SketchUp Keyboard Shortcuts + Free PDF Cheat Sheet (2026)

SketchUp comes with about 30 default keyboard shortcuts and lets you add unlimited custom ones on top. Once they're in muscle memory, they roughly double your modeling speed.

Below is every default SketchUp keyboard shortcut, grouped by workflow, with Mac and Windows keys side by side.

You can also download the printable SketchUp keyboard shortcuts PDF to keep next to your monitor while the muscle memory builds.

Download for WindowsFree PDF cheat sheet · 1 page Download for MacFree PDF cheat sheet · 1 page

Top 10 most-used shortcuts

If you only memorize ten, make it these ten. They cover about 80% of a typical SketchUp modeling session.

MMove
QRotate
PPush/Pull
GMake Component
OOrbit
Ctrl/Cmd + ASelect All
LLine
RRectangle
TTape Measure
EEraser

All SketchUp keyboard shortcuts

These are SketchUp's defaults. The set covers drawing and navigation well, but skips a few common actions like Hide and Make Group. See the recommended custom shortcuts further down.

Jump to a category:

Action	Windows	Mac
Orbit Hold middle mouse to orbit without invoking the tool	`O`	`O`
Pan Hold Shift while orbiting to pan	`H`	`H`
Zoom Or scroll wheel	`Z`	`Z`
Zoom Extents Frame the entire model	`Shift` + `Z`	`Shift` + `Z`
Zoom Window Drag a window to zoom into	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `W`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `W`

Selection 9

Action	Windows	Mac
Select tool The default cursor tool	`Spacebar`	`Spacebar`
Select All Selects everything in the model	`Ctrl` + `A`	`Cmd` + `A`
Deselect All Or click empty space	`Ctrl` + `T`	`Cmd` + `T`
Invert Selection Selects the inverse	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `I`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `I`
Add to Selection Toggles individual items	Hold Shift + click	Hold Shift + click
Add to Selection (additive) Adds only	Hold Ctrl + click	Hold Option + click
Subtract from Selection Removes only	Hold Shift+Ctrl + click	Hold Shift+Option + click
Select Connected Faces Selects face + bounding edges	Double-click face	Double-click face
Select All Connected Selects entire connected geometry	Triple-click	Triple-click

Rendering 1

Action	Windows	Mac
One click rendering Render any SketchUp scene in 10 seconds. No installs, no GPU upgrades.	MyArchitectAI →	MyArchitectAI →

Drawing 4

Action	Windows	Mac
Line The fundamental drawing tool	`L`	`L`
Rectangle Click two corners	`R`	`R`
Circle Pick center then radius	`C`	`C`
Arc (2-point) Click two endpoints then bulge	`A`	`A`

Modification 6

Action	Windows	Mac
Move Press Ctrl/Option mid-move to copy	`M`	`M`
Rotate Type angle after picking pivot	`Q`	`Q`
Scale Type scale factor after picking handle	`S`	`S`
Push/Pull Faces only — extrudes into 3D	`P`	`P`
Offset Offset edges or faces by a measured distance	`F`	`F`
Eraser Click + drag to erase edges	`E`	`E`

Measurement 2

Action	Windows	Mac
Tape Measure Measure or create guide	`T`	`T`
Value Control Box Type any dimension after starting a tool, e.g. "6'" or "150mm"	Type after invoking tool	Type after invoking tool

Components & Groups 3

Action	Windows	Mac
Make Component Wraps selection in a component	`G`	`G`
Edit Component/Group Enters the context	Double-click	Double-click
Close Context Exits the component/group context	`Esc`	`Esc`

Display & Visibility 1

Action	Windows	Mac
Unhide Last Recovers the most recently hidden entity	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `H`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `H`

Materials & Styles 2

Action	Windows	Mac
Paint Bucket Apply materials to faces	`B`	`B`
Sample Material Picks up an existing material	Hold Alt + Paint Bucket	Hold Cmd + Paint Bucket

File & Edit 11

Action	Windows	Mac
New New SketchUp file	`Ctrl` + `N`	`Cmd` + `N`
Open Open file	`Ctrl` + `O`	`Cmd` + `O`
Save Save current file	`Ctrl` + `S`	`Cmd` + `S`
Save As Save with new name	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `S`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `S`
Print Print current view	`Ctrl` + `P`	`Cmd` + `P`
Undo Step back through changes	`Ctrl` + `Z`	`Cmd` + `Z`
Redo Re-apply undone change	`Ctrl` + `Y`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Z`
Cut Cut selection	`Ctrl` + `X`	`Cmd` + `X`
Copy Copy selection	`Ctrl` + `C`	`Cmd` + `C`
Paste Paste at cursor	`Ctrl` + `V`	`Cmd` + `V`
Paste in Place Pastes at the copy's original location — recommend assigning	`Shift` + `V (assign)`	`Shift` + `V (assign)`

Recommended custom shortcuts to set up

Several useful SketchUp commands have no default shortcut. These are the eight worth assigning first. See how to customize below.

Key	Action	Why add it
`X`	Hide Rest of Model	Hides everything except your current selection. Essential when working inside busy scenes.
`N`	Hide Selected	Faster than right-clicking and choosing Hide each time.
`Shift` + `V`	Paste in Place	Pastes a copied entity at its original location. The fastest way to move geometry between contexts.
`Shift` + `G`	Make Group	No default in SketchUp. Mirrors G for Make Component.
`K`	Position Camera	Useful for matching photo views or composing LayOut scenes.
`;`	Look Around	Pairs with Position Camera for walkthrough composition.
`Shift` + `R`	Rotated Rectangle	Underused for shapes that aren't aligned to the axes.
`Shift` + `C`	Polygon	Polygons are easier to reach than digging through the Circle flyout.

How to customize SketchUp keyboard shortcuts

Open the Shortcuts panel. Windows: Window → Preferences → Shortcuts. Mac: SketchUp → Settings → Shortcuts.
Find the command. Type a few letters in the filter box to narrow the list. The current shortcut, if any, appears next to the command.
Assign the key. Click the Add Shortcut field and press the combination you want. If that combination is already taken, SketchUp asks whether to override.
Export your set. Click Export to save a .dat file. Import on another machine to keep your setup in sync.

SketchUp reserves a few keys for its tool inspector. If a single letter doesn't take, pair it with Shift (e.g. Shift + H).

Mac vs Windows: what's actually different?

Most SketchUp shortcuts are identical across Windows and Mac. The differences sit in a handful of spots:

Action	Windows	Mac	Note
Modifier key	`Ctrl`	`Cmd (⌘)`	Universal. Anywhere a Windows shortcut shows Ctrl, Mac uses Cmd.
Redo	`Ctrl` + `Y`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Z`	Different sequence entirely.
Preferences	`(Window menu)`	`Cmd` + `,`	Mac has a standard system shortcut; Windows uses the menu.
Full screen	`F11`	`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `F`	OS-level differences.
Sample material	Hold Alt + Paint Bucket	Hold Cmd + Paint Bucket	Different modifier.
Page navigation in LayOut	`Page Up / Page Down`	`Fn` + `Up / Fn` + `Down`	Mac laptops lack dedicated PageUp/Down keys.

Tips to memorize shortcuts faster

Learn one new shortcut per day. Pick one each morning and force yourself to use it instead of the toolbar all day. Cheaper than any course, and it sticks within a week.
Group by hand position. Left-hand shortcuts (R, L, M, Q, S) cluster because the tools they invoke get used together. Don't reassign these unless you have a strong reason.
Use mnemonics for the awkward ones. Q is round with a handle (Rotate). F is Forward parallel (Offset). P is Push/Pull. Arbitrary letters stick once you tie them to a shape.
Pin a printable SketchUp keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet next to your monitor. See both Windows and Mac versions at the top of the page. After two weeks of glancing at it, you won't need it anymore.
Customize before you commit. If a default doesn't feel right, reassign it. Muscle memory is hardest to retrain once it sets.

Frequently asked questions

How do I see all keyboard shortcuts in SketchUp?

On Windows, go to Window → Preferences → Shortcuts. On Mac, go to SketchUp → Settings → Shortcuts. You get a searchable list of every command in SketchUp with its current shortcut beside it. The same panel exports the whole list to a .dat file if you want to back it up.

How do I change a keyboard shortcut in SketchUp?

Open the Shortcuts panel (Preferences → Shortcuts on Windows, Settings → Shortcuts on Mac), find the command, click into the Add Shortcut field, and press the keys you want. If that combination is already taken, SketchUp asks whether to override it.

Are SketchUp keyboard shortcuts the same on Mac and Windows?

Mostly yes. The single-letter shortcuts (Spacebar for Select, L for Line, M for Move, and so on) are identical on both. The main difference is the modifier key: Windows uses Ctrl, Mac uses Cmd. A handful of shortcuts also differ outright. Redo, for example, is Ctrl+Y on Windows but Cmd+Shift+Z on Mac.

What is the shortcut for Select All in SketchUp?

Ctrl+A on Windows, Cmd+A on Mac. To deselect everything, use Ctrl+T (Windows) or Cmd+T (Mac). To invert the current selection, use Ctrl+Shift+I or Cmd+Shift+I.

How do I orbit in SketchUp without a 3-button mouse?

Press O to activate the Orbit tool, then click and drag. On a laptop trackpad, enable two-finger drag in your OS settings, which acts as middle-mouse-button drag in SketchUp, which lets you orbit while another tool is active.

Does SketchUp for Web support the same keyboard shortcuts?

Most of the modeling shortcuts work the same: Spacebar, L, R, C, M, Q, S, P, E, B, T. SketchUp for Web doesn't support custom shortcut assignment, the Ruby Console, or extension-specific shortcuts, but the default keys above all work the same.

Can I export my custom SketchUp shortcuts to another computer?

Yes. In the Shortcuts preferences panel, click Export to save your shortcuts as a .dat file. On the other machine, open the same panel and click Import. Easiest way to keep your setup consistent across machines.

‍