This page lists all LoDi-Aura mouse and keyboard commands – to look up when you want to know how to do something faster. The procedures themselves are explained on their own pages.
The basics
⌘ stands for the Cmd key on a Mac, Ctrl for the Ctrl key on Windows. Where it says “⌘/Ctrl”, use the key for your system.
The track plan has two modes: Edit (drawing) and Operation (driving). In operation the editing keys deliberately do nothing – only the “Operation” sections below apply there.
Dragging on an empty area moves the view – the same on every system, in edit mode as in operation. To drag a selection box, hold Shift; Alt+Shift adds it to the existing selection.
Middle-click or Space pans everywhere, even over tracks and trains. The hint line below the toolbar tells you this again.
View (both modes)
Input
Effect
Mouse wheel
Zoom towards the mouse pointer
⌘/Ctrl + mouse wheel
Zoom with its own sensitivity
Spread or pinch two fingers (touch)
Zoom in and out
Drag an empty area
Move the view
Drag with the middle mouse button
pan everywhere, even over tracks and trains
Space + drag
the same, for devices without a middle wheel
“−” / “+” (bottom left in the track plan)
zoom out / in
“⤢”
fit everything
Click on the % display
Reset the view
“▤ Layers ▾”
Show and hide layers; in there also “Show turnout position” (under “Tracks”) and “Cables in front” (under “Modules”), as well as “Transparent — hidden items as ghosts instead of gone entirely”
“✎ Edit” / “▶ Track plan” (top right in the track plan)
Switch mode
Page Up / Page Down
switch between the “Track plan”, “Vehicles”, “Automation” and “System” tabs
Zoom, visible area and layers are saved per device and layout.
The zoom bar floats at the bottom left of the track plan. A click on the percentage display resets the view.
Edit: selecting and moving
Input
Effect
Click on a part
select it (purple band or frame)
Drag a part
move it; it snaps to its neighbour where a dot shows it
Alt + drag
drag the whole connected group along rigidly
Shift + click
add a part to the multiple selection or remove it (mint green)
Shift + drag on an empty area
draw a selection box; Alt + Shift adds it to the existing selection
Drag a selected part
move the whole selection together, undoable in one step
Drag the end-point handle
extend a straight or curve; stub of a curved turnout (snaps at 30°)
Drag a block box
move the label; dragged onto a station: assign it to the station
Drag the stop line handle
set the stopping point, the inspector updates live
Drag the platform end
lengthen or shorten the platform (block selected)
Drag an insulated joint or a tap
move it along the track
Click on an empty spot
deselect everything
Edit: keyboard
Key
Effect
⌘/Ctrl + Z
Undo
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + Z
Redo
⌘/Ctrl + Y
Redo
R / Shift + R
rotate by +30° / −30°
F
Flex track: switch the curve side
R / Shift + R while dragging a flex track end
rotate the end by 7.5° (Esc: direction back to automatic)
Delete / ⌫
delete the selection (including all selected parts)
Esc
cancel the tool and clear the selection
⌘/Ctrl + C
copy the selection – without addresses
⌘/Ctrl + X
cut the selection – pasting then moves it with all its addresses
⌘/Ctrl + V
paste at the mouse, also between windows and projects
If text is selected anywhere, ⌘/Ctrl + C copies that text.
Edit: double-click
Double-click on
Effect
Turnout or crossing
step to the next position
Flex track
add a bend point
Bend point
remove the bend point
Signal
next signal aspect
Bridge or crossing
swap top and bottom
Feedback tap
change side: centre → right → left
Track (block layer on) or block box
select the block
Double-clicking the end-point handle deliberately does nothing.
Edit: tools
Input
Effect
Drag a part from the palette
place it – works for everything: tracks, turnouts, signals, nodes, block, insulated joint, station and buildings
Click a part in the palette
attaches it to the selected track, at the first free end (on a turnout, at the straight route). The new part is then selected – so a line grows click by click. With nothing selected, it lands on a free spot. A flex track attaches the same way; afterwards you drag its loose end to the other side.
“Connect ends”
click two open ends – a flex track closes the gap
“Place block”
click on the track – block from turnout to turnout
“Set insulated joint”
click on a track joint
Tunnel
click two connected spots
Cable
click the start, then click the destination
A tool stays active until you press Esc or it is finished. How to draw the track plan is explained in Drawing the track plan.
The “Tools” menu
The “🧰 Tools ▾” menu in the bar above the track plan collects rarely used tools. Depending on the mode, it shows different entries.
Entry
Mode
Effect
“📏 Calibration run”
both
The calibration loco measures block lengths as it drives. See Calibration.
“🔎 Check track plan”
both
Lists known configuration errors – duplicate feedback sensor, block without exit, turnout without address, home track too short … A click jumps to the spot.
“🔌 Re-lay all cables”
Edit
Creates feedback cables from the entered addresses – blocks, turnouts and connecting tracks.
“📐 Alignment guides while dragging”
Edit
Toggle: extension rays from open ends and alignment guide lines while dragging.
“↺ Turnouts to home position”
Operation
Sets all turnouts to their home position. Turnouts in booked routes and under trains that LoDi-Aura knows about stay as they are.
“📌 Pushpin”
Operation
Pin it to a turnout, a block, a track or anywhere in the plan and leave a note. The pins appear in the log.
Edit: toolbar
Button
Effect
“↶ Undo” / “↷ Redo”
undo / redo
“⟲ 30°” / “⟳ 30°”
rotate; on a flex track with a loose end, only that end, by 7.5°
“∥ Parallel ▾”
parallel track (with Shift on the other side); the arrow chooses the spacing
“⇋ Crossover”
inserts the opposite turnout to the selected turnout on the parallel track
“Side”
only with a feedback tap selected: centre → right → left
“🗑 Delete ▾”
delete the selection immediately; via the arrow, all cables, all blocks, all signals or everything (these ask first)
Inspector: side button and pin
move the inspector to the other side; pin it – it stays open, even when you click on an empty spot
Click on the loco picture (train menu, “Trains” window)
Throttle for this loco
Click on ◀ / ▶ in the train menu
change the loco's direction of travel (only when stopped)
Drag a stationary train
set a route to the destination and set off
Shift + drag
add a waypoint (chain)
⌘/Ctrl + drag
“as the turnouts are set” – no turnout is switched
Alt + drag
Shunting move (any direction, slow, may reverse)
Drag a loco into a track at a turntable or traverser
drive across a turntable, sector plate or traverser
Double-click on the train
EMERGENCY STOP; once more: release the route
“✥ Reposition” in the train menu
Put the train in the track plan where it really is: a shadow train follows the pointer along the track and snaps to the stopping point (with Shift: without snapping), R turns it, a click places it, Esc cancels. Only when stopped.
