E. Keyboard shortcuts

  2. Resources
  3. Manual
  4. Keyboard shortcuts

Most keyboard shortcuts that you know from PowerPoint work with think-cell elements as well. The same is true for keys that modify mouse operations like

  • Shift/Ctrl (Mac: ⌘ Cmd)-click for additive selection
  • Alt (Mac: ⌘ Cmd) while resizing to prevent snapping or for finer control
  • Ctrl-drag for duplication of shapes (on Mac, ⌥ Alt will enable fine control and duplicate, if applicable)
  • Shift while moving an element to constrain it to move only horizontally or vertically.

The following table shows the keyboard shortcuts and mouse interactions frequently used with think-cell, and the ones that offer additional functionality over Microsoft PowerPoint.

Shortcut key (Win) Shortcut key (Mac) Description
Del or Backspace Del or Backspace Delete the selected element (e.g. chart) or feature (e.g., label)
Ctrl+Shift+
Drag to resize		 Ctrl+Shift+
Drag to resize		 Resize symmetrically around fixed center
While dragging resize or alignment handle:
Scroll Mouse Wheel
or
← → ↑ ↓
PgUp PgDn 		While dragging resize or alignment handle:
Magic Mouse:
Swipe down/up with one finger
(Magic) Trackpad:
Swipe down/up with two fingers
or
← → ↑ ↓
PgUp PgDn 		Switch slide to align with/snap to element on different slide
Zoom and pan
Ctrl+
Scroll Mouse Wheel up/down 		Magic Mouse:
Ctrl + Swipe down/up with one finger
(Magic) Trackpad:
  • Opening/closing Pinch gesture
  • Ctrl + Swipe down/up with two fingers
Zoom in/out
Middle mouse button/mouse wheel:
click and drag 		Magic Mouse:
Swipe with one finger
(Magic) Trackpad:
Swipe with two fingers 		In zoom view: Pan around the slide
Select and multi-select
Ctrl+A ⌘ Cmd+A
  • When whole chart or element is selected: Select all shapes on slide.
  • When feature of chart is selected: Select all features of same type. Press repeatedly to include all features of similar type (see Multi-selection).
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+
← → ↑ ↓		 ⌘ Cmd+⌥ Alt+Shift+
← → ↑ ↓		 Extend selection in given direction
Alt+
← → ↑ ↓
or
(Shift)+Tab 		⌘ Cmd+⌥ Alt+
← → ↑ ↓
or
(Shift)+Tab
  • Move selection across shapes on the slide
  • Move selection across features (e.g., labels) of an element
Text
F2 F2 1 Toggle text-edit mode in text labels
Alt+Shift+← →
or
When in text edit mode in a list or with all text selected:
(Shift+)Tab 		⌘ Cmd+[ ]
or
When in text edit mode in a list or with all text selected:
(Shift+)Tab
  • Any text label: Decrease/increase indentation level
  • Agenda: Decrease/increase hierarchy level of selected chapter
Alt+Shift+
PgUp PgDn		 ⌥ Alt+Shift+
PgUp PgDn		 Align text up or down
Alt+Enter ⌥ Alt+Enter In Excel datasheet: line break
F7 F7 1 In Excel datasheet: spell checking
Difference arrows and value line
Double-click Double-click
  • Total and level difference arrow: Cycle direction of calculation
  • Value line: Reset to arithmetic mean
↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ Value line: Move up/down
Layout elements
Ctrl+
Drag alignment/resize handle 		Ctrl+
Drag alignment/resize handle 		Define a fixed size (see Setting a fixed size)
Ctrl+Alt+
← → ↑ ↓		 Ctrl+⌥ Alt+
← → ↑ ↓		 Duplicate elements, e.g., in process flows, tables
Double-click Double-click
  • Pentagon/Chevron: Toggle between pentagon and chevron shape
  • Stock image: Reopen stock image library to select different image
Gantt chart and agenda
Ctrl+Alt+↑ ↓ Ctrl+⌥ Alt+↑ ↓
  • Gantt chart: Duplicate activity row above/below
  • Agenda: Add new chapter above/below
Alt+Shift+↑ ↓ — Move selected activity row/chapter up/down
← → ↑ ↓ ← → ↑ ↓
  • Gantt chart: Move selected timeline element
  • Gantt calendar: Move date selection
Ctrl+← → ↑ ↓ Ctrl+Shift+
← → ↑ ↓		 Gantt chart: Move selected timeline element with finer steps
PgUp PgDn PgUp PgDn Gantt calendar: Move date selection one screen page up/down
Shift+
← → ↑ ↓
PgUp PgDn 		Shift+
← → ↑ ↓
PgUp PgDn 		Gantt calendar: Move end of selected date range in selected direction by one step/one page.
Checkbox and Harvey ball
v/o/1
x/2
Space/0 		v/o/1
x/2
Space/0 		Checkbox: Set state
0 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 		0 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 		Harvey ball: Set number of filled segments (will only work up to the maximal number of segments set)
+ - + -
  • Checkbox: Cycle through states
  • Harvey ball: Increase/decrease number of filled segments
Double-click Double-click Cycle through states

  1. On many Mac keyboards, the F1, F2, … keys have special functions by default. To access the corresponding F key you have to press Fn+F2, for example. You can switch the default behavior as explained here. ↑

Not yet a user?

Try for free See all features

Share