SketchUp Extension

ZB Smart Gizmo

Interactive viewport gizmo for move, rotate, and scale — combining direct drag handles with precise numeric input and Smart Scale for structured objects.

Get on Extension Warehouse

Features

Move

Drag axis arrows to move along X, Y, or Z. Click an arrow for numeric input — enter a distance or a target world coordinate.

Rotate

Drag rotate rings for free rotation or click for exact angle input. Arrow-key shortcuts and configurable snap increment available in preferences.

Scale

Drag scale handles or enter exact values. Supports relative expressions like +100, 600+100mm, and target-length input.

Smart Scale

Structure-aware scaling that preserves ends and corners while stretching the middle. Best for frames, windows, tables, and component assemblies.

Pivot Editing

Drag the center pivot to reposition the gizmo origin. Snaps to model geometry. Reset to selection center, model origin, or object origin via right-click.

Orientation Modes

Switch between global (world axes) and local (object axes) orientation. Plane handles let you constrain movement to XY, YZ, or XZ planes.

Manual

Installation

Install from Extension Warehouse.

Basic Use

Select one or more objects in your model. The gizmo appears at the selection center. Drag any handle to transform, or click a handle to enter an exact value.

Clicking empty space clears the selection and hides the gizmo. Press M to switch to the native SketchUp Move tool temporarily.

Move

Drag an axis arrow (red = X, green = Y, blue = Z) to move freely along that axis. Click an arrow to open the numeric dialog — enter a distance or a target world coordinate for that axis.

Use the plane handles (small squares between axes) to move on two axes simultaneously.

Rotate

Drag a rotate ring to rotate around that axis. Click a ring to type an exact angle. Positive values rotate counterclockwise when viewed from the positive axis direction.

Enable arrow-key rotate in preferences to use keyboard shortcuts for quick rotations while hovering the gizmo.

Scale

Drag a scale handle to resize along an axis. Click a handle for exact input. Supported formats:

  • 1200 — target length in your configured unit
  • +100 — add 100 to current size
  • 600+100mm — 600 plus 100 mm
  • 24in+2in — 24 inches plus 2 inches
Smart Scale

Smart Scale preserves the structure of your object instead of uniformly stretching it. It protects corners and ends while scaling the middle span.

Works best on frame-like groups, window components, tables, and similar assemblies with a clear structural hierarchy. Enable or disable Smart Scale in Extensions > ZB Smart Gizmo > Settings > Preferences.

Preferences

Open preferences from Extensions > ZB Smart Gizmo > Settings > Preferences. Available settings:

  • Gizmo size — visual size of the gizmo in the viewport
  • Pivot size — size of the center pivot control
  • Scale input unit — default unit for scale numeric input
  • Smart Scale mode — enable or disable Smart Scale
  • Arrow-key rotate — enable keyboard shortcuts for rotation
  • Rotate snap increment — degrees per arrow-key step