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.