New User, can't figure out how to change dimensions of a shape!

Very simply I am trying to create a rendering of a business I am thinking about purchasing. I am a completely new user to any of this and after fiddling around with it awhile I seem to understand most of the basics. However I am using SketchUp Make and when I go to draw a rectangle and set a point I can not figure out where I can type in exact dimensions of that rectangle. Or if I set it I can not find how to change the size without dragging my mouse and getting as close to the size I need. Any input??

Most SketchUp drawing tools work as follows:

  • you start drawing by clicking the mouse at some point on the model
  • you move the mouse to establish the direction you want the new entity to go
  • you let go of the mouse and just type the required value then press the enter key (some things such as rectangles require two values. You type them separated by a comma (or semi-colon if you are in a locale that uses comma as the decimal point)

Note also that much of the time you don’t need to enter values. Instead you use inferences from existing entities in the model.

Because you say you think you understand the basics but needed to ask about this, I am a bit worried that you actually don’t understand as much as you thought! If the above comes across as gibberish I would recommend you go back and study the basic tutorials again.

The Measurements box is located, by default, docked at the lower right of the status bar.

During tools, you just type the dimensions or modifier keys. You do not click in the box to give it focus. (It does not work like web form controls.)