FOCUSED Tools · Curved Surfaces

Bend Hardware Onto a Curved Surface in SketchUp

Select a bar pull, a panel or lettering and click the curved surface. It is bent so it lies on the surface, and FOCUSED Move slides it round the curve into place.

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Part of FOCUSED Tools · Free 7-day trial

A bar pull bent onto a curved cabinet front with FOCUSED Curve to Surface
A straight bar over a curved front: the surface highlighted blue and the cyan preview of the bend

Preview

See the Bend Before You Click

Point at the curved surface and it lights up, with the object drawn bent onto it. Click and it is done.

  • Tab chooses which side of the object faces the surface.
  • Type a length for a gap, before or straight after the click.
  • Select several objects and they are all bent at once.
FOCUSED Move centering a handle on a door with the center width guide and the edge distances

With FOCUSED Move

Slide It Round the Curve

Pick the bent object up with FOCUSED Move and it slides along the surface, bending again in real time as it goes. The same guides snap it to the center height and center width of the surface.

How It Works

A Bar Pull on a Bow Front

  1. 1

    Select the object

    A bar pull, a panel, lettering or trim: any group or component, or several at once.

  2. 2

    Click the curved surface

    A preview shows the bend first. Tab picks the side that faces the surface; type a length for a gap.

  3. 3

    Slide it into place

    Pick it up with FOCUSED Move and it bends again as it slides round the curve.

Why It's Better

Why Designers Bend With Curve to Surface

FOCUSED Curve to SurfaceBending by handTypical bending plugins
One click onto the surface ✓ — Draw a curve to bend along
Preview before the bend ✓ — Varies
Nothing stretches on cylinders and bow fronts ✓ — Varies
Re-bends as you slide it along the surface ✓ — —
Fit again, set a gap or unbend later ✓ — Varies
Keeps materials, textures and soft edges ✓ By hand Varies

FAQ

Questions, Answered

What does Curve to Surface do?

It bends a group or component so it lies on a curved surface. A straight bar pull wraps round a curved cabinet front instead of touching it in one spot, and a panel or lettering follows a curved wall.

Does the object stretch?

Not on cylinders, bow fronts and any other surface bent from a flat sheet: a 12" pull is still 12" along the curve.

Where does the object end up?

If it is already near the surface, it is bent right where it is. Otherwise it goes where you click. A preview shows the bend before you click.

Can I move it after it is bent?

Yes. FOCUSED Move slides it along the surface and bends it again in real time as it goes round the curve, with guides for the center height and center width, so you can place it exactly.

Can I undo the bend later?

Yes. Right-click a bent object for Fit to the surface again, Gap from the surface and Unbend, which makes it flat again.

Does it keep my materials?

Yes. Materials, textures and hard and soft edges are kept. Bend several objects at once by selecting them all.

Download & Pricing

Coming Soon in FOCUSED Tools

FOCUSED Curve to Surface comes with FOCUSED Tools, together with Profiles, Bevel, curved Push/Pull and Offset, Scale to size, Stretch, Drop, Move and the Scene Manager.

Coming Soon

Free 7-day trial · Included with FOCUSED Pro