Scaling Your Model or Parts of Your Model

In SketchUp, you can resize and reshape your model based on the relative sizes of edges and faces. With SketchUp’s scaling tools you can:

• Scale your entire model with the Tape Measure tool.
• Resize entities while maintaining their proportions with either the Tape Measure tool or the Scale tool.
• Stretch or squish an entity to scale with the Scale tool. For example, stretch a cabinet so it's twice its current width or narrow a car by 5 percent.
• Scale a single component or every component in your model.

Scaling your entire model

When you want to scale your entire model, use the Tape Measure tool (img src="/sites/help.sketchup.com/files/article_images/icon-tape-measure.png">). The Tape Measure tool helps you scale with precision by creating a reference line. To scale an entire model follow these steps:

1. Select the Tape Measure tool () or press the T key. The cursor changes to a tape measure.
2. Measure the distance between two points on your model by clicking one end of a line segment to set the starting point of a measurement.
3. Move the mouse to the end point of the same line segment. As you move the mouse, a temporary measuring tape line, with arrows at each end, stretches out from your starting point.

4. Click at the other end of the line segment. The final distance appears in the Measurements box.

   

5. Type the new value you want to scale your model to in the Measurements box and press Enter.
6. A dialog box will appear asking if you want to resize your model. Click Yes to proceed.

Scaling a Selection

When you want to resize geometry within your model and maintain its proportions, you can use either the Tape Measure tool () or the Scale tool (). Use the Tape Measure to scale a specific line or edge. Use the Scale tool to resize a selection based on a percentage of its original size.

To scale part of your model with the Tape Measure, follow these steps:

1. Select the entities you want to scale.
2. Context-click your selection and select Make Group.
3. Double-click the group. A box of dashed lines will appear around the group.
4. Activate the Tape Measure tool ().
5. Click to place the first point of your reference line.
6. Click again to create an end point for your reference line. The distance will appear in the Measurements box.
7. Type a new size for the line and press the Enter key.
8. A confirmation appears. Click Yes to complete the operation.

To use the Scale tool to scale by a percentage, follow these steps:

1. Select the geometry you want to scale.
2. Activate the Scale tool (). A yellow box with green grips appears around your selection.
3. For a uniform scaling, or one that keeps your selection proportional, click a corner scaling grip. The selected grip and the opposite scaling grip will turn red. The measurements box will display 100%. If you want to make sure scaling doesn’t deform your geometry, try tapping Shift to toggle Scale Uniformly.
   
4. Move the cursor to scale the entity. The Measurements box displays the scale dynamically. Press the Esc key at any point to start over. To set the scale from the center instead of the opposite corner, tap the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Option key (macOS) to toggle this functionality while you move the red corner grip.
5. Click to set your selection's new scale, or type the desired scale dimensions and press Enter.

Scaling to Stretch or Squish

To use the Scale tools edge or face grips to stretch or squish one part of a larger model, follow these steps:

1. Select the geometry you want to scale.
2. Activate the Scale tool. A yellow box with green grips appears around your selection.
3. Click an edge or face grip, not a corner grip. The selected grip and the opposite scaling grip turn red.
4. In the Measurements box, you see a scale of 1.00, which means your geometry is at its original size, or scaled to 100%. The Measurements box also displays the axis direction for your scale, such as Blue Scale or Red Scale. If you select an edge grip, you see two axes, such as Red, Green Scale.
5. Move the cursor to scale the entity. The Measurements box displays the scale dynamically. Press the Esc key at any point to start over. To set the scale from the center instead of the opposite edge or face, tap the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Option key (macOS) to toggle this functionality while you move the red corner grip.
6. Click to set your selection's new scale, or type the desired scale dimensions in the measurements box and press Enter. Type measurements separated by a comma, to designate a specific measurement for each axis.
   

Scaling Components

You can use these scale techniques on components as well as everyday geometry. See Adding Premade Components and Dynamic Components for an introduction to components. When you scale a component, however, you can resize either a single instance of the component or all component instances in your model:

• Scaling a component changes only the individual instance. This feature allows you to have differently scaled versions of the same component in your model. To scale a single instance, click the component instance with the Scale tool and use the grips to set the new scale.
• Scaling an entity within a component scales every component instance. To scale an entity in a component, double click to open the component. Dashed lines appear around the component, and the lines and faces within the component become editable. With the component open you can scale part of the component, scaling all instances of the component to match.