Keyboard Shortcuts¶

Quick Reference¶

Shortcut	Action
`Left Ctrl`+`Left Ctrl`	Tag and externalize the selected operator (press left control twice)
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`U`	Update all dirty externalizations
`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`U`	Update only the current COMP you're working inside
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`R`	Refresh tracking state
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`O`	Open the Manager UI
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`E`	Export entire project network to `.tdn` file
`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`E`	Export current COMP network to `.tdn` file

Tagging¶

The double-tap Left Ctrl shortcut works on the currently selected operator in the network editor. It tags the operator and externalizes it immediately:

A visual tag appears on the operator and it is saved to disk in one step
Pressing Left Ctrl+Left Ctrl again on a tagged operator removes the tag

Update Operations¶

Ctrl+Shift+U — Updates all dirty externalized operators. If Embody hasn't been initialized yet, this also performs first-time setup. This is the primary way to update your externalizations.
Ctrl+Alt+U — Updates only the COMP you're currently inside. Useful for large projects where a full update takes too long.
Ctrl+Shift+R — Refreshes tracking state, re-scanning externalized operators for changes without writing files.

Your externalized files are the source of truth

You don't need to Ctrl+S to preserve externalized work. Use Ctrl+Shift+U instead — it writes all dirty operators to files on disk. On project open, Embody restores everything automatically: TOX-strategy COMPs from .tox files and TDN-strategy COMPs from .tdn files.

Ctrl+S strips TDN containers

When you do save the .toe with Ctrl+S, Embody temporarily strips all children from TDN-strategy COMPs to keep the .toe file small. They are restored immediately after the save completes — but if TD crashes during the save, those children will be missing from the .toe. This is fine: they'll be reconstructed from .tdn files the next time the project opens. Just make sure you've updated your externalizations with Ctrl+Shift+U first.

TDN Export¶

Ctrl+Shift+E — Exports the entire project network to a single .tdn file at your project root
Ctrl+Alt+E — Exports only the current COMP's network to a .tdn file

Export vs Update — what's the difference?

The Update shortcuts (Ctrl+Shift+U / Ctrl+Alt+U) update operators that are already tagged and tracked by Embody. They write files, increment build numbers, and clear dirty state — this is your daily workflow.

The Export shortcuts (Ctrl+Shift+E / Ctrl+Alt+E) create a standalone .tdn snapshot of any network, whether or not it's externalized. No tracking, no build increment, no side effects. Use these when you want to grab a snapshot of a network you haven't tagged — like exporting someone else's component, creating a one-off backup, or sharing a network as a .tdn file.