Align Edge of model to axis

Technical Problems SketchUp
1

I’m a new user, so please excuse a dumb question. Once I’ve drawn a model, how do I ensure that one of the edges is on an axis (for example the green axis) so that I can get accurate measurements from the model?

Thanks… Ralph

2

Hi Ralph, hi folks.

You can get precise measurements even if the model is not aligned to any axis.

The best way is to create the model align to the axis, when feasible, of course.

For a model that has been modelled out of alignment, you can use the rotate tool to align the model with any axis.

When rotating, if you keep the cursor on the rotation protractor, you can get an axis inference.

Just ideas.

Jean

3

Jean… Thanks for your answer. It helped a lot. I was able to get my model aligned to the origin by using the “AXES” tool. Now that I’ve got it aligned on the axis, I want to move it along a specific axis. Is there a way to that so that the model only moves in the direction I want and not in all three dimensions?

4

Select the move tool. Select the model to move. Hit the right arrow key and the model will be constrained to the red axis. Hit the left arrow key and the model will move only on the green axis. Hit the up or down arrow and the model will move only on the blue axis

5

As an alternative to the arrow keys, you can just start moving an object in the approximate direction of one of the axes. You’ll notice that as you move the mouse pointer, a dotted line stretches from the start point of the move to the pointer. When the move is off axis, the dotted line is black. When it is on axis, the dotted line turns the color of the axis and exerts a slight gravity effect on the pointer, making it easy just to slide along the axis without further constraint.

However, at any point, you may lock movement along one of the axes by pressing the Shift key when the reference line turns the color of that axis. The colored dotted line changes to bold face, denoting that movement is locked along that axis. You may thereupon snap to other objects to define a distance along the locked axis and complete the move.

-Gully