Autodesk Maya Keyboard Shortcuts & Commands (50)
Complete collection of 50 Autodesk Maya keyboard shortcuts and commands. Browse all shortcuts organized by category with our interactive search tool.
Maya's default hotkeys are few and almost all single keys, because the application expects you to hold the mouse and drive with the left hand. The three that matter most are viewport navigation with Alt, the QWER tool keys, and the F-keys that switch between object and component selection — the last group is where new users get stuck.
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Viewport Navigation
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + LMB | Orbit | Orbit the viewport. |
| Alt + MMB | Pan | Pan the viewport. |
| Alt + RMB | Zoom | Zoom the viewport. |
| F | Frame selection | Frame view to selected object. |
| A | Frame all | Frame view to show all objects. |
| Space | Panel switch | Switch viewport layout. |
| 4 | Wireframe | Switch to wireframe display. |
| 5 | Shaded | Switch to shaded display. |
| 6 | Textured | Switch to textured display. |
| 7 | Lighting | Switch to lighting display. |
Object Editing
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| W | Move | Activate Move tool. |
| E | Rotate | Activate Rotate tool. |
| R | Scale | Activate Scale tool. |
| Q | Select | Activate Select tool. |
| Ctrl + D | Duplicate | Duplicate selected objects. |
| Shift + D | Special duplicate | Duplicate with options. |
| Ctrl + G | Group | Group selected objects. |
| P | Parent | Set parent-child relationship. |
| Delete | Delete | Delete selected objects. |
| H | Hide | Hide selected objects. |
| Shift + H | Show | Show hidden objects. |
Component Mode
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| F8 | Object/Component toggle | Toggle between object and component mode. |
| F9 | Vertex mode | Switch to vertex editing. |
| F10 | Edge mode | Switch to edge editing. |
| F11 | Face mode | Switch to face editing. |
| Ctrl + F9 | UV mode | Switch to UV editing. |
| 3 | Smooth preview | Show mesh smooth preview. |
| 1 | Base mesh | Show base polygon mesh. |
Search all Autodesk Maya shortcuts interactively with real-time filtering
Open Interactive Shortcut FinderAll Shortcuts
Viewport Navigation
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + LMB | Orbit | Orbit the viewport. |
| Alt + MMB | Pan | Pan the viewport. |
| Alt + RMB | Zoom | Zoom the viewport. |
| F | Frame selection | Frame view to selected object. |
| A | Frame all | Frame view to show all objects. |
| Space | Panel switch | Switch viewport layout. |
| 4 | Wireframe | Switch to wireframe display. |
| 5 | Shaded | Switch to shaded display. |
| 6 | Textured | Switch to textured display. |
| 7 | Lighting | Switch to lighting display. |
Object Editing
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| W | Move | Activate Move tool. |
| E | Rotate | Activate Rotate tool. |
| R | Scale | Activate Scale tool. |
| Q | Select | Activate Select tool. |
| Ctrl + D | Duplicate | Duplicate selected objects. |
| Shift + D | Special duplicate | Duplicate with options. |
| Ctrl + G | Group | Group selected objects. |
| P | Parent | Set parent-child relationship. |
| Delete | Delete | Delete selected objects. |
| H | Hide | Hide selected objects. |
| Shift + H | Show | Show hidden objects. |
Component Mode
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| F8 | Object/Component toggle | Toggle between object and component mode. |
| F9 | Vertex mode | Switch to vertex editing. |
| F10 | Edge mode | Switch to edge editing. |
| F11 | Face mode | Switch to face editing. |
| Ctrl + F9 | UV mode | Switch to UV editing. |
| 3 | Smooth preview | Show mesh smooth preview. |
| 1 | Base mesh | Show base polygon mesh. |
Navigation is Alt plus a mouse button
Alt + LMB tumbles the camera, Alt + MMB tracks (pans) and Alt + RMB dollies (zooms); this Alt convention is shared with Unity and most Autodesk products. F frames the selection and A frames everything in the scene, which is the recovery move when you have lost the model off screen. Space tapped once toggles the active panel between a single large view and the four-view layout.
Tools and display modes
Q selects, W moves, E rotates and R scales — the same layout Unity later adopted. The number keys change how the viewport draws: 4 wireframe, 5 shaded, 6 textured and 7 with scene lighting. On a mesh, 1 shows the base cage and 3 the smooth-preview subdivision without changing the geometry.
Objects versus components
F8 toggles between selecting whole objects and selecting components; F9, F10 and F11 jump straight to vertex, edge and face selection, and Ctrl + F9 to UVs. If clicks seem to select the wrong kind of thing, the current selection mode is the first thing to check. Ctrl + D duplicates, Shift + D is Duplicate Special with the last-used options, Ctrl + G groups the selection and P parents the selected objects to the last one selected. H hides and Shift + H shows.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get back to my model after it disappears from view?
Press A to frame everything in the viewport, or select the object in the Outliner and press F.
Why can I not select faces?
You are in object mode. Press F11 for face selection, or F8 to toggle between object and component mode.
What is the difference between Ctrl + D and Shift + D?
Ctrl + D makes a plain duplicate. Shift + D repeats Duplicate Special with the options you last set, such as offset copies or instances.
Where are Maya's hotkeys listed?
Windows › Settings/Preferences › Hotkey Editor shows every command with its assignment and lets you create custom sets.
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