Precision drawing: moving stuff, placing stuff

[keithwins]

I'm a slightly experienced beginner at SU.

I'd like to use it to model houses. But often the plans change and evolve with time, so I need to be able to go back and move windows, resize them, move walls, etc. And do so precisely.

When I'm creating a wall, for example, I can control the size directly. But if I want to move or create something that is, say, 6" away from something else (say, a window that's 6" from a corner), or 6" from where it currently is, how do I do that? And if I then realize it needs to be 8"? I've just drawn by eye mostly, so far. Perhaps I should try to make sure that everything is components, so I can move them more easily?

Keith

[Chris Fullmer]

Thats about right. Make lots of components then its easier to move them separately from their surrounding geometry.

Chris

[Gaieus]

Hi Keith,

If you are already creating geometry "precisely" (i.e. supposedly using the VCB), it is easy to move anything as precisely as you want. See what the SU Guide says about it here:
http://download.sketchup.com/OnlineDoc/gsu6_win/Content/D-Modification_Tools/ModTool-Move.htm

Also, your suspicion (and Chris' reasurance) of using components (or groups) makes it esy for you to move certain elements easier (apart from many many other advantages of components).

Again, a rather undervalued and rarely used feature of su is the Guide lines. Say you need to place your window (preferably component) at 6" from the corner instead of 8" (where it is now). You can just select your window component and move it 2" away OR create a guide line 6" from the edge of the wall and move your window by snapping its edge to the line. Especially useful if you don't even exactly know where it is (from the corner).
Read about guides here:
Tape measure tool: http://download.sketchup.com/OnlineDoc/gsu6_win/Content/I-Construction_Tools/ConTool-Measure.htm
Procractor tool: http://download.sketchup.com/OnlineDoc/gsu6_win/Content/I-Construction_Tools/ConTool-Protractor.htm

[keithwins]

Thanks so much for the replies. Guidelines are perfect, I use them in my CAD package all the time. What a great feature.

I'll try all this, and especially get a lot more experienced with components, groups and layers.

Keith