HelmStation Online Documentation
This page lists HelmStation’s keyboard shortcuts, the keys that work on the chart, and what the mouse and trackpad do in the chart window.
| Menu | Command | Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| HelmStation | Settings… | ⌘, | Opens Settings. See Settings |
| HelmStation | Hide HelmStation | ⌘H | Hides HelmStation’s windows |
| HelmStation | Hide Others | ⌥⌘H | Hides the windows of your other apps |
| HelmStation | Quit HelmStation | ⌘Q | Quits HelmStation |
| File | Open Chart | ⌘O | Opens the chart window, or brings it to the front |
| File | Close Window | ⌘W | Closes the front window |
| File | Chart Manager | ⌘F | Shows or hides the Chart Manager |
| File | HelmStation Chart Account | ⌘N | Opens the Chart Account window. See Chart Account and Delivery |
| File | Page Setup… | ⇧⌘P | Sets up the page for printing |
| File | Print… | ⌘P | Prints the chart window |
| Edit | Cut | ⌘X | Cuts the selected text |
| Edit | Copy | ⌘C | Copies the selected text |
| Edit | Paste | ⌘V | Pastes text |
| View | Zoom In | + | Zooms the chart in one scale |
| View | Zoom Out | - | Zooms the chart out one scale |
| View | Course Up | ⌘U | Turns Course Up on or off. See Using the Chart |
| View | Low Light | ⌘L | Turns Low Light on or off |
| Waypoints | Show | ⌘A | Shows or hides waypoints on the chart |
| Waypoints | Save | ⌘S | Saves changes to your waypoints |
| Routes | Save | ⇧⌘S | Saves changes to your routes |
| Track | Open | ⌘T | Opens the Track window |
| GPS | Connect | ⌘G | Opens the GPS window and connects to your GPS. See Connecting Your Instruments |
| Instruments | Connect | ⌘I | Opens the Instruments window and connects to your instruments. See Connecting Your Instruments |
| Window | Minimize | ⌘M | Minimizes the front window to the Dock |
| Window | Navigation | ⇧⌘N | Shows or hides the Navigation window |
| Help | HelmStation Help | ⌘? | Opens this help |
These keys work while the chart has the keyboard focus. Clicking the chart gives it the focus.
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Arrow keys | Moves your view of the chart in the direction of the arrow |
| Page Up, Page Down | Moves your view of the chart up or down by most of the window’s height |
| + or = | Zooms in one scale |
| - or _ | Zooms out one scale |
| Space, held down | Switches to “Grab Move Mode” while you hold it, so you can drag the chart. When you let go, HelmStation returns to the mode you were in |
| Delete | In “Annotation Pen Mode”, deletes the selected annotation. See Measuring and Annotating |
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Two-finger swipe on a trackpad, or swipe on a Magic Mouse | Pans the chart |
| Scroll wheel on a mouse | Zooms in or out one scale for each step |
| Pinch on a trackpad | Zooms in or out |
| Control-click, right-click, or two-finger click or tap on a trackpad | Opens the chart’s shortcut menu, with Scroll To…, Goto, Maps and more |
| ⌥-click | Centers the chart on the point you click |
| ⌘-click a waypoint | Selects it in the Waypoints window. If Routes > Show Selected is on and the waypoint is in that route, it is also selected in the Routes window |
| ⌘-click an AIS target | Selects it in the AIS window |
| ⌘-click near your track | Selects the nearest track record, within a quarter of a nautical mile, in the Track window. Track > Show must be on |
| ⌘⇧-click near your track | Selects every track record from the one already selected to the nearest one |
The five buttons at the left of the chart window’s toolbar set what dragging on the chart does. Hold the pointer over a button to see its name. See The HelmStation Window.
| Mode | Drag on the chart to |
|---|---|
| “Grab Move Mode” | Pan the chart. HelmStation always opens in this mode |
| “Select Zoom Mode” | Zoom in on the area you drag across |
| “Measure Line Mode” | Measure bearing, distance and time to go |
| “Waypoint Move Mode” | Move the waypoint you drag |
| “Annotation Pen Mode” | Draw an annotation |
| Action | Mode | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Click | “Grab Move Mode” | Shows details of the chart objects at that point. With View > Objects > Double Click For Info on, double-click instead |
| Double-click where there is no waypoint | “Measure Line Mode” or “Waypoint Move Mode” | Makes a new waypoint there. If Add new Waypoint to current Route automatically is on in Settings, as it is unless you change it, the waypoint is also added to the route selected in the Routes window |
| ⌘-double-click where there is no waypoint | “Measure Line Mode” or “Waypoint Move Mode” | Makes a new waypoint there and adds it to the route selected in the Routes window |
| Double-click a waypoint | “Measure Line Mode” or “Waypoint Move Mode” | Lets you rename it on the chart. Type the new name and press Return. You can’t rename the waypoint of an active Goto this way |
| ⌘-double-click a waypoint | “Measure Line Mode” or “Waypoint Move Mode” | Adds it to the route selected in the Routes window, and selects it in the Waypoints window |
In “Measure Line Mode”, the keys you hold change where the line starts and which bearing you see:
| How you drag | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drag | Starts the line at your boat whenever HelmStation has a GPS position. Otherwise, where you press, or at the waypoint you press on |
| ⌘-drag | Starts the line where you press, or at the waypoint you press on |
| ⌥-drag | Starts the line at the waypoint selected in the Waypoints window |
| ⇧ held while dragging | Shows the reciprocal bearing, from the end of the line back to its start |