Unreal Engine Keyboard Shortcuts
75+ Unreal Engine shortcuts for viewport, Blueprints, and level editing. Essential reference for game developers.
Viewport
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Select object | |
| Orbit viewport | |
| Pan viewport | |
| Zoom viewport | |
| Focus on selected actor | |
| Toggle game view | |
| Dolly zoom | |
| Orbit around pivot | |
| Pan from pivot | |
| Toggle all actors visibility | |
| Toggle selected visibility |
Transform
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Translate mode | |
| Rotate mode | |
| Scale mode | |
| Toggle world/local space | |
| Snap to floor | |
| Duplicate actor | |
| Undo | |
| Redo | |
| Delete selected |
Content Browser
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open Content Browser | |
| Search in Content Browser | |
| Save current asset | |
| Save all |
Blueprints
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open Blueprint editor | |
| Find references | |
| Compile Blueprint | |
| Compile all Blueprints | |
| Find in Blueprint | |
| Add comment node | |
| Align selected nodes left | |
| Find in all Blueprints |
Blueprint Graph
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Context menu / Add node | |
| Branch node | |
| Sequence node | |
| Delay node | |
| For Each Loop node | |
| Break link | |
| Move link to different pin | |
| Add reroute node |
Play
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Play in editor | |
| Simulate | |
| Stop play/simulate | |
| Eject from player | |
| Pause simulation |
Landscape
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Sculpt mode | |
| Paint mode | |
| Foliage mode | |
| Decrease / Increase brush size |
Level
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| New level | |
| Open level | |
| Group actors | |
| Ungroup actors | |
| Set actor mobility |
Selection
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Select all actors | |
| Deselect all | |
| Find in Content Browser |
Build
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Build lighting | |
| Build all |
Materials
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Constant node | |
| Constant2Vector | |
| Constant3Vector | |
| Texture Sample | |
| Multiply node | |
| Add node | |
| Lerp node |
Pro tips
Letter+Click Blueprint Nodes
In the Blueprint graph, press a letter key + left click to instantly create common nodes: B=Branch, S=Sequence, D=Delay, F=ForEach. Much faster than the context menu.
Eject During Play (F8)
Press F8 while playing in editor to eject from the player and fly around the scene freely. You can inspect actors, check positions, and debug without stopping playback.
Right-Click Everything
Unreal's right-click context menus are incredibly deep. Right-click assets, actors, graph nodes, properties - there's almost always a useful action hidden there.
Use Level Streaming
For large worlds, use World Partition or Level Streaming to load/unload sections. This dramatically improves performance and allows team members to work on different areas simultaneously.
Quick Material Previews
In the Material Editor, press 1/2/3+LMB to create constant nodes and T+LMB for texture samples. Apply materials to preview meshes to see results in real-time.
Master the Outliner
Use the Outliner's search and filter to manage complex scenes. Create folders, use actor tags, and filter by type to stay organized in large levels.
Frequently asked questions
What programming language does Unreal use?
Unreal uses C++ for core development and Blueprints (visual scripting) for gameplay logic. Most gameplay can be done entirely in Blueprints. C++ is used for performance-critical code, custom engine modifications, and plugin development.
Is Unreal Engine free?
Unreal Engine is free to download and use. Epic takes a 5% royalty on gross revenue after your first $1 million per product. There are no royalties if you publish on the Epic Games Store.
How does Unreal compare to Unity?
Unreal excels in high-fidelity graphics, AAA game development, and built-in tools (Nanite, Lumen, MetaHumans). Unity is more flexible for mobile, 2D, and AR/VR. Unreal uses C++/Blueprints; Unity uses C#.
What is Nanite?
Nanite is Unreal Engine 5's virtualized geometry system. It automatically streams and renders only the triangles you can see, allowing you to use film-quality assets (millions of polygons) directly in games without manual LOD creation.
What is Lumen?
Lumen is UE5's global illumination and reflections system. It provides fully dynamic, real-time lighting without baking. Light bounces naturally, reflections update in real-time, and you can change lighting at runtime.
How do I optimize for performance?
Use the built-in profiling tools (stat unit, stat fps, GPU Visualizer). Key techniques: Nanite for geometry, Lumen for lighting, Level Streaming, LODs for non-Nanite objects, and texture streaming. Profile on target hardware early and often.
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