Important Keybindings

Efficient animation with The Violence Tool relies on a combination of tool-specific shortcuts and standard Blender navigation.

Some operators are not available from the panel. Operators OP8 (Jiggle), OP36–OP40, and several utility operators (OP1–OP7, OP9–OP24) do not appear in the Layer Selector panel or the Layer Switcher menu. To use these, you have to bind them to a keymap in Edit → Preferences → Keymap → 3D View → 3D Viewport, or search for them with F3.

Dan’s Tip

Since the tool requires a lot of unique keybinds and such, it can be helpful to have a seperate installation of Blender 4.1.1 just for these animation projects. Blender is easly installed in parallel so your 4.1.1 Fred build won’t interfere with your other potential Blender projects or experiments. Handy if you have the space!

Essential Blender Shortcuts

Fred recommends mastering these native Blender shortcuts for a smooth workflow. Knowing the underlying Operator ID helps you find and customize these bindings in Edit > Preferences > Keymap.

Shortcut	Action	Context	Blender Operator ID	Keymap Section Path
Ctrl + Tab	Open Mode Menu (Draw/Edit/Sculpt)	Any Mode	wm.call_menu_pie	Window
Z	Toggle Viewport Shading	3D Viewport	view3d.shading_pie	3D View → 3D Viewport
Numpad 0	Toggle Camera View	3D Viewport	view3d.view_camera	3D View → 3D Viewport
Ctrl + MMB	Zoom In/Out	3D Viewport	view3d.zoom	3D View → 3D Viewport
Tab	Toggle Edit Mode	Grease Pencil Object	object.mode_set	Window
W	Cycle Selection Modes (Vertex/Line)	Edit Mode	gpencil.select_mode_toggle	Grease Pencil → Stroke Edit Mode
1 / 2 / 3	Select Vertex / Line / Intersection	Edit Mode	gpencil.select_mode_toggle	Grease Pencil → Stroke Edit Mode
Alt + S	Change Stroke Thickness	Edit Mode	gpencil.stroke_thickness	Grease Pencil → Stroke Edit Mode
Shift + Alt + S	Make Stroke Uniform (Circular)	Edit Mode	gpencil.stroke_make_uniform	Grease Pencil → Stroke Edit Mode
F3	Search Operators	Any Mode	wm.search_menu	Window
I	Insert Keyframe	Timeline / Dope Sheet	anim.keyframe_insert_menu	Timeline / Dope Sheet
Shift + Space	Play/Pause Animation	Timeline / Dope Sheet	screen.animation_play	Timeline / Dope Sheet

How to Find These in Preferences

1. Go to Edit > Preferences > Keymap.

2. Type the Operator ID into the search bar.

3. You will see the current keybinding if one exists

If nothing comes up, this is because a keybind has not been set yet. You’ll need to click the +Add New button at the bottom of each section.

How to Bind Operators to Keys

The Keymap Section Path column tells you exactly where to navigate in Edit > Preferences > Keymap to add a new binding.

Step-by-Step:

1. Go to Edit > Preferences > Keymap.

2. On the left tree, expand the section listed in the Keymap Section Path column. * Example: For 3D View → 3D View (Global), expand 3D View, then 3D View (Global).

3. Scroll to the bottom of that section.

4. Click the “+ Add New” button.

5. In the new row: * Left field (Operator): Type the Operator ID (e.g., fred.op8). * Right field (Event): Click and press your desired key (e.g., Alt-R).

6. For Hold-to-Activate keys (marked with “(Hold)” and “(Release)”): * Add two bindings for the same key. * First binding: Set Event Type to ``Press``. * Second binding: Set Event Type to ``Release``.

7. Click Save Preferences at the bottom.

Fred’s Tip

Erasing: Avoid the Eraser tool in Draw Mode. Instead, press Tab to enter Edit Mode, select the unwanted points, and press X to delete them. This offers greater precision.

Tool-Specific Shortcuts

Warning

The tool needs to be fully installed as an addon, not just ‘run’ from the console. Make sure you’ve gone to Edit > Preferences > Addons and imported it.

The Layer Switcher Menu

Opens a popup menu at your cursor with all layer options.

• Setup: Bind wm.call_menu to a key (e.g., Tab or Space).

• Operator ID: OBJECT_MT_Fred_Custom_Layer_Menu

Quick Actions

Shortcut	Action	Context	Operator ID	Keymap Section Path
Alt-F	Join and smooth two selected strokes	Edit Mode	fred.op3	Grease Pencil → Stroke Edit Mode
Alt-R	Jiggle: Add texture to entire layer	3D Viewport	fred.op8	3D View → 3D View (Global)
Shift-Alt-R	Large Pass: Aggressive distortion	3D Viewport	fred.op23	3D View → 3D View (Global)
	Randomize only selected vertices	3D Viewport	fred.op12	3D View → 3D View (Global)
Shift-Alt-F	Smooth the selected stroke	Edit Mode	fred.op24	Grease Pencil → Stroke Edit Mode
Ctrl-F	Toggle Fade Inactive Layers	?	fred.op18	Window
Ctrl-Alt-Shift-X	Toggle Onion Skins	?	fred.op19	Window

It should be noted that fred.op12 functions slightly differentlly than fred.op8 Jiggle beyond ‘small’ and ‘large’. Since (fred.applynoise) is adjustable, you can do ‘small’ jitters with it, but it affects everything on the layer. OP12 specifically ranomizes the selected vertices, but has locked properties.

Dan’s Tip

There’s another plugin for Blender called “Is Key Free” that’s useful for checking that you’re not overwriting an important keybind.

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Timeline Operators

Shortcut	Action	Context	Operator ID	Keymap Section Path
Left Arrow	Prev Keyframe (Undo-supported)	3D Viewport	fred.op4	3D View → 3D View (Global)
Right Arrow	Next Keyframe (Undo-supported)	3D Viewport	fred.op5	3D View → 3D View (Global)
Ctrl+Left Arrow	Prev Marker (Undo-supported)	3D Viewport	fred.op6	3D View → 3D View (Global)
Ctrl+Right Arrow	Next Marker (Undo-supported)	3D Viewport	fred.op7	3D View → 3D View (Global)

Brush & Tool Swapping

Shortcut	Action	Context	Operator ID	Keymap Section Path
1	Switch to Eraser Point brush.	Paint Mode	fred.op9	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
2	Switch to Eraser Stroke brush.	Paint Mode	fred.op10	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
3	Switch to 01 PEN brush (Custom).	Paint Mode	fred.op28	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
4	Switch to 01 PEN STRENGTH P brush (Custom).	Paint Mode	fred.op29	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
D (Hold)	Enable Draw Behind.	Paint Mode	fred.op21	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
D (Release)	Disable Draw Behind.	Paint Mode	fred.op22	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
A (Hold)	Enable Automerge: Merges new strokes with existing ones.	Paint Mode	fred.op16	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
A (Release)	Disable Automerge: Stops merging strokes.	Paint Mode	fred.op17	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode

Visibility & Layer Management

Shortcut	Action	Context	Operator ID	Keymap Section Path
L	Lock Non-Character layers.	3D Viewport	fred.op13	3D View → 3D View (Global)
M	Unlock Mouth + Head layers.	3D Viewport	fred.op15	3D View → 3D View (Global)
Shift+H	Reveal All GP materials.	3D Viewport	fred.op32	3D View → 3D View (Global)
H	Toggle Layer visibility.	3D Viewport	fred.op40	3D View → 3D View (Global)

Advanced & Utility

Shortcut	Action	Context	Operator ID	Keymap Section Path
F5	Create Fox Rig (full setup).	3D Viewport	fred.op25	3D View → 3D View (Global)
F6	Disable Lights on selected GP object.	3D Viewport	fred.op37	3D View → 3D View (Global)
F7	Toggle Compositor (Disabled ↔ Always).	3D Viewport	fred.op39	3D View → 3D View (Global)
0	Stroke 0% (invisible strokes).	Paint Mode	fred.op1	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
9	Stroke 100% (full opacity).	Paint Mode	fred.op2	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
F	Fill Mode: Control (precise filling).	Paint Mode	fred.op34	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
G	Fill Mode: Both (strokes + control).	Paint Mode	fred.op35	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode

Setting Up “Hold-to-Activate” Keys

Some tools (like Automerge or Draw Behind) are designed to work only while you hold a key down. To set this up in Blender:

1. Open Keymap Preferences Go to Edit > Preferences > Keymap.

2. Locate the Operator In the search bar at the top, type the operator name (e.g., fred.op16). * Tip: If you don’t see it, ensure the addon is enabled and you are searching in the correct category (usually 3D Viewport or Window).

3. Add a New Binding Click the + (plus) icon next to the operator name to add a new keybinding.

4. Configure the “Press” Event * Key: Click the key field and press the key you want to use (e.g., A). * Event Type: Change this from Any to ``Press``. * This ensures the action starts when you push the key down.

5. Add the “Release” Binding * Click the + icon again to add a second binding for the same operator. * Key: Press the same key (e.g., A). * Event Type: Change this to ``Release``. * This ensures the action stops when you let go of the key.

6. Verify Context * Ensure the Context column matches your workflow (e.g., 3D Viewport or Grease Pencil Stroke Paint Mode).

Fred’s Tip

If you forget a shortcut, hit F3 and type the function name. It shows you the shortcut and lets you search for it.

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Workflow Tips

When switching tasks, always check these three settings:

1. Layer (Is the correct layer active?)

2. Tool (Is it Draw, Fill, or Sculpt?)

3. Material (Is the correct material selected?)

Optimizing File Size

If your file becomes too large due to too many vertices:

1. Select all strokes (or use Multi-Frame Editing).

2. Press F3 and search for “Adaptive”.

3. Set the threshold (e.g., 0.001) to simplify strokes.

Material Efficiency

Remember that changing a material in a slot updates every frame using that slot. To change a color globally, edit the material in the slot rather than refilling frames.

Choosing the Right Keymap Context

When binding any operators to keys, the Keymap Context determines when the shortcut is active. If you’re in the wrong context, the key won’t respond.

• 3D Viewport: Works in the 3D Viewport. This signifies operators

  that switch modes internally (like Jiggle) or work across modes (like navigation).

• Paint Mode: Specific to drawing and brush-specific

  tools (Eraser swap, Stroke Strength).

• Edit Mode: Only active while in Edit Mode. Use for tools that

  require selected strokes (Join & Smooth, Micro-Jitter).

Binding Jiggle (fred.op8) to Paint Mode instead of 3D Viewport. Since Jiggle switches to Edit Mode internally, a Paint Mode binding may not fire reliably ? TEST THIS

Fred Operators for Timeline Navigation: Why use these instead of Arrow Keys?

You might wonder why we have fred.op5 (Next Keyframe) when Blender has the Right Arrow key.

The Difference: * Native Arrow Keys: Jump to the next keyframe but do not save this jump to the Undo history. If you jump forward and realize you made a mistake, you can’t “undo” the jump. * Fred’s Operators: Jump to the next keyframe AND push an Undo step.

The Workflow: 1. Bind fred.op5 to Right Arrow (or a custom key, if you want to preserve undo silence). 2. Jump forward through your animation. 3. If you jump too far, press ``Ctrl+Z``. 4. The timeline snaps back to the previous keyframe instantly.

Doing it this way adds these movements to the “Undo stack”.

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Additional Operators (Keybind or F3 Only)

The following operators have no panel button or menu entry. They can be accessed by pressing F3 and typing the operator name, or by binding them to a key in Preferences → Keymap → 3D View → 3D Viewport.

Shortcut	Action	Context	Operator ID	Keymap Section Path
F5	Create Fox Rig: Creates a full GP rig with layers, materials, and brushes. Recommended starting point.	3D Viewport	fred.op25	3D View → 3D View (Global)
L?	Lock Non-Character: Locks everything except the core character layers. Useful before applying noise.	3D Viewport	fred.op13	3D View → 3D View (Global)
M?	Unlock Mouth + Head: Unlocks mouth, mask, teeth, AND head layers. For animating jaw movements.	3D Viewport	fred.op15	3D View → 3D View (Global)
Shift+H ?	Reveal All: Makes all hidden GP materials visible.	3D Viewport	fred.op32	3D View → 3D View (Global)
F6 ?	Disable Lights: Turns off scene lighting on the selected GP object. Flat-shaded rendering.	3D Viewport	fred.op37	3D View → 3D View (Global)
F7 ?	Toggle Compositor: Switches viewport compositor between Disabled and Always.	3D Viewport	fred.op39	3D View → 3D View (Global)
H ?	Toggle Layer: Hides/shows the currently active GP layer.	3D Viewport	fred.op40	3D View → 3D View (Global)
0 ?	Stroke 0%: Makes drawn strokes invisible.	Paint Mode	fred.op1	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
9 ?	Stroke 100%: Makes drawn strokes fully opaque.	Paint Mode	fred.op2	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
D (Hold) ?	Draw On Back On: New strokes draw behind existing.	Paint Mode	fred.op21	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
D (Release) ?	Draw On Back Off: New strokes draw on top.	Paint Mode	fred.op22	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
F ?	Fill Mode: Control: Fill brush affects control points only (precise filling).	Paint Mode	fred.op34	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
G ?	Fill Mode: Both: Fill brush affects strokes and control points.	Paint Mode	fred.op35	Grease Pencil → Stroke Paint Mode
?	Flattens Y, smooths, and snaps to nearest face. If drawing becomes misaligned, I think this fixes it	3D Viewport	fred.op36	3D View → 3D View (Global)

TEST OP36 - This refers to a mesh, is this to align strokes? If so I think it needs gpencil.stroke_smooth or GPENCIL_MODIFIER_FLATTEN rather than bpy.ops.mesh.vertices_smooth, but I’m guessing.

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Excluded Operators

The following operators exist in the code but require understanding the context:

• fred.op11 Superseded by fred.op25 (Create GP Fox). Right now, it creates a blank GP named ART_FOX with one layer and one material. Don’t use it.

• fred.op14 Selects the jaw layers only - but sometimes you need the head layers to move as well; fred.op15 includes head layers.

• fred.op26 May not work correctly (this looks like an object not a name string). I think bpy.ops.gpencil.material_set(mat) should be bpy.ops.gpencil.material_set(slot=slot.name) TEST THIS

• fred.op30 Broken syntax (hide_viewport is a property, not callable). I think it should be: bpy.ops.object.hide_view_set(state=True) TEST THIS

• fred.op38 Placeholder? currently loops through all GP objects but doesn’t seem to perform an action?

• fred.op39 This _might_ crash if used twice in a row. I think it doesn’t unregister due to some nesting. It might not need registering in the first place because of its type? TEST THIS