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Keyboard Shortcuts
expressCode supports a variety of keyboard shortcuts to enhance your workflow. This page lists all available shortcuts for both expressCode-specific features and the Monaco editor.
⚠️ Mac Keyboard Shortcut Limitations
On macOS, some keyboard shortcuts may not be available because fewer keyboard events are passed through from the operating system to CEP panels. Additionally, some shortcuts may depend on what is currently selected in After Effects. If a shortcut doesn't work as expected, this is likely due to these platform-specific limitations.
expressCode Shortcuts
These are custom keyboard shortcuts specific to expressCode functionality.
General
| Mac | Windows | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⇧⌘⌫ | ⇧ Ctrl ⌫ | Clear All | Clears all selections, code, and resets the editor to its initial state |
Editor Actions
| Mac | Windows | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⇧⌘A | ⇧ Ctrl A | Select All | Selects all text in the editor |
| ⇧⌘B | ⇧ Ctrl B | Format Document | Auto-formats your code with proper indentation and spacing |
| ⇧⌘F | ⇧ Ctrl F | Find | Opens the find/replace dialog |
| ⇧⌘P | ⇧ Ctrl P | Command Palette | Opens the Monaco editor command palette. Only works if nothing is selected in the timeline |
| ⇧⌘W | ⇧ Ctrl W | Toggle Word Wrap | Enables or disables word wrapping in the editor |
Expression/Library Selection
| Mac | Windows | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Click | Click | Select single item | Select a single expression or library item |
| ⌘ Click | Ctrl Click | Toggle selection | Add/remove individual items from multi-selection |
| ⇧ Click | ⇧ Click | Range selection | Select a range of items between the last clicked and current item |
Monaco Editor Shortcuts
These are built-in Monaco editor shortcuts that work within the code editor.
Basic Editing
| Mac | Windows | Action |
|---|---|---|
| ⌘X | Ctrl X | Cut line (empty selection) |
| ⌘V | Ctrl V | Paste |
| ⌘Z | Ctrl Z | Undo |
| ⇧⌘Z | ⇧ Ctrl Z | Redo |
| ⌘D | Ctrl D | Add selection to next find match |
| ⌥↑ / ⌥↓ | Alt ↑ / Alt ↓ | Move line up/down |
| ⇧⌥↑ / ⇧⌥↓ | ⇧ Alt ↑ / ⇧ Alt ↓ | Copy line up/down |
| ⇧⌘K | ⇧ Ctrl K | Delete line |
Search and Replace
| Mac | Windows | Action |
|---|---|---|
| ⇧⌘F | ⇧ Ctrl F | Find |
| ⌘⌥F | Ctrl H | Replace |
Multi-Cursor and Selection
| Mac | Windows | Action |
|---|---|---|
| ⌥ Click | Alt Click | Insert cursor |
| ⌘U | Ctrl U | Undo last cursor operation |
Code Navigation
| Mac | Windows | Action |
|---|---|---|
| ⌘→ | End | Go to end of line |
| ⌘← | Home | Go to beginning of line |
| ⌘↑ | Ctrl Home | Go to beginning of file |
| ⌘↓ | Ctrl End | Go to end of file |
| ⌃G | Ctrl G | Go to line |
Code Folding
| Mac | Windows | Action |
|---|---|---|
| ⌘⌥[ | ⇧ Ctrl [ | Fold region |
| ⌘⌥] | ⇧ Ctrl ] | Unfold region |
Tips
- Command Palette: Press ⇧⌘P (Mac) or ⇧ Ctrl P (Windows) to access all available editor commands
- Footer Shortcuts: Some actions like Format Document and Find can also be triggered using the footer buttons
- IntelliSense: Start typing and IntelliSense will automatically suggest completions
- Multi-Selection: Use multi-cursor editing to make the same change in multiple places simultaneously
Troubleshooting
If a keyboard shortcut isn't working:
- Check macOS Limitations: Some shortcuts may not pass through to CEP panels on macOS
- Check After Effects Selection: Some shortcuts may depend on what's selected in After Effects
- Check for Conflicts: Ensure the shortcut isn't being intercepted by After Effects or your OS
Related
- See the User Guide for detailed information on using expressCode features
- Learn about IntelliSense features for code completion and documentation