How to use keyboard controls for the Flock XR gizmos

Instructions designed for Release 2 of Flock XR coming Spring 2027

The gizmos in Flock XR help you work with objects in your 3D scene.

You can use gizmos to select objects, move them, rotate them, scale them, change their colour, focus the camera, and delete objects.

Open the gizmos

To open or focus the gizmos, use this shortcut:

Action	Mac	Windows
Open or focus the gizmos	cmd ⌘ + G	Ctrl + G

When the gizmos are selected, you can choose which gizmo you want to use.

Select a gizmo

Each gizmo can be selected with a number key.

Action	Mac	Windows
Select a gizmo	1–9	1–9
Turn off a selected gizmo	Esc	Esc

Look at the gizmo menu to see which number matches the gizmo you want to use.

Key	Gizmo
1	Add
2	Colour
3	Position
4	Rotate
5	Scale
6	Select
7	Duplicate
8	Delete
9	Fly camera

To turn off a gizmo you can press Esc or turn on a different gizmo via the number menu.

Move the keyboard cursor for gizmos

With a gizmo selected. Use the arrow keys to move the keyboard cursor around the canvas.

Note that the cursor will appear as a no entry sign (circle with a line through) if the cursor is not in a position where the object can be placed.

Action	Mac	Windows
Move keyboard cursor	↑ ↓ ← →	↑ ↓ ← →
Select or place an object	Enter	Enter

This lets you move around the canvas to select or place an object when using the gizmos.

Move the cursor more slowly

If you need to be more careful, hold Shift while pressing the arrow keys.

Action	Mac	Windows
Slow cursor movement	Shift + ↑ ↓ ← →	Shift + ↑ ↓ ← →
Select or place an object	Enter	Enter

This is helpful when you want to select or place something more accurately.

Transform an object in 3D

Flock XR uses three axes in 3D space:

Axis	Direction
X	Side to side
Y	Up and down
Z	Forward and back

After you have selected an object and chosen a transform gizmo, you can move, rotate, or scale the object using the keyboard.

Action	Mac	Windows
Transform in 3D on the X axis	↑ ↓	↑ ↓
Transform in 3D on the Y axis	PgUp PgDn	PgUp PgDn
Transform in 3D on the Z axis	← →	← →

The arrow keys move the object in different directions. PgUp and PgDn help move through the 3D space.

Lock a transform to one axis

After you have selected an object and chosen a transform gizmo, to lock a transform to one axis, press the axis key:

Action	Mac	Windows
Lock to X axis	X	X
Lock to Y axis	Y	Y
Lock to Z axis	Z	Z

Press the same letter again to turn the axis lock off.

This helps you move, rotate, or scale an object in only one direction.

Scale an object evenly

When you want to make an object bigger or smaller without stretching it, use uniform scale.

Action	Mac	Windows
Uniform scale on all axes	U	U

Uniform scale changes the size of the whole object equally.

Focus the camera on an object

If you want the camera to focus on the selected object, press:

Action	Mac	Windows
Focus camera on object	F	F

This is useful when your object is hard to see or when you want to work closely on one object.

The colour gizmo

The colour gizmo contains a number of different tools for selecting a colour:

Action	Mac	Windows
Move between colour tools	Tab	Tab
Move between items in the selected colour tool	↑ ↓ ← →	↑ ↓ ← →
Select a highlighted item	Enter	Enter
Quick use of the current colour	C	C
Move to object in the canvas	↑ ↓ ← →	↑ ↓ ← →
Apply colour to object	Enter	Enter

Use this when you want to re-colour an object, or part of an object, that is in the canvas.

Delete an object

To delete a selected object, press:

Action	Mac	Windows
Delete object	Del	Del

Be careful when deleting. If you delete the wrong object, use undo.

Action	Mac	Windows
Undo	cmd ⌘ + Z	Ctrl + Z

Quick steps: use gizmos with the keyboard

1. Press cmd ⌘ + G on Mac or Ctrl + G on Windows to open or focus the gizmos.
2. Press a number from 1–9 to select a gizmo.
3. Use the arrow keys to move the keyboard cursor.
4. Hold Shift with the arrow keys to move more slowly.
5. Press Enter to select an object or position under the cursor.

Example: Move an object with the keyboard

1. Open the gizmos with cmd ⌘ + G on Mac or Ctrl + G on Windows.
2. Choose the position gizmo using the number keys.
3. Use ↑, ↓, ←, →, PgUp, and PgDn to move the object in the 3D space.
4. Press X, Y, or Z to lock the movement to one axis.
5. Press F to focus the camera on the selected object.

Example: Make an object bigger without stretching it

1. Open the gizmos.
2. Select the scale gizmo using the number keys.
3. Select the object you want to change.
4. Use ↑, ↓, ←, →, PgUp, and PgDn to make the object bigger or smaller.
5. Press X, Y, or Z to lock the scale to one axis.
6. Press U to use uniform scale.

Tips for using the gizmos

• Look carefully for the selected object before pressing transform keys.
• Use Shift with the arrow keys when you need smaller, slower movements.
• Use F to focus the camera if you cannot see your object clearly.
• Use X, Y, and Z when you only want to change one direction.
• If something goes wrong, use undo.

Troubleshooting

The gizmo number keys are not working

The gizmos may not be selected. Press cmd ⌘ + G on Mac or Ctrl + G on Windows, then try again.

I cannot select the right object

Use slower movement. Hold Shift while pressing the arrow keys to move the keyboard cursor more carefully.

My object moved in the wrong direction

Use an axis lock. Press X, Y, or Z to lock the transform to one direction.

I cannot see the object clearly

Select the object and press F to focus the camera on it.

I deleted the wrong object

Use undo.

Action	Mac	Windows
Undo	cmd ⌘ + Z	Ctrl + Z

I cannot remember the gizmo shortcuts

Open the keyboard controls menu.

Action	Mac	Windows
Show or hide shortcut help	cmd ⌘ + /	Ctrl + /

Related articles

👉 Keyboard controls in Flock XR main page

👉 How to use keyboard controls for the Flock XR toolbox

👉 How to use keyboard controls in the Flock XR code area

👉 How to use keyboard controls to create an ambient scene in Flock XR