Drawing Arcs

Your model is more just direct lines. SketchUp can help you create curved geometry using arcs. Before you begin cartoon arcs, here are a few handy details about the way arc entities work:

  • An arc contains multiple connected line segments, but exists inside your model as a single entity.
  • An arc tin can both define the edge of a confront and divide a face.
  • Although an arc is 1 entity, SketchUp'south inference engine identifies each segment that makes up an arc and highlights any geometric signal if you hover your cursor over one.
  • Each arc contains 12 segments by default. However, yous can tell SketchUp how many segments to utilize in an arc entity. More segments ways your arc may appear smoother, simply SketchUp needs to work harder to display your model. Fewer than 12 segments keeps your model elementary, merely the arc may look a bit blocky.

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

  • Arc: When this tool is activated a protractor appears to help you lot set the beginning and ending of the arc based on your desired angle. Your start click defines the middle point, the second your endpoint, and the third finishes the arc creating an open up arc made of directly-border segments.
  • Pie tool: This tool works merely like the Arc tool, but creates a closed pie shape that becomes a face.
  • 2 Point Arc tool: Activating this tool changes your cursor to a pencil. Your first click defines one end of the arc, the second the other end. The tertiary click defines the bulge of the arc.
  • 3 Point Arc tool: Activating this tool as well changes the cursor to a pencil. The first click sets your starting signal, the 2nd a pivot bespeak, and the third defines the endpoint.

You tin find the arc tools in a few different places:

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

The following video introduces how you lot draw with the rainbow of arc tools and each tool'southward gilt secrets. Or read on for details about drawing with each arc tool.

Tabular array of Contents

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

Drawing with the Arc and Pie tools

The Arc tool and the Pie tool are handy when you lot need to know your arc'due south angle, rather than a burl or radius. The Arc tool draws an open up arc, and the Pie tool draws a closed, 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 arc or a closed arc, respectively, and a half-circle protractor indicates the orientation of a drawing plane.
  2. Click to place the center of your arc. A full circle protractor appears locking the orientation of the drawing plane.
  3. Motility the cursor to the starting point of your arc. Notice that the Radius value in the Measurements box changes dynamically every bit yous move the cursor. If y'all like, you tin can blazon a number and unit and printing Enter to set up a precise radius value.
  4. Click to place the starting point of your arc. A straight dotted line representing the radius of your arc appears, as shown in the figure. Find that the Measurements box changes to take an Angle value.
  5. Move the cursor to the ending point of your arc.
  6. Click to place the catastrophe signal of your arc. You may also type an angle value and printing Enter or Return. If y'all used the Arc tool, SketchUp creates an open arc. If you used the pie tool, y'all volition encounter a pie-shaped face. 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 fixed number of line segments past default. These segments grow or shrink in length depending on the completeness of the arc. You lot can change the number of line segments or base the arc on circle segments - the number of segments information technology would take for the arc to form a complete circle - instead. To alter the number of segments:

  • Immediately later on cartoon the arc, blazon the number of sides yous want and the letter Due south for sides then press Enter or Render.
    • For example, typing 10s creates an arc with 10 line segments.
  • To increase the number of segments press Ctrl + (Microsoft Windows) or Option + (macOS).
  • To decrease the number of segments press Ctrl - (Microsoft Windows) or Option - (macOS). Please note, if you're using a French Canadian keyboard, printing the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) and the +/= key to increment the segments. For macOS, press Command and = to increase segments or - to decrease segments.

To base your arc on circle segments:

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

Drawing with the 2 Point Arc tool

When you draw an arc with the 2 Indicate Arc tool, you set the starting betoken, the ending point, and the burl distance. The altitude betwixt the starting point and the catastrophe point is too known every bit the chord length.

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

  1. Select the two Signal Arc tool (). The cursor changes to a pencil with an arc.
  2. Click to place the starting point of your arc. The Measurements box is now ready to have a Length value.
  3. Move the cursor to the ending indicate of your chord. (Printing the Esc primal at any point during the functioning to start over.)
  4. Click to place the ending point or type a length value and printing Enter. A directly line is created. The Measurements box changes to take a Bulge value.
  5. Move your cursor perpendicular to the straight line to adapt the bulge distance. If you want to depict a one-half circle, watch for the half-circle inference, as shown in the figure. The inference tells you when the arc is a half-circle. You tin can tap the pointer central to lock your move to that inference; Up for Blue, Left for Green, Right for Cherry-red. You'll see a notification at the cursor that the inference is locked.
  6. Click to set the bulge distance or type a value, such equally 5' or 7mm, and press Enter or Render.

Notation: If yous demand to echo the aforementioned 2-point arc in your model - for case if you lot're rounding all 4 corners on a rectangle - you can simply move your cursor to each corner and double-click. This action repeats the previous arc parameters and fifty-fifty cleans out the excess waste material.

Tip: Immediately afterwards y'all describe a ii-point arc, you tin modify the bulge, radius, or number of segments with the Measurements box. Recall that yous don't need to click in the Measurements box get-go; simply blazon a value and press Enter or Render. Here'south how to change each value:

  • Bulge distance: After you finish creating a 2-point arc, the Measurements box is ready to accept a Bulge value by default. Only blazon the value and units (if different from the default units in your template).
  • Radius: You lot can specify an arc radius instead of a burl distance. Type the desired radius in the Measurements box and add the letter of the alphabet R for radius. For case: 24r or iii'vi"r or 5mr
  • Number of segments: Blazon a number and followed by the letter Southward for segments. For instance: 20s

Drawing with the iii Point Arc tool

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

  1. Select the 3 Point Arc tool (). The cursor changes to a pencil with an arc.
  2. Click to found a starting point of the arc.
  3. Move the cursor away from the starting point.
  4. Click once again to establish the 2nd point. A pocket-sized dot appears, which is a pivot point for the arc.
  5. Movement the cursor away from the dot. An arc appears equally your move the cursor. Y'all tin can tap the arrow key to lock your movement to that inference; Upward for Blue, Left for Green, Correct for Cherry-red. You'll run into a notification at the cursor that the inference is locked.
  6. When you similar the shape of your arc, click to end creating the arc.

    Note: Printing the ESC key at whatsoever point during the performance to outset over.


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

You tin create a tangent arc using either the 2-Point or 3-Point arc tools using inferences. Hover over an edge you desire to use as a tangent basis earlier 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

You lot tin can edit the radius of an arc entity using the Move tool or in the Entity Info dialog box.

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

  • Adapt the midpoint: Hover the Move tool's cursor to locate the midpoint of the arc. And then click and drag to adjust the arc, equally shown in the effigy.
  • Move an terminate point: Click and drag an arc's endpoint to arrange the arc's length and radius.

To access your arc'due south Entity Info panel, context-click the arc you desire to edit. From the context bill of fare choose 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-compatible scale performance, you tin can no longer edit the entity equally an arc. At that signal, the arc behaves like a freehand shape.

When you utilise the Push/Pull tool to extrude a second face that includes an arc, SketchUp extrudes a special surface entity whose radius can also exist edited. Use the Motility tool to reposition the midpoint edge, and all the geometry that makes up the extruded arc volition move accordingly, as shown in the figure.