Tag Archives: keyboard shortcut

Sketchup – Move on specific axis

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 CoordinateSketchUp 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.

3DS Max – Isolate Selection

Isolate selection in another program – 3DS Max. How it works?

There is a keyboard shortcut: Alt+Q = Isolate selection

In 3DS Max 2012 and previous versions while the Isolate Tool is active, a dialog labeled ISOLATED SELECTION appears.

Exit Isolation Click to end isolation, close the dialog, and unhide the rest of the scene. The views are restored to what they showed before you chose Isolate Selection.

In 3DS Max 2013  the “isolate selection” was changed. Alt+Q toggles the isolation. Dialog window doesn’t appear and it’s impossible to use isolate selection one after another to get deeper in complex models with many objects how it was possible before.  There is also icon on the bottom of the viewports which do the same as a keyboard shortcut.

isolate selection

In 3DS Max 2014 as I heard the possibility to use isolate selection one after another was restored.


Note: Isolate Selection works only at the object level. You can’t choose it while at the sub-object level. If you go to a sub-object level while working with an isolated object, you can click Exit Isolation, but you can’t isolate sub-objects.