There are times when you want to move a selection in a specific direction – and there are ways to do that with:

1. Shift key –  Press and hold the Shift key, while the move you are performing is the specific color of an axis, to lock move operation to that axis (the inference line will bold).

2. Arrow keys – You can force SketchUp to infer parallel to a specific axis by pressing one of the following keys while using the Line tool, Move tool, or Tape Measure tool:

• → Right arrow key = red axis
• ← Left arrow key = green axis
•  ↑  Up or down arrow keys = blue axis

3. Alt key – use it to force a free movement of an element constrain by the geometry it is a part of. You can combine it with a Shift key.

Additional info on Sketchup Sage

4. Entering a 3D Coordinate – SketchUp can move your entities to exact (using [x, y, z ]) or relative (using <x, y, z >) coordinates in 3D space. Type it in and you will see it in The Measurements Toolbar at the bottom right corner of the SketchUp window.