# Rotation Query **URL:** \ **Category:** Pro\ **Created:** [August 31, 2021, 7:53pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotation-query/174169 "2021-08-31T19:53:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MichaelSiggers](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/michaelsiggers/32/62543_2.png) [@MichaelSiggers](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/MichaelSiggers)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 7:53pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotation-query/174169/1 "2021-08-31T19:53:45Z")
Hi Been ages since I’ve been on here, so hope everyone is well. I’m having a brain freeze on Rotating. Attached is a screenshot, showing two groups. How do I rotate the tope group around Point P, so that Point A touches the Guideline? Kind regards Mike ![Rotation Query](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/6/5/6519a851afe923e8537de718ceb9211465b5fcd1.png) ---
**Author:** ![TDahl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/tdahl/32/11584_2.png) [@TDahl](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/TDahl)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 7:59pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotation-query/174169/2 "2021-08-31T19:59:03Z")
Use the Rotate tool. Move the cursor near point P, and SketchUp’s inference engine should automagically “attach” to the exact end-point. By default, the rotation will occur in the plane of one of the adjacent faces. Depending on how you slightly move the cursor position, you can induce SketchUp to use either of the two adjacent faces (if they are not co-planar). If you want the rotation to occur about one of the principle axes, you can temporarily lock the rotation to Blue (press Up), Green (press Left), Red (press Right), or perpendicular or parallel to existing geometry (press Down once or twice). Then click a second time on point A. Then click a third time along the guideline. You might need to draw a temporary edge along the guideline that spans the approximate region where point A is to end up. I don’t recall if that temporary edge is helpful to get SketchUp’s inference engine to jump the final rotation point A onto the edge, ---
**Author:** ![mperrah](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/mperrah/32/127432_2.png) [@mperrah](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/mperrah)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 8:01pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotation-query/174169/3 "2021-08-31T20:01:54Z")
If both shapes are on the same plan press Q and hover over the spot for P, then hover the cursor over A and look for the snap to refence, then click the grab point and move curser to the guide line until it snaps then final click. If the groups are red/green plan you can tap the up arrow after pressing Q to lock into the Z plan for the rotate. Good luck ---
**Author:** ![MichaelSiggers](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/michaelsiggers/32/62543_2.png) [@MichaelSiggers](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/MichaelSiggers)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 8:08pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotation-query/174169/4 "2021-08-31T20:08:32Z")
Hi That’s what I’ve been doing but it will not snap to the point when the corner of the object hits the guide line, or indeed a line I have drawing along that guideline. It snaps to the line, but not to the exact point. I can move the cursor up and down the line and the rotation increases/decreases depending where I am on the line. I need Point A to sit directly on the line. Mike ---
**Author:** ![MichaelSiggers](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/michaelsiggers/32/62543_2.png) [@MichaelSiggers](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/MichaelSiggers)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 8:09pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotation-query/174169/5 "2021-08-31T20:09:37Z")
It snaps to the line, but not to the exact point where A hits the line. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelSiggers](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/michaelsiggers/32/62543_2.png) [@MichaelSiggers](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/MichaelSiggers)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotation-query/174169/6 "2021-08-31T20:30:23Z")
Going to have to ‘Guess’ for the moment, as there is no way to make Point A hit the Line exactly. Seems a little bit of a shortfall I have discovered in Sketchup. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelSiggers](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/michaelsiggers/32/62543_2.png) [@MichaelSiggers](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/MichaelSiggers)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 8:38pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotation-query/174169/7 "2021-08-31T20:38:20Z")
If I could record a short video I would show that there seems to be no way of making Point A hit the guideline or line. Attached is another screenshot of what I need it for. Guessing is the way forward then. In this, Point A is a guess as I can not get it to lie accurately on the surface of the Oak Post. ![Rotation Query 2](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/7/e/7e9a11f23518184cdfaf738dcc116f13ef29913d.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![MichaelSiggers](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/michaelsiggers/32/62543_2.png) [@MichaelSiggers](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/MichaelSiggers)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 8:40pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotation-query/174169/8 "2021-08-31T20:40:23Z")
> [@TDahl](#): > > Then click a third time along the guideline. You might need to draw a temporary edge along the guideline that spans the approximate region where point A is to end up. I don’t recall if that temporary edge is helpful to get SketchUp’s inference engine to jump the final rotation point A onto the edge, It snaps to the line, just not to the specific point that Point A hits the line. Mike ---
**Author:** ![PaulMcAlenan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/paulmcalenan/32/211206_2.png) [@PaulMcAlenan](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/PaulMcAlenan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 8:41pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotation-query/174169/9 "2021-08-31T20:41:14Z")
Haven’t read through the thread but does this help… > [@Rotate a group at vertex and align the opposite vertex to a point](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotate-a-group-at-vertex-and-align-the-opposite-vertex-to-a-point/156074): > > I feel that I’ve come across a plugin that can do this but cannot seem to find the correct descriptors to locate it if indeed it exists. In the screenshot I want to rotate the group at the rotation point and align the opposite vertex (yellow) to the vertex of the other group (orange) [Screenshot 2021-03-07 202018] The way I currently do it is to draw a circle at the rotation point that has a radius equal to the depth of the group to be rotated, then I use Tig’s True Tangents to get a guidelin… ---
**Author:** ![MichaelSiggers](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/michaelsiggers/32/62543_2.png) [@MichaelSiggers](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/MichaelSiggers)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 8:50pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotation-query/174169/10 "2021-08-31T20:50:55Z")
Thank you @PaulMcAlenan Yeah, I did read this but had some trouble forming the arc as I wanted. Just retried and it seems to work well enough. Would be good if Sketchup had Guide Circles as well as Guidelines. Mike ---
**Author:** ![slbaumgartner](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/slbaumgartner/32/7302_2.png) [@slbaumgartner](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/slbaumgartner)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotation-query/174169/11 "2021-08-31T21:32:15Z")
> [@MichaelSiggers](#): > > Would be good if Sketchup had Guide Circles as well as Guideline A frequent feature request that has so far not gained enough traction to get priority. ---
**Author:** ![mperrah](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/mperrah/32/127432_2.png) [@mperrah](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/mperrah)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 4:05am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/rotation-query/174169/12 "2021-09-02T04:05:29Z")
From the first image i didnt see the shape ends where not flat or coplaner. What you might try: if you know the point you want A to hit draw lines that are on that point using measurements. So im guessing at the planes but say reference green plan over 3" and then red plan across 1" then blue plan up .1" Not these made up numbers but what ever the actual distances are in straight line planes to get from the target start to the target stop. (these are just examples to get the point in 3D space for the target). then group those lines so they don’t mess with your other geometry. then draw a line from your target point to the start point: use this line to reference the rotation plane. I think the problem you are having is the start and stop are not on the same plane, so my method will help rotate the object coplaner to start and stop targets. Possibly, you want them to rotate flat but the stop point is off the plan to reference. then draw perpendicular line from the destination out to the same plan as the rotation pivot. Sorry so long explanation. Hope this gives you something to try.