Flatten a 3d curve to a 2d plane

SketchUp
1

Hi all -

New to SketchUp and using the free web version.

I’m trying to develop my skills by modelling a tent. I’ve got the basic structure now, but want to insert a door onto the curved panel.

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I’ve taken a copy of the panel, scaled it so that it now looks like the shape I want, but putting this back onto the curve, as you can imagine, isn’t quite right.

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image699×470 8 KB

So what I was planning to do next was to flatten the curve, so that I have a 2D outline, then push/pull through the curved panel, maintaining the shape I want.

The push/pull doesn’t allow me to use it on a curved surface (which I get). I’ve tried to use the scale tool to get me back to a 2D shape, but that doesn’t work out right, no matter what I tweak.

I’ve seen there are plenty of extensions out there that do what I want, but using web (and Ubuntu) means those are off the table.

Any and all help and/or suggestions welcome!!

2

your curve is in fact many little faces.
you could unfold them by hand ? with the rotate tool, face by face ?

alternatively, you could model with a pushpull the shape of your door, then place it where you need it, select all / right click / intersect.
it’ll make the shape of your door volume appear on the curved face.

3


first method (I use it when I model stuff to be build out of paper later)


second version is like that. more or less.

4

Hi - thanks for this and apologies for the delay.

I seem to be struggling to get each panel of the shape to go entirely flat. I’ve attached what I’ve got so far.
2025 Tent v2.stl (3.1 MB)

5

Click in sequence on the scenes tabs of this SU file for a few ideas.

Tent door.skp (332.6 KB)

6

Instead of 160 segments for that curve, you could use only 24.

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img-04b1464×812 60.2 KB