Moving Points

Because points define the shape of an object, moving the points will change the object’s shape.

Before points can be moved, the Edit Points button must be pressed to turn on point editing mode. See Editing Points for more information.

To move a single point:

1. Click the Move tool that is found to the left of the screen, or press the T key.

2. Move your mouse over the point you want to move, and click the left mouse button to select it.

3. Click the point again, but this time hold down the left mouse button as you move your mouse. Or press Enter to manually move the point.

To move multiple points:

1. Click the Move tool that is found to the left of the screen, or press the T key.

2. While holding the Shift key, click each of the points that you want to move.

3. Click one of the selected points again, but this time hold down the left mouse button as you move the mouse. Or press Enter to move the points manually.

To nudge one or more selected points using the keyboard:

1. Press and hold the Shift key.

2. Press one of the arrow keys. Movement is relative to the Plan view. The nudge distance is 1" by default (2.54 cm). To change the nudge distance, see Program Settings.

Changing Point Elevations

In most cases, points can only be moved horizontally with respect to the ground. However, the points of some objects can also be adjusted vertically. For example, retaining walls can have a different height at each point. This vertical movement can be done using the Elevation property of the object, or by using the mouse shortcut detailed below.

Before points can be elevated or lowered, the Edit Points button must be pressed to turn on point editing mode. See Editing Points for more information.

To change a point’s elevation using the mouse:

1. Click the Perspective view and adjust your viewpoint so that you can see the point you want to elevate.

2. Click the Move tool that appears to the left of the screen, or press the T key.

3. Press and hold the Ctrl key.

4. Move your mouse over a point that you would like to elevate; you will notice the mouse cursor change to an up/down arrow.

5. Click and hold the left mouse button, and then move the mouse up and down to change the point’s elevation.

Elevation adjustments are relative, not absolute, when using the mouse shortcut detailed above, which is one large advantage of using the mouse instead of the Elevation property of an object. For example, if you create a retaining wall of varying height, you could select all points and adjust the entire height of the wall using the mouse, all without changing the differences in elevation between the points.

To nudge point elevation using the keyboard:

1. Press and hold the Shift and Ctrl keys simultaneously.

2. Press the Up key to increase the elevation, or the Down key to decrease the elevation. The nudge distance is 1" (2.54 cm) by default. To change the nudge distance, see Program Settings.

Tips:

• It is sometimes best to move edges instead of individual points. For example, you might need to lengthen the side of a swimming pool or deck. To do this, click and hold the left mouse button on the edge you want to move while moving the mouse.

• Points will automatically snap to the grid when grid snap is enabled. See Snap Settings for details.