The five shortcuts to learn first: Ctrl+K opens Quick actions, Ctrl+Z undoes, Ctrl+S saves a project file, Tab adds a mind-map child, and ? opens the in-app cheat sheet. On macOS, use Cmd wherever this guide says Ctrl.
Shortcuts are not about working faster for its own sake. They are about staying with the idea instead of interrupting it to find a button. Learn a few keys for each mode and the app starts to feel much smaller.
The in-app shortcut sheet is always the source of truth for the version you are using. Open it with ? or the keyboard button in the top bar.
Essential canvas shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Select and move | V | Return to the selection tool. |
| Freehand draw | B | Choose a brush from the flyout if needed. |
| Shapes and arrows | U | Rectangle, ellipse, polygon, line, arrow and more. |
| Text | T | Adds a text element on the canvas. |
| Eraser | E | Erases brush strokes without deleting the canvas. |
| Pan tool | H | Switches to the hand tool. A middle-click drag also pans on desktop. |
| Undo | Ctrl+Z | Works through canvas, mind-map and App Builder history. |
| Redo | Ctrl+Y / Ctrl+Shift+Z | Two common redo conventions are supported. |
| Duplicate selection | Ctrl+D | Duplicates the selected canvas element or mind-map branch. |
| Save project | Ctrl+S | Downloads the current canvas as a `.canv` project. |
| Open project | Ctrl+O | Opens a `.canv` file and replaces the current canvas. |
| Quick actions | Ctrl+K | Search commands across tools, file actions and view options. |
| Delete selection | Delete / Backspace | Deletes the selected canvas elements or mind-map node. |
| Shortcut sheet | ? | Opens the searchable in-app reference. |
| Deselect or close | Esc | Also exits zen mode, 3D view and presentation. |
| Zen mode | Ctrl+. | Hides the surrounding interface for focused work. |
A middle-click drag is the fastest temporary pan on desktop: press, drag, and release without switching tools. A two-finger scroll also pans, and Ctrl or Cmd plus scroll zooms around the pointer.
Mind-map shortcuts
These keys apply while a mind map exists and a node is selected. They are the difference between building a map and carefully clicking through menus for every branch.
| Action | Shortcut | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Add child | Tab | Creates a node below the selected node and starts editing. |
| Add sibling | Shift+Enter | Creates another node at the same level. |
| Edit label | Enter / F2 | Opens the selected node label for editing. |
| Go to parent | Shift+Tab | Selects the parent node. |
| Navigate branches | Arrow keys | Moves selection through the map. |
| Copy branch | Ctrl+C | Copies the selected node and its descendants. |
| Cut branch | Ctrl+X | Copies the branch and removes it from the map. |
| Paste branch | Ctrl+V | Pastes under the selected node, or imports a pasted outline. |
| Duplicate branch | Ctrl+D | Creates a copy of the selected branch. |
| Delete node | Delete / Backspace | Deletes the selected node and its children. |
| Change node color | C | Cycles through node colors. |
| Switch layout | L | Toggles between the supported map layouts. |
| Fit map to view | F | Frames the whole map in the current window. |
| Auto-arrange | A | Tidies the map into a clean arrangement. |
| Toggle minimap | M | Shows or hides the small overview map. |
| Toggle outline | O | Opens the accessible tree view of the map. |
| Present map | P | Starts a slide-style presentation of the map. |
| Search nodes | Ctrl+F | Finds labels inside a large map. |
| Zoom in / out | Ctrl++ / Ctrl+- | Zooms while keeping the selected node in focus. |
| Reset zoom | Ctrl+0 | Returns to 100%. |
| Open 3D layer stack | 3 | Switches to the layered 3D view. |
| Return to 2D or enter layer edit | 2 | Context-sensitive: returns from 3D or opens the active layer flat in 2D. |
One small naming quirk: the left toolbar labels the Mind map tool with an “M”, but once a map exists the M key toggles the minimap. Click the Mind map tool to create a new map; use M to navigate an existing one.
Presenting a map: press P. The first slide is the root node. Each branch attached to the root becomes its own slide, showing that branch and its immediate children. Use the arrow keys to move through the presentation and Esc to leave.
3D layer stack shortcuts
The 3D view is optional, but a few keys make it much easier to use when a map has meaningful layers.
| Action | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Enter or leave 3D | 3 | Only available when a mind map exists. |
| Add child to selected card | Tab | Adds a node in the 3D view. |
| Rename selected card | F2 / Enter | Opens inline editing. |
| Delete selected card | Delete / Backspace | Removes the node and its branch. |
| Toggle grids | G | Shows or hides the 3D grids. |
| Toggle trace | T | Highlights the path through the layer stack. |
| Return to 2D | 2 | Returns to the flat editing view. |
Drag to pan, use a right-drag or two fingers to orbit, and scroll to zoom. Double-click a card to edit it in 2D. The 3D view is a way to inspect depth, not a replacement for the faster 2D editing workflow.
App Builder shortcuts
The builder has its own keyboard context. These shortcuts work while the App Builder overlay is active and you are not typing in a field.
| Action | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Undo / redo | Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y | Uses the host canvas history, so mockup changes can be undone. |
| Save project | Ctrl+S | Downloads the current canvas and its App Builder project. |
| Open project | Ctrl+O | Opens a `.canv` project. |
| Duplicate selection | Ctrl+D | Duplicates selected components. |
| Copy / paste components | Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V | Pastes at the cursor when it is over a frame. |
| Group | Ctrl+G | Groups two or more sibling components. |
| Ungroup | Ctrl+Shift+G | Ungroups the selected group. |
| Nudge | Arrow keys | Moves by 4 pixels; hold Shift for 16. |
| Delete component or frame | Delete / Backspace | Deletes the selection. |
| Clear selection | Esc | Steps out of editing, gallery or presentation before closing the builder. |
| Zoom to 100% | Ctrl+0 | Resets the view scale. |
| Zoom to fit | Ctrl+1 | Fits all frames in the workspace. |
| Zoom to selection | Ctrl+2 | Frames the selected component or frame. |
| Zoom in / out | Ctrl++ / Ctrl+- | Steps the builder zoom level. |
| Pan while dragging | Hold Space | Turns the canvas cursor into a grab hand. |
| Advance presentation | → / Space | Follows a prototype link or advances to the next frame. |
| Previous presentation screen | ← | Moves back one frame. |
| Exit presentation | Esc | Returns to the builder. |
Four sequences worth practicing
1. Empty canvas to a useful map outline
Click Mind map, type the central idea, press Enter. Press Tab, type the first branch, press Enter. Press Shift+Enter, type the next sibling, press Enter. Select a branch, press Tab to add detail. When the map is complete, press A to arrange it and F to fit it.
2. Capture a messy list without losing momentum
Press T to add a text block and paste the raw list. Then create a map and use Tab and Shift+Enter to turn the useful items into branches. This is often faster than deciding the perfect category before you start.
3. Review a large map without zooming
Press Ctrl+F and search for a label, use O to read the outline, and press M to keep the minimap visible. Use P when you need to explain the structure to someone else.
4. Build and test a mockup flow
Open the builder and add a mobile frame. Duplicate it with Ctrl+D for the next screen. Nudge components with the arrow keys, group repeated elements with Ctrl+G, then select the frame and set On tap go to in the frame inspector. Press the presentation button and use → to test the flow. Save the project with Ctrl+S.
How to make shortcuts stick
Do not try to learn the whole table at once. Pick three keys for the work you do most: perhaps Tab for children, F for fit, and Ctrl+S for saving. Use them for a week before adding more.
Keep the in-app cheat sheet close with ?. If a shortcut does not work, check whether you are typing in a field, whether the mind-map context is active, or whether the App Builder overlay has focus. Keys are scoped to the mode you are in, which prevents accidental edits while typing.
And remember the two shortcuts that protect the work: Ctrl+S saves a project file, and Ctrl+O opens one. Speed is useful only if the result is still there tomorrow.
Frequently asked questions
Do the shortcuts work on macOS?
Yes. Use Cmd instead of Ctrl for common shortcuts such as save, open, undo and Quick actions. Mode-specific letter keys work the same way.
Why does typing a letter not trigger a tool?
When you are editing a text field, a node label or an App Builder input, the app lets you type instead of running tool shortcuts. Finish editing with Enter or click outside the field, then try the shortcut again.
What does Quick actions search?
Ctrl+K opens a command palette covering tools, file actions, templates, view toggles and mind-map actions. It is usually the fastest way to find a command you do not use often.
Is there a shortcut to create a mind map?
Use the Mind map tool in the left toolbar. Once a map exists, M controls the minimap. Quick actions (Ctrl+K) can also search for “new mind map”.
Open the app and practice one sequence.
Start with the empty-canvas map sequence. Three shortcuts are enough to make the first session noticeably smoother.
Keep reading: learn the command palette on Ctrl/Cmd+K · build a mind map without the mouse · work in zen mode · search a large map