Keyboard Shortcuts for Moving Objects

Some tips for nudging 2D and 3D objects with keyboard shortcuts. This lesson applies to VCarve, Aspire, and Cut2D.

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Video Transcript:

Hello everyone, in this quick tip, I'm gonna show you how to move objects with your keyboard, which is sometimes much easier than your mouse. So the traditional way of moving stuff, if you're doing it with just the mouse, is just double click on it and then move it. And that allows you to freehand, move it anywhere you like, but sometimes it may be difficult to move it into the exact location you want.

So I'm gonna undo that. Another way you can move stuff is by fine tuning it with your keyboard. So you can see if you zoom in and if you select your object and use the arrow keys on your keyboard, you could see they will start to move the objects. So that is called nudging your object. So that allows you to fine tune it and get it exactly where you want it.

And that works for 2D or 3D objects. And you'll see when you're zoomed in real close like this and you move the arrow key, it moves in very small increments. If you wanna move in larger increments, just hold the shift key and then use the arrow keys and you'll see it'll move in much larger increments. Also, if you are zoomed way out and you start moving the arrow keys without holding any other buttons, it is gonna move in much larger increments.

And then once again, if you hold the shift key and you use the arrow keys, it'll move in even larger increments. So those increments are only controlled by how close or how far away you're zoomed in. But if you wanna move in exact increments, you can go up to edit and then come down to snap options. You can also click the F4 key and that's gonna open up your snap options.

And then in here there is a setting for fixed nudge distance. So this allows you to set an exact distance that you want to move every time you click an arrow key. So let's say maybe we wanted to move one inch. You can type in one and then click okay. And you'll see the arrow keys are still gonna act normal, if you just click the arrow keys.

So it's only moving in small increments right now. But if you wanna move in those larger increments, you have to hold the control key and the shift key, and this will now move it in your exact distance that you set for the fixed nudge distance. So now if you click your arrow key, it will move the one inch that we set, or whatever number you set there.

And then if you release the shift and control key, it'll go back to the smaller increments. And like I said, this works for 3D objects as well. Just double click on them. And use your arrow keys and that will move the objects and then you can hold the shift and control key, and that will move it in your fixed nudge distance.

Or you can just hold the shift key and click your arrows to move it in larger increments. Okay, so that is my quick tip for nudging objects around with your keyboard. If those tips helped you out, make sure you like and subscribe for more.
Kyle Ely | Learn Your CNC

Kyle is the founder and instructor at Learn Your CNC and he is very passionate about designing and creating things from scratch. He has been woodworking since he was 12 years old and built his first homemade CNC router machine when he was just 16 years old. Now with over a decade of CNC experience, he loves to share his knowledge with others.

https://www.learnyourcnc.com
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