Keyboard Shortcuts & Touch Gestures
Complete reference for editor keyboard shortcuts, tool activation keys, and mobile touch gestures.
1. Overview
CircuitMarkdown Studio supports full keyboard navigation, mouse controls, and multi-touch mobile gestures.
On macOS, use Cmd in place of Ctrl.
2. File & Project Operations
Use these shortcuts to manage files, tabs, and interface panels.
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
Ctrl + N |
New Tab | Open a new schematic tab. |
Ctrl + O |
Open File | Open a local .cm circuit file from disk. |
Ctrl + S |
Save File | Save the active schematic to disk. |
Ctrl + Shift + S |
Save As | Save the active schematic under a new file name. |
Ctrl + E |
Export Studio | Open the multi-format export dialog. |
Ctrl + Shift + E |
Quick PNG Export | Download a high-resolution PNG of the active schematic immediately. |
Ctrl + [ |
Toggle Palette | Show or hide the left component palette sidebar. |
Ctrl + ] |
Toggle Inspector | Show or hide the right property inspector panel. |
Ctrl + M |
Toggle View | Switch between split canvas and code-only view. |
3. Tool Activation Keys
Press single character keys to switch active editor tools immediately.
| Key | Tool | Description |
|---|---|---|
V |
Select Tool | Select, move, and marquee-select components and wires. |
W |
Wire Tool | Start interactive orthogonal wire routing between pins. |
T |
Text Tool | Click canvas to place a standalone text annotation. |
G |
Ground Tool | Quick tool to place a GND ground symbol. |
D |
Delete Tool | Click elements directly on canvas to remove them. |
K |
Quick Search | Open the component search palette with keyboard navigation. |
4. Editing & Canvas Operations
Manipulate selected components, wires, and text labels.
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
Ctrl + Z |
Undo | Revert the previous edit action. |
Ctrl + Y |
Redo | Reapply the reverted edit action. |
Ctrl + A |
Select All | Select all components, wires, and text on the canvas. |
Ctrl + C |
Copy | Copy selected elements to internal clipboard. |
Ctrl + V |
Paste | Paste clipboard contents at the cursor location. |
Ctrl + D |
Duplicate | Clone selected elements with an offset. |
R |
Rotate 90° | Rotate selected component 90 degrees clockwise. |
Space |
Flip Posture / Rotate | Switch wire routing bend direction or rotate active placement preview. |
Delete / Backspace |
Delete | Remove selected elements from the schematic. |
Escape |
Clear Selection / Cancel | Deselect all items or cancel active wire routing. |
5. Viewport & Navigation
Navigate and scale the schematic workspace.
| Input | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
Mouse Wheel |
Zoom | Zoom viewport in and out at cursor location. |
Middle Click + Drag |
Pan | Pan the viewport across the canvas. |
Space + Left Drag |
Pan | Hold Space and drag left mouse button to pan. |
Ctrl + Plus |
Zoom In | Increase zoom level. |
Ctrl + Minus |
Zoom Out | Decrease zoom level. |
Ctrl + 0 |
Fit to View | Reset zoom and center the schematic on screen. |
6. Touch & Mobile Gestures
When you use CircuitMarkdown on a smartphone, tablet, or touch-screen laptop, the editor enables touch gestures.
Gesture Controls
- One-Finger Drag: Drag components across the grid or pan the canvas.
- Two-Finger Pinch: Pinch in or out to zoom the viewport smoothly.
- Two-Finger Pan: Drag two fingers to scroll across large schematics.
- Long-Press: Hold finger on a component for 500 milliseconds to trigger the context menu with haptic feedback.
- Double-Tap: Double-tap any designator or value label to open the inline text editor.
Mobile Action Bar
On small screens, a bottom action bar provides quick buttons for:
- Rotate 90 degrees
- Flip wire routing direction
- Delete selected element
- Confirm wire endpoint