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Stretching Geometry

Last updated: Apr. 11, 20262 Min. read.

When you move geometry that's connected to other geometry, SketchUp stretches your model.

To stretch your geometry, select the Move tool ( icon-move-tool.png ). Clicking and dragging different parts of an entity will give the following results:

  1. A face – Stretches the entity while keeping the selected face intact.

  2. An edge – Stretches all faces adjacent to the selected edge.

  3. An endpoint – Stretches all edges and faces adjacent to the selected endpoint.

stretching-geometry.png

Resizing surface entities

In a surface entity, if you click and drag a control edge, you resize the surface entity without distorting the geometry. You create a surface entity by extruding an arc, circle, or polygon. See Softening, Smoothing, and Hiding Geometry or the articles about arcs , circles, and polygons for details.

When you position the Move tool over a surface entity's control edge, the edge lights up in a way that nearby edges do not.

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A surface entity extruded from a curve entity does not have a control edge. Similarly, if you stretch a circular cylinder into an ellipse, the surface entity lacks a control edge.

Bending faces with Autofold

In SketchUp, faces must remain planar. To help with that, SketchUp uses a feature called Autofold. If you stretch geometry in a way that bends a face, Autofold makes a crease so that all the faces in your geometry remain flat.

fg013_3.png