Not every shortcut is shown in-game, and some of the handiest ones are hidden in tool options. These are the ones I use all the time on PC.
Building and placing pieces
| Key / control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Hold C and drag | Scale the selected piece bigger or smaller |
| X | Advanced move (the move/rotate gizmo). Also works with terrain and path stamps |
| F | Snap a window frame into a window or door frame slot |
| Ctrl + C / Ctrl + V | Copy and paste a selection (scenery and paths) |
| Ctrl + D | Duplicate the selection |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Position snap / rotation snap toggles | Snap to a grid and to fixed angles. Turn both on when you need grouped copies to line up exactly |
| Align to surface option | Sticks rocks, nets, signs and coral to whatever surface is under them |
| Random rotation option | Rotates each placed piece randomly, which is great for rocks and plants |
| Mirror tool | Makes a mirrored copy, handy for curtains, signs and symmetrical builds |
| Merge scenery into group | Joins pieces into one group so you can move them or save a blueprint |
| Split selection from group | Pulls pieces out of a group (or a blueprint) so you can edit them individually |
Paths
| Key / control | What it does |
|---|---|
| I | Path selection tool |
| Ctrl + X | Copy a path piece from its origin point |
| U | While building a path: go up (stairs) |
| J | While building a path: jump down |
| Hold Shift | Adjust path height |
| Right-click (draw tool) | Remove the last segment you drew |
| Double-click an existing path | Copy that path's exact style |
There's more on all of these in the Path Tool Guide.
Terrain
| Key / control | What it does |
|---|---|
| R (stamp tool) | Switch between adding and removing terrain |
| X (stamp tool) | Advanced move the stamp for exact placement |
| Brush size / intensity sliders | Lower intensity gives softer, more natural results |
| "Deformation blocked by scenery" toggle | Protects the ground under placed objects |
Cameras and views
| Key / control | What it does |
|---|---|
| T | Switch to the smoother explore camera |
| H | Open the heat maps (traversable area, cleanliness, utilities, water, temperature) |
| Animal camera | Follow an animal in first person |
| Photo mode | Freeze time and frame a screenshot |
ScreenshotAnimal traversable area heat map
Heat maps you'll use most
- Traversable area: shows where the selected animal can walk, climb or jump. Use it to find escape routes. Press play for a second after changes so it updates.
- Cleanliness: shows dirty spots and leftover food inside habitats.
- Utilities: shows which buildings have power and where the coverage ends.
- Water: shows water quality.
Time controls
- Pause (the pause button or P): do this before big edits, like draining a pool or changing a barrier with animals inside.
- Fast forward: handy while waiting for quarantine, research or babies to arrive.
Mouse tips
- Multi-select with a filter. Choose "paths only" and you can grab and move an entire path network at once without touching scenery.
- Click an animal, then press play briefly so the heat maps update after you've changed something.
- Hover a path to see the outline of the stamp it was made from.