title: Keyboard Shortcuts description: Complete reference for all keyboard shortcuts in Ascii Motion
Keyboard Shortcuts
Master Ascii Motion with keyboard shortcuts for faster workflows. All shortcuts are designed to be intuitive and match common creative application conventions.
On macOS, Ctrl typically maps to Cmd (⌘). The shortcuts below use Ctrl notation for cross-platform compatibility.
Tool Shortcuts
Quick access to all drawing and selection tools with single-key shortcuts.
| Key | Tool | Description |
|---|---|---|
| B | Brush | Brush/Pencil tool (hold Ctrl for temporary eraser) |
| E | Eraser | Eraser tool |
| F | Fill | Paint bucket fill tool |
| G | Gradient | Gradient fill tool |
| M | Selection | Rectangular marquee selection |
| L | Lasso | Freeform lasso selection |
| W | Magic Wand | Select by color similarity |
| I | Eyedropper | Pick color from canvas |
| R | Rectangle | Rectangle shape tool |
| O | Ellipse | Ellipse/circle shape tool |
| T | Text | Standard text tool |
| Y | ASCII Type | ASCII character typing tool |
| Q | ASCII Box | ASCII box drawing tool |
| P | Pen | Bezier pen tool for curves |
Hold Alt/Option while using drawing tools to temporarily activate the Eyedropper. Release to return to your previous tool.
Frame Navigation
Control animation timeline playback and frame navigation.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| , (comma) | Previous frame |
| . (period) | Next frame |
| Shift + , | Jump to first frame |
| Shift + . | Jump to last frame |
Frame Management
Create, duplicate, and delete frames in your animation.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + N | Add new frame after current |
| Ctrl + D | Duplicate selected frame(s) |
| Ctrl + Delete | Delete selected frame(s) |
When multiple frames are selected in the timeline, Ctrl+D duplicates all selected frames and Ctrl+Delete removes them all.
Selection & Clipboard
Standard selection and clipboard operations for canvas content.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + A | Select all (entire canvas) |
| Ctrl + C | Copy selection |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Delete or Backspace | Clear selection |
| Escape | Deselect / Cancel operation |
Undo & Redo
Full undo/redo support for all canvas operations.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Z | Undo last action |
| Ctrl + Shift + Z | Redo last undone action |
Each frame maintains its own independent undo history. Switching frames preserves undo states for each frame.
Brush & Tool Size
Adjust brush size and tool parameters on the fly.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| [ | Decrease brush size |
| ] | Increase brush size |
Color Palette Navigation
Navigate and swap colors in the palette.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| X | Swap foreground and background colors |
| Shift + [ | Previous palette color |
| Shift + ] | Next palette color |
Character Palette Navigation
Navigate through the character palette.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + [ | Previous character in palette |
| Ctrl + ] | Next character in palette |
Transform Operations
Flip and transform canvas content.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Shift + H | Flip selection horizontally |
| Shift + V | Flip selection vertically |
| Shift + C | Crop canvas to selection |
View Controls
Control canvas zoom and display options.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| + or = | Zoom in |
| - | Zoom out |
| Shift + O | Toggle onion skinning |
Project & File Operations
Save, open, and manage project files.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + S | Save project |
| Ctrl + Shift + S | Save project as (new file) |
| Ctrl + O | Open project |
Playback Controls
Control animation preview playback.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Play / Pause animation |
Quick Reference Card
Drawing Tools
- B - Brush (Ctrl = temp eraser)
- E - Eraser
- F - Fill
- G - Gradient
Selection Tools
- M - Marquee
- L - Lasso
- W - Magic Wand
Shape Tools
- R - Rectangle
- O - Ellipse
- Q - ASCII Box
- P - Pen (Bezier)
Text & Utility
- T - Text
- Y - ASCII Type
- I - Eyedropper
Tips for Efficient Workflows
Learn Tool Shortcuts First
Start with the most-used tools: B (Brush), E (Eraser), M (Selection), and I (Eyedropper). These cover 80% of typical workflows.
Master Frame Navigation
Use , and . to quickly scrub through your animation. Combine with Shift+O onion skinning to see movement context.
Use Temporary Tool Switches
Hold Alt for quick eyedropper access while drawing. Hold Ctrl with Brush for quick erasing. No need to switch tools.
Memorize Undo/Redo
Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Shift+Z are your safety net. Each frame has independent undo history, so experiment freely.
Quick Color Swapping
Press X to swap foreground/background colors instantly. Great for two-color workflows and corrections.