When drawing an object, is there a way to add values in the Measurements Box? For example, to draw a line that is 11.5"+.125" or 20’ -(minus) 1/16" ?
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No. It won’t take inputs like that. Use this as an opportunity to exercise your math brain. 
Enter 11.625 or 19 15/16.
I keep a calculator at my desk but rarely use it and prefer to do most of the math in my head. It’s good to do that once in awhile.
No. It’s a shame because other software that has numerical input boxes do allow entry of simple arithmetic. With SU, you either have to do it longhand or use an actual or virtual calculator.
You can always use Chrome to do your math.
Thanks, everyone. I can do the math but it gets cumbersome sometimes. It would be a nice feature for Trimble to add and probably not difficult – just begin the entry with an equal sign. It would be so handy! The lengths I want are often the result of 2 or 3 measurements, or a distance minus the width/thickness of something.
It would be a nice feature but even if it’s on the list, it won’t happen today or tomorrow. In the mean time you could use the Tape Measure tool to help you or perhaps other parts in your model. The workflow I use actually requires little math since I get a few parts drawn in place and use what I’ve drawn as references for the next parts.
It may be a bit late for this suggestion, but I use a feet inch calculator as a companion tool when I model in SketchUp. I recently found an inexpensive app for that purpose that now resides on my smartphone. Links are provided below. (There are several apps offered at no cost also.)
Thank you, but the point is that this would be an often used and simple feature that I’m surprised isn’t already in SketchUp.
It’s a very good feature, I use MODO and its in that, you can do quite complex math on the input fields
It’s been asked for many times over the years but has yet to be implemented.
If no math functionality (+1) is to be implemented, then I would settle for the ability to use copy and paste into the ‘Measurements’ field. Do math in say Excel and paste the result in SketchUp as input.
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Most of the arithmetic would be needed “on the fly,” so a calculator would be much less cumbersome than an Excel program. But even that shouldn’t be necessary in a program that is otherwise so nice and easy to use as
SketchUp.
Not arguing against whether this would be a good feature, just noting that in my workflow I very rarely need calculations. I usually do incremental distances from existing geometry or use the Array copy with divide or the edge divide to get exact splits.
I do the maths in Ruby Console and copy paste the results into the VCB…
john
Give us an example please. (In proper steps) Is the ‘Measurement’s’ field accessible by pasting or trough ruby or what?
I know the Ruby Console does math, taking into account some rules, but how to get the result where you want it to go?
an example…
after a PushPull I can do a calculation in RC e.g. 3.147*23
I then highlight and Copy the result…
click into Measurement box and Paste…
after using Return/Enter key, the PP is adjusted to my result…
john
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On a Mac, won’t work on a Win Machine.
As @Box mentions, this is “Mac only”, unfortunately.
(not unfortunately that he mentioned it)!
Being on a Mac, I just use the pop up Calculator, copy the result and paste in the input box. No need for Ruby Console (which I know nothing about).
Well, any app or program could be used. For more complex work I can imagine using Excel but I can use some money first,… to buy that Mac.