Configure Keyboard Shortcuts Help

Keyboard shortcuts can be useful tools for speeding up your workflow when working with . Many tools and features have keyboard shortcuts assigned by default.

However, if you want to add a keyboard shortcut to a feature that doesn't have one, or change an existing shortcut to one that feels more intuitive to you, offers an easy way to do this using the Keyboard Shortcut Editor. Just follow the steps below to start customizing the to better suit the way that you work.

1. Open Subsection if Necessary

In the Configure Keyboard Shortcuts you can open sub-sections by clicking the small box with a + sign in it next to each section name. In the screen grab, you can see I've opened the Options sub-section as I'm going to add a keyboard shortcut to the OptionsItem 1.

2. Assign New Keyboard Shortcut

Now you need to scroll to the tool or command that you want to edit and click on it to select it. When selected, the text for that tool in the Shortcut column changes to read 'New accelerator...' and you can press the key or combination of keys you want to assign as a shortcut.

3. Remove or Save Shortcuts

I've changed the OptionsItem 1's keyboard shortcut to Shift+Ctrl+F by pressing the Shift, Ctrl and F keys simultaneously. If you want to remove a keyboard shortcut from any tool or command, just click on it to select it and then when the 'New accelerator...' text displays, press the backspace key and the text will change to 'Disabled'. Once you're happy that your keyboard shortcuts are set up as you wish, simply click OK.

4. Beware of Reassigning Existing Shortcuts

If you thought my choice of Shift+Ctrl+F was an odd selection, I chose it because it was a keyboard combination that hadn't already been assigned to any tool or command. If you try to assign a keyboard shortcut that is already in use, an alert will open telling you what the shortcut is currently being used for. If you want to keep the original shortcut, just click the Cancel button, otherwise click Reassign shortcut to make the shortcut apply to your new selection.

5. Don't Go Shortcut Crazy!

Don't feel that every tool or command should have a keyboard shortcut assigned to it and that you need to memorize all of them. We all use applications in different ways - often using different tools and techniques to achieve similar results - so concentrate on the tools that you use. Taking some time to customize to work in a way that suits you can be a good investment of your time. A well thought out series of keyboard shortcuts can have a dramatic effect on your workflow.

6. Useful Tips

Try to analyze how you work and which tools you use on a regular basis, then look at assigning easily accessed keyboard combinations to these tools and commands only.
Don't be afraid to try out different shortcuts, or to reassign default shortcuts to new tools or commands.
Assigning shortcuts that are grouped together on the keyboard may mean you can select tools without moving your hand, but using shortcuts that are more spaced out may reduce the possibility of you selecting the incorrect tool. This will be down to personal preference.