Keyboard shortcuts?

[zooby]

Hi are there any keyboard shortcuts for doing blueprints?

I would like to be able to design blueprints just with the keyboard only.

For example to add a method node I would just like to press "." just like you would do in an OO language.

I would like to be able to move the nodes around the screen with keys (maybe like alt+arrow keys)

I would like to switch between nodes with arrow keys.

I would like to be able to add a node with a key press. And delete a node with a key press.

Basically I would like to use blue prints with keyboard only as this is infinitely quicker than switch from mouse to keyboard.

Say for example a new node "cat" and then wanted to attach the node "SetColor" and then set the attributes to 100,200,150. I would just like to be able to type the following

[C] [A] [return] [.] [S] [E] [return] [1] [0] [0] [,] [2] [0] [0] [,] [1] [5] [0]

(Because after I type in CA the "intellisense" would show CAT so I can press return. This is almost identical to what you would type doing scripting.) And a [,] should jump to the next input variable just like you are writing a function.

Sorry if these shortcuts all ready exist!

This is the one thing that makes blueprints harder to use than scripting is that you have to switch between mouse and keyboard. Mouse to create nodes and keyboard to type in numbers and search for function names.

[TitansBastard]

When pulling out a variable from the side panel if you hold down CTRL and place it in the blueprint area it automatically gives you the node to use (get), if you hold down ALT it comes out as (set). I might have them mixed up but you get it.

If you alt click a nodes connector(white arrow/output execution) it removes all connections from that node connector.

In the materials editor if you hold down 3 and click in the editor you get an fvector3(I use it for colors/not sure if its fvector ) and holding 1 gives you a variable.
DEL to delete a node with one key.
I think these are all the ones I know of.

[DotCam]

A lot of what you want to do is customizable in the Keyboard Shortcuts section of Editor Preferences, blueprints specifically under the Graph Editor, as seen below:


Hope that helps, it doesn't have everything, but is a good place to start

EDIT: And the intellisense works pretty much as you described, to open it right click on an open area and start typing, it will show the nodes with the typed characters, but will not auto sort them quite the same way as in Visual Studio, you will have to look for the one you need.

I would like it if this menu allowed you to go up/down using the arrow keys instead of needing a mouse though, right now if you press the down arrow key after entering some characters, it will select the one that is highlighted, instead of allowing you to change the selection, then press enter, or whichever key you want to accept it. That would be a great feature.

[zooby]

Thanks, I'll try that out. I think still you have to use the mouse to add new wires right? I would like to be able to do that with the keyboard. I will try and see if I can do it. It would be nice if there was a standard way to do it without customising the general keyboard shortcuts. (This is my suggestion to Epic. I was watching their Twitch videos of them making blueprints and it just look cumbersome and time consuming when they are creating simple nodes which you can do much quicker in scripting. And after all aren't Blueprints there to make it easier?)

Also when on a node pressing tab jumps around all over the place and not just on that node!

[DotCam]

Thanks, I'll try that out. I think still you have to use the mouse to add new wires right? I would like to be able to do that with the keyboard. I will try and see if I can do it.

For the most part, yes I think so, in the material editor, you can right click a wire pin and choose "attach to ... pin", but in the BP editor I don't know of a way to make that happen with the keyboard... (I added some more detail above, might not be relevant, but is a feature I would like to see! )

[zooby]

Yes me too! I might put it in the suggestion list if I can find it!

[Michael Noland]

There is no way to add new wires in the BP editor with just the keyboard, but for a list of tips and tricks, check out the following links:

https://www.unrealengine.com/blog/bl...or-tips-tricks (includes a printable cheat sheet)

https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest...eet/index.html

Cheers,
Michael Noland

[zooby]

There is no way to add new wires in the BP editor with just the keyboard, but for a list of tips and tricks, check out the following links:

https://www.unrealengine.com/blog/bl...or-tips-tricks (includes a printable cheat sheet)

https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest...eet/index.html

Cheers,
Michael Noland

Thanks. I am going to add this as a suggestion for something that would be good for a future update of Unreal Engine.

[sootn]

Bump!!! This would take blueprint from totally worthless to the best programming language in the world. Please epic, my arm hurts from using your software!

[hahman12]

I agree! After having to move from mouse to keyboard often I feel Like I would be much more efficient with some keyboard shortcuts. I found myself trying things like Ctrl + left arrow to see if I can branch nodes. Things would be way faster if I could navigate and create with the keyboard alone

[xandercageguy]

Bump !. ANy news on this ? Can I add a new node with keys instead of using the mouse ?

EDIT: MY Workaround so far which works quite well, - use "pulvers macro creator,it is an free open source tool and a great helper with repetitive tasks.
Just set it up to fire a single right-mouseclick whenever you hit some key/keycombo that you desire and voila. ( I have it for Right-Alt + Space ).

[bitsymphony]

Thanks, I'll try that out. I think still you have to use the mouse to add new wires right? I would like to be able to do that with the keyboard. I will try and see if I can do it. It would be nice if there was a standard way to do it without customising the general keyboard shortcuts. (This is my suggestion to Epic. I was watching their Twitch videos of them making blueprints and it just look cumbersome and time consuming when they are creating simple nodes which you can do much quicker in scripting. And after all aren't Blueprints there to make it easier?)

Also when on a node pressing tab jumps around all over the place and not just on that node!

I agree with this. node based programming can be incredibly powerful, but when you're held back by your FPS skills (how many times have you tried to drag a wire to a pin, but you miss and tries to create a new node instead so you have to close the menu and try again,) it makes the whole process cumbersome and momentum is quickly halted