Google SketchUp: The Missing Manual

Tools

The Tools menu holds most of the non-drawing tools, including the basic Select, Move, Rotate, and Scale tools. You also find some of the tools that make SketchUp unique, such as the Push/Pull, Follow Me, and Offset tools. Several of these tools use the Measurements toolbar (A Tour of SketchUp's Main Window) to perform their tasks with accuracy.

Select

Windows: Space bar

Mac: Space bar; ⌘-/

Activates the Select tool (and generally ends the operation of other SketchUp tools). Often you must select a SketchUp entity before using other tools or commands. For example, you must select several lines and edges (entities) before making a group or component. Click an entity once to select it. Click twice to select the entity and the other entities immediately touching it. Click three times to select the entity and all the entities that are connected to it by edges and faces.

Note

You can drag to make a selection, but keep in mind that the Select tool behaves differently depending on whether you drag it to the left or to the right (Speeding Up Construction with Arrays). Drag to the right and the Select tool selects entities that are completely within the selection window. Drag to the left to select every entity that is partially within the selection window.

Eraser

Windows: E

Mac: E

Activates the Eraser tool (Erasing Lines and Surfaces). Click entities to erase them, or drag to erase several entities at a time. To hide an edge, press Shift while clicking the edge. To soften an edge (making the ...