Reference: Keyboard Shortcuts & Gestures

This section lists the actual keyboard shortcuts and touch (tablet) gestures defined in the StitchKit editor. For a shortcut to fire, the editor canvas must have focus: click once on the canvas, then press the key. While you're typing in a text box or field (e.g. the "Lettering" text input), single-key shortcuts are intentionally disabled — so typing "s" won't pop open the 3D preview.

Tip — There's an up-to-date shortcut card available inside the app at any time: click the canvas and press ?, or tap the help (?) button in the bottom-right corner. This opens the "Shortcuts" card.

Windows Ctrl vs. macOS Cmd

For every shortcut that uses a modifier key, Windows uses Ctrl and macOS uses Cmd (⌘); the two are treated as equivalent in the code. "Shift" is the same on both platforms (⇧ on macOS). The matrix below shows the most commonly used actions for both platforms.

Windows — Use the Ctrl key for all modifier shortcuts. For example, Ctrl+Z to undo and Ctrl+K to open the command palette.

macOS — Use Cmd (⌘) for the same shortcuts. A few keys that clash with macOS's own shortcuts (e.g. ⌘H = hide application) are intentionally left to the operating system by the editor.

Tool selection (unmodified keys)

The following keys work on their own (without a modifier). They apply whenever you're not focused on a text field.

Note — The Space key toggles the hand (pan) tool with a single press, not by holding it down. Press V to return to the selection tool. Also, the middle mouse button (scroll-wheel button) always pans, no matter which tool is selected.

View and overlay keys (unmodified)

Note — The meaning of some keys changes with the modifier. On its own, P turns on needle points; Ctrl/⌘+P opens the free-drawing (pencil) tool. Likewise, R on its own rotates, while Ctrl/⌘+R opens the rectangle tool; S on its own is 3D preview, while Ctrl/⌘+S saves. A few file-related actions (e.g. import / "Quick Convert") are only listed on the in-app Shortcuts card; press ? to open that card for the most current list.

Tablet / touch gestures

The StitchKit canvas supports touch and pen (stylus) input. The gestures below apply on tablets and iPad.

• Pinch (two fingers together/apart) — zoom in / out. Zooming is centered on the canvas and clamped to the 5%–800% range.
• Two-finger drag — pan the canvas. On a trackpad, a two-finger scroll can also act as zoom.
• Single-finger drag with the hand tool ("Hand") — after selecting the hand tool with Space or from the toolbar, drag with one finger to pan.
• Drawing with a pen / stylus — with a drawing tool active (Pencil, Rectangle, Ellipse, Digitize), draw directly on the canvas with the pen. So that your stroke isn't lost even during fast movements, the canvas captures the pointer for the duration of the stroke.
• Long-press — can help with context/object selection; the exact behavior depends on the active tool, so if you're unsure, use the selection tool (V) in the toolbar.

Tablet — The two gestures you'll use most are pinch = zoom and two fingers = pan. Before doing precise pen work, make sure you've selected a drawing tool; otherwise your finger/pen movements may be interpreted as selection or pan.

Tip — If you feel your stroke is landing in the wrong spot while drawing, first reset the view with 0 (Fit), then try again. Resetting the canvas also refreshes the coordinate mapping.