SketchUp Tools

LARGE TOOL SET

The Large Tool Set contains SketchUp’s core drawing, editing, and navigation tools. These tools are used to create basic geometry (lines, faces, shapes), apply materials, transform objects, and move through the model. Most SketchUp workflows begin and end here.

Selection & Materials

Select

Lasso

Paint Bucket

Select — Spacebar
Selects geometry and objects in the model.

Click — select entity

Double-click — select face + bounding edges

Triple-click — select all connected geometry

Shift — add / subtract to selection

Cmd— toggle select / deselect

Ctrl — select multiple separate entities

Lasso
Draws an irregular selection boundary around geometry .

Left - right motion — selects only fully enclosed geometry

Right to left motion — selects anything the lasso touches

Paint Bucket — B
Applies materials to faces, groups, or components.

Alt — sample material from model

Basic Drawing Tools

Line

Rectangle

Rotated Rectangle

Circle

Polygon

Line — L or Cmd L
Draws straight edges between points.

Shift — lock current inference direction

Arrow keys — lock axis (↑/↓ blue, → red, ← green, inference alignment / reference direction)

Length — type value + Enter

Rectangle — R
Draws an axis-aligned rectangular face.

Shift — force square

Dimensions — type width, comma, height, Enter

Rotated Rectangle
Draws a rectangle at a custom angle.

Click to set rotation

Dimensions — type width, comma, height, Enter

Circle — C
Draws a circular face from center point.

Shift — lock drawing plane

Radius — type value + Enter

Segments — type number, S, Enter

Polygon
Draws a multi-sided face.

Sides — type number + Enter

Radius — type value + Enter

Arc & Curve Tools

Arc

3 Point Arc

2 Point Arc

Freehand

Arc — A or Cmd J
Draws an arc by center, start, and end points.

Bulge — type value + Enter

Segments — type number, S, Enter

3-Point Arc — A
Draws an arc by start point, end point, and bulge.

Bulge — type value + Enter

Segments — type number, S, Enter

2-Point Arc — A
Draws an arc between two endpoints.

Bulge — type value + Enter

Radius — type value, R, Enter

Segments — type number, S, Enter

Pie — Draw > Arcs > Pie
Creates a filled arc segment.

Freehand — Cmd F

Draws freeform edges by dragging the cursor.

Transform Tools

Transform tools modify existing geometry—moving, copying, rotating, scaling, and arranging objects. These tools are essential for precision, repetition, and alignment.

Move

Rotate

Scale

Move — M
Moves selected geometry or objects.

Ctrl — move a copy

Shift — lock inference direction

Alt — auto-fold geometry

Arrow keys — lock axis

Distance — type value + Enter

Copy Arrays (Move tool):

External array — move copy, type nX, Enter

Internal array — move copy, type n/, Enter

Rotate — Q
Rotates geometry around a chosen axis.

Ctrl — rotate a copy

Shift — lock rotation plane

Angle — type degrees + Enter

Scale — S
Scales geometry using control handles.

Ctrl — scale about center

Shift — uniform scaling

Factor — type number + Enter

Editing & Construction

Push / Pull

Follow Me

Offset

Eraser

Make Componant

Push / Pull — P
Extrudes or cuts faces.

Distance — type value + Enter

Follow Me — Tools > Follow Me
Extrudes a face along a path.

Alt — use face perimeter as path

Recommended workflow:

Preselect path

Activate Follow Me

Click profile face

Offset — F
Creates parallel edges inside or outside a face.

Distance — type value + Enter

Eraser — E
Deletes or modifies edges.

Ctrl — soften / smooth edges

Shift — hide edges

Ctrl + Shift — unsoften / unsmooth

Make Component — Shift + Cmd + G

Converts selected geometry into a reusable component.

Measurements & Guides

Tape Measure

Protractor

Axes

Tape Measure — T
Measures distances and creates guides.

Ctrl — create guide lines or points

Protractor
Measures angles and creates angular guides.

Axes — Tools > Axes
Repositions the drawing axes.

Right-click — reset axes

Camera & Navigation

Camera tools control how you view and move through the model, without changing geometry.

Orbit

Pan

Zoom

Zoom Window

Zoom Extents

Position Camera

Walk

Look Around

Orbit — O
Rotates the camera around the model.

Pan — H
Moves the camera without rotating.

Zoom — Z
Zooms in and out of the model.

Scroll wheel — continuous zoom

Zoom Window — Cmd + ]
Zooms into a drawn rectangular area.

Zoom Extents — Cmd +[
Zooms to show the entire model.

Position Camera
Places the camera at eye height.

Eye Height — type value + Enter

Walk — Cmd + /
Moves forward and backward from camera position.

Look Around — Cmd + .
Rotates the camera from a fixed point.

Eye Height — type value + Enter

Returns to the previous camera view.

Annotation

Dimensions

Text

3D Text

Dimensions
Adds measured dimensions to geometry.

Text
Adds leader text annotations.

3D Text

Creates extruded text geometry.

Sectioning

View Section Planes

View Section Cuts

View Section Fill

Section Plane — Cmd + Y
Creates live section cuts through the model.

Right-click — activate, reverse, or hide

View Section Planes — View > Section Plans

Places a section plane in the model

Click — place section plane on a face or axis

Move — reposition before placing

Right-click — Activate, reverse, align view, or hide

View Section Cuts — View > Section Cuts

Toggles visibility of section plane objects

View Section Fill — View > Section Fill

Toggles solid fill on cut geometry

SOLID TOOLS

Solid tools operate on closed, watertight groups or components and perform boolean operations.

Show ‘Buttons’ — View > Tool Palettes > Solid Tools

Outer Shell

Intersect

Subtract

Split

Union

Trim

Outer Shell — Tools > Outer Shell
Combines solids into a single outer form.

Intersect — Tools > Solid Tools > Intersect
Keeps only overlapping volume.

Subtract — Tools > Solid Tools > Subtract
Removes one solid from another.

Split — Tools > Solid Tools > Split
Divides solids into separate pieces.

Union — Tools > Solid Tools > Union

Merges solids into one.

Trim — Tools > Solid Tools > Trim

Cuts a solid without deleting the cutter.

SANDBOX (TERRAIN)

Tools for creating and modifying topography

From Scratch

From Contours

Smooth

Drape

Stamp

Flip Edge

Add Detail

From Scratch — Draw > Sandbox > From Scratch
Creates a flat terrain grid.

From Contours — Draw > Sandbox > From Contours
Generates terrain from contour lines.

Smoove — Tools > Sandbox > Smoove
Sculpts terrain interactively.

Drape — Tools > Sandbox > Drape
Projects geometry onto terrain.

Flip Edge — Tools > Sandbox > Flip Edge
Adjusts terrain triangulation.

Stamp — Tools > Sandbox > Stamp
Flattens an area into terrain.

Add Detail — Tools > Sandbox > Add Detail

Increases terrain resolution.

STANDARD VIEWS

Iso / Top / Front / Left / Right / Back / Bottom

Top — Cmd + 1

Bottom — Cmd + 2

Front — Cmd + 3

Back — Cmd + 4

Left — Cmd + 5

Right — Cmd + 6

Iso — Cmd + 7

STYLES

Control visual appearance without affecting geometry.

X-Ray / Back Edges / Ambient Occulsion / Wireframe / Hidden Line / xxxxx / Shaded / Shaded w/ Textures / Photoreal

FACE STYLE

X-Ray — View > Face Style > X-Ray
Makes geometry transparent for seeing through objects.

Ambient Occlusion — View > Face Style > Ambient Occlusion
Adds soft shadowing where surfaces meet.

Wireframe — View > Face Style > Wireframe
Displays edges only, no faces.

Hidden Line — View > Face Style > Hidden Line
Displays flat white faces with visible edges.

Shaded — View > Face Style > Shaded
Displays faces with shading, no textures.

Monochrome — View > Face Style > Monochrome
Displays front and back faces in default colors (helps find reversed faces).

Shaded with Textures — View > Face Style > Shaded with Textures
Displays materials and textures applied to faces.

Photoreal Materials — View > Face Style > Photoreal Materials

Displays advanced physically based rendering (PBR) materials.

EDGE STYLE

Edges — View > Edge Style > Edges
Toggles edge visibility on and off.

Back Edges — View > Edge Style > Back Edges
Displays hidden edges as dashed lines.

Profiles — View > Edge Style > Profiles
Thickens outer profile edges.

Depth Cue — View > Edge Style > Depth Cue
Fades edges farther from the camera.

Extensions — View > Edge Style > Extensions
Extends edges slightly past corners.

GEO TOOLS

Add Location

Add Location — File > Add Location
Imports real-world site data.

Last updated by Abigail Green - February 2026

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