Plugin Sketchup Shape Bender May 2026

If you get a twisted, flattened, or inverted result, check these four things:

| Symptom | Likely Cause | Solution | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Geometry turns inside out | Straight Curve is drawn opposite direction of geometry's axis | Reverse the Straight Curve or the Geometry's orientation | | "No intersection" error | Geometry is not grouped | Ungrouped faces cannot be bent | | Bending is jagged | Target Curve is made of short, straight segments | Weld the curve into a polyline | | Stretching/Compression | Straight Curve length ≠ Target Curve length | Use FredoScale or redraw to match lengths exactly |

The Shape Bender is a SketchUp extension (available via the Extension Warehouse or SketchUcation) that allows you to bend a flat, straight group or component to match the curvature of a selected reference line. It essentially acts as a "bending machine" for your geometry. plugin sketchup shape bender

Unlike the native FredoScale (which does radial bending) or TrueBend, Shape Bender uses a "target curve" to dictate the bend. This means the shape of your object will perfectly mimic the bezier curve, arc, or polyline you draw.

Core Function: Input (Straight Geometry) + Red Baseline + Blue Target Curve = Bent Output. If you get a twisted, flattened, or inverted

| 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 |

Imagine you have a piece of dough (your model) and you want to fit it along a specific shape (the curve). Shape Bender does exactly this. Imagine you have a piece of dough (your

The process is deceptively simple:

With a click, the plugin calculates the geometry and warps your object to fit the path perfectly. Unlike the standard Follow Me tool—which simply extrudes a face along a path—Shape Bender takes an existing 3D group or component and physically bends it.