GUI Navigation & Shortcuts

The desktop GUI (MetalGUI) can be driven entirely with the mouse, but the keyboard shortcuts below are faster once a design has more than a couple of components. They’re also available in-app: press ? or use the Help button on the plot toolbar for the same reference without leaving the GUI.

Mouse

Pan

Drag with the left mouse button.

Zoom

Scroll the mouse wheel. Zoom centers on the pointer.

Zoom to region

Drag with the right mouse button to rubber-band a rectangle.

Select a component

Click it.

Edit a component

Double-click it, or click a component that’s already selected.

Move the selected component

Click a component to select it, then use the arrow keys.

Arrow keys move the selected component up, down, left, and right. Animation of a transmon qubit being selected and moved with the arrow keys, then a zoomed-in view of the finer Alt step.

Hold Shift while nudging for a coarser step, or Alt for a finer one — the same modifier convention most drawing tools use.

Rotate the selected component

Q and the left bracket key rotate counter-clockwise; E and the right bracket key rotate clockwise. Animation of a transmon qubit rotating a full 90-degree-step circle, then a 15-degree fine wiggle.

Q / E rotate counter-clockwise / clockwise in 90° steps — the same convention used for rotation in many games and creative tools. [ / ] do the same thing, for anyone who prefers the bracket keys. Hold Shift for a finer 15° step instead of 90°.

Rebuild keeps your selection

Moving, rotating, and rebuilding (R) can be chained without ever re-clicking the component — rebuilding re-routes any connected CPWs to follow it, and the selection survives the rebuild so the next arrow key keeps moving the same component:

Animation of a transmon qubit connected to another by a CPW, moved, rebuilt (the CPW re-routes), and moved again without re-selecting it.

Other shortcuts

A

Fit the view to the design (components only).

Shift+A

Fit the view to the whole chip, including the die outline.

R (also Ctrl+D)

Rebuild the design.

?

Open this reference in-app.

Editing a component’s options replots without moving the camera, so your current zoom and pan are preserved.