10 Unreal Engine Navigation and Shortcut Keys I Wish I Knew Sooner

Getting comfortable with Unreal Engine takes time—but knowing the right shortcuts from the beginning can make your learning process much smoother. In this post, I’ll walk you through 10 essential navigation and shortcut keys I wish I had known when I first started using Unreal Engine.

Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your workflow, these tips will save you time and make working in the editor feel much more intuitive.

1. Basic Viewport Navigation

Unreal Engine offers several intuitive ways to move around in the viewport.

• Left Mouse Button (LMB): Look left and right. Moving up and down with LMB pushes the camera forward and backward.

  

• Right Mouse Button (RMB): Look freely in all directions.

  

• LMB + RMB Together: Move vertically up and down by pushing forward or backward.

  

• W, A, S, D Keys: With either LMB or RMB held down, use these keys to move forward, left, backward, and right—just like in a game.

• Scroll Wheel: Adjust your movement speed dynamically.

You can also adjust your camera speed manually using the slider in the viewport toolbar.

2. Focus on Selected Object

Need to zoom into an object quickly?

• Select any object in your viewport and press F to bring it into focus.

Want to orbit around the object while keeping it centered?

• PC: Hold Alt + LMB

• Mac: Hold Option + LMB

  

Zoom in and out while keeping focus:

• PC: Hold Alt + RMB

• Mac: Hold Option + RMB

  

3. Find Asset in Content Browser

Ever wonder where a specific object lives in your project?

• Select the object and press Ctrl + B (PC) or Cmd + B (Mac)
  Unreal will open the Content Browser and highlight the selected asset.

4. Gizmo Tool Shortcuts

Switching between transform tools is faster with these keys:

• Q – Select tool (pointer)

• W – Move/Translate tool

• E – Rotate tool

• R – Scale tool

This makes it easy to switch tools without needing to click through the toolbar.

5. Duplicate Objects with Gizmos

To quickly make copies of objects:

1. Select a gizmo (Move, Rotate, or Scale).

2. Hold Alt + LMB (PC) or Option + LMB (Mac).

3. Move the object—this action duplicates it instantly.

Works with Translate, Rotate, and Scale tools.

6. Snap Items to Ground

Want to snap an object to the surface below it?

• Select the object and press the End key.
  It will drop and align to the nearest surface that has collision enabled.

7. Play in Editor Quickly

Instead of clicking the Play button every time, use:

• Alt + P (PC) or Option + P (Mac)

This starts the Play In Editor (PIE) mode instantly, letting you quickly test your level.

8. Show Hidden Items in Viewport

Some important elements like Player Start or collision volumes may be hidden in Game View.

• Press G to toggle visibility of game-only items on and off.

This is especially useful when placing objects that aren’t normally visible during gameplay.

9. Toggle Navigation Mesh Visibility

If you're working with AI and need to visualize the nav mesh:

• Press P to toggle the Navigation Mesh visibility.

This helps you debug AI movement and pathfinding.

10. Open the Content Drawer

Need quick access to all your assets?

• Press Ctrl + Spacebar to open or close the Content Drawer instantly.

No need to click around—just one shortcut to manage your project’s files.

Final Thoughts

Mastering these shortcuts will help you feel more in control of Unreal Engine’s interface. The more you use them, the faster and more fluid your development workflow will become.

If you found this guide helpful, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel for more Unreal Engine tutorials, tips, and tricks!