Hammer Hotkey Reference

Tools

⇧ Shift+S	Selection Tool
⇧ Shift+G	Magnify Tool
⇧ Shift+C	Camera Tool
⇧ Shift+E	Entity Tool
⇧ Shift+B	Block Tool
⇧ Shift+A	Texture Application Tool
⇧ Shift+T	Apply Current Texture (to selected brush\es)
⇧ Shift+D	Decal Tool
⇧ Shift+O	Overlay Tool
⇧ Shift+X	Clipping Tool
⇧ Shift+V	Vertex Edit Tool

File Operations

Ctrl+N	Create a new file.
Ctrl+O	Open an existing file.
Ctrl+S	Save the current file.
Alt+B	Export again.
F9	Run/Compile Map.
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+S	Open Sound Browser.

Undo/Redo

Ctrl+Z	Undo.
Ctrl+Y	Redo.

Clipboard/Copy & Paste

Ctrl+C	Copy selected objects to clipboard (also Ctrl+Insert).
Ctrl+V	Paste objects from clipboard to cursor location (also Shift+Insert).
Ctrl+X	Cut selected objects to clipboard (also Shift+del).

Grid

[	Decrease the size of the grid (also Alt+A).
]	Increase the size of the grid (also Alt+S).
⇧ Shift+R	Toggle viewport grid on/off.
⇧ Shift+W	Toggle grid snapping on/off.
P	Toggle brush face 3D grid on and off (with mouse cursor in 3D view).
Ctrl+B	Snap selected objects to grid (based on selection bounding box).
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+B	Snap selected objects to grid (individually).

Grouping

Ctrl+G	Group selected objects.
Ctrl+U	* Ungroup selected groups.
Ctrl+R	Create prefab with selected objects.
Ctrl+W	Toggle Ignore Groups mode to bypass entity and group selection.
Ctrl+T	Ties selected brushes to entity. If a selected brush is part of an existing entity you will have the option to add the other selected brushes to it.
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+W	"Move to world", removes entity status from selected brushes

* this won't ungroup brushes tied to the same entity

Carving/Hollowing

Ctrl+⇧ Shift+C	Carve selected objects.
Ctrl+H	Hollow selected objects. (This hot key is no longer supported. But you can find that option in the Tools menu.)

Viewports

Ctrl+A	Auto-size 4 views to center.
⇧ Shift+Z	Maximize/restore active viewport.
Arrow keys	Pan the view
	* Nudge the current selection in the current 2D or 3D viewport.
⇧ Shift+Arrow keys	* Clone the current selection and nudge it in the active 2D or 3D viewport.
Ctrl+I	Flip selected objects vertically.
Ctrl+L	Flip selected objects horizontally.
Ctrl+B	Snap selected objects to grid (based on selection bounding box).
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+B	Snap selected objects to grid (individually).
F2	switch to 2D Top (x/y) view
F3	switch to 2D Side (x/z) view
F4	switch to 2D Front (y/z) view
F5	switch to 3D textured view
⇧ Shift+F5	switch to 3D shaded textured view

* with "arrow key nudge" enabled in the "2d views" options menu

2D Views

Tab ⇆	Switch view types (top/side/front).
NumPad +/-	Zoom in/out (hold Ctrl to synchronize all 2D views).
scroll mouse wheel	Zoom in/out (hold Ctrl to synchronize all 2D views).
1 to 9	Preset zoom levels.
Spacebar	Hold Spacebar and left mouse button to drag the view position around.
Alt	Disable snap to grid while dragging with the mouse.
Ctrl+E	Center all 2D Views on currently selected objects.

3D View

Spacebar (holding)	Holding the left mouse button allows you to rotate your angle of view in any direction, while the viewing point remains stationary.
	Holding the right mouse button will allow you to move left, right, up, and down while keeping the viewing angle constant.
	Holding both the left and right mouse buttons allows you to move forward and backward, as well as pan from side to side.
Spacebar+⇧ Shift	The left mouse button acts the same as above.
	The right mouse button allows you to move forward and backward, as well as pan from side to side.
* Arrow keys	(up/down) rotate angle of view up and down (change pitch)
	(left/right) rotate left and right (change yaw)
Mouse Wheel	Zoom in/out.
W	Move camera forward.
S	Move camera backward.
A	Move camera (strafe) left.
D	Move camera (strafe) right.
Z	Toggles mouse look ("noclip") navigation mode.
P	Toggle brush face 3D grid on and off (with mouse cursor in 3D view).
O	Display frames per second and yaw/pitch of camera (with mouse cursor in 3D view).
I	Display bounding boxes for all visible objects.
X or Ctrl+F9	Display selection handles for object resizing/rotation.
1	Decrease far clipping plane.
2	Increase far clipping plane.
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+E	Center 3D View on selection.

* with "arrow key nudge" disabled in the "2d views" options menu

Selection Tool

left mouse button	(On an unselected object) Selects the object under the cursor and deselects any previously selected items
	(On a selected object) Cycles through resize, rotate, and skew
	(Holding) Cycle through every object beneath the cursor. Good for selecting obscured items without moving your view.
	(Click and drag) to select all objects touching the selection box upon releasing the Left mouse (hold Shift when releasing the Left mouse to select objects only entirely within the selection box).
Ctrl	Hold Ctrl and Left-Click to select/deselect multiple objects.
Alt	Disable snap to grid while dragging with the mouse.
⇧ Shift	hold ⇧ Shift when moving an object to create a copy (clone) of that object.
	* Hold ⇧ Shift (or Alt) when rotating to allow rotation unconstrained to 15 degrees intervals
⇧ Shift+Q or Esc	Clear current selections.
PgUp	Previous selection in "hit" list.
PgDn	Next selection in "hit" list.
Ctrl+T	Ties selected brushes to entity. If a selected brush is part of an existing entity you will have the option to add the other selected brushes to it.
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+W	"Move to world", removes entity status from selected brushes
Alt+↵ Enter	Open up Object Properties for the currently selected objects.

* when "Default to 15 degree rotation" is enabled in the "2D views" options menu

Camera Tool

⇧ Shift	Hold ⇧ Shift and click and drag left mouse button to create a new camera.
PgUp	Cycle to the previous camera position.
PgDn	Cycle to the next camera position.
Delete	Delete the current camera position.
Ctrl	Hold Ctrl and drag a camera or its point of interest to move both together.
scroll mouse wheel	(in 3D\Camera viewport) Move active camera forward or backward along its view axis

Block Tool

left mouse button	Click and drag left mouse to draw a new brush shape.
↵ Enter	Create object drawn with block/entity tool.
Esc	Delete object drawn with block/entity tool without creating it.
Alt+⇧ Shift+C	Insert original prefab.

(Point) Entity Tool

left mouse button	(in 3D view) Click on brush surface to create the current entity on clicked location
	(in 2D view) Click to set entities X/Y/Z coordinates, press enter to create entity at current coordinates (or right mouse button on coordinate's center)
Delete	Remove last created entity

Texture Application Tool

Ctrl	Hold Ctrl and click to select/deselect multiple faces.
⇧ Shift	Hold ⇧ Shift and click a face to select all faces on the brush.
⇧ Shift+Ctrl	Hold ⇧ Shift and Ctrl when clicking a face to invert the selected faces on a brush with the unselected faces.
right mouse button	Apply the current material settings to the face that is clicked.
⇧ Shift + right mouse button	Apply the current material settings to all the faces of a brush that is clicked.
Alt + right mouse button	Apply all the current material settings to the face that is clicked with wrapping/alignment to the previously selected face.
Alt+⇧ Shift + right mouse button	Apply the current material settings to all the faces of the brush that is clicked on with wrapping/alignment to the previously selected face.

Displacement Editing Tool, Select Mode

Ctrl+<span title=" left mouse button"> left mouse button	Hold Ctrl and click to select multiple faces.
⇧ Shift	Hold Shift and click a face to select all faces on the brush.
⇧ Shift+Ctrl	Hold Shift and Ctrl, click a face to add all unselected faces on the brush to the current selection.

Displacement Editing Tool, Paint Geometry Mode

Alt+<span title=" right mouse button"> right mouse button || Click any brush or displacement face to make that face’s normal the current painting axis.

left mouse button	Applies selected affect to the encompassed vertex/vertices on selected faces
right mouse button	Lowers the encompassed vertex/vertices on selected faces when Raise/Lower is selected
Ctrl+<span title=" left mouse button"> left mouse button	Hold Ctrl and Left-Click to select multiple faces.
⇧ Shift+Ctrl+<span title=" left mouse button"> left mouse button	Hold Shift and Ctrl, Left-Click a face to add all unselected faces on the brush to the current selection.
Alt+<span title=" left mouse button"> left mouse button	hold Alt and Left-Mouse-Button drag to alter the size of the spatial editing sphere.
⇧ Shift	hold Shift and Left-Click a vertex to drag that vertex along the current painting axis.

Displacement Editing Tool, Paint Alpha mode

left mouse button	Applies secondary texture to the encompassed vertex/vertices on selected faces when Raise/Lower is selected
right mouse button	Applies primary texture the encompassed vertex/vertices on selected faces when Raise/Lower is selected
Ctrl+<span title=" left mouse button"> left mouse button	Hold Ctrl and click to select multiple faces.
⇧ Shift+Ctrl	Hold Shift and Ctrl, click a face to add all faces on the brush to the current selection.

Overlay Tool

Ctrl	hold Ctrl and click to select multiple overlays.
⇧ Shift	* Hold Shift and then drag an overlay's vertex to snap it to another overlay's vertex.

* Multiple overlays must be selected inside vertex mode for this to work, only one vertex can be snapped at a time. This option is mainly used for connecting line based overlays (spills, road lane markers, etc)

Clipper Tool

left mouse button	Click and drag left mouse to create a new clip plane.
⇧ Shift+<span title=" left mouse button"> left mouse button	Hold Shift and drag with the left mouse button to erase the previous clipping plane and create a new one.
↵ Enter	Perform clip
Ctrl+<span title=" left mouse button"> left mouse button	hold Ctrl and drag with the left mouse button over a clipping handle to move both handles of the clipping plane at the same time.
O	Toggle the clip distance measurements display on and off (with mouse cursor in 2D view).
⇧ Shift+X	Cycle through clip modes.

Vertex Edit Tool

left mouse button	select vertex/vertices or edges
Ctrl+<span title=" left mouse button"> left mouse button	add vertex/vertices or edges to selection
Ctrl+F	* Split face (vertex manipulation)
Alt+E	Open Vertex Scaling dialog.
↵ Enter	Close Vertex Scaling dialog and perform scale.
⇧ Shift+V	Cycle vertex/edge display modes.

* You must have two edges or vertices selected that are part of the same face.

Miscellaneous

⇧ Shift+L	Toggle Texture lock.
Ctrl+M	Open Transform dialog.
Alt+P	Open Check for Problems dialog.
Esc	* Clear current selection or abort current tool/mouse operation (drag/drop) and goto the selection tool.
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+G	Go to Brush Number dialog.
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+F	Open Find Entities dialog.
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+R	Open Replace Entities dialog.
F1	Help
Ctrl+R	Create prefab from selected, the origin (0 0 0 x/y/z coordinates) will become prefabs center

* Does not work with the Magnify, Texture Application, or Overlay Tools

External links

Todo: consolidate list of shortcuts if there are any missing from VDC