The Stretch tool can be used to expand, shorten or deform multiple 2D and 3D elements simultaneously. In this lesson I will show you how this can be achieved.

To begin with, it is necessary to use the marquee tool to define the area that we want to deform. Two types of marking can be used, and they differ by the type of frame – wide (Thick Marquee) and narrow (Thin Marquee). A narrow frame means that the deformation will be applied only to elements that are at the appropriate level, and a wide one will allow you to include the rest of the project. That is why it is very important that before you apply this function, you choose the appropriate level and thus limit its effect.

I placed the frame around the entire model, which means that this function can also be used for moving on different levels. Now I would like to move all the existing elements and adapt them to the project grid with a module of 600 mm. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to first check whether the parameters related to the auxiliary grid are adjusted according to my needs, so I will first turn on the Construction Grid Display option from the View menu and then open the frame that contains the required values (Grids & Background). As you can see, the line spacing is already set to 600mm and since I don’t need a secondary grid, I’ll click the OK button and go back to the model.

Now you can clearly see what this division looks like on the screen, and in order to be able to use it, it is necessary to start the Snap Grid option from the View menu. After that, the program will help me to automatically guess the points located on the auxiliary grid, which will allow me to maintain maximum precision.

Regardless of the fact that the selection frame is currently active, I need to run the stretch function separately, so to that end I’ll open the Edit menu and look for the Reshape item in it. Only after that I will be able to select the Stretch option and thus start the desired function. I could have achieved the same effect by clicking on the icon at the top of the screen, but I wanted to show you what the structure of this menu looks like.

As soon as I start the Stretch function, the selection frame will be displayed with a solid line, which means that now I can search for the appropriate point and move the entire object to a new position. It will automatically match the modular grid, so I can check if this change has been applied to elements that are on different levels.

Since I have successfully moved the entire object, I can move on to the next step and adjust the size of individual elements to the new standard. Before that, I have to click on this icon to turn off the grouping of objects (Suspend Grouping), because otherwise they will only be moved and with one move I define the area that will be affected by this change. If I cut some elements (walls, ceilings or roofs) they will be deformed, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check once again how this choice is reflected on the other floors. Since everything seems to be fine, I will start the Stretch function, zoom in on the appropriate detail and select the point I want to move. In the end, I just need to click on the place where the auxiliary lines cross and thus complete this process. As you can see, the position of the walls now matches the projected module, so I can check that the same happened with the elements on the other side. Although at first glance it seems that everything is fine, there are parts that still do not fit into the given arrangement, so I will obviously have to repeat this operation.

This means that I have to define a new frame, but since I previously limited the movement of the cursor to fixed points, I have to temporarily turn off the Grid Snap option and only then complete the selection. Before I continue, it would not be a bad idea to check what is happening on the other levels, because it may happen that there are elements on them that I must not disturb. This kind of wall is located with a low ground floor, so instead of a wide one, I will apply a narrow frame (Thin Marquee) and finally apply the Stretch function. In the end, I just need to click on the appropriate corner, turn on the Grid Snap function and determine its final position.

As you can see for yourself, the stretching tool can be very useful, but if not used properly, it can lead to a real disaster. Before using it, make sure that the grouping option is turned off, and if you use a wide frame, be careful not to accidentally stretch elements that are on other levels.