Moving Entities Around

When you're drawing a model in SketchUp, moving your model (or parts of it) takes on a third dimension. Literally.

Here'southward your guide to moving things around in your 3D model, from a simple click-and-motility functioning to moving precisely with 3D coordinates.

Note: Move is a humble tool whose name doesn't reveal all it tin can do. Encounter Stretching Geometry, Copying What You've Already Drawn, and Flipping and Rotating for details about the Movement tool'south other tricks.

Ready to motility? Follow these steps:

  1. With the Select () tool or the Lasso () tool, select the particular (or items) you want to motion.
  2. Select the Motility tool () or press the M key.
  3. Select the item yous want to move and your motion point.

    Move Points: Moving is easier if you lot select a corner equally your motility point. If you're moving an item and want to align it with something else in your model, brand your move bespeak the corner you want lined upwards with the other particular. For example, in the effigy below we've selected the upper-correct corner of the cabinet as our move signal allowing us to easily move the cabinet and align it with the other chiffonier.

  4. Movement your mouse to move your pick. As y'all move your pick, the inference points and the values in the Measurements box alter. Let'southward take a look at how this looks when nosotros move our cabinet:
    • (ane) An inference line appears betwixt the start and ending points of the move.
    • (2) The distance of the move is displayed dynamically in the Measurements box.
    • (3) As you move your particular close to other items in your model, you see inferences to nearby geometry.

    Tip: To lock an inference to an centrality every bit y'all move, hold down the Shift key when the move line turns the color of your desired axis. Or tap the upwards arrow key to lock your movement to the bluish axis, the left arrow to lock your motility to the green axis, or right pointer to lock the move to the crimson centrality. You lot'll see a notification at the cursor that the inference is locked.

  5. Click the destination bespeak to finish the motility.
  6. (Optional) To move your item a precise altitude blazon either of the following during or immediately after the motion:
    • Distance: The number you blazon can be positive or negative, such equally twenty' or -35mm. If you specify a unit of measurement, that unit overrides your template'southward default units. For example, you can type 3' six" even if you are using the metric system every bit your default.
    • Coordinates: The Measurements box accepts global or relative coordinates. To enter global coordinates, use foursquare brackets, such as [3', 4', 5'] to designate coordinates from the model origin. To gear up relative coordinates (from the starting point of the move operation), use angle brackets, such equally <3', 4', 5'>.

To see these steps in action, along with a few extra tips for moving, watch the following video.

Tip: The Motion tool can besides help y'all copy objects! See Copying What You've Already Drawn for details on how to make 1 re-create or multiple copies of your objects.

Corner Inference Grips

When selecting or hovering over a component/group, you'll notice there are inference icons at the corners of the component/group's bounding box to help you better move the component/group. In the image below, you'll meet a grey dot at every corner of the box. These are grips that you lot can grab to move the object.When you hover over a corner obscured by the object itself, SketchUp temporarily makes the object transparent, allowing you to use that corner equally a grip .

Tip: When a component/group is selected and you are not hovering over a corner grip, you tin can cycle through visible grips by pressing the CMD (MacOS) or ALT (Windows 10) key, allowing you to switch between: corners of a group, midpoints of a group, side centers of agroup, or the center of a group.