Adjusting the Drawing Axes

Adjusting the SketchUp drawing axes makes drawing a 3D model easier in several scenarios:

  • Using tools, such as the Scale tool, that modify geometry based on the drawing axes: When you lot align the edges that you lot want to modify with the axes, you tin can modify your geometry a petty more easily.
  • Tracing a floor plan to create a 3D model of it: When the edges of a rectangular floor plan align with the ruby and green axes, you tin trace your floor plan more easily. That's because the SketchUp inference engine highlights edges that are parallel to an axis as you draw them with the Line tool, as shown in the figure.
  • Geolocating a model on terrain (most ofttimes done on a TIN, or triangulated irregular network): If you're drawing a geolocated model, you lot probably desire to align the drawing axes to the cardinal directions that those axes represent. Doing so helps you situate your model on the terrain correctly. (If you're not familiar with these modeling techniques, learn more well-nigh modeling terrain and working with TINs.)
  • Casting realistic shadows: If you geolocate your model, you can also see how your model looks at different times of day. This is some other situation when adjustment the axes to the cardinal directions is helpful.

SketchUp enables yous to reposition the cartoon axes in a few unlike ways:

  • Click with the mouse.
  • Align the axes to a face.
  • Move and rotate the axes relative to their current position.

Other times, yous may desire to hide the cartoon axes. For example, in a finished model of a chair or even a house or street scene, the cartoon axes may distract from your final model, rather than help you depict it.

For specifics about adjusting or hiding the cartoon axes, see the relevant sections in this article.

Table of Contents
  1. Moving and rotating the drawing axes
  2. Resetting the drawing axes
  3. Hiding the drawing axes
  4. Aligning the cartoon axes with the cardinal directions

Moving and rotating the drawing axes

Here, y'all find detailed steps for adjusting the drawing axes with the mouse or via the options on drawing axes context menu.

Tip: Before y'all adjust the drawing axes, find the best view of your model. Often, that's a corner to which you want to align the axes, either from the height or the side. You can orbit effectually or select an option from the Camera > Standard views submenu. (See Viewing a Model for a more in-depth await at your viewing options.)

To accommodate the axes with your mouse, follow these steps:

  1. Select the Axes tool (). You find the Axes tool on the Construction toolbar, the Large Tool Set toolbar, or the Tool palette (macOS only). Alternatively, you can activate the Axes tool by choosing Tools >Axes, or context-clicking an empty infinite on an centrality and choosing Place from the menu that appears.
  2. Click to place the axes origin indicate. Typically, you lot want to set the origin point at the lesser corner of an object in your model, as shown in the post-obit figure. After you click, a dotted cherry-red axis extends from your mouse cursor.

    Tip: After yous place the origin or select your first direction, you can tap the Alt key (Microsoft Windows) or the Command key (macOS) to alternate the centrality orientation leading to your mouse cursor.

  3. Click to identify the ruddy axis, or the axis you chose if y'all utilize the tip above. You likely want to marshal the red axis to an edge in your model. When your red axis placement is aligned to an border, the SketchUp inference engine displays an on-screen cue, as shown in the figure. Later on you click to place the red axis, some other dotted axis, which represents the light-green axis, extends from your mouse cursor.
  4. Click to place the green centrality. If you adjusted your view to come across the edge yous want to align to the red axis, so the dotted green axis might be hard to see. However, the SketchUp inference engine displays Parallel to Edge inference when you hover over an edge, even if that border is subconscious in your current view.

Tip: As you reorient the cartoon axes, keep an eye on the blue axis. Unless y'all desire to flip your model (and the flip and rotate features offer ameliorate ways to practise that), make sure the blue axis points up. It is possible for information technology to betoken downwards or to the side as you hover the mouse cursor around looking for new axis points.

To align the axes to a confront, context-click the confront and choose Align Axes from the carte du jour that appears.

The post-obit figure illustrates how the face y'all context-click reorients the axes:

  • If yous select a face in the blueish-ruby-red or blueish-green plane (Callout 1), you rotate the axes 90 degrees. Notice how the dark-green centrality points up (Callout two) and the blueish axis turns on its side, relative to the box.
  • If you select a face in the carmine-green plane (Callout 3), the axes don't rotate, simply the ground plane becomes aligned to the selected plane (Callout iv).

Because of this behavior, the Marshal Axes command is often useful when you're drawing a 3D model from a 2D shape that's currently on the ground plane. Select the 2d face up on the footing plane, and the cartoon axes become aligned to the lower-left corner before you start drawing in 3D, every bit shown in the following figure.

To move and rotate the axes relative to their current position, follow these steps:

MacOS

  1. Context-click an empty expanse on an axis and select Move from the menu that appears.
  2. In the Move Axes dialog box that appears (shown in the following figure), enter how far you want to move and rotate each axis. SketchUp uses the units specified in your template. (To see or change the units, select Window > Model Info, select Units in the sidebar on the left, and select a new measurement unit.)
  3. Click the OK push.

Windows

  1. Context-click an empty expanse on an axis and choose Move from the menu that appears.
  2. In the Movement Sketching Context dialog box that appears (shown in the post-obit effigy), enter how far you desire to motility and rotate each axis. SketchUp uses the units specified in your template. (To run across or change the units, select Window > Model Info and select Units in the sidebar on the left. Then choose a new measurement unit of measurement.)
  3. Click the OK button.

In the following video, see how repositioning the drawing axes works and learn a few tips to aid you employ the unlike methods.

Resetting the drawing axes

If you've been moving the drawing axes hither and yon, yous can motility the axes back to their default position pretty hands. Simply context-click an centrality and cull Reset from the carte du jour that appears, every bit shown in the effigy.

SketchUp enables yous to hibernate the drawing axes in two ways:

  • Context-click an open up area on an axis and select Hide from the menu that appears.
  • Select View > Axes from the menu bar. When a check mark appears next to the Axes card detail, selecting this choice clears the Axes carte du jour item and the axes are subconscious from view.

To come across the hidden cartoon axes again, select View > Axes, which selects the Axes option.

Aligning the drawing axes with the fundamental directions

Each axis has a solid line on ane side of the origin and a dotted line on the other side of the origin. The solid blue line leads upward from the origin and the dotted blue line leads down. The remaining lines stand for to ane of the cardinal directions (north, south, east, w). The post-obit tabular array outlines how each line corresponds to a cardinal management, leading from the axes origin point.

Line Direction
Solid green line North
Dotted green line South
Solid ruddy line Due east
Dotted ruby line W