Drawing Arcs

Your model is more than just straight lines. SketchUp can help you create curved geometry using arcs. Before you brainstorm cartoon arcs, here are a few handy details well-nigh the fashion arc entities work:

  • An arc contains multiple connected line segments, but exists within your model as a single entity.
  • An arc tin can both define the border of a confront and divide a confront.
  • Although an arc is ane entity, SketchUp's inference engine identifies each segment that makes up an arc and highlights any geometric point if you hover your cursor over 1.
  • Each arc contains 12 segments by default. Yet, you lot tin can tell SketchUp how many segments to employ in an arc entity. More segments means your arc may appear smoother, simply SketchUp needs to work harder to display your model. Fewer than 12 segments keeps your model unproblematic, but the arc may look a bit blocky.

SketchUp offers four tools to help you lot draw arcs in your model, each with its own unique method of creating an arc to best adjust what you desire to appear in your model:

  • Arc: When this tool is activated a protractor appears to help you prepare the beginning and ending of the arc based on your desired bending. Your first click defines the center signal, the second your endpoint, and the 3rd finishes the arc creating an open arc made of straight-edge segments.
  • Pie tool: This tool works just like the Arc tool, merely creates a closed pie shape that becomes a face.
  • 2 Point Arc tool: Activating this tool changes your cursor to a pencil. Your beginning click defines ane end of the arc, the 2nd the other end. The tertiary click defines the bulge of the arc.
  • three Betoken Arc tool: Activating this tool likewise changes the cursor to a pencil. The first click sets your starting bespeak, the second a pivot point, and the third defines the endpoint.

You can discover the arc tools in a few different places:

  • The Getting Started or Drawing toolbars.
  • The Large Tool Fix toolbar
  • The Draw > Arcs submenu
  • The Tool Palette (macOS only)

The following video introduces how yous draw with the rainbow of arc tools and each tool's aureate secrets. Or read on for details most drawing with each arc tool.

Table of Contents

  1. Drawing with the Arc and Pie Tools
  2. Drawing with the 2-Bespeak Arc Tool
  3. Drawing with the 3-Point Arc Tool
  4. Editing an Arc Entity

Cartoon with the Arc and Pie tools

The Arc tool and the Pie tool are handy when you need to know your arc's angle, rather than a bulge or radius. The Arc tool draws an open up arc, and the Pie tool draws a airtight, pie-shaped arc.

To create an arc with the Arc or Pie tool, follow these steps:

  1. Select the Arc tool () or the Pie tool (). The cursor changes to a pencil with an open up arc or a closed arc, respectively, and a half-circumvolve protractor indicates the orientation of a cartoon aeroplane.
  2. Click to place the heart of your arc. A full circumvolve protractor appears locking the orientation of the cartoon plane.
  3. Move the cursor to the starting point of your arc. Discover that the Radius value in the Measurements box changes dynamically as yous move the cursor. If you lot like, yous tin can type a number and unit and press Enter to set a precise radius value.
  4. Click to identify the starting point of your arc. A straight dotted line representing the radius of your arc appears, as shown in the figure. Notice that the Measurements box changes to accept an Angle value.
  5. Movement the cursor to the ending point of your arc.
  6. Click to place the ending point of your arc. Yous may as well type an angle value and press Enter or Return. If you used the Arc tool, SketchUp creates an open up arc. If you lot used the pie tool, you will meet a pie-shaped face up. The following figure shows an open arc on the left and a pie shape on the right.

Arcs created with the Arc or Pie tool are drawn with a stock-still number of line segments by default. These segments grow or compress in length depending on the completeness of the arc. Yous can change the number of line segments or base the arc on circle segments - the number of segments it would have for the arc to form a consummate circumvolve - instead. To change the number of segments:

  • Immediately afterward drawing the arc, type the number of sides you want and the letter S for sides then printing Enter or Return.
    • For instance, typing 10s creates an arc with ten line segments.
  • To increase the number of segments printing Ctrl + (Microsoft Windows) or Selection + (macOS).
  • To decrease the number of segments printing Ctrl - (Microsoft Windows) or Option - (macOS). Please annotation, if you're using a French Canadian keyboard, press the Ctrl fundamental (Microsoft Windows) and the +/= cardinal to increase the segments. For macOS, printing Command and = to increment segments or - to decrease segments.

To base your arc on circle segments:

  • Immediately after drawing the arc, blazon the number of circumvolve sides and the letter C for circumvolve and then printing Enter or Return.
    • For example, typing 20c tells SketchUp to base your arc on a 20-sided circle.

Drawing with the 2 Point Arc tool

When you draw an arc with the 2 Indicate Arc tool, you set up the starting point, the ending indicate, and the bulge distance. The distance between the starting point and the catastrophe bespeak is also known every bit the chord length.

To draw a 2-point arc, follow these steps:

  1. Select the ii Point Arc tool (). The cursor changes to a pencil with an arc.
  2. Click to place the starting indicate of your arc. The Measurements box is now ready to accept a Length value.
  3. Move the cursor to the catastrophe indicate of your chord. (Printing the Esc cardinal at any point during the operation to first over.)
  4. Click to place the ending point or blazon a length value and press Enter. A straight line is created. The Measurements box changes to accept a Bulge value.
  5. Motility your cursor perpendicular to the straight line to accommodate the bulge distance. If y'all want to draw a half circle, scout for the one-half-circumvolve inference, as shown in the figure. The inference tells you when the arc is a one-half-circle. You tin can tap the arrow fundamental to lock your movement to that inference; Upwards for Bluish, Left for Green, Right for Cherry. Yous'll see a notification at the cursor that the inference is locked.
  6. Click to set the burl distance or type a value, such as 5' or 7mm, and press Enter or Return.

Note: If y'all demand to repeat the aforementioned ii-point arc in your model - for example if yous're rounding all 4 corners on a rectangle - you can simply movement your cursor to each corner and double-click. This action repeats the previous arc parameters and even cleans out the excess waste.

Tip: Immediately after you draw a two-point arc, you lot can change the burl, radius, or number of segments with the Measurements box. Recall that you don't need to click in the Measurements box kickoff; just type a value and press Enter or Return. Hither's how to change each value:

  • Bulge distance: After you lot cease creating a 2-indicate arc, the Measurements box is prepare to accept a Burl value past default. Simply blazon the value and units (if different from the default units in your template).
  • Radius: Yous can specify an arc radius instead of a bulge distance. Type the desired radius in the Measurements box and add together the letter R for radius. For example: 24r or 3'6"r or 5mr
  • Number of segments: Type a number and followed by the letter South for segments. For example: 20s

Cartoon with the 3 Point Arc tool

When you use the iii Point Arc tool, yous draw the arc based on a pivot bespeak. Follow these steps to use the 3 Point Arc tool:

  1. Select the 3 Point Arc tool (). The cursor changes to a pencil with an arc.
  2. Click to establish a starting betoken of the arc.
  3. Move the cursor abroad from the starting indicate.
  4. Click again to establish the 2d bespeak. A small dot appears, which is a pivot point for the arc.
  5. Move the cursor abroad from the dot. An arc appears as yous move the cursor. You tin tap the arrow central to lock your movement to that inference; Upward for Blue, Left for Green, Right for Red. You'll meet a notification at the cursor that the inference is locked.
  6. When y'all like the shape of your arc, click to finish creating the arc.

    Note: Printing the ESC fundamental at any point during the operation to beginning over.


Tangent Inferences for 2-Point and 3-Indicate Arc Tools

You can create a tangent arc using either the 2-Point or 3-Point arc tools using inferences. Hover over an border yous want to use every bit a tangent basis before clicking to begin your arc. To lock your tangent inference, press the Alt key (Microsoft Windows) or the Command key (macOS).

Editing an arc entity

Yous tin can edit the radius of an arc entity using the Motion tool or in the Entity Info dialog box.

With the Move tool () selected, you can edit an arc entity as follows:

  • Suit the midpoint: Hover the Move tool'south cursor to locate the midpoint of the arc. And then click and drag to suit the arc, as shown in the figure.
  • Movement an end bespeak: Click and drag an arc's endpoint to adapt the arc's length and radius.

To admission your arc's Entity Info panel, context-click the arc you want to edit. From the context card cull Entity Info. In the Entity Info panel type a new value for the radius or number of segments.

Alert: If an Arc is transformed in a way that destroys its radial definition, such as with a non-uniform calibration performance, yous can no longer edit the entity as an arc. At that point, the arc behaves similar a freehand shape.

When you use the Push/Pull tool to extrude a 2d face that includes an arc, SketchUp extrudes a special surface entity whose radius can also be edited. Use the Move tool to reposition the midpoint edge, and all the geometry that makes up the extruded arc will motion accordingly, as shown in the figure.