Keyboard Shortcuts and Mouse Actions for Simulink Modeling
Keyboard shortcuts and mouse actions can help you efficiently model systems in Simulink®. To open this page from a model, press Shift+? or click the
Keyboard Shortcuts button on the navigation bar.
Note
When you use these keyboard shortcuts on a Mac, press command (⌘) instead of Ctrl.
Use Context-Sensitive Hints Panels to Look Up Keyboard Shortcuts
When you are in any of these modes, you can view a hints panel that displays keyboard shortcuts specific to the active mode.
Mode | Definition | How to Enter Mode | How to View Hints Panel |
---|---|---|---|
Selection | Use the arrow keys to select a different block. | Select a block in your model. Press M to switch from movement mode (the default) to selection mode. | The panel appears when you enter selection mode. |
Movement | Use the arrow keys to move the selected block. | When you open Simulink, you are in movement mode by default. To switch from selection mode to movement mode, press M. | The panel appears when you switch from selection mode to movement mode. To hide the panel, click the canvas. |
Signal highlighting | Highlight signal lines between the selected block and the signal source or destination. Display port values. | Click a signal in your model. Pause on the ellipsis that appears. In the
action menu that expands, click either Highlight Signal to
Source
| The panel appears when you enter signal highlighting mode. |
Pan and zoom | Pan to move the view over the model. Zoom to change how close the model appears. | When you open Simulink, you are in pan and zoom mode by default. | Press and hold the space bar until the hints panel expands. If the panel
is minimized, press and hold the space bar until the ?
button To hide the panel, click the canvas. |
To minimize the panel, press ? on your keyboard. When the panel is
minimized, only the ? button is visible.
To restore the panel, press ? on your keyboard.
Note
The hints panel of each mode preserves its state, minimized or expanded, across MATLAB® sessions.
Perform File and Clipboard Operations
Task | Shortcut |
---|---|
Open model | Ctrl+O |
Create model | Ctrl+N |
Print model | Ctrl+P |
Save all modified models in current model hierarchy | Ctrl+S |
Save current referenced model | Ctrl+Shift+S |
Close model | Ctrl+W |
Cut | Ctrl+X |
Paste | Ctrl+V |
Duplicate | Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V |
Undo | Ctrl+Z |
Redo | Ctrl+Y, Ctrl+Shift+Z ( Simulink Online™) |
Find search string | Ctrl+F |
Zoom and Pan
Task | Action |
---|---|
Fit diagram to window | Space bar |
Fit selection to window | Space bar + F |
Zoom in | Ctrl+Plus (+) or space bar + Plus (+) |
Zoom out | Ctrl+Minus (-) or space bar + Minus (-) |
Zoom to 100% | Ctrl+0, Alt+1, or space bar + 0 |
Zoom with scroll wheel | Scroll wheel Ctrl + scroll wheel when Scroll wheel controls zooming is cleared |
Zoom in on block diagram element | Drag the Zoom button ![]() |
View visible portion of block diagram relative to full block diagram with miniature map | Zoom or pan to part of the block diagram. Press and hold the space bar when only part of the block diagram is visible. |
View different portion of block diagram | Click the destination in the miniature map. |
Pan | Drag the highlighted area in the miniature map. Drag with middle button. Space bar + drag. Space bar + left, right, up, or down arrow |
Pan vertically | Ctrl + scroll wheel |
Pan horizontally | Shift + scroll wheel |
Pan by page | Shift + space bar + left, right, up, or down arrow |
Navigate Model
Task | Shortcut |
---|---|
Open model | Double-click. Enter |
Change tabs | Ctrl+Shift+Tab |
Go to parent of current subsystem, referenced model, or Stateflow® state | Esc |
Look under block mask | Ctrl+U |
For linked blocks, go to library of parent block | Ctrl+L |
Open the Model Explorer | Ctrl+H |
Modify Block Diagram Contents
Task | Action |
---|---|
Insert block at current location with the quick insert menu | Double-click the Simulink Editor canvas and start typing the block name, then select the block from the menu. Ctrl+Period (.) twice and start typing the block name, then press the down arrow to select the block from the list and Enter to insert the block. On AZERTY keyboards, press Ctrl+Shift+Period (.) instead of Ctrl+Period (.). |
Get prompted for suggested block based on context | Double-click the end of a line drawn from an existing block, then select a suggestion from the list or start typing to select one from the library. |
Open the Library Browser | Ctrl+Shift+L |
Insert annotation at current location with the quick insert menu | Double-click the Simulink Editor canvas and type the annotation content, then select the annotation option. Ctrl+Period (.) twice and type the annotation content, then press the down arrow to select the annotation option and Enter to insert the annotation. On AZERTY keyboards, press Ctrl+Shift+Period (.) instead of Ctrl+Period (.). |
Copy selected block diagram elements | Drag elements with the right mouse button. Ctrl + drag. |
Copy selected block diagram elements between Simulink Editor windows | Drag elements between windows. |
Delete selected block diagram elements | Delete or Backspace |
Select Block Diagram Elements
Selected elements have a solid blue outline. The most recently selected element has blue corner brackets in addition to the outline. To represent the cursor when you use the keyboard for selection, a blue box with dashed lines surrounds the element.
Task | Action |
---|---|
After clicking or moving elements, access keyboard shortcuts for selecting elements | M to toggle between modifying selection and moving selected elements. |
Change selection to closest similar element in a direction | Left, right, up, or down arrow |
Move cursor to closest element in a direction, regardless of similarity | Ctrl+Shift + left, right, up, or down arrow |
Change selection to element at top-left of canvas | Ctrl+Home On a Mac, press home. |
Change selection to element at bottom-right of canvas | Ctrl+End On a Mac, press end. |
Change selection to leftmost element relative to cursor | Home On a Mac, press control+left. |
Change selection to rightmost element relative to cursor | End On a Mac, press control+right. |
Select additional adjacent elements | Drag from empty position. Shift + left, right, up, or down arrow |
Select additional elements that are not adjacent | Shift + click. Ctrl + left, right, up, or down arrow to change the current element. Ctrl + space bar to add the current element to the selection. On a Mac, to add the current element to the selection, press command+shift + space bar or shift + space bar. |
Select all blocks, lines, and annotations | Ctrl+A |
Select ports | Point to the port region of a connected port to view and interact with the underlying port instead of the signal line. |
Clear selection | Ctrl+Alt+A |
Modify Block Diagram Elements
Task | Shortcut |
---|---|
Set main parameter for selected block | Alt+Enter |
Open or hide the Property Inspector | Ctrl+Shift+I |
Connect blocks | Click a port. Click the blue chevron symbol Select the first block, then Ctrl + click a second block. Drag from port to port. Click a port and hold Shift as you connect to the next port. Hold Shift to make multiple, consecutive connections. |
Branch line | Click a port, move the cursor near the line you want to branch, and then click after you see the preview. Select a line, move the cursor toward
the element you want to connect with, and then click the blue chevron symbol Ctrl + drag line. Right mouse button + drag. |
Add ports to blocks that take multiple inputs | Drag toward the port from a compatible block or signal line. Drag from the edge of the block that you want to add the port to. Click the edge of the port, and then drag. Click the edge of the port, move the cursor over the signal type — signal, bus, or connector — from the menu, and drag. |
Comment through selected blocks | Ctrl+Shift+Y |
Comment out or uncomment selected blocks | Ctrl+Shift+X |
Disconnect selected blocks | Shift + drag block. After selecting blocks with the keyboard, press M then Shift + left, right, up, or down arrow. |
Name Block Diagram Elements
Task | Action |
---|---|
Rename selected block diagram element | Click or double-click the label. Select the element and press F2. On a Mac, press command+return instead of F2. |
Name signal line | Double-click the signal and type its name. |
Display name on branch of a named signal line | Double-click the branch. |
Name every branch of a signal | Right-click the signal, select Properties, and use the dialog box. |
Delete signal label and name | Delete characters in the label, or delete the name in Signal Properties dialog box. |
Delete signal label only | Right-click the label and select Delete Label. |
Copy signal label | Ctrl + drag the signal label. |
Edit port labels on subsystem blocks | Point to the port label and click the interactive cue (blue box surrounding the label). Select the port. Click the port label cue or press F2. To switch between block name and signal name when editing labels on signal ports, press Ctrl+1,2. To make successive port label edits on a subsystem block:
|
Modify Block Diagram Appearance
Task | Action |
---|---|
Move any block diagram element, including signal labels | Drag element. |
Move selected elements | Drag one of the selected elements. Drag selection box. After selecting elements with the keyboard, press M then the left, right, up, or down arrow. |
Automatically arrange block diagram | Ctrl+Shift+A |
Resize block, maintaining ratio of width and height | Shift + drag handle |
Resize block from the center | Ctrl + drag handle |
Route lines around blocks | Shift + drag while drawing |
Rotate blocks clockwise | Ctrl+R |
Rotate blocks counterclockwise | Ctrl+Shift+R |
Flip blocks | Ctrl+I |
Create subsystem from selection | Ctrl+G |
Create subsystem or area from empty selection | To create the highlighted option, which you can change by using the arrow keys or mouse:
Press the number key associated with an option. |
Change signal label font | Select the signal line (not the label), then on the Format tab, click the Font Properties button arrow, then click Fonts for Model. |
Mask block | Ctrl+M |
Refresh Model blocks | Ctrl+K |
Perform Actions
Task | Shortcut |
---|---|
Perform generic action with the quick action search menu | Double-click the Simulink Editor canvas, select the Actions tab, and start typing the action name or description, then select the action from the list. Ctrl+Period (.) and start typing the action name or description, then press the down arrow to select the action and Enter to perform it. On AZERTY keyboards, press Ctrl+Shift+Period (.) instead of Ctrl+Period (.). |
Perform context-sensitive action | Before opening the quick action search menu, select a block diagram element. |
Update, Simulate, and Generate Code for Models
Task | Shortcut |
---|---|
Open Configuration Parameters dialog box | Ctrl+E |
Update model | Ctrl+D |
Start simulation | Ctrl+T |
Stop simulation | Ctrl+Shift+T |
Build model (for code generation) | Ctrl+B |
Debug Models
Task | Shortcut |
---|---|
Step | F10 |
Step in | F11 |
Step out | Shift+F11 |
Run | F5 |
Set or clear breakpoint | F12 |
See Also
Simulink Editor | Library Browser