Locking the Rotate Tool’s Orientation
It’s sometimes hard to get the Rotate tool’s rotation base to use the orientation you want, because it aligns to any underlying surface. And if you have a complex object, what you consider the current underlying surface is not what SketchUp might consider the current underlying surface, which can be frustrating.One trick you can use is to lock the rotation base’s plane over a surface you like and then move it to the surface you’re having problems with. When you lock the rotation base, it preserves its orientation no matter how what the underlying surface is.
Here’s how it works:
1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button.
2. Select the Rectangle tool and draw a horizontal rectangle.
3. Select the Push/Pull tool in the toolbar and pull the rectangle up into a cube.
4. Select the Rotate tool in the toolbar.
5. Move the rotation base around the various surfaces and planes in the drawing to confirm that the rotation base aligns with the underlying surface. You can see examples in Figures 8.6 and 8.7.
FIGURE 8.6 The rotation base aligns one way.
FIGURE 8.7 The rotation base aligns another way.
6. Now we’ll lock the rotation base in the horizontal position. Move the rotation base to an empty part of the drawing. By default, the rotation base takes a horizontal alignment.
7. Press the Shift key. Pressing the Shift key locks the orientation of the rotation base.
8. With the Shift key down, move the rotation base around the various surfaces and planes in the drawing to confirm that the rotation base stays horizontal. You can see examples in Figures 8.8 and 8.9.
FIGURE 8.8 The rotation base is horizontal.
FIGURE 8.9 The rotation base stays horizontal.
There you have it- now you can keep the rotation base the way you want it.
Thanks :
Steven Holzner,
SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes
