Plugin Sketchup Shape Bender __hot__ Jun 2026

Modelling rigid, straight geometric shapes in SketchUp is highly intuitive. However, creating complex curved geometry—like a winding staircase railing, a curved brick wall, or bent plywood furniture—can quickly become a frustrating challenge.

If your preview is flying wildly across the screen or appearing miles away from your curve, your group's internal axes are likely misaligned. Ensure your component’s internal bounding box matches the global Red Axis alignment. Common Use Cases for Shape Bender

Click the or go to Extensions > Chris Fullmer Tools > Shape Bender .

Open SketchUp and navigate to .

| 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 |

Press the or Right Arrow keys to invert the start and end points along the curve.

Select the entire curved path, right-click, and select Weld Edges (native in newer SketchUp versions) or use a welding plugin. This turns the segments into a single continuous polyline. 3. Mind the Component Axes plugin sketchup shape bender

The Shape Bender plugin (officially called ) was created by Chris Fullmer. It is a free extension that allows you to bend a straight group or component so that it precisely matches an existing curve. Instead of laboriously moving, rotating, or extruding faces along a curved path, Shape Bender automates the entire process while preserving the original geometry's proportions and texture mapping.

A single line drawn along the red (X) axis that matches the length or orientation of the 3D object.

To avoid errors and frustrating crashes, always keep these foundational rules in mind: Modelling rigid, straight geometric shapes in SketchUp is

A single, straight line drawn exactly along the Red (X) Axis directly beneath your object. This acts as the "spine" of your original object.

If you're interested in trying Shape Bender, follow these steps:

The Shape Bender plugin offers a range of benefits for SketchUp users, including: Ensure your component’s internal bounding box matches the

Imagine trying to bend a thick piece of wood without any joints; it's impossible. The same goes for 3D models. If you try to bend a long, simple rectangular box with only four side faces, Shape Bender will distort the ends but cannot curve the middle.

Once you click the curve, Shape Bender will generate a wireframe preview (usually colored green or red) showing how the geometry will look after the bend.