Keyboard and mouse

This chapter is the reference for every default keyboard shortcut and mouse gesture in SculptForge. Inside the app, F1 opens the same list as the Controls window, showing your own keys if you've changed any.

Changing shortcuts#

Every key below can be reassigned: hold Ctrl+Alt and click a button, then press the new key, or use Preferences > Hotkeys. Press Ctrl+Shift+I (Store Config) to keep your changes. See Customizing the interface.

On macOS, Cmd works wherever a shortcut says Ctrl. Single-letter shortcuts don't fire while you type in a text field.

Keyboard shortcuts#

The table lists the default shortcut of every action, grouped by palette. It is generated from SculptForge's action registry, the same source as the Controls window.

Brush#

Action	Keys	What it does
Brush picker	`B`	Pop up every brush under the cursor. Type the first letter of a brush, then the orange letter on its tile (B S T = Standard).
Paste brush	`Ctrl`+`V`	Add the brush on the clipboard: a brush code someone shared, or the text of a .sfbrush file.

Color#

Action	Keys	What it does
Pick colour	`C`	Take the paint colour from the model under the cursor.
Switch Color	`V`	Swap the main and the secondary colour.

Draw#

Action	Keys	What it does
Draw Size at cursor	`S`	A Draw Size slider under the cursor: drag it, or type a number and press Enter.
Focal Shift at cursor	`O`	A Focal Shift slider under the cursor: below 0 a broad, hard brush tip, above 0 a soft point (-100..100). The inner ring of the brush cursor shows it.
Larger brush	`]`	Make the brush 10% larger (hold to repeat).
Paint	`P`	Paint colour without sculpting (ZBrush Rgb on, Zadd off). Alt paints back to white, Shift still smooths.
RGB Intensity at cursor	`I`	An RGB Intensity slider under the cursor: how strongly painting colours the surface (1-100).
Smaller brush	`[`	Make the brush 10% smaller (hold to repeat).
Z Intensity at cursor	`U`	A Z Intensity slider under the cursor: drag it, or type a number (1-100) and press Enter. Hold Shift (or pick Smooth) to set Smooth's own Z Intensity.

Edit#

Action	Keys	What it does
Redo	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Z` or `Ctrl`+`Y`	Redo the last undone action.
Undo	`Ctrl`+`Z`	Undo the last action.

File#

Action	Keys	What it does
Export GLB...	`Ctrl`+`E`	Export the model as glTF binary, with sculpt layers as blend shapes (morph targets).
New Sphere	`Ctrl`+`N`	Replace the scene with a new sphere ready for sculpting.
Open...	`Ctrl`+`O`	Open a project (.sfproj), a model (.obj, .glb, .fbx, .stl, .ply, .usd ...) or splats.
Quit	`Ctrl`+`Q`	Close SculptForge (asks to save changes first).
Save	`Ctrl`+`S`	Save the project (.sfproj: every SubTool, layer, brush and setting). Asks for a name the first time.
Save As...	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`S`	Save the project under a new name.
Send to Unreal	`Ctrl`+`U`	Export a game-ready FBX and import it into the running Unreal Editor (Python remote execution).

Help#

Action	Keys	What it does
Command palette	`F3` or `Ctrl`+`Shift`+`P`	Search every command, brush and setting by name and run it. Commands that need parameters open in the console.
Controls	`F1`	Every shortcut and mouse gesture, generated from the commands themselves.
QuickMenu	`Space`	ZBrush's QuickMenu under the cursor: brush, stroke, alpha, material, colour, Draw Size, Focal Shift and the intensities. Hold Space and let go to close it, or tap Space to keep it open.
User Guide	`Shift`+`F1`	The SculptForge user guide: every tool explained, with search. Hold Ctrl over a control and press F1 to open the chapter about it.

Action	Keys	What it does
LightBox	`,`	Show or hide the LightBox: thumbnails of your projects, models, brushes, alphas, materials, images, splats and QuickSaves along the top of the canvas. Double-click to load.

Material#

Action	Keys	What it does
Material picker	`M`	Pop up the materials under the cursor. Hover one to preview it on the model; click to keep it.

Preferences#

Action	Keys	What it does
Load UI...	`Ctrl`+`L`	Load a layout file someone shared (or you saved with Save UI).
Save UI...	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Shift`+`I`	Save the layout, shortcuts and interface preferences to a file you can share.
Shelves	`Tab`	Hide or show the shelves and trays around the canvas.
Store Config	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`I`	Keep the current layout, shortcuts and interface preferences for future sessions. Like ZBrush, SculptForge never saves them on its own.

Render#

Action	Keys	What it does
Fullscreen	`F11`	Fill the screen with SculptForge (again: back to a window).
Mask	`Ctrl`+`H`	Darken masked areas.
Wireframe	`Shift`+`F`	Show the mesh's polygons (quads and triangles) over the surface (ZBrush PolyFrame).

Script#

Action	Keys	What it does
Console	`	The script console: every command you run appears as a script line, and you can type commands yourself.

Stroke#

Action	Keys	What it does
LazyMouse	`L`	LazyMouse on or off: the brush trails the cursor on a string, for steady lines.

Tool#

Action	Keys	What it does
Clear Mask	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`A`	Unmask everything (also: Ctrl+drag on the background).
Divide	`Ctrl`+`D`	Add a subdivision level: four times the polygons, and the lower levels are kept, so you can step down to shape big forms and back up to the detail. Quads stay quads (Catmull-Clark). Smt off divides without smoothing.
Group Masked	`Ctrl`+`W`	Turn the masked part into a new polygroup and clear the mask (ZBrush Ctrl+W). With nothing masked, everything visible becomes one group.
Higher Res	`D`	Step one subdivision level up (more polygons, for detail). Edits made below carry the detail along.
Invert Mask	`Ctrl`+`I`	Mask what is unmasked and unmask what is masked (also: Ctrl+click the background).
Lower Res	`Shift`+`D`	Step one subdivision level down (fewer polygons, for big forms). The detail of the higher levels is kept.
Mask All	`Ctrl`+`A`	Mask the whole visible SubTool.

Transform#

Action	Keys	What it does
Draw	`Q`	Draw mode: brushes sculpt and paint (leaves the Gizmo 3D).
Frame	`F`	Fit the whole model in the view.
Move	`W`	Gizmo 3D, Move: drag an arrow to move along an axis, a square to move in a plane, the centre to move in the view. Masked parts stay; Shift snaps to the grid; Alt+drag moves only the gizmo. W again: back to Draw.
Rotate	`R`	Gizmo 3D, Rotate: drag a ring to turn about that axis, the outer ring to turn in the view. Mask the body and put the pivot at a joint to pose a limb. Shift snaps to 15 degrees. R again: back to Draw.
Scale	`E`	Gizmo 3D, Scale: drag a box to stretch along an axis or the centre to scale evenly (right or up: bigger). Shift snaps to 10% steps. E again: back to Draw.
X	`X`	Mirror strokes across X (left and right).

Mouse and pen gestures#

Action	Gesture
Sculpt	Left-drag on the model
Invert the brush (subtract)	Hold `Alt` while sculpting
Smooth	Hold `Shift` while sculpting (works with any brush, and with Paint)
Straight line	Press `Shift` after a stroke has started (45 degree steps)
Roll the view	`Shift`+click the background, let go of `Shift`, drag
Rotate	Left-drag on the background, or right-drag; hold `Shift` to snap to an axis view
Pan	`Alt`+left-drag on the background, `Alt`+right-drag, or middle-drag
Zoom	Mouse wheel; `Alt`+drag on the background then release `Alt`; `Ctrl`+right-drag; `Ctrl`+middle-drag; with the SculptForge input style also `Ctrl`+left-drag on the background (when nothing is masked)
Paint the mask	Hold `Ctrl` while stroking on the model
Erase the mask	Hold `Ctrl`+`Alt` while stroking on the model
Blur / sharpen the mask	`Ctrl`+click / `Ctrl`+`Alt`+click the model
Invert the mask	`Ctrl`+click the background
Clear the mask	`Ctrl`+drag on the background (with MaskPen), or `Ctrl`+`Shift`+`A`
Mask inside a lasso or rectangle	`Ctrl`+drag with MaskLasso or MaskRect picked in Tool > Masking (add `Alt`: unmask)
Isolate a polygroup	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+click it (again: invert the visibility; with something hidden already: hide it)
Hide a polygroup	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Alt`+click it
Show everything	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+click the background
Hide outside a rectangle or lasso	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+drag (add `Alt`: hide inside); SelectRect or SelectLasso in Tool > Visibility
Select a SubTool	`Alt`+click it in the view (`Shift`+`Alt`+click: select and frame it)
Move, scale or rotate with the Gizmo 3D	`W`, `E` or `R`, then drag a handle; hold `Shift` to snap (15 degrees, the grid, 10%)
Move the gizmo only	`Alt`+drag a gizmo handle
Put the gizmo's pivot on the model	`Alt`+click the model in Move, Scale or Rotate mode
Pan, zoom or orbit with a button	Drag on Move, Zoom or Rotate on the right shelf
Help on any control	Hold `Ctrl` and point at it (`Ctrl`+`Alt`: scripting parameters)
Assign a shortcut	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+click any button, then press the key
Move or remove shelf items	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+drag (with Enable Customize on)
Tablet pressure	Used automatically when a pen is detected (Pressure > Strength / Pressure > Size)
Open files	Drop a model (`.obj`, `.glb` ...), project, brush (`.sfbrush`), splat capture or image onto the window

Keys inside pop-ups and panels#

Some keys only mean something while a pop-up or panel has the keyboard.

Brush picker (B)#

Key	Action
A letter	Keep the brushes whose names start with the letters typed so far
The orange letter on a tile	Pick that brush (`B` `S` `T` = Standard)
`Backspace`	Take back one letter
`Enter`	Pick the first match
`Esc`	Close

Sliders at the cursor (S, U, I, O)#

Key	Action
Digits and `.`	Type a value
`Enter`	Apply the typed value and close
`Esc`	Close without applying a typed value

Command palette (F3)#

Key	Action
`Up` / `Down`, `Page Up` / `Page Down`	Choose a row
`Enter`	Run it
`Shift`+`Enter`	Open a command with parameters in the console to edit them
`Esc`	Close

Console (`)#

Key	Action
`Enter`	Run the line (statements separated by `;`)
`Tab`	Complete a command or parameter name; press again to list the candidates
`Up` / `Down`	Walk through earlier lines (the last 200 are remembered between sessions)

Shortcut capture (Ctrl+Alt+click)#

Key	Action
Any key or chord	Becomes the new shortcut (taken from another action if it had it)
`Backspace` or `Delete`	Remove the shortcut
`Esc`	Cancel

ZBrush keys that work differently#

ZBrush's keys and gestures work in SculptForge (with Preferences > Input > Style on ZBrush, the default). The few that differ, because the feature works differently or doesn't exist yet:

ZBrush	SculptForge
`P` (perspective)	`P` is the Paint brush; the view is always in perspective
`T` (Edit mode)	Always in Edit mode: there is no 2.5D canvas
`W` / `E` / `R` (Transpose line)	The Gizmo 3D (see Gizmo 3D)
`1`, `2`, `3` (replay and record strokes)	Not yet
`N` (list the SubTools)	Tool > SubTool in the right tray
`F1` to `F6` (pop-ups)	`F1` is the Controls window, `F3` the command palette; `B`, `M` and the left-shelf tiles pop up brushes, strokes, alphas and materials
`Ctrl`+`E` (edge loop), `Ctrl`+`U` (reload ZScript)	Export GLB and Send to Unreal
`H` (hide the ZScript window)	` toggles the console

See Coming from ZBrush for the whole list.