In this article you will learn how to move elements by Drag command, Marquee selection and Pet Palette in 2D and 3D.

If you want to start learning BIM or if you want to check different BIM authoring solutions, GRAPHISOFT ARCHICAD can be a good point to start. Beside that it is easy to learn BIM with ARCHICAD, this software has a very intuitive and interactive interface and productivity features that save you an enormous amount of time. To make it easier for you to start your BIM discovery with ARCHICAD, in addition to Video Tutorials and BIM Classes, now we are with you on your way of learning ARCHICAD with...

The “Rotate” command allows you to rotate elements around a freely selected rotation center. Just as at the “Drag” command, you first must select an element.

Mirroring creates a mirror image of the selected elements.

The “Elevate” command allows you to move selected elements vertically along the Z-axis.

You can also use all the moving commands to move an element copy. The commands work the same with the difference that the original element remains in place. The first option to invoke a copying command is via Edit - Move - Drag/Rotate/ Mirror a Copy.

ARCHICAD is shipped with several predefined shortcut schemes. These can be listed and most of the shortcuts can be redefined in Options > Work Environment > Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box.

For entering distances in ARCHICAD the Tracker is used. Entering distances works the same way in 2D and in 3D. The Tracker appears during element input and it follows your mouse movements, constantly providing feedback about the distance and angle or/and the XYZ coordinates calculated from the starting node.

In ARCHICAD there are two different kinds of grid systems that help you while modeling and drawing, the Construction Grid and the Snap Grid. Using them is optional, you can work in ARCHICAD without using any grid, but in specific circumstances, they are very useful. 

Guide Lines are drafting aids, which help you find special points and projections, to ensure precise input in both, 2D and 3D windows.

If you want to find for example the midpoint of an existing element or you want to place a new element parallel to another one, use the Snap References.

There is a special function in ARCHICAD called “Magic Wand”. This function saves you work by finding and tracing a linear or polygonal shape from among existing elements and then generating a new element based on it.