Keyboard Shortcuts Reference
IntermediateA reference guide to all keyboard shortcuts available in Metapad for faster navigation and editing.
Keyboard shortcuts help you work faster in Metapad. Here are the ones the app supports.
Canvas
| Action | Mac | Windows/Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Select several | Shift+Click | Shift+Click |
| Select by area | Shift+Drag on empty canvas | Shift+Drag |
| Pan | Drag on empty canvas, or two-finger scroll | Drag, or scroll wheel |
| Zoom | ⌘+Scroll / pinch, ⌘+= / ⌘+- | Ctrl+Scroll, Ctrl+= / Ctrl+- |
| Copy | ⌘+C | Ctrl+C |
| Paste (same element again) | ⌘+V | Ctrl+V |
| Paste as New (a copy) | ⌘+Shift+V | Ctrl+Shift+V |
| Rename selected | F2 | F2 |
| Remove from diagram | Delete / ⌫ | Delete / Backspace |
| Cancel a connection being drawn | Esc | Esc |
Model Navigator
| Action | Mac | Windows/Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Select several | ⌘+Click | Ctrl+Click |
| Rename | F2 | F2 |
| Delete from the model (asks first) | Delete / ⌫ | Delete / Backspace |
Editing text
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| Confirm a rename | Enter (Esc cancels) |
| Save a sticky note | ⌘/Ctrl+Enter (Enter = new line, Esc cancels) |
| Send an AI chat message | Enter (Shift+Enter = new line) |
Everywhere
| Action | Mac | Windows/Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Undo | ⌘+Z | Ctrl+Z |
| Redo | ⌘+Shift+Z | Ctrl+Shift+Z |
Changes on the server save automatically. Models stored as local files save with ⌘/Ctrl+S, and ⌘/Ctrl+Shift+S saves under a new name.
Good to know
- Canvas shortcuts need the canvas to have focus: click it once.
- While you type in a text field, ⌘/Ctrl+Z undoes your typing and Delete deletes characters, not elements.
- On a canvas, Delete removes elements from the diagram only. In the Navigator it deletes them from the model.
- Hover over toolbar buttons to see their keyboard shortcut — and, for Undo and Redo, the exact change they would reverse.
This content was written collaboratively with AI.