This is a basic tutorial on how to set up custom shortcuts in Blender, specifically using version 4.3 of the software.
Video Transcript
Hello everyone! This is a basic tutorial on how to set up custom shortcuts in Blender, specifically using version 4.3 of the software. While this might seem like a very simple task, there are a few small pitfalls you might encounter, so don’t stop watching after the first 30 seconds!
As with many of my other video tutorials, a PDF version of this tutorial is available for free at the link in the description. This is also a great time to subscribe to the channel and enable notifications, so you don’t miss any of my upcoming tutorials!
In Blender, it is possible to set custom shortcuts for almost any tool. For example, you might want to assign a shortcut to the Bevel Modifier, one of the most commonly used modifiers when working with hard surface modeling.
There are two ways to set up this shortcut, and the first method is also the quickest. It involves right clicking on the modifier and selecting the Assign Shortcut option from the menu that appears on the screen.
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Then, you’ll need to press the key combination you want to assign to this modifier. Since B is already assigned to Border Select, which, together with Select All and Circle Select, forms the ABC of selection tools in Blender, I decided to use CTRL B for this tool.
Now, pressing CTRL B while a mesh object is selected will quickly add a Bevel Modifier to that object.
If the Auto Save Preferences option in the Preferences tab is enabled, this shortcut will remain set up even after restarting Blender.
At this point, some of you might have realized that CTRL B is already assigned by default to another tool, Render Region, which allows you to render only a portion of the 3D View. Selecting this tool from the toolbox, you'll notice that its shortcut is still there, meaning Blender hasn't replaced the old shortcut.
However, if we deselect the object to which we applied the Bevel Modifier and press CTRL B, the Render Region tool doesn’t appear.
The reason is that, although we deselected everything, the cube remains as a ghost selection in Blender, as you can see from the status bar at the bottom.
To truly deselect everything, we need to add a new object and immediately delete it. After doing so, Blender will no longer have any objects selected, and pressing CTRL B will activate the Render Region tool.
As a result, we now have a single shortcut assigned to two different tools. Interestingly, if you right click on the Bevel Modifier, there is no option to remove the shortcut for this tool.
To resolve this, open Blender’s Preferences tab and go to the Keymap section. The tools listed in this section provide the second method for assigning shortcuts and also allow you to quickly restore default settings, as we’ll see.
When you open the Object Mode section within the 3D View menu, you’ll notice a Restore button, which isn’t available in other menus.
Scrolling to the bottom of the Object Mode Global list, you’ll find a generic Add Modifier entry with the shortcut CTRL B. This entry includes a shortcut removal button that is distinct from all the others.
By opening the Add Modifier menu, we gain more information about this shortcut. For instance, it shows the associated modifier, which can be changed on the fly from the menu, or you can also modify the key combination directly in this section.
To remove this shortcut you can either click the X button on the right or use the Restore button at the top of the menu.
Each section of these menus includes an Add New button, allowing you to create a shortcut for any tool available in the editor and its corresponding work mode.
To quickly find a tool whose shortcut you want to check or modify, simply type the tool's name in the search box at the top of the Keymap tab, ensuring that the Name mode is selected.
Using this search, we discover that Render Region is active only in the 3D View and Image editors, and in both cases, its shortcut is set to CTRL B.
As many of you already know, the same shortcut can perform different functions depending on the active editor at the time it is pressed, which is determined by where the mouse cursor is located at that moment. By using the Key Binding option instead of Name in the search box and typing the shortcut you’re interested in, you can discover which functions that shortcut is associated with across different editors.
For example, typing M will show that in Object Mode, its function is Move To Collection, while in Edit Mode for meshes, its function is to open the Merge menu.
If the M key is not assigned as a shortcut in other contexts, you’ll be able to set it as a custom shortcut without any issues.
If you haven’t enabled the autosave preferences option, remember to save your new preferences after making changes. This ensures that your new settings will be available the next time you open Blender.
Well, that’s all for this quick basic tutorial about Blender’s interface! I hope you found it helpful! See you next time!