Keyboard Shortcuts
Aether uses three shortcut systems: standard macOS chords (Cmd-S), a leader key (Space-prefixed sequences for canvas operations), and single-key commands inside specific panels (sequencer, console).
Global
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Cmd-, | Preferences |
Cmd-O | Open project |
Cmd-S | Save |
Cmd-Z | Undo |
Cmd-Shift-Z or Cmd-Y | Redo |
Cmd-C | Copy |
Cmd-V | Paste |
Cmd-D | Duplicate |
` (backtick) | Toggle console |
F1 | Toggle Mode3D |
F2 | Cycle Mode3D shape |
F3 | Toggle Mode3D with the graph scene (forces shape = "graph") |
F5 | Transport play / pause |
The command palette is not on a Cmd-chord - it's in the leader key system below. Press Space Space from the canvas.
Cmd-N (New), Cmd-Shift-S (Save As), Cmd-W (Close window), Cmd-A (Select all on the canvas), and Cmd-Q (Quit) are not yet wired as global shortcuts in 0.1.0. Use the command palette for New and Save As; Cmd-A works inside the sequencer and arranger grids but not on the main canvas.
Leader Key (canvas operations)
Press Space to enter leader mode. The next key (or sequence of keys) picks an action. An overlay shows available bindings after a brief delay, or press Space ? to force it.
| Sequence | Action |
|---|---|
Space Space | Command palette |
Space f | Find node (hint-mode: labels appear on each node, press the label to jump and select) |
Space n | New node (filtered to compatible types if a node is selected) |
Space p | Port select (hint mode on the selected node's ports) |
Space c | Connect (port hints, then target-port hints on another node) |
Space d | Disconnect (port hints, then remove the chosen edge) |
Space r | Rename (inline text edit on node title) |
Space x | Delete selected node(s) |
Space z | Undo |
Space Z | Redo |
Space ? | Show cheat sheet (auto-appears after ~500ms) |
Space 0 | Auto zoom-to-fit (toggle, stays on until manual pan/zoom) |
Space . | Center and zoom on selected (falls back to fit-all if nothing selected) |
Filtered New-Node Palette
Space n with a node selected gathers every port type from that node and opens the palette filtered to node types with a compatible port. No selection opens the full palette. This is faster than scrolling the full list when wiring a specific signal type.
Canvas Navigation
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Scroll | Zoom at cursor |
Right-drag | Pan |
Left-drag (empty area) | Box select |
Escape | Close active panel (console, command palette) / exit leader mode |
Console
Inside the console panel:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Return | Evaluate line |
Up / Down | Cycle through history |
Sequencer
Inside the sequencer panel:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
F5 | Play / pause transport |
Click | Place / remove note at grid cell |
Drag | Stretch note duration |
Modes
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Console command toggle("activity") | Node activity monitor (card-flip per-node DSP stats) |
Console command toggle("3d") | Mode3D experimental 3D visualisation (off by default, tech demo) |
Customisation
Shortcuts are not yet user-configurable in 0.1.0. The full action-map is defined in code; a remapping UI is planned for a future release.
Related
- Glossary - terms used in shortcut descriptions (hint mode, action, port, etc.)