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PC Controls

This page will help you get started knowing the controls on the PC version of Principia. If you are on Android with a keyboard attached some of these shortcuts may work too.

Contents [Hide]

General
- Technical
Adventure
- Adventure Building (using Builder tool)
Sandbox (Create)
Further Reading

General

B - Go back to the previous menu
ESC - Close open dialogs or information texts
<ctrl>-Q - Quit game
Secondary Mouse button - Open menu
F11 - Toggle fullscreen mode

Technical

F2 - Toggle GUI
<Shift>-F2 - Toggle FPS display (Off/Simple/Mean graph/Real FPS graph)

Adventure

The robot is controlled using typical WASD controls. To bring up an info window with common controls in-game, press Menu > Controls.

Mouse - aim weapon arm, interact with environment
Primary Mouse Button - Moving camera, using the current Tool (if you have any)
Secondary Mouse Button - Use current weapon
Third Mouse Button (or clicking scroll wheel) - Move camera
E - Perform special action (Boxing/unboxing for the regular robot), or activate nearby RC/backpack
W - Move robot one layer back, or climb ladder up
S - Move robot one layer front, or climb ladder down
A - Walk left
D - Walk right
C - Recenter camera to the adventure robot
K - Self-destruct
Space - Jump
1, 2, etc - Equip a weapon
<Shift>-1, <Shift>-2 - Equip a tool
F5 - Quicksave (if the current level supports it)
Ctrl+F9 - Quickload
Ctrl+O - Open save dialog

Adventure Building (using Builder tool)

Z - Move selected object back one layer
X - Move selected object up one layer
T - Remove all connections to the selected object
R - Release currently selected object

Sandbox (Create)

Space - Quickadd object (write name or part of name and click enter)
P - Play/Pause current level
U - Quick save current level
<Shift>-F - Toggle architect/orthographic view

On selected object

<Shift>-Mouse drag - Drag object and snap to grid
<Shift>-Mouse drag rotation icon - Rotate object and snap to fixed angles
R - Activate/Deactivate rotation mode
<Shift>-E - Connect all highlighted potential connections
F,G,H,J,K - Connect two objects as highlighted
<Shift>-Q or T - Disconnect all connections of selected object
<Shift>-H - Open socket selector on selected object
N - Toggle object lock
Y - Open configuration dialog for selected object
I - Open info dialog for selected object
Z - Move selected object back one layer
X - Move selected object up one layer
Delete - delete selected object

Creating/copying objects

Comma (,) - Duplicate selected object with same properties
<Shift>-Comma (,) - Duplicate selected object across all other layers
1,2,3,4,5 - Copy properties of selected object to the slot with the pressed number
<Shift>-1,2,3,4,5 - Paste properties of selected object to the slot

Misc

<Shift>-J - Open level upload dialog