What Is the Hotkey for Select in SketchUp?

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In SketchUp, selecting objects is a fundamental action that allows you to manipulate and modify your 3D models efficiently. While you can always use the mouse or trackpad to select objects, using hotkeys can greatly speed up your workflow.

So, what is the hotkey for select in SketchUp? Let’s find out!

The Default Hotkey

By default, the hotkey for select in SketchUp is the Spacebar. Pressing the Spacebar on your keyboard activates the Select Tool, which is represented by an arrow cursor. With this tool active, you can click on any object or entity in your model to select it.

Once an object is selected, you can perform various operations on it such as moving, rotating, scaling, or deleting. You can also modify its properties or apply materials to it using other tools and commands available in SketchUp.

Selecting Multiple Objects

If you want to select multiple objects at once, there are a few different methods you can use:

  • Shift + Click: Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and click on each object you want to select. This method allows you to add objects to your selection one by one.
  • Drag Selection: Click and hold your mouse button anywhere in empty space in your model.

    Then drag a selection box around the objects you want to select. Any objects fully or partially inside this box will be selected.

  • Select All: To quickly select all objects in your model, press Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd + A (Mac). This selects everything including edges, faces, components, groups, and guides.

The Selection Toolbar

If you prefer using graphical tools instead of hotkeys, you can also utilize the Selection Toolbar in SketchUp. To access this toolbar, go to View > Toolbars > Selection. The toolbar provides various selection tools such as Select, Select All, Deselect, and Invert Selection.

Using the Select tool from the toolbar, you can click on individual objects to select them. Holding down the Shift key while clicking allows you to add objects to your selection. Similarly, you can use the other tools in the toolbar to modify your selections quickly.

Customizing Hotkeys

If you find that the default hotkey for select doesn’t suit your preferences or conflicts with other software you use, fear not! SketchUp allows you to customize hotkeys according to your needs.

To customize hotkeys in SketchUp:

  1. Go to Window > Preferences (Windows) or SketchUp > Preferences (Mac) from the menu bar.
  2. In the Preferences dialog box, select the Shortcuts tab.
  3. Here, you can see a list of all available commands and their associated hotkeys. Scroll down or use the search bar to find the “Select” command.
  4. Select the “Select” command from the list and click on the existing hotkey assigned to it.
  5. Type in your preferred hotkey combination and click Add.
  6. The new hotkey will be added to the list. Click OK to save your changes.

Note that when assigning new hotkeys, make sure they are not already used by other commands to avoid conflicts.

In Conclusion

The hotkey for select in SketchUp is the Spacebar. Using this hotkey, along with other selection techniques such as Shift + Click or Drag Selection, allows you to efficiently choose and manipulate objects in your 3D models. Additionally, you can customize hotkeys to match your personal preferences and optimize your workflow.