Common CATIA Keyboard Shortcuts

CATIA V5 is a powerful tool, but you can’t call yourself a power user until you’ve mastered the essential keyboard shortcuts – it’s one of the best ways to easily increase your productivity. Before implementing a macro, it’s a good idea to ask and see if there is a good non-macro solution.

Listed below are the CATIA shortcuts you should get to know.

• Esc: Abort the current process or exit the current dialog box (when there is one)
• F1: Get CATIA V5 assistance by launching the contextual online help
• F3: Toggle specification tree display on and off
• SHIFT – F1: Context assistance (Get help on toolbar icons)
• SHIFT – F2: Toggle the specification tree overview on and off – opens an overview on specifications tree in a new window.
• SHIFT – F3: Structure tree activate around e.g. character size to modify (activate the graph if the model is active and inversely)
• SHIFT + left: rotate to the left
• SHIFT + right: rotate to the right
• SHIFT + UP: rotate upward
• SHIFT + down: rotate downward
• ALT + F8: Macros start
• ALT + F11: Visual basic editor
• CTRL + PAGE UP: ZOOM IN the model or tree whichever is active
• CTRL + PAGE DOWN: ZOOM OUT the model or tree whichever is active
• CTRL + RIGHT arrow: Move the model to the right (PAN right)
• CTRL + LEFT arrow: Move the model to the Left (PAN left)
• CTRL + TOP arrow: Move the model to the TOP (PAN Up)
• CTRL + BOTTOM arrow: Move the model to the Bottom (PAN Down)
• CTRL + SHIFT + Right arrow: ROTATE the model around z axis Clockwise
• CTRL + SHIFT + LEFT arrow: ROTATE the model around z axis Anti Clockwise
• CTRL + Tab: switch between the different windows (swap active document windows)
• CTRL + N: New document open
• CTRL + O: Document open
• CTRL + S: Document save
• CTRL + P: Document print
• CTRL + F: Search
• CTRL + U: Update
• CTRL + X: Cut out
• CTRL + V: Insert
• CTRL + Y: Redo
• CTRL + Z: Undo
• Up arrow: Relocate the graph 1/10th (one tenth) of a page to the top
• Down arrow: Relocate the graph 1/10th (one tenth) of a page to the bottom
• Left arrow: Relocate the graph 1/10th (one tenth) of a page to the left
• Right arrow: Relocate the graph 1/10th (one tenth) of a page to the right
• ALT + Enter: Properties
• ALT + SHIFT + Right arrow: ROTATE the model
• ALT + SHIFT + Left arrow: ROTATE the model

You can greatly increase your CATIA speed and efficiency by not being lazy and use two hands. One hand can work the mouse while the other can use keyboard shortcuts (for example: to hide and unhide).

Get even more tips by reading CATIA V5 Tips and Tricks.