Changing a Polygon Using the Entity Info Window
Suppose you've created an octagon and a few steps later decided that what you really need is a hexagon. How do you edit a polygon after you've moved on and done other things in SketchUp? Easy—turn to the Entity Info window (Windows ^ Entity Info), as shown in Figure 2-11.
Before the Entity Info window can give you details, it needs to know which of the many items in your SketchUp drawing you want to examine. So the first step is to select an object. When you click one of your polygon's edges, you select all edges defining your polygon, and the Entity Info window provides details like the radius and the number of segments (sides). The Length entry gives a rough estimate of the distance around the polygon's perimeter.
If you select the polygon's face, the Entity Info window provides information about the face rather than the edges. So instead of Length, for example, you'll see a number defining the face's surface area. That's handy if you're calculating how much flooring or siding you need for your new beach cottage.
To make changes to your polygon, you edit the same numbers you used to create it. Make sure you've selected the edges, not the surface. Then type a new number of segments (sides) and a new radius. In fact you can use the Entity Info window to examine and modify anything in the drawing area.
Figure 2-11:
The Entity Info window not only provides info, it also gives you a quick way to edit selected objects. A simple version of the Entity Info window (top) shows the options you most often want to change. Click the triangle button to see more entity info (bottom).
Note: You can't change a polygon when its surface is selected, and you can't directly change the length or area settings. Instead click the edges of the polygon and make changes to the radius.
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