Moving an image in SketchUp is a straightforward process involving the Select and Move tools. Here's how to do it:
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Select the Image: Using the Select tool (arrow icon) or the Lasso tool, click on the image you want to move. A blue bounding box will appear around the selected image.
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Activate the Move Tool: Select the Move tool (four-way arrow icon) from the toolbar, or simply press the M key on your keyboard.
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Establish the Move Point (Base Point): Click on the image to define your starting point for the move. This point will serve as your "handle" while moving the image. Good choices for the move point might be a corner of the image, its center, or a point aligned with another object in your model.
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Move the Image: Move your mouse to drag the image to its new location. As you move, SketchUp often provides visual guides to help you align the image with other objects or axes. You can type in a precise distance and direction (e.g., "3',4'") in the Measurements toolbar (lower right) after initiating the move to constrain the movement.
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Set the Destination Point: Click again to place the image at its desired destination. This second click finalizes the move.
Tips for Precise Movement:
- Constraining Movement: You can constrain the movement along an axis (red, green, or blue) by holding down the Shift key while moving the image. This forces the movement to be parallel to the highlighted axis.
- Relative Movement: After selecting the image and the Move tool, you can type in relative coordinates in the format
[x,y,z](e.g.,[1',2',0']) to move the image a specific distance along each axis relative to its current position. - Copying Instead of Moving: If you want to create a copy of the image while moving it, tap the Ctrl key (Windows) or Option key (Mac) after you start moving the image, but before you click to set the destination. A plus sign (+) will appear next to the move cursor indicating that you're creating a copy.
By using the Select and Move tools effectively and paying attention to alignment guides and constraints, you can accurately position images within your SketchUp models.
