Keyboard shortcuts
Use the keyboard in place of the mouse to choose tools, edit the chart, move the view, review drafts and control demonstrations.
The editor responds to shortcuts while the keyboard focus is inside it, for example after a click on the canvas. Shortcuts that use the Command key on a Mac use the Control key on other computers, and the list below shows the key for your computer. Several keys have a second meaning in a particular context, such as a draft under review, and the description of each shortcut states its context.
Procedure
- 1
Click an empty part of the canvas to give the editor the keyboard focus.
- 2
Press the letter of a tool, such as A for Person or C for Connect.
- 3
Press Esc to cancel the current action and to return, one press at a time, to Select.
Shortcuts are suspended while a text field has the focus, so a letter typed into a name or a note is entered as text.
Mouse and touch
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Point to a person | The ring of buttons for adding relatives appears around the person. |
| Double-click a person | The view zooms to the person, and the name opens for editing. |
| Drag a person | The person moves. A drag up or down moves the whole generation with them. |
| Double-click an emotional relationship line | The line changes between straight and arched. |
| Double-click a note or a title | Its words open for editing. |
| Drag an empty part of the canvas | The view moves. |
| Scroll in full screen | The view zooms without a modifier key. |
| Press and hold a person on a touch screen | The person can then be dragged. |
| Drag with two fingers or pinch on a touch screen | The view moves or zooms. |
Keyboard shortcuts
- V
- Switch to the Select tool, which selects, moves and edits.
- B
- Switch to Box select, and drag a box around people to select them.
- H
- Switch to Pan, which moves the canvas.
- Space
- Hold to move the canvas while any tool is active.
- A
- Switch to the Person tool, and click the canvas to add someone.
- C
- Switch to the Connect tool, and click two people to link them.
- L
- When two or more people are selected, group them. Otherwise, switch to the Lasso.
- N
- Switch to the Note tool.
- T
- Switch to the Text tool.
- R
- Switch to the Background tool.
- I
- Open or close the Assistant.
- ?
- Open or close the help window.
- F1
- Open or close the help window.
- /
- Move to the search box for finding a person.
- CtrlF
- Move to the search box for finding a person.
- Tab
- Move the focus to the next person, and centre the view on that person.
- ↵ Enter
- Open the details of the selected person with the name ready for typing.
- Delete
- Delete whatever is selected.
- Backspace
- Delete whatever is selected.
- CtrlD
- Duplicate the selected person.
- CtrlA
- Select everyone on the canvas.
- ⇧click
- Add a person to the selection, or remove a selected person from it.
- ⇧drag
- Draw a selection box from an empty part of the canvas.
- Arrow keys
- Nudge the selected people. When nothing is selected, move the view instead.
- ⇧Arrow keys
- Nudge the selected people four times as far.
- Altdrag
- Move a person without the rest of their generation, and keep that person in place when the layout is arranged.
- AltA
- Align the selected people on the left. With H or D instead of A, align them on a centre line or on the right.
- AltW
- Move the selected people to the top row of the selection. With V or S instead of W, use the middle or the bottom row.
- ⇧AltH
- Space three or more selected people evenly from left to right. With V instead of H, space their rows evenly from top to bottom.
- CtrlZ
- Undo the last change.
- ⇧CtrlZ
- Redo the last change that was undone.
- CtrlY
- Redo the last change that was undone.
- ⇧CtrlA
- Tidy the layout without opening the Arrange window.
- 0
- Fit the whole family in view.
- 1
- Select the index person and centre the view on that person.
- =
- Zoom in. The plus key has the same effect.
- -
- Zoom out.
- Ctrlscroll
- Zoom in or out around the pointer.
- Esc
- Cancel the current action. Further presses close the open menu, clear the selection and return to the Select tool.
- Ctrl↵ Enter
- Draft the genogram from the text in the notes sheet.
- J
- Move to the next item in a draft that needs checking.
- K
- Move to the previous item in a draft that needs checking.
- ↵ Enter
- Keep the current item in a draft.
- Backspace
- Remove the current item from a draft.
- E
- Keep the current item in a draft, and mark it for editing after the draft is added.
- ↵ Enter
- Keep a change that was typed to the Assistant.
- Esc
- Discard a change that was typed to the Assistant.
- Space
- Pause a demonstration or a tour, or continue it.
- Esc
- End a demonstration or a tour.
Was this article helpful?