Open SketchUp and navigate to .
Shape Bender is one of the most iconic and useful free extensions for SketchUp. It allows you to bend a group or component along any curved path (line, arc, bezier, or polyline). Unlike the native Follow Me tool (which creates new geometry along a path from a profile), Shape Bender warps existing geometry to fit a target curve.
The plugin will generate a preview of the bent object.
Create the curve or arc that you want your object to bend along. This path can be placed anywhere in your workspace, but keeping it near the baseline makes the process easier to visualize. Phase 2: Executing the Plugin plugin sketchup shape bender
Mastering the SketchUp Shape Bender Plugin: A Complete Guide to Bending Geometry
Creating curved, flowing geometry in SketchUp can be incredibly frustrating. While the native software excels at straight lines, boxy structures, and rigid angles, warping a complex 3D object along a smooth curve is nearly impossible out of the box.
| Mistake | Fix | |--------|-----| | Object not grouped | Select geometry → right-click → Make Group or Make Component | | Reference line too long/short | Use Length measurement in entity info, adjust curve to match | | Curve is reversed | Right-click curve → Reverse Curves | | Bending goes wrong direction | Reselect reference line (the green arrow shows direction) | | Object deforms weirdly | Ensure reference line is perfectly straight and along the dominant axis of the object | Open SketchUp and navigate to
The status bar will now prompt you to choose the curve. Click on your . Step 5: Preview and Adjust
Draw your desired curve elsewhere in the model (the Target Curve). Select the object first.
To get the best results with Shape Bender and avoid common pitfalls, keep these best practices in mind: Unlike the native Follow Me tool (which creates
Before finalizing the operation, you can see a preview of the bend and adjust the orientation.
key on his keyboard. The wireframe flipped. He tapped it again, and the ghost snapped perfectly onto the path, bending like a piece of soft clay.
Follow this precise workflow to ensure a perfect bend on your first try: Step 1: Align Your Object