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It is for navigating the wireframe and the live view, especially when working on a laptop (with a trackpad).

I am missing my 3dConnection spacemouse trying to navigate with the mouse, combined with one or more modifier keys to go in the right direction. 

Move forward, move backward, look left, look right would be great with the arrows. The same modifier keys could work as you would with the screen navigation icons.

I also like this idea, or at least having maybe a more interactive way of moving the camera (moving the camera's physical position, not just the zoom/FoV or orbiting it).

Personally I like the way unreal engine handles viewport camera movement. In a normal situation the arrow keys will move the camera left/right/forwards/backwards, based on the camera's orientation; but also if you right click and hold in the viewport you can then use the mouse to aim the camera and WASD or arrow keys or numpad to move. LInk to documentation here: https://dev.epicgames.com...ols-in-unreal-engine

Obviously would be quite a big addition, but I think it would be a very good usability update. Sometimes it's just easier to get the camera in the right position, also probably a generational thing, where a lot of us are very familiar with this style of navigation so it feels a natural way to do it.

I would love this feature.

I got used to navigating this way in a 3d environment when we went through a stage of heavily using Unreal engine editor for some projects. I quickly came to find it superior (there’s a reason it became the standard in many games from the late 90’s onwards, to the point where many game focused keyboards highlight these keys in their design) , but it’s very useful for 3d design too.

Simply put, Its more ergonomic to reach more useful buttons with this hand position.

Your thumb and little finger are well positioned to reach modifier keys for common keyboard shortcuts, most common shortcuts are made with the left hand on a qwerty keyboard so that your right hand can stay on your mouse.. lifting your hand from your mouse to do something like copy or move forward, is slow and cumbersome, as is moving your left hand from the left side of the keyboard to the store keys on the right side (so your right hand can stay on the mouse).

I also grew to love the extra nearby buttons to WASD which can be utilised for navigating up and down. In unreal engine they use Q and E for this, the letters either side of W (ie. up).
The first 5 numbers are easily accessible too. Consequently, before long, you can be navigating the 3D environment and manipulating objects in 3d space so quickly.

I think it’s with good reason that this control scheme rose to the top in the gamer space.

I guess gamers get very competitive and milliseconds can count, but also ergonomics, efficiency (minimising hand repositioning) and also providing an enjoyable experience, are all high priorities for games. But those also sound like great things for 3d design and optimising the experience.

Having used it with unreal engine, I invite you to try it out in that software (it’s free). Bonus thing is anyone who’s played a first person pc game in the last 30 years, likely has some familiarity with it.

Spelling correction:
Arrow* keys

Not store* keys

Damn autocorrect 😅