How to align multiple models

[tlhintoq 0]

I know I can't be the first person to want this, but after lots of searching I see only one unanswered question for this.

How can you align multiple models without having to laboriously set x & y one-by-one?

Let's say you have 20 coins on the bed and you want them all in a row. You can't multi-select then change the Y, because that moves them all as a group.

100 parts means 100 individual settings, when it could be "select all in a column, set the X", "Select all in a row, set the Y"