I’ve recently updated to SKP2026 and noticed you cannot use the arrow keys to lock directions on the third step of the rotation tool. I note that it still recognises the line or axis and will snap to them, but why take away the ability to lock it? Seems unnecessary.
Activate the rotate tool and you are able to use the arrow keys to lock to a rotation plane (perfect)
Now I’ve clicked on a point where I would like to rotate from, and I need to select my first reference point for rotation. Now it doesn’t say I can use the arrow keys to lock in a direction, but it still works as this stage. As can be seen by the thicker green/red/blue line
Once I’ve clicked, again, there is no prompt for using arrow keys to lock, except this time I cannot lock to any axis or to parallel/perpendicular with the line on the right. It will give me the purple/pink lines as I rotate around to suggest it is parallel/perpendicular, but now I have to tediously move my mouse to the exact point that it starts to inference the line or axis.
Please bring back the ability to lock, I’m sure this isn’t hard to add back in and wasn’t causing anyone troubles previously.
I’ll add that the ability to lock inference is still working perfectly on the centre point arc tool.
Apologies, there are no screenshot the forum wouldn’t allow me to post them
The Move tool rotation handles were added to the Rotate tool with SketchUp 2025, but that led to some confusing behavior, where you start rotating using one of those handles, then you tap an arrow key for an axis that fights with the axis the handle was on. Similar problems would happen when you start the rotation from a grip or snap, the end result looked like rotate was broken. So those arrow keys are ignored now, and the rotation axis you already started on is used.
For the case where you would have used an arrow press to make the rotation jump to a given axis, you can rotate near that axis, and it will snap to the axis.
For what it’s worth, in earlier versions of SketchUp neither the status bar or the Instructor suggested that an arrow press after the second click would do something.
I understand, however I don’t feel the rotation tool was confusing in SKP2025. If you are rotating in the xy axis then of course you wont be able to reference the z axis. SKP2025 even says “Constraint not appropriate at this time” which is valid and true.
My gripe with not being able to lock/snap to an axis or a reference line is when you are trying to do these actions in a busy model. sometimes you don’t want to be moving your mouse around over loads of other geometry constantly snapping to other corners or edges. Instead if you already know you need to line up with the red or green axis, just tap the arrow and you can be confident that what you have done is correct.
My preference would be to add change it back to exactly how SKP2025 works. It worked perfectly in my opinion.
Yea, I mused because there are several other options to tool behavior in preferences.
(Ex, Rotate handles toggle for Move tool, Click-Drag behavior, etc.)
