the object itself, without its child objects |
| Esc | Clear the entire selection |
| Ctrl+F | Open the dialog Smart selection (selection by filter criteria) |
| Ctrl+I | Invert the selection |
| Del | Delete the selected objects |
| F6 / F7 | Hide / show the selected objects |
In the program settings, the additive selection mode can be permanently activated; the effect is then swapped: a simple click toggles additively, Ctrl+click selects exclusively.
Drawing and Editing Geometry
While drawing network elements or geometry, the following commands apply:
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Left-click | Set a point (vertex) at the current position of the local coordinate system |
| Enter | Apply the drawn geometry to the project (as soon as it is valid) |
| Esc | Cancel the drawing operation and return to normal navigation |
| X / Y / Z | Lock the selected axis (movement only along this axis) |
| 0–9, Minus, Comma | Open the input field for coordinate offsets and type in values |
| F3 | Toggle snapping on/off |
| F4 | Mode for aligning the local coordinate system (only if the coordinate system is visible) |
| F5 | Mode for moving the local coordinate system (only if the coordinate system is visible) |
| Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z | Undo / redo |
General Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+N | Create a new project |
| Ctrl+O | Open a project |
| Ctrl+S | Save the project |
| Ctrl+Shift+S | Save the project under a new name |
| Ctrl+E | Save the project as a project package |
| Ctrl+W | Close the project and return to the start screen |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo |
| Ctrl+Shift+Z or Ctrl+Y | Redo |
| F1 | Open the quick reference for keyboard and mouse control |
| F2 | Open the current project file in the text editor |
| F8 | Open the project directory in the file manager |
| F9 | Switch directly to the simulation view (page of the dynamic simulation) |
| F10 | Open the Simulation settings view |
Notes
- The views Model, Steady-state, Simulation, Charts and Interactive results can also be switched via the toolbar at the left edge of the window.
- The key c switches between geometry editing and the parametrization mode.