Copy/distribute tool doesn't work

SketchUp Pro
1

I’m trying to copy/paste a simple group and distribute it across the screen. I select the object, press and release the move tool, press and release the option button (+ sign appears by cursor), then move the object to it’s desired end point, and type in the quantity and press enter.

I’ve tried this multiple times and here’s what happens:

the desired object (component, group) will wind up duplicated on top of the original, offset in inches the number that I typed in to distribute. Strangely also, all of a sudden the screen changes style to ‘colored axis’ edges. Is this a bug?

2

You need to PLACE the first copy by clicking or typing the move distance and then hitting Enter BEFORE you type in how many copies you need

3

Thank you Aaron. I was hitting enter in the correct sequence, but what I did wrong was pressing the / before the quantity number, instead of the other way around! Interestingly, either of those sequences will work for the multiply copy/paste command, but not on the distribute command.

Joe

Someone replied to your post.

| TheOnlyAaron SketchUp Team Member
July 5 |

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You need to PLACE the first copy by clicking or typing the move distance and then hitting Enter BEFORE you type in how many copies you need

4

/n should work as well as n/. It works fine on the PC, anyway. You have to either click and release to set the location for the copy at the far end of the array or you need to type the distance and press Enter before typing /n. The thing that would make it not work as expect is if you had possible set up / as a keyboard shortcut for something else.

This is in SketchUp 2026 but it is the same in 2021.

5

Yes, I have M set up as the move shortcut.
Joe

6

That’s the default ketboard shortcut for Move. I wasn’t referring to that. If you’ve set up the / (slash) as a keyboard shortcut you could have problems using it at the beginning of typing a number for an array.