Once installed, a new toolbar icon featuring a curved grid with an arrow will appear. You can also access it via the top menu under . Step-by-Step Tutorial: How to Use Shape Bender
Shape Bender is one of those plugins that, once you use it, you wonder how you ever lived without it. It bridges the gap between SketchUp’s rigid architecture and the organic curves of the real world.
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.
Now for the main event. Follow this precise workflow to achieve success with Shape Bender on your first try. We'll use the example of bending a long, straight component into an arc. plugin sketchup shape bender
A curved line (or a series of connected arcs/lines welded together) that represents the final shape you want your object to take. The Execution Process: Select the Object: Click on your 3D group or component.
The , officially developed as CLF Shape Bender by Chris Fullmer, is one of the most reliable and essential free tools for transforming straight 3D geometry along a custom curved path. While SketchUp is excellent for hard-surface, linear modeling, creating complex curves like winding ramps, arched bridges, and bent walls manually can be frustratingly tedious. Shape Bender bridges this gap by acting as a digital sculpting tool that stretches and molds your designs like clay. How to Install the Shape Bender Plugin CLF Shape Bender
What makes Shape Bender so popular among the SketchUp community? It’s a combination of powerful features and intelligent design. Once installed, a new toolbar icon featuring a
Installing Shape Bender is simple. There are two primary methods:
Highlight the Group/Component you want to bend.
Even a powerful plugin like Shape Bender isn't immune to the occasional glitch. The SketchUp Community forums have documented numerous solutions to common problems: It bridges the gap between SketchUp’s rigid architecture
Getting started with Shape Bender is simple. The plugin was created by Chris Fullmer and is named in the Extension Warehouse. Before you begin, ensure your object is either a Group or a Component , as the plugin cannot operate on loose geometry.
SketchUp uses the as the default bending direction. If your Straight Curve and Geometry are aligned to the Green (Y) or Blue (Z) axis, Shape Bender will rotate them 90 degrees into oblivion.
Press the to flip the start and end points of the geometry along the curve.
Includes a "Radial Bending" tool that allows you to bend objects interactively with a visual gizmo, without needing to draw base lines or target paths.