Move, copy and make arrays

Move (MM) moves whatever is selected from one point to another. Holding a modifier key makes it a copy, and after a copy you can type how many more you want.

Move something

1. Select what you want to move (see Select things). If nothing is selected, Move takes the thing you click on.
2. Press MM.
3. Click a point to move from. Pick something meaningful, such as a corner: that point will land exactly where you click next.
4. Move the pointer. The selection follows. It snaps to points, edges and the red, green and blue directions like a line does.
5. Click where the point goes, or type a distance and press ReturnEnter.

The status bar's tip returns to "Click a point to move from…" for the next move.

A typed distance goes in the direction you are pointing. You can also type an exact offset, <2m,0,0> (2 m along red), or an exact destination for the point you picked, [0,0,0] (the origin). See Type exact sizes.

To move along one axis only, press an arrow key after the first click: →→ locks to red, ←← to green, ↑↑ to blue. Press the same arrow again to unlock.

Moving part of a shape stretches it

Geometry that is not grouped is connected. If you select one face or a few edges and move them, the faces attached to them stretch to follow. Move the top face of a box to the side and the box leans; move one edge of the roof and the roof changes pitch. Faces that can no longer stay flat fold into triangles.

To move a whole object without stretching it, select all of it first (triple-click it), or better, make it a group or component (see Groups and components).

Copy something

1. Select what you want to copy.
2. Press MM.
3. Hold ⌃Ctrl (or ⌥Alt) and click the point to move from. On a Mac, ⌘Ctrl or ⌥Alt does the same. The tip says "Ctrl moves instead", which means you are copying.

You can also press and release ⌃Ctrl or ⌥Alt after the first click to switch between moving and copying.

1. Click where the copy goes, or type a distance and press ReturnEnter.

The original stays where it was, and the copy is selected.

Copy, cut, paste and duplicate

• ⌘CCtrl+C copies the selection, ⌘XCtrl+X cuts it (copies, then erases), Copy and Paste are also buttons in the toolbar's Edit group, and More beside them has cut, paste in place and duplicate.
• ⌘VCtrl+V pastes: an outline of the copy follows the pointer, snapping like any tool, and a click puts it down with its lowest corner there. EscEsc cancels.
• ⇧⌘VCtrl+Shift+V pastes in place, exactly where the copy came from — useful for moving something into a group you have opened.
• ⌘DCtrl+D (⇧DShift+D in Blender style) duplicates: a copy is made and moves with the pointer at once; click to put it down, type a distance, or press EscEsc to drop it. Right after, type 3x for more copies in a row.

A pasted group becomes a new group. A pasted component is another placement of the same component, so editing one still changes them all. Copies also paste into another ModelCraft tab in this browser (they come in as new definitions there).

A row of copies

Right after a copy, while Move is still the tool:

• Type 3x (or *3) and press ReturnEnter for three copies in a row, each at the same spacing as the first copy. You get three new copies besides the original.
• Type /3 and press ReturnEnter to divide instead: three copies spread evenly from the original to where you put the first copy, the last one at that spot. Use this to fill a span: place one copy at the far end, then divide.

You can type a different number right after: 5x replaces the 3x row. The tip reminds you: "Copied. Type 3x for more copies in a row, or /3 to divide the distance."

Example: columns every 6 meters

1. Make a column and make it a component (GG), so all copies change together later.
2. Press MM, hold ⌃Ctrl and click the column's base corner.
3. Move along the red axis and type 6m, then ReturnEnter.
4. Type 4x and ReturnEnter. You have five columns, 6 m apart.

Things to know

• Press EscEsc before the second click to cancel; everything goes back where it was.
• Move works inside the group you are editing. To move a whole group, close it first and select it from outside.
• With Collide on (bottom right, and in ModelCraft settings), a move stops where the selection touches another solid instead of passing through it. Click Collide to turn it off for a move that should go through.
• To put a copy inside another group: copy it, open the other group, and paste (⇧⌘VCtrl+Shift+V keeps it in the same place).