How to Move an Object in Sketchup (or Parts of It)

When you draw, move an object in SketchUp (or parts of it) takes on a third dimension, literally. This article is your guide to moving things around in your 3D model, from a simple click-and-move operation to moving things precisely with 3D coordinates. The Move tool is a simple tool whose name doesn't quite spell out what you can do, so you should investigate the options you have (and there are many).

How to move an object in SketchUp

Ready to move? Follow these steps:

Step 1: with the tool Select, select the item(s) you want to move.

Step 2: select the tool MOVER or press the key M.

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Step 3: Click on the item you want to move. Wherever you click becomes your movement point.

Tip: Moving is easier if you select a corner as your movement point. If you are moving an element because you want to align it with something else in your model, have your movement point to the corner you want to align your element to. For example, if you are aligning the top right corner of a cabinet with another cabinet, click on the top right corner, as shown in the figure.

Step 4: Move your mouse to move your selection. As you move your item, notice how the inferences and measurements box changes:

• An inference line appears between the start and end points of the movement. (See number 1 in the figure.)
• The distance of the movement is displayed dynamically in the Measurements box (2).
• When you move your element near other elements in your model, you will see inferences to the nearby geometry. (3)

Tip: To lock an inference to an axis while moving, hold down the key Shift when the motion line changes to the desired axis color. Or hold the up arrow key to lock movement on the blue axis, the left arrow key to lock movement on the green axis, or the right arrow key to lock movement on the red axis.

Step 5: Click on the destination point to end the movement.

Step 6 (Optional): To move your item a precise distance, you can type any of the following options during or immediately after the move:

• Distance: The number you enter can be positive or negative, such as 20′ or -35 mm. If you specify a unit of measurement, that unit overrides the default units in your template. For example, you can enter 3' 6″ even if you're using the metric system as the default.
• Coordinates: The Measures box accepts global or relative coordinates. To enter global coordinates, use brackets, such as [3′, 4′, 5′]To set relative coordinates, use angle brackets, such as <3′, 4′, 5′>.

Corner Inference Fists

When you select or hover over a component/group, you'll notice that 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 see a grey dot at each corner of the box. These are grips you can grab to move the object.

Tip: When a component/group is selected and not hovering over a corner grip, you can cycle through the visible grips by pressing the key DCM (MacOS) or OTHER (Windows 10), allowing you to switch between: group corner, group midpoint, group side center, and group center.

When you move your cursor over a corner that is obscured by other geometry, the grey dot will turn blue and your component will become transparent to help you see the obscured corner and grab it.

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How do you move the green axis in SketchUp?

Tap and release (do not hold) an arrow key to set the axis of motion:

• Right = red axis (X)
• Left = green axis (Y)

Make the movement go in the direction you want (axis, edge, face, etc.) and hold down the key Shift. Release the key to release the steering lock.

Why doesn't SketchUp snap to axis?

The arrow keys change to lock a specific axis on/off. Holding down one of these keys may be your problem. Holding down the [Shift] to block only works when you see the R, G o B colored, indicating the direction at that moment, or when you lock to any existing edge, face, or guide.

How do you ask SketchUp for an inference?

To find a linear inference, you first need to hover over a point inference. When you first hover over a point that Sketchup recognizes as a point inference, the tooltip will change color, as you know. But if you just hang there for a second, a little text box will appear telling you the type of inference.

What happens when you triple click on a face in SketchUp?

When you double-click a face, you select that face and all the edges that define it. When you double-click an edge, you get that edge plus all the faces that are connected to it. When you triple-click an edge or face, you select the entire cluster it is a part of.

What is Sketchup?

This is one of the most efficient and easy-to-use CAD software for making and modifying 2D and 3D drawings. It was created in 1999 by Last Software. In 2006 Google He bought the property rights to this software and worked on its development and called it Google SketchUp.

This computer-aided design program is easy to use and has an extensive database of user-created models available for download. You can use these models to help with all kinds of projects such as architectural visualization, interior design, 3D printing, and anything else you can think of.

Is Sketchup worth it?

Sketchup is equipped with all the features and tools needed to create 3D design projects. SketchUp comes in three different versions to suit different needs. If you are a hobbyist or looking for something that can help you print with your 3D printer, simply use sketchup free.

Engineers and architects would like to use SketchUp ProIt contains additional features such as the ability to import and send different file designs, access to 2D documentation, design tools, and much more. Although SketchUp is not known to be a 2D drawing software, it is capable of producing technical drawings that are accurate and professional looking.

SketchUp Pro users have access to a pretty neat 2D drawing environment called LayOut, which is on its way to becoming a full-featured drawing tool for architects, like what we can find in Autocad or something close to it.

SketchUp is a pretty effective 3D modeling tool, especially for people who design, build, and operate buildings. It's very quick and easy for conceptual modeling, but falls short compared to specialized software like Solidworks when it comes to fine engineering. However, it's capable nonetheless.

Download SketchUp Now. 

Take a look at: 6 Best Home Design Tools

Final thoughts

We have reached the end of this tutorial explaining how to move an object in Sketchup. We can say that SketchUp is a good and easy to use computer aided design software, especially for those who are just starting out. But it is also being used by many professionals to do their work. There are multiple free and paid versions of SketchUp, for beginners and for professionals if you are interested.