SketchUp 2026 Alt-key shortcut conflict & LayOut tag visibility workflow

SketchUp
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1

Since updating to SketchUp 2026 (Version 26.2.243 64-bit), I have been experiencing what appears to be intermittent keyboard shortcut conflicts involving the Alt key.

At times, particularly when working inside groups or components, using an Alt + [key] shortcut seems to activate the Windows/SketchUp menu bar. Once this occurs, subsequent keyboard shortcuts (even common ones such as Ctrl+C) no longer function normally and instead trigger menu bar commands associated with the highlighted menu item.

This behavior feels similar to an issue I experienced several SketchUp versions ago.

Has anyone else encountered this in SketchUp 2026?

Is there a way to completely disable keyboard focus on the menu bar, or otherwise prevent Alt-key shortcuts from engaging it? My workflow relies heavily on keyboard shortcuts and I never intentionally access the menu bar from the keyboard.

I also have a LayOut workflow question.

In SketchUp, I can select multiple tags and toggle their visibility on or off simultaneously. In LayOut’s Tags panel, however, I seem to have to enable or disable visibility one tag at a time for each scene or viewport.

Am I missing a faster workflow for managing the visibility of multiple tags at once in LayOut? On larger projects with many tags and scenes, this becomes quite time-consuming.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

@DaveR, perhaps you can shed some light on this one. And before you ask, yes—I updated my profile before posting.

@colin, I’d be interested in your thoughts as well.

2

This is what it should do. It is standard Windows behaviour. Alt+ a key that matches a pulldown menu opens that menu, and the application then waits for you to press a key that selecta a function from the menu.

3

Thanks, Anssi. I am familiar with the standard Windows Alt-key menu behavior, and I would expect Alt by itself to place focus on the menu bar, or Alt + a menu mnemonic to activate the corresponding menu.

What I am describing appears to be different. In my case, I am using Alt in combination with another key as a custom SketchUp shortcut (for example, Alt + [key]), not pressing Alt by itself and then waiting for a second key press.

In previous SketchUp versions, these shortcuts worked reliably without the application becoming stuck in menu mode. Since updating to 26.2.243, I occasionally find that after using an Alt-key shortcut, subsequent shortcuts (even Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, etc.) are intercepted by the menu bar until I click back into the modeling window or otherwise reset focus.

When this occurs, pressing Alt again does not disengage the menu, nor does pressing Esc. The menu bar continues to retain keyboard focus.

This feels less like the intended Windows Alt-key behavior and more like SketchUp intermittently transferring keyboard focus to the menu bar and not returning it.

Has anyone else noticed a change in this behavior with SketchUp 2026?

4

Confirm, very annoying

5

I would appreciate if the SketchUp team could investigate and resolve both of these issues as soon as possible. The Alt-key/menu focus issue disrupts my workflow numerous times throughout the day, while the lack of efficient multi-tag visibility controls in LayOut results in a significant amount of repetitive work on larger projects.

Both issues create a considerable amount of inconvenience and frustration and have a measurable impact on productivity.

6

This is a known reported bug – it adds much pain and friction to the workflow.

7

When will these issues be resolved? Both are very impactful to me.

8

hopefully next update. it’ll likely be sketchup 2027. if they follow last years calendar, in autumn.