Do you want to learn how to use Blender viewport navigation like a pro but are just getting started?
You don’t need to look any further! In this blog post, we’ll go over the 3D Viewport navigation shortcuts in Blender, giving you the knowledge you need to use this powerful 3D program effectively.
Understanding shortcuts can help you improve your workflow, productivity, and overall Blender experience. Whether you’re a digital artist, game developer, or simply interested in 3D design.
So let’s get started and learn some useful shortcuts!
Updated to Blender 4.0
Tip: Before you start, make sure you are on the 3D Viewport. Just click on the “Editor Type” icon, and select “3D Viewport“.
Or just press “SHIFT + F5“.
Blender Basic Navigation Controls
| Viewport Action | Controls |
|---|---|
| Pan: Move the view | a) SHIFT + Middle Mouse Button b) CTRL + Numpad: 2 (down) / 4 (left) / 6 (right) / 8 (up) c) Hand icon  |
| Orbit: Rotate the view | Middle Mouse Button |
| Zoom in and out | a) Mouse wheel up / down b) CTRL + Middle Mouse Button c) Magnifying glass icon  |
How to Navigate Blender Without a Middle Mouse Button or Numpad
If the middle mouse button is missing just select: “Edit -> Preferences -> Input -> Emulate 3 Button Mouse“.
Now you’ll be able to emulate the Middle Mouse with ALT + Left Mouse Button.
In case the numpad is missing just select: “Edit -> Preferences -> Input -> Emulate Numpad“.
The main 1 to 0 keys act as the numpad ones. This is really useful for laptops.
Orthographic Views
| Viewport Action | Shortcuts |
|---|---|
| Perspective / Orthographic View | a) Numpad 5 b) Grid icon  |
| Front Orthographic | Numpad 1 |
| Back Orthographic | CTRL + Numpad 1 |
| Right Orthographic | Numpad 3 / Numpad 9 |
| Left Orthographic | CTRL + Numpad 3 / Numpad 9 |
| Top Orthographic | Numpad 7 |
| Bottom Orthographic | CTRL + Numpad 7 |
Tip 1: If you find it difficult to recall the shortcuts, an alternative option is to simply click on the X, Y, and Z axis on the gizmo in order to adjust the viewpoint.
Tip 2: Orthographic view is very helpful for measuring objects because it allows you to see the grid clearly. The grid is made up of small and large squares. The larger squares represent a measurement of 1 meter, while the smaller squares represent 10 centimeters. This means that the default cube size in blender is 2 meters.
Add and Delete Objects
| Action | Shortcuts |
|---|---|
| Add (Mesh, Curve, Surface, Metaball, Text, Volume, Light…) | SHIFT + A |
| Delete | DEL / Delete Key |
Tip 1: Remember that once you have deselected the created object or made another action, you will no longer be able to edit the initial options. Alternatively you can press F9 to adjust the last operation.
Tip 2: Keep in mind that adding segments is always easier than subtracting them. If you’re just starting out, keep the number of polygons as low as possible.
Select options in Blender
| Action | Shortcuts |
|---|---|
| Select | Left Mouse Button |
| Deselect | ALT + A |
| Shade Smooth | Left Mouse Button (Select) -> Right Mouse Button -> Shade Smooth |
Transform Items in Blender
| Action | Shortcuts |
|---|---|
| Move | a)  b) G (optional + X, Y, Z or Drag Midde Mouse Button) c) SHIFT + Spacebar |
| Rotate | a)  b) R (optional + X, Y, Z or Drag Midde Mouse Button) c) SHIFT + Spacebar |
| Scale | a)  b) S (optional + X, Y, Z or Drag Midde Mouse Button) c) SHIFT + Spacebar |
| Transform | a)  b) T (optional + X, Y, Z or Drag Midde Mouse Button) c) SHIFT + Spacebar |
| Cancel Action | a) ESC b) Right Mouse Button |
Camera and Render Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcuts |
|---|---|
| Camera View | a) Numpad 0 b) Camera Icon  |
| Lock Camera to View | N -> View -> Lock Camera to View |
| Render Image | F12 |