# Laying out points equal distance apart Sketchup 2017 **URL:** \ **Category:** SketchUp\ **Tags:** modeling\ **Created:** [October 13, 2019, 11:41pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205 "2019-10-13T23:41:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JLT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dec6dc/32.png) [@JLT](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/JLT)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2019, 11:41pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/1 "2019-10-13T23:41:23Z")
how do I lay out points every 1/4" on a line quickly ? ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/2 "2019-10-14T00:00:07Z")
Place a guideline 1/4 in. from the end and then copy it with Move/Copy to make an array. Copy it 1/4 in. along and then type xn where n is the number of additional points. What are you putting at those points once you have them? Maybe the points aren’t really needed if you just want to make multiple copies of a component along the line. ---
**Author:** ![JLT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dec6dc/32.png) [@JLT](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/JLT)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:05am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/3 "2019-10-14T00:05:19Z")
They will be reference points to layout variable size cuts on a lathe projects. ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:09am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/4 "2019-10-14T00:09:24Z")
So maybe you want lines or tick marks along the line instead of guide points. Draw the first line, select it, use Move/Copy to copy it down the line. Type 1/4 and hit Enter for the distance and then immediately type xn Enter where, again, n is the number of copies. ---
**Author:** ![JLT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dec6dc/32.png) [@JLT](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/JLT)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:19am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/5 "2019-10-14T00:19:32Z")
The lines will work well because the depth of cut will vary also. I’ll try to learn the first method on the chair legs. Thanks Dave ! ---
**Author:** ![c\_j\_ryan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/c_j_ryan/32/65050_2.png) [@c\_j\_ryan](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/c_j_ryan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:20am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/6 "2019-10-14T00:20:25Z")
Although Dave R is correct, try typing the number first then “x”, by default “x” is the x-ray command. ---
**Author:** ![JLT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dec6dc/32.png) [@JLT](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/JLT)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:21am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/7 "2019-10-14T00:21:48Z")
So in essence the command becomes “6 times” instead of “times 6” ? ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:24am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/8 "2019-10-14T00:24:12Z")
Hmmmm… ![Copy](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/7/3/73031d772ed49627d66da509e2cfa5969c40b1ca.gif) ---
**Author:** ![c\_j\_ryan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/c_j_ryan/32/65050_2.png) [@c\_j\_ryan](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/c_j_ryan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:26am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/9 "2019-10-14T00:26:13Z")
When I hit “x” first it goes to x-ray, and doesn’t do an array, at least on my computer. Dave is your “x” still set to the default? ---
**Author:** ![Box](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/box/32/235164_2.png) [@Box](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Box)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:33am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/10 "2019-10-14T00:33:18Z")
That’s odd, x before or after or \* before or after work for me. ---
**Author:** ![c\_j\_ryan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/c_j_ryan/32/65050_2.png) [@c\_j\_ryan](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/c_j_ryan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:36am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/11 "2019-10-14T00:36:38Z")
I don’t know what to say, if I hit “x” first, I go to x-ray. On a windows machine anyway. The asterisk works but x changes the command ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:47am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/12 "2019-10-14T00:47:07Z")
> [@c\_j\_ryan](#): > > Dave is your “x” still set to the default? I’ve never changed the keyboard shortcut for x nor have I ever changed the keyboard shortcut for X-ray. Not sure there is a native one for that, anyway. Is it possible you made that the shortcut? I normally use the \* on the extended keyboard but since most users seem to not have the extended keyboard, x is easier than \* ---
**Author:** ![Box](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/box/32/235164_2.png) [@Box](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Box)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:48am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/13 "2019-10-14T00:48:42Z")
I think @DaveR has nailed it, x isn’t the default for x-ray. ---
**Author:** ![c\_j\_ryan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/c_j_ryan/32/65050_2.png) [@c\_j\_ryan](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/c_j_ryan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:56am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/14 "2019-10-14T00:56:23Z")
My apologies to all, although I don’t ever remember changing the shortcut key, apparently that’s what I did many versions ago and it seems to have carried over from version to version, because I sure a heck didn’t reset “x” to x-ray in 2019. ---
**Author:** ![Box](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/box/32/235164_2.png) [@Box](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Box)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:57am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/15 "2019-10-14T00:57:56Z")
I think a lot of people set that shortcut, I don’t as I never use x-ray, so it’s good for those that do to know to use the x after the number. Which is also what I do naturally anyway. ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:58am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/16 "2019-10-14T00:58:12Z")
No apologies needed. For some time, though, SketchUp has carried custom keyboard shortcuts over to the next version. I can’t remember exactly when it started doing that. ---
**Author:** ![Anssi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/anssi/32/105_2.png) [@Anssi](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Anssi)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 5:38am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/laying-out-points-equal-distance-apart-sketchup-2017/106205/17 "2019-10-14T05:38:02Z")
I wonder if there should be somewhere a list of characters not recommended for shortcuts. You get a warning if you try to overwrite an existing shortcut but nothing to prevent you from using reserved characters like \*/ or x.