# Keyboard shortcuts / hot keys for Mach 4 **URL:** \ **Category:** General Chat\ **Created:** [February 17, 2023, 8:14pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/keyboard-shortcuts-hot-keys-for-mach-4/1736 "2023-02-17T20:14:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![corbin](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/corbin/32/2800_2.png) [@corbin](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/corbin)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 8:14pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/keyboard-shortcuts-hot-keys-for-mach-4/1736/1 "2023-02-17T20:14:45Z")
I’m having a hard time finding a list of shortcuts. IE: Program start, Feed hold, program stop, jog increment changes, etc. I can’t find any easy way to add my own. Any advice? ---
**Author:** ![davidcnc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@davidcnc](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/davidcnc)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/keyboard-shortcuts-hot-keys-for-mach-4/1736/2 "2023-02-17T20:26:11Z")
[![](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/uploads/avidcnc/original/2X/c/cb6f630ee2b6a70ca61be07575a66d7b94f0f8ea.jpeg "Mach4 Basics: Keyboard Mapping") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTzYotLTJkY) ---
**Author:** ![corbin](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/corbin/32/2800_2.png) [@corbin](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/corbin)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 9:47pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/keyboard-shortcuts-hot-keys-for-mach-4/1736/3 "2023-02-17T21:47:20Z")
Thanks! I saw that video, but it doesn’t explain how to map a key to a particular function, like “JogIncrement” or “Program Start”. I could map it to a signal…but I don’t need to do that. ---
**Author:** ![davidcnc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@davidcnc](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/davidcnc)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 10:33pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/keyboard-shortcuts-hot-keys-for-mach-4/1736/4 "2023-02-17T22:33:04Z")
Hi corbin, that video contains how to add the supported functions. What you’re looking to do starts with that same approach but I believe you’re going to have to write signal scripts that call the particular function on a signal state change - i.e. get hands dirty. [![](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/uploads/avidcnc/original/2X/4/4885d689e61fc78a7b24706bcbeae01e4cadf859.jpeg "Mach 4 Quicky #2 - Keyboard Plugin") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzaf5pT0l50) ---
**Author:** ![jjneeb](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/jjneeb/32/244_2.png) [@jjneeb](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/jjneeb)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2023, 5:55am UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/keyboard-shortcuts-hot-keys-for-mach-4/1736/5 "2023-02-18T05:55:02Z")
Here are a couple to look at: [![](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/uploads/avidcnc/original/2X/1/1825dcaa75bd83b040142e857bc949bcf240316b.jpeg "Mach4 Screen Editing & new screen features for CNC laser support including laser touch plate support") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87unMhKO7u8) [![](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/uploads/avidcnc/original/2X/8/80c61851d27cef2c96bbd4a4c66df5947046f32a.jpeg "How to create a custom Mach 4 button to move the CNC out of your way") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BYuS_Lbpow) [![](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/uploads/avidcnc/original/2X/d/dd3df686a910a8b0ef657599358f576bd942d00c.jpeg "Basic Screen editing in Mach4") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1xZkFgS5cQ) The first one is mine. I’ve added a few functions besides just jogging, so let me know if you have any questions. The second one is the most step by step description of everything needed to connect a key to a new function in the screen. Jim ---
**Author:** ![corbin](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/corbin/32/2800_2.png) [@corbin](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/corbin)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2023, 2:22pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/keyboard-shortcuts-hot-keys-for-mach-4/1736/6 "2023-02-18T14:22:56Z")
Awesome Jim, thanks! Conceptually, it looks like I would use the Keyboard plugin to add the mapping to a signal, then add some code in the screen script to handle the signal and do what I want. Not as easy as I was hoping, but easier than writing a custom plugin (which I have no idea how to do, but I think it is possible). ---
**Author:** ![jjneeb](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/jjneeb/32/244_2.png) [@jjneeb](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/jjneeb)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2023, 2:57pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/keyboard-shortcuts-hot-keys-for-mach-4/1736/7 "2023-02-18T14:57:10Z")
Thats right, you go keyboard plugin, to mach4 input signal, and then in the screen code signal to function call. You can load my screen ( stored here [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xB6J0RZIU1j8g951NkP-8HXC1swC2C-B?usp=share\_link](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xB6J0RZIU1j8g951NkP-8HXC1swC2C-B?usp=share_link)) if you want some examples. Its pretty easy once you see a couple examples. jim ---
**Author:** ![corbin](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/corbin/32/2800_2.png) [@corbin](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/corbin)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 2:36am UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/keyboard-shortcuts-hot-keys-for-mach-4/1736/8 "2023-02-21T02:36:13Z")
Just to follow up: yeah, this works fine! I’ve also been told I can use a “listener” in lua to handle keystrokes. I’ll have to look into how to this, but for now it is working the way I want. ---
**Author:** ![MarbleBuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@MarbleBuck](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/MarbleBuck)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 7:47pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/keyboard-shortcuts-hot-keys-for-mach-4/1736/9 "2024-05-11T19:47:19Z")
I only wish to know how to re-assign the space bar to control feed hold. Thank you ---
**Author:** ![jjneeb](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/jjneeb/32/244_2.png) [@jjneeb](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/jjneeb)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 10:50pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/keyboard-shortcuts-hot-keys-for-mach-4/1736/10 "2024-05-11T22:50:10Z")
Thats not too hard to do. I this video I show how to assign things to keys (and also reference a couple of other good screen editing videos): [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87unMhKO7u8&t=27s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87unMhKO7u8&t=27s) And if you go here, you can download my current screen and load it and see how I assigned a couple of function keys to STOP and Feed Hold. The keyboard plugin does let you use spacebar, so you don’t have to change much to do that. [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xB6J0RZIU1j8g951NkP-8HXC1swC2C-B?usp=drive\_link](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xB6J0RZIU1j8g951NkP-8HXC1swC2C-B?usp=drive_link) ---
**Author:** ![timewarnings](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/timewarnings/32/5149_2.png) [@timewarnings](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/timewarnings)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2025, 7:35pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/keyboard-shortcuts-hot-keys-for-mach-4/1736/11 "2025-05-28T19:35:35Z")
I’ve just switched from Mach 3 to Mach 4. Mach 4 kind of blows. LOL. My bluetooth mouse died in the middle of a cut and there’s no shortkey for FEED HOLD. What the heck. Avid should really fix this in whatever amendments they made to the Mach interface. It was pretty bad. My machine was running around freely. There was no keyboard command to stop it. I could have used the E-stop, and ruined the operation, losing steps, wasting plywood, etc. I had to run around my house frantically searching for a USB mouse to plug in. LOL. I’m gonna have to dig into these videos and “get my hands dirty” to access one of the most basic functions of the software. Very poor design. ---
**Author:** ![timewarnings](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.avidcnc.com/timewarnings/32/5149_2.png) [@timewarnings](https://forum.avidcnc.com/u/timewarnings)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2025, 7:38pm UTC](https://forum.avidcnc.com/t/keyboard-shortcuts-hot-keys-for-mach-4/1736/12 "2025-05-28T19:38:40Z")
The other thing I absolutely hate about Mach 4 is that they’ve eliminated the “reverse run” feature. I used this feature constantly. Now I basically have to become a programmer to restructure the g-code…to once again…access what used to be a basic function…built into the core interface…that I used constantly! I used the function for cleaning up cuts. It was particularly good for plastic cutting. If you hit the material in two directions it would often eliminate the need for sanding.