Command palette
Short answer: Press Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on a Mac) to open the command palette. Type a few letters of any action, tool, export format or settings section, then press Enter to run it.
The command palette is a search box for the whole editor. It reaches commands that sit deep in menus, so you can keep your hands on the keyboard.
- Press Ctrl+K. On a Mac, press Cmd+K.
- Type part of a command, such as "clean" or "svg".
- Press ↓ or ↑ to move through the results.
- Press Enter to run the command. Press Esc to close the palette.
Ctrl+K works anywhere in the editor, even while you type in a text box. Press it again to close the palette. You can also click a result with the mouse.
Command groups#
| Group | What it holds | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Recent | The last five commands you ran. Shown when the search box is empty. | |
| Edit | Undo, redo, copy, paste and delete | Paste SMILES, Clear canvas |
| Structure | Chemistry actions on the drawing | Clean up structure, 3D clean up, Aromatize, Check structure, Automap reaction atoms, Reaction stoichiometry table |
| Select | Smart selections | Select all rings, Select heteroatoms, Select wedge / dash bonds, Invert selection |
| Tools | Every drawing tool, and "Place element" for C, N, O, S, P, F, Cl, Br, I and H | Place element N |
| File | New design, save and copy | New design, Save MolDraw file, My designs, Copy SVG |
| Download | One command per export format | Download PNG, Download Molfile, Download chemfig (LaTeX) |
| View | Zoom, panels, grid and theme | Fit drawing to view, Show or hide 3D viewer, Theme: Ink dark |
| Settings | Opens one section of Settings | Settings: Style presets |
| Help | Help and feedback | Keyboard shortcuts, What's new, Request a feature |
Commands that cannot run right now are hidden. For example, Undo does not show when there is nothing to undo.
Search examples#
| Type | You get |
|---|---|
clean |
Clean up structure and 3D clean up |
cdxml |
Download ChemDraw XML |
acs |
Settings: Style presets |
dark |
Theme: Elegant dark and Theme: Ink dark |
rings |
Select all rings, ring tools |
mw |
Add analysis to canvas |
The search also looks at hidden keywords. "export", "save as" or a file extension finds the Download commands. "chirality" finds Show or hide R/S and E/Z labels.
Tips#
- Commands that have a shortcut show the keys on the right. Learn them from there. See Keyboard shortcuts.
- Use Place element to pick elements that are not in your current atom palette row.
- Use Settings: commands to open the Settings window on the right section.
- Command names are in English in every interface language.
- The palette needs a keyboard. On a phone or tablet without one, use the menus. See Phone and tablet.
Questions and answers
What is the shortcut for the MolDraw command palette?
Press Ctrl+K on Windows and Linux, or Cmd+K on a Mac. Press it again or press Esc to close it.
Can I change the command palette shortcut?
No. Ctrl+K and Cmd+K are fixed. You can change most other shortcuts in Settings, Shortcuts.
Why is a command missing from the palette?
Commands that cannot run right now are hidden. For example, Undo is hidden when there is nothing to undo.
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