Aligning objects NOT on the middle

SketchUp
1

I am new to Sketchup but have extensive experience using and writing drawing tools. But I am really struggling with a very simple aspect of Sketchup, to wit, how to align any object with another, and not just at their midpoints.
For an example I am trying to create a baby-gate(Puppy Gate.skp (363.6 KB)
), which starts with 4 pieces of 1x4. I can draw them easily enough but how to connect them, edge to edge?

I found this suggestion:

“Very simple. No plugins needed. Draw the first box to the size you need. Make it a group. Beside that one draw another at the smaller size you need. Make it a group. Now using the move tool grab the center of the bottom edge of the smaller cube (a blue dot will show that you are at the center point) and move so that it aligns with the top edge of the first cube in the center. Rotate your view slightly then grab the bottom side edge of the top cube in the center, hold down an arrow key to keep on the axis and move the top cube until you get the center inference of the first cube (along the side). Now you have two cubes aligned.”

This works well, but only seems to work for midpoints. I tried all sorts of way to connect/align vertices to vertices or vertices to edges or edges to edges but no soap. There is probably something simple I missing. I also tried a couple of the recommended plugins and they didn’t appear to do what I want either.
Pointers would be appreciated.

2

Grab things by the point you want to move. Here I just grab the corner and move it to the other corner.
Grab

3

Well, I’ll be. Yes, that works. Why didn’t before? I’d swear… oh well. A tiny part of the problem is that the 1x4s I created somehow were a tiny bit offline. Long way to go. Thanks for the help

4

Two of them aren’t grouped, so you would be grabbing and stretching the geometry on those.

5

I don’t think that was the issue as much as my clumsiness with the rotation tool. :slight_smile: Again, thanks

6

And almost all the time you would do better to make components rather than groups.

7

There is another issue that you might have run into when working in a 3D environment.

Sometimes when you pick up a Group/Component to move it, no matter what you do, Sketchup won’t inference the point you want to move it to. It’s never obvious why it doesn’t always work as seamlessly as @Box’s example. In those cases, it sometimes does work if you orbit around to a different viewpoint. But if that doesn’t work either, I generally use the cursor keys to move the object in steps along each axis.

8

Do you mean this Simon…?

2 Likes
9

Prezactly.