SketchUp Keyboard Shortcuts

The complete default set — 22 shortcuts in 3 groups, exactly as Trimble publishes it.

Drawing Tools (7)

ShortcutActionWhat it does
LLineDraws edges. The workhorse tool; every face in SketchUp starts as a closed loop of lines.
RRectangleDraws a rectangular face. SketchUp's own table prints this row as "Rectangle/".
CCircleDraws a circle. Type a number before or after clicking to set the segment count.
A2 Point ArcDraws an arc from two endpoints plus a bulge distance.
PPush/PullExtrudes a face into 3D. The move that turns a flat rectangle into a wall.
FOffsetCopies a face's edges inward or outward at a fixed distance.
GMake ComponentWraps the selection into a reusable component.

Selection & Editing (8)

ShortcutActionWhat it does
SpacebarSelectReturns to the Select tool. The default state between every other operation.
Shift + SpacebarLasso SelectFree-draws a selection boundary instead of a rectangular one.
MMoveMoves the selection. Tap Ctrl mid-move to copy instead.
QRotateRotates the selection around a protractor you place yourself.
SScaleScales the selection using corner and face grips.
EEraserDeletes edges. Drag across several without releasing to erase in bulk.
BPaint BucketApplies the active material to a face, group, or component.
TTape MeasureMeasures a distance and, on a face or edge, drops a guide line.

Navigation & Display (7)

ShortcutActionWhat it does
OOrbitRotates the camera around the model.
HPanSlides the camera without rotating it.
ZZoomZoom tool. Drag vertically; the scroll wheel does the same thing.
Shift + ZZoom ExtentsFrames the entire model in the viewport.
KBack EdgesShows hidden edges as dashed lines without leaving the current style.
IImage IglooPhoto Matching image control. SketchUp's table uses this exact label.
Shift + SSearchOpens the search box for tools, commands, and extensions.
📜 Source: SketchUp Help — Default Keyboard Shortcuts. Every shortcut below is the complete default set published by Trimble — all 22 rows, nothing added, nothing invented. Checked 2026-08-02.
📄 View Printable Cheat Sheet — Download as PDF or print · 🧩 Combine with other tools

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SketchUp’s shortcut list is short on purpose

Most CAD packages answer “what are the shortcuts?” with several hundred rows. SketchUp answers with twenty-two, and that is the whole official set — the page above is not a selection from a larger list, it is the list. The reason is that SketchUp leans on inference rather than on commands: you do not press a key to snap to a midpoint, you hover until the tooltip says Midpoint. So the default keys only need to cover tool selection, and one letter per tool is enough. L line, R rectangle, C circle, A arc, P push/pull, M move, Q rotate, S scale. Learn those eight and you have most of a modelling session.

The three keys people miss

Newcomers usually discover L and P on day one and then stop. Three more are worth deliberate practice. F is Offset, which copies a face’s outline inward at a fixed distance — the fastest way to turn a slab into a wall with thickness. G makes a component, and doing it early is the difference between a model you can edit and one where every window is a separate pile of edges. Shift + Z is Zoom Extents, the reset button for when you scroll and the model vanishes. Two more are worth knowing about even if you rarely press them: K shows back edges as dashed lines, which is how you check alignment through a solid, and I is the Photo Matching image control, which Trimble labels “Image Igloo” in its own table — an odd name we have kept because changing it would make the row impossible to match against the official page.

Frequently asked questions

Is this really all of SketchUp’s shortcuts?

Yes, for defaults. Trimble’s Default Keyboard Shortcuts page lists twenty-two rows and this page mirrors all twenty-two. Every other command in SketchUp is reachable by keyboard only if you assign a key yourself, under Window › Preferences › Shortcuts on Windows or SketchUp › Settings › Shortcuts on macOS.

Why is the Rectangle row labelled “Rectangle/” in some lists?

Because that is the literal text in Trimble’s table, trailing slash and all. We print it as Rectangle here and mention the original spelling so you can match this page against the source line by line.

Do these keys work in SketchUp for Web?

Trimble states that the web version’s defaults are nearly identical to desktop. The safest check is to hover a tool in the web toolbar — the assigned key appears in the tooltip.

Why is Orbit on O when everyone uses the middle mouse button?

Both work. Holding the scroll wheel is the mouse route; O, H and Z are the keyboard equivalents for Orbit, Pan and Zoom, which matter on a trackpad or a pen tablet where there is no middle button to hold.

What is the fastest way to reset the view when I get lost?

Shift + Z. It frames the entire model regardless of how far you have zoomed or panned, and it is the single most useful navigation key on the list.

Can I change these defaults?

Yes, all of them, and on Windows you can export the resulting set and import it on another machine. That is worth doing if you share a workstation, because a custom map that only lives in one profile will bite you.

🤖 Ask AI about SketchUp shortcuts

Open your assistant with this page preloaded as the source — great for follow-up questions like "which of these work in other apps?"

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🔧 Spotted an error or a missing shortcut? Suggest an edit on GitHub — every accepted fix goes live on this page, the API and the CLI.