2 

Default short cuts and dynamic keybinding

Dynamic Key bindings

Gimp has a very nice way of dealing with short cuts or hotkeys. If you don't like a default short cut or if your favorite command hasn't been assigned to a default hotkey, then just bring up the menu holding the command, for example <Image>/File/Preference and press an alternative key, like Ctrl-U. The preference dialog will now pop up when you press Ctrl-U. (remember not to have caps lock on). If Ctrl-U was occupied by e.g <Image>/ File /Print before you did the reassignment, then this short cut has been erased. All of this happened on the fly. You will actually see the reassignment take place and there is no need to restart Gimp. (in some other operating systems you'll get messages like ""$$" has discovered that the mouse cursor has changed position, please restart "$$" so it can be updated")

This can also be done by editing your personal menu rc file in your personal gimp directory. This makes it possible to share your short cuts with your friends. If you are a former Photoshop user, you can for example re-bind your keys so Gimp will use the same hotkeys as Photoshop.

As authors of this book we suggest that you stick to the default short cuts. Otherwise it may be difficult to follow our instructions (you may run in to some problems when we write Ctrl-N to get a new image, and you quit Gimp because you have reassigned the short cut).

If you want to remove your personal short cuts just type rm .gimp/menurc in an xterm shell.

The next pages display a Quick Reference to the default keybindings in Gimp. It's a good idea to print this page, and keep it beside your computer.

Conventions

• The left column lists options available for a certain tool (clicking different mouse buttons and/or pressing hotkeys). The right column describes the result.
• The different tools are listed in the left column, and the hotkeys for calling up each tool are listed in the right column.
• {1} represents left mouse button
• {2} represents the middle mouse button
• {3} represents the right mouse button
• Shift + {1} - Shift + Shift + Ctrl means the following:
• First press Shift, then press the left mouse button. Release Shift then press Shift again. Press Ctrl and drag the mouse while holding Shift and Ctrl. When you are finished, first release the mouse button, then release Shift and Ctrl.

Default short cuts in Gimp.

Selection tools			Ctrl + {1} - Ctrl + Shift +Ctrl	Subtract circle/square from selection starting from centre
{1}	Draw selection
{1} + {3} - {1}	Cancel selection
			Shift + Ctrl + {1} - Shift - Ctrl + Shift	Circle/square union of selection
On existing selections
Shift + {1} - Shift	Add to selection		Shift + Ctrl + {1} - Shift - Ctrl + Ctrl	Ellipse/rectangle union of selection starting from centre
Ctrl + {1} - Ctrl	Subtract from selection
Shift + Ctrl + {1} - Shift - Ctrl	Union of selection		Shift + Ctrl + {1} - Shift - Ctrl + Shift + Ctrl	Circle/square union of selection starting from centre
Alt + {1}	Move selection
Rectangular and ellipse	Short cut:R/E		Bezier	B
			{1} (inside bezier)	Convert to selection
{1} + Shift	Circle/square only		{1}	Move both control handles
{1} + Ctrl	Start from centre
{1} + Shift + Ctrl	Start circle/square from centre		Shift + {1}	Move one control handle
Shift + {1} - Shift + Shift	Add circle/square to selection		Ctrl + {1}	Move control point
Shift + {1} - Shift + Ctrl	Add rect/ellipse to selection starting from centre		Remaining selection tools
			Fuzzy select	Z
			Free	F
Shift + {1} - Shift + Shift + Ctrl	Add circle/square to selection starting from centre		Intelligent scissors	I
Ctrl + {1} - Ctrl + Shift	Subtract circle/square from selection
Ctrl + {1} - Ctrl + Ctrl	Subtract ellipse/square from selection starting from centre

.

Move tool	M		Transform tool	Shift + T
{1}	Move current layer		Rotation mode
{1} + Shift	Move current even if 100% transparent		{1}	Rotate with 1\xb0 increments
Ctrl + [arrow key]	Move layer 1 pixel		Ctrl + {1}	Rotate with 15\xfb increments
Shift + [arrow key]	Move layer 25 pixels
Alt + [arrow key]	Move selection 1 pixel		Scaling mode
			{1}	Free scaling
Alt + Shift + [arrow key]	Move selection 25 pixels		Shift + {1}	Scale in X direction only
			Ctrl + {1}	Scale in Y direction only
Magnify Tool	Shift + M
{1} or =	Zoom in		Shift + Ctrl + {1}	Scale with fixed ratio
Shift + {1} or -	Zoom out
{2}	Pan image
Crop tool	Shift + C		Shearing mode
{1}	Make crop selection		{1}	Free shearing
{1} + {3} -{1}	Cancel crop
{1} inside crop	Perform crop		Perspective mode
			{1}	Move point
Text tool	T
{1}	Set top left of text		All
			{1} + {3} - {3}	Preview
Color picker tool	O
{1}	Get color

.

Bucket fill tool	Shift + M		Paint tools
With no selection			Blend tool	L
{1}	Fill with FG color		Pencil tool	Shift + P
Shift + {1}	Fill with BG color		Airbrush tool	A
			{1}	Paint
With selection			Alt + {1}	Quick draw
{1}	Fill selection with FG color		Shift +/- {1} + distance +/- {1}	Line draw
Shift + {1}	Fill selection with BG color
			Eraser tool	Shift + E
			{1}	Set to BG and Clear
Colorpicker tool	O		Alt + {1}	Quick erase
{1}	Set active color with cursor		Shift +/- {1} + distance +/- {1}	Line erase
X	Swap BG FG color
			Clone tool	C
D	Set default colors		{1}	Clone
			Ctrl + {1}	Set clone source point
Blend tool	L
{1} + drag - {1}	Set start => end of gradient		Alt + {1}	Quick clone
			Shift +/- {1} + distance +/-! {1}	Line clone
{1} + {2} - {1}	Cancel gradient
			Convolver Tool	V
			{1}	Blur/Sharpen with brush

..

Tools			Layers & Channels dialog
Rect Select	R		Layers ops menu
Ellipse Select	E		New layer	Ctrl + N
Fuzzy Select	Z		Raise layer	Ctrl + F
Bezier Select	B		Lower layer	Ctrl + B
Intelligent Scissors	I		Duplicate layer	Ctrl + C
Move	M		Delete layer	Ctrl + X
Magnify	Shift + M		Scale layer	Ctrl + S
Crop	Shift + C		Resize layer	Ctrl + R
Transform	Shift + T		Merge visible layers	Ctrl + M
Flip	Shift + F
Text	T		{1}	Select layer (visible and anchor)
Color Picker	O
Bucket Fill	Shift + B		Shift + {1}	View current layer only
Blend	L
Paintbrush	P		Alt + {1} Green layer mask	View layer mask (or remove green mask)
Pencil	Shift + P
Eraser	Shift + E		Alt + {1} Green layer mask	View layer mask (or remove green mask)
Airbrush	A
Clone	C		Alt + {1} Green layer mask	View layer mask (or remove green mask)
Convolve	V
			Channels ops menu
			New channel	Ctrl + N
			Raise channel	Ctrl + F
			Lower channel	Ctrl + B
			Duplicate channel	Ctrl + C
			Delete channel	Ctrl + X
			Channel to selection	Ctrl + S

.

Gradient Editor dialog: Ops menu			Selection operands
Left endpoint color	L		Flip segments	F
Load from Left neighbor's right endpoint	Ctrl + L		Replicate segment	M
			Blend endpoints' colors	B
Load from Right endpoint	Alt + L		Blend endpoints' opacity	Ctrl + B
Load from FG color	Ctrl +
Right endpoint color	R
Load from Right neighbor's right endpoint	Ctrl + R
Load from Left endpoint	Alt + R
Load from FG color	Alt + F
Segments
Split segment at midpoint	S
Split segment uniformly	U
Delete segment	D
Re-centre segment's midpoint	C
Re-distribute handles in segment	Ctrl + C