Roof Inference Locking Sketchup

I m on a mac with sketchup 15 3 329 this is what i am reading on the sketchup database locking inferences with a keyboard by locking inferences you can confidently draw along the direction you intend to draw.

Roof inference locking sketchup.

Inference locking is the ability to draw or move in only one locked direction in sketchup. Hold down the shift key to lock the inference you see. Click where you want the edge to end. Inference locking is the ability to draw or move in only one direction and still reference other geometry.

It is a key skill for fast and efficient sketchup use. For your line click the peak of the roof to make your vertical edge end at exactly that height. The edge gets thicker to let you know it s locked and now you can draw only in the blue direction no matter where you move the cursor. Release shift to unlock the inference.

To do it you have two ways firstly select it then either go to the edit menu and choose the lock option or simply right click and select the same option from there. You will also use arrays and copying to create dormers. The edge gets thicker to let you know it s locked and now you can draw only in the blue direction no matter where you move your cursor. Once you do notice the blue box around it turns to red.

Click the peak of the roof to make your vertical edge end at exactly that height. This signifies that the image has been locked. Please keep in mind this isn t a video on roofs but an example of various inference locking techniques and how they work in google sketchup. For example when the line tool cursor is hovering over the midpoint of another line the inference engine tells you by displaying a light blue dot and screentip that says midpoint as shown here.

As a follow up video to inference locking this google sketchup tutorial shows how to combine a series of roof forms together using inference locking. Hold down the shift key to lock the inference you see. Lock the illustration next to it as well.