How do I tell the tool that I want the circle around the X axis, not the Y axis? Extremely frustrating. The tool always wants to lay the object down. OK for a sheet of plywood, but not ok for a circle that is being used as a path for the follow me tool. AHHHHHHH!
If you’re still using SketchUp 8 as your profile indicates, you can either orbit the camera to encourage the circle tool to orient the circle as desired or you can use an existing face as an orientation reference by hovering on the face and then holding Shift to lock the direction. With SU2016, you can do those things as well as use the cursor keys or other ways to get the circle oriented as you wish.
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Tick one of the [ Arrow] keys to get it to orient with one of the three axes.
up = blue
left = green
right = red
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I can’t believe how many times I have made a gif like this.
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I can’t believe how many time I’ve enjoyed them 
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I can duplicate the results with the circle tool, but I can’t seem to do it with the rectangle tool.
@BruceYoung, there’s no magic involved in getting the correct orientation for both circle and rectangle. Both tools work slightly different in finding the desired axes-plane R/B or G/B
See image with virtual spot on the horizon:
For a circle the center 's location in relation to mentioned spot on the horizon determines the circle’s orientation.
You can toggle between a green and red circle even before you click its center just by being left or right of the spot on the screen.
For a rectangle it is the second endpoint of the rectangle that determines the orientation of the rectangle. Meaning you already started the rectangle with a first click.
- if You want to tell the tool more than X,Y,Z
It´s a “must have” !
Edit: missing feedback I should explaine the WORKPLANE-Plugin :
Roberto Blanco - Ein bisschen Spaß muss sein - YouTube - nur schade, dass man dazu quasi auswandern muss, denn in einem deutschsprachigen SketchUp - Forum wäre Ironie der Anfang vom Ende.
Perhaps you are looking for the axis colour rather than seeing in 3d and watching the orientation.
Which irony?
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Okay, I can duplicate @Box’s rectangle drawing. But, the circle is allowing arrow key control like the rotate tool (is that is part of the new inference engine, or is that old?). I can’t do the same thing with the rectangle tool and arrow keys.
If you really need to orient the rectangle with arrow keys, use the other tool, Rotated Rectangle. It will respond to arrow inference.
http://www.stupidedia.org/stupi/Ironie
Der erste Satz dort ist sehr lang und sein letzter Teil macht deutlich, dass man Ironie gegenĂĽber Unbekannten vermeiden sollte.
I do know what irony is, I don’t know where you found it here…
“Box3d
I can’t believe how many times I have made a gif like this.”
If this is not irony, than I don´t understand what irony is.
What is it?
If you meant Boxs reply, why do you reply to mine?
I don’t think it is irony, it’s the expression of amazement how difficult it is for beginners to find those nice gifs.
Allow me to assist. Irony is a form of satirical humor that generally involves a statement that is the opposite of or contrary to what is true or expected. It’s like a first cousin to sarcasm.
If Box had said, “I’ve hardly ever had to make a gif like this before,” that would have been irony, although not really of the prize-winning variety.
-Gully
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Or possibly disgruntlement at how seldom beginners will trouble themselves to look up answers already given over and over.
-Gully
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Thanks and believe it, I would prefer a comment to WORKPLANE !
(I tried to upload an animated gif for better understanding, but the upload stopped).