Laptop: Solutions for better use of "emulate numpad" shortcuts

Laptop: using shortcut alt + numbers to emulate numpad

PROBLEM
Working with laptops and keyboards without numpad is a bit awkward with blender, because we need to activate numpad emulation, but by doing so we lose all the functionality of the number line which is not a good thing.
Screenshot%20(205)


SOLUTION
So my proposal is to emulate the numpad using the combination alt + numbers from 1 to 0 since they are free.
It’s not too awkward to use this key combination and those who use laptops do not lose the possibility of using the functions of the linear number keys.

SOLUTION 2 (better)
for personal needs, I managed to make the shortcuts “alt + 1. 2, 3” on edit mode, to be able to switch between vertices, segments and faces, work by customizing the python file substituting ONE; TWO, THREE with NUMPAD_1, NUMPAD_2, NUMPAD_3 … realizing that functions can be restored in “emulate numpad” without changing too much the current situation by making shortcut combinations similar to these …

  ("mesh.select_mode",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_1', "value": 'PRESS', "alt": True},
 {"properties":
  [("use_expand", True),
   ("type", 'VERT'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("mesh.select_mode",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_2', "value": 'PRESS', "alt": True},
 {"properties":
  [("use_expand", True),
   ("type", 'EDGE'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("mesh.select_mode",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_3', "value": 'PRESS', "alt": True},
 {"properties":
  [("use_expand", True),
   ("type", 'FACE'),
   ],
  },
 ),

another thing that could be changed “in emulation numpad mode”
is the use of shotcut numbers 1, 2, 3 as

  • 1 front
  • 2 top (instead of shotcut 7, because it is much more comfortable in terms of ergonomics, taking into account that there is no real numpad, the top view configured with numpad 7 is superfluous and very uncomfortable.)
  • 3 right

(I did some tests with this configuration, and now orbit between orthographic plans and swhitch between edge segments and faces is super convenient and super fast even on laptops …)

this is the configuration I’m testing for numpad emulation:

  • 1,2,3 to switch to perspective views (ctrl also for reverse)
  • 4 switch between orthographic and perspective view
  • 5, 6 for rotation on Z axis (ctrl pan Z )
  • 7, 8 for rotation on X axis (ctrl pan X )
  • 9 (nothing has changed)
  • 0 Camera view

 {"type": 'NUMPAD_1', "value": 'PRESS'},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'FRONT'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_orbit",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_7', "value": 'PRESS'},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'ORBITDOWN'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_axis",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_3', "value": 'PRESS'},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'RIGHT'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_orbit",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_5', "value": 'PRESS'},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'ORBITLEFT'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_persportho", {"type": 'NUMPAD_4', "value": 'PRESS'}, None),
("view3d.view_orbit",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_6', "value": 'PRESS'},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'ORBITRIGHT'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_axis",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_2', "value": 'PRESS'},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'TOP'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_orbit",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_8', "value": 'PRESS'},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'ORBITUP'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_axis",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_1', "value": 'PRESS', "ctrl": True},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'BACK'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_axis",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_3', "value": 'PRESS', "ctrl": True},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'LEFT'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_axis",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_2', "value": 'PRESS', "ctrl": True},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'BOTTOM'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_pan",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_7', "value": 'PRESS', "ctrl": True},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'PANDOWN'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_pan",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_5', "value": 'PRESS', "ctrl": True},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'PANLEFT'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_pan",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_6', "value": 'PRESS', "ctrl": True},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'PANRIGHT'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_pan",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_8', "value": 'PRESS', "ctrl": True},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'PANUP'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_roll",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_4', "value": 'PRESS', "shift": True},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'LEFT'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_roll",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_6', "value": 'PRESS', "shift": True},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'RIGHT'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_orbit",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_9', "value": 'PRESS'},
 {"properties":
  [("angle", 3.1415927),
   ("type", 'ORBITRIGHT'),
   ],
  },
 ),
("view3d.view_axis",
 {"type": 'NUMPAD_1', "value": 'PRESS', "shift": True},
 {"properties":
  [("type", 'FRONT'),
   ("align_active", True),
   ],
  },
 ),

i would also like to see some emulation / alternative defaults for the local view numpad+/ , the focus object numpad+. and the select more / less numpad+(+/-)
those are at least in my experience essential modeling tools that shoudl be available by default on a keybord without numpad as well.

1 Like

in fact I customized - made these shortcuts similar to the real numpad for a long time, I had only forgotten to mention them …
I put + and - to zoom and point. for frame selected and (shift + . for the pivot pie menu)

local view \ on my keyboard (italian) is the first button on the left side, so I didn’t change it, it’s fine as it is

While you probably prefer to use the keyboard, I will remind you that blender has an addon called 3D Navigation, which might be better than having to keep track of your custom keymap.

1 Like

My hope is that these proposals for numpad emulation are accepted … it is definitely convenient for all those who use laptops and short keyboards.

So thank you for the advice on the addon, but this is beyond the scope of this Paper Cut :slightly_smiling_face:

I totally agree with you. I use Blender at home on my laptop, and recently started using a small keyboard with no numpad on my desktop because my other keyboard broke. In general, I find Blender to be fairly useable on a laptop (Thinkpad x260, Japanese keyboard) with the following exceptions:

  • The ~ key is in a poor position on many keyboard layouts that aren’t US/UK, so the view pie menu should be on a more conveniently located key, since users with no numpad need to use it often - especially if they are also using ‘emulate 3-button mouse’ in order to deal with a missing 3rd mouse button (or because they prefer that style of navigation).
  • Numpad . really shouldn’t be the only key assigned to focus on selected given how often it is used. Move it somewhere within reach of the left hand, such as the F key. This would benefit everyone, even if they have a numpad.

The number keys are currently used to show and hide layers, but this system makes no sense given that the old numbered layer system has been removed. However, I’m not sure using them to change the view is a great idea, because it becomes inconsistent between edit and object modes due to the use of 1-3 to change selection elements. I think alt+number to change view would be better for numpad emulation.

1 Like

the fact is that with the numpad emulation it has always been used to change otho views and there is another question, there are also reverse views, with the use of ctrl + 1, 2, 3 … if you also use alt, it becomes very very inconvenient to use, especially in modeling, where it is a continuous press this key combination

thinking of it better, for a more comfortable use, for reverse views it would be better to alt + 1, 2, 3

@ideasman42

since you are working on a rewtrite of better keymap for emulate middle mouse button, I would like to suggest also an improvement of the emulate numpad … I wrote this papercut, and I believe that the second solution is very effective. I’m still using it constantly on my laptop

This is old one however I think I’ve found neat solution for this.
With numpad emulation mode off you can assign ; as frame selected and / as local view (or just use pie menu) . Then you can use [ and ] and set all important ctrl+numpad+- buttons to ctrl+[ ] to enable select less/more including grease pencil, curve, etc. You can freely leave all zoom/dolly related shortcuts as they are on numpad, you are not using them anyway.

Anyway I’ve found that ctrl+shift+= and ctrl+shift+- could be maybe depreciated as they are just duplicates of shift+numpad+/- @ideasman42.