Keyboard Shortcuts

The following table summarizes the available keyboard shortcuts on Windows and Linux and on macOS (see also Keyboard Shortcuts for the Quick Access Toolbar and the Application Builder documentation for specific keyboard shortcuts):


Shortcut (Windows, Linux)	Shortcut (macOS)	Action
F1	F1	Display help for the selected node or window.
Ctrl+F1	Command+F1	Open the COMSOL Documentation front page in an external Help window.
F2	F2	Rename the selected node, file, or folder.
F3	F3	Disable selected nodes.
F4	F4	Enable selected nodes.
F5	F5	Update solution with respect to new definitions without re-solving the model. Update reduced model data. Also, on Windows, to continue in the Method Editor’s debugging tool in the Application Builder.
F6	F6	Build the preceding node in the Geometry branch or plot the previous plot for a time-dependent, eigenfrequency, or eigenvalue solution. Also, on Windows, to step in the Method Editor’s debugging tool in the Application Builder,
F7	F7	Build the selected node in the geometry and mesh branches, compute the selected study step, compute to the selected node in the solver sequence, or plot the next plot for a time-dependent, eigenfrequency, or eigenvalue solution. Also, on Windows, to step into in the Method Editor’s debugging tool in the Application Builder.
Shift+F7		On Windows, to step out in the Method Editor’s debugging tool in the Application Builder.
F8	F8	Build the geometry, build the mesh, compute entire solver sequence, update results data, update the plot, or run model method in a method call. Also, on Windows, to run a method or to create an executable or an add-in in the Application Builder.
F9		On Windows, check syntax for a method in the Application Builder.
Del	Del	Delete selected nodes and selected geometry objects. Delete rows in tables.
Escape (Esc)	Escape (Esc)	Cancel ongoing interactive 2D drawing and 3D clipping operations.
PgUp, PgDn	PgUp, PgDn	Move up or down in a window in the COMSOL Desktop.
Left arrow (Windows); Shift + left arrow (Linux)	Left arrow	If you are at the top of a branch, pressing this collapses this branch in the Model Builder. Continue pressing the left arrow key to move upward in the tree to collapse all branches. If within a subbranch, pressing the left arrow key repositions you to the beginning of the branch.
Right arrow (Windows); Shift + right arrow (Linux)	Right arrow	Expand a branch in the Model Builder.
Up arrow	Up arrow	Move to the node above in the Model Builder. Highlight the next entity for a 3D geometry in the Graphics window when it has focus.
Down arrow	Down arrow	Move to the node below in the Model Builder. Highlight the previous entity for a 3D geometry in the Graphics window when it has focus.
Alt+numbers	See comment.	For the Windows version only: run the corresponding Quick Access Toolbar command if a number is pressed above the character keyboard; otherwise, insert the corresponding ASCII character (requires use of the numeric keypad on Windows). To enter special ASCII characters on macOS, you can change to a specific Unicode Hex Input keyboard layout.
Alt+left arrow	Ctrl+left arrow	Move to the previously selected node in the Model Builder.
Alt+right arrow	Ctrl+right arrow	Move to the next selected node in the Model Builder.
Ctrl+A	Command+A	Select all domains, boundaries, edges, or points; select all cells in a table or all contents of a table cell.
Ctrl+B		Add or remove breakpoint (for use in the Application Builder).
Ctrl+Shift+B		Enable or disable breakpoint (for use in the Application Builder).
Ctrl+C	Command+C	Copy text in fields. Copy images in graphics and plot windows.
Ctrl+D	Command+D	Clear the selection of all domains, boundaries, edges, or points in the Model Builder. Clear all selections in form editor windows.
Ctrl+Shift+D	Command+Shift+D	Duplicate the selected node in the Model Builder.
Ctrl+F	Command+F	Open the Search and Replace window.
Ctrl+Shift+F	Command+Shift+F	Find a search string in a method.
Ctrl+G	Command+G	Group nodes.
Ctrl+Shift+G	Command+Shift+G	Ungroup nodes.
Ctrl+K		Create, use, or rename a shortcut to an Model Builder node (for use in the Application Builder).
Ctrl+L	Command+L	Take a quick image snapshot.
Ctrl+N	Command+N	Create a new model.
Ctrl+O	Command+O	Open a model file using the Open dialog box.
Ctrl+Shift+O	Command+Shift+O	Open a model file from a database or the file system using the fullscreen Open window.
Ctrl+P	Command+P	Print the contents of the plot window.
Ctrl+S	Command+S	Save a model file to the file system.
Ctrl+Shift+S	Command+Shift+S	Save a model file as some filename and file type to a database or to the file system using the fullscreen Save window.
Ctrl+V	Command+V	Paste copied text.
Ctrl+Y	Ctrl+Shift+Z	Redo the last undone operation.
Ctrl+Z	Command+Z	Undo the last operation.
Ctrl+1		Create a local variable or correct the type of an existing variable in methods.
Ctrl+7		Toggle comments on and off in methods.
Ctrl+up arrow	Command+up arrow	Move a definitions node, geometry node, physics interface or feature node (except default nodes), material node, mesh node, study step node, or results node up one step.
Ctrl+down arrow	Command+down arrow	Move a definitions node, geometry node, physics interface or feature node (except default nodes), material node, mesh node, study step node, or results node down one step.
Ctrl+Tab	Ctrl+Tab	Switch focus to the next window on the desktop.
Ctrl+Shift+Tab	Ctrl+Shift+Tab	Switch focus to the previous window on the desktop.
Ctrl+Shift+A		Switch to the Application Builder workspace from the Model Builder or Model Manager.
Ctrl+Shift+J		Switch to the Model Manager workspace from the Model Builder or Application Builder.
Ctrl+Shift+M		Switch to the Model Builder workspace from the Application Builder or Model Manager.
Ctrl+F4	Command+W	Close the active window in COMSOL Desktop, if it is closable.
Ctrl+F8		Test an application.
Ctrl+Alt+left arrow	Command+Alt+left arrow	Switch focus to the Model Builder window.
Ctrl+Alt+right arrow	Command+Alt+right arrow	Switch focus to the Settings window.
Ctrl+Alt+up arrow	Command+Alt+up arrow	Switch focus to the previous section in the Settings window.
Ctrl+Alt+down arrow	Command+Alt+down arrow	Switch focus to the next section in the Settings window.
Shift+F10 or (Windows only) Menu key	Ctrl+F10	Open the context menu.
Ctrl+Pause	Command+. (Command + period)	Stop running a method when test running applications.
Pause		Suspend (break) the currently running method.
Ctrl+Space, Ctrl+/	Ctrl+Space, Ctrl+/	Open list of predefined quantities for insertion in text fields and table cells for expressions. Ctrl+/ is an alternative primarily intended for users of Asian Windows versions.
Ctrl+scroll wheel	Ctrl+scroll wheel	Zoom in and out. You can also press the scroll wheel and scroll to zoom in and out.
+, -	+, -	Highlight the next or previous entity for a 3D geometry in the Graphics window. Expand or collapse a branch in the Model Builder.
R	R	Toggle between automatic and manual rotation center for mouse rotation in 3D.
X, Y, Z	X, Y, Z	Press to force rotation around the x, y, or z axis, respectively, when you move the mouse in 3D.
multiply key	Alt+right arrow	Expand selected part of a tree.
divide key	Alt+left arrow	Collapse selected part of a tree.
Shift+divide key	Alt+Shift+left arrow	Collapse other parts of a tree.