# Smoother curved surfaces? **URL:** \ **Category:** SketchUp\ **Created:** [September 29, 2020, 4:58am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453 "2020-09-29T04:58:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ong.waimen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/977dab/32.png) [@ong.waimen](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ong.waimen)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 4:58am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/1 "2020-09-29T04:58:56Z")
Hello! I’ve been trying to work on a lot of organic design lately but I can’t find out the reason why my rendered curved surface is not smooth. SU seems smooth but the rendered image is not … Is there anything I need to set? ![Presentation1](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/8/6/861525aa12f627e62a8ebfc310aec2062497ee8f.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![mihai.s](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/mihai.s/32/202022_2.png) [@mihai.s](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/mihai.s)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 5:58am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/2 "2020-09-29T05:58:19Z")
Make the surfaces with more dense geometry ![frm-05](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/0/8/0864de0f1e8816fb932b85d71e0640f75799f03b.gif) ---
**Author:** ![ong.waimen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/977dab/32.png) [@ong.waimen](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ong.waimen)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 9:02am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/3 "2020-09-29T09:02:50Z")
Thank you very much! What about for my counter at the bottom? I can’t find a way to increase density with irregular shape ☹ ---
**Author:** ![mihai.s](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/mihai.s/32/202022_2.png) [@mihai.s](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/mihai.s)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 9:30am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/4 "2020-09-29T09:30:22Z")
If you used arcs, then increase the number of segments. If you used splines, also, increases the number of segments. ![des-02](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/e/b/eb268acd6e44917fe288ec2fcae7814f9c063a28.gif) ![des-03](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/4/6/46854db8baef93b4c97ce82b3860e2634b7e40c9.gif) ---
**Author:** ![tengel07](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/tengel07/32/76819_2.png) [@tengel07](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/tengel07)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 9:35am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/5 "2020-09-29T09:35:12Z")
Take a look at the subd-plugin from TomTom - it improve organic modelling with shapeways a lot. ---
**Author:** ![TDahl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/tdahl/32/11584_2.png) [@TDahl](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/TDahl)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 12:17pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/6 "2020-09-29T12:17:52Z")
Another possibility, which would use the existing SketchUp model with its somewhat coarse curve geometry, is to see if the rendering package has a way to enable what is called “Phong shading” on the surfaces in question. This is what SketchUp uses to render adjacent faces which have been “smoothed” (in SketchUp terms). Phong shading is an algorithmic technique to simulate the visual effect of continuously smooth angles between adjacent flat faces. ---
**Author:** ![ong.waimen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/977dab/32.png) [@ong.waimen](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ong.waimen)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 2:25am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/7 "2020-09-30T02:25:21Z")
Thank you for your reply, you are really helpful! I’m using subdivide to increase the segment and polygon. But the results is still the same … Is there any simpler way to fix such issue? ![TEST2](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/6/5/65b741c06ef2161a015374b7788a22c086d13865.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 2:29am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/8 "2020-09-30T02:29:23Z")
You’ll always have the faces in SketchUp. Increasing the number of them by making them smaller will help make the curved surfaces look smoother but there will always be some faceting. It shouldn’t be very noticeable in your current model, though. ---
**Author:** ![ong.waimen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/977dab/32.png) [@ong.waimen](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ong.waimen)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/9 "2020-09-30T04:04:08Z")
I will try it and let you know the result soon! Are you referring to this ThomThom? [SketchUp Plugins | PluginStore | SketchUcation](https://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=tt_autosmooth) ---
**Author:** ![ong.waimen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/977dab/32.png) [@ong.waimen](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ong.waimen)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/10 "2020-09-30T04:04:51Z")
This is deep, do you have a website where I could have a read about it? ---
**Author:** ![ong.waimen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/977dab/32.png) [@ong.waimen](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ong.waimen)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:06am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/11 "2020-09-30T04:06:45Z")
I’ve increased the segment/polygon. It looks better now but it took me sometime to add the segments =\ I will try with Thom Thom autosmooth soon to show you all the results! ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/4/0/409044e2345803d3f0413124b1be1f63792b560c.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![tengel07](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/tengel07/32/76819_2.png) [@tengel07](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/tengel07)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:23am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/12 "2020-09-30T04:23:31Z")
I mean this plugin here: [Parametric Subdivisions for SketchUp — SUbD](https://evilsoftwareempire.com/subd) Here a example from my work: Exhaust pipes Pipes made with 12 segment circle. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/3/c/3cfe9aa27bd397cd93cd6cee13833553cd67ce53.jpeg) 1 iteration of subd applied. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/a/6/a6cf45504c2603d6d215ae02d7a17c9ab485c135.jpeg) The point is, you can switch on and off subd - means you can work on a modell with less faces - gives you a better performance during the modelling process - and finally you apply subd for rendering. I.e. my Porsche model has a size of 50MB without subd and increase to over 200MB after subd is applied… ---
**Author:** ![tengel07](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/tengel07/32/76819_2.png) [@tengel07](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/tengel07)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:49am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/13 "2020-09-30T04:49:26Z")
And here a example of renders Without subd ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/b/5/b551c53505d8e5ae0531d9d3dbe9fb5d818c6f06.jpeg) With 1 iteration subd ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/7/5/75ad53c511a9cf7750dac34cfe67c109475e0e09.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![mihai.s](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/mihai.s/32/202022_2.png) [@mihai.s](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/mihai.s)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 6:11am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/14 "2020-09-30T06:11:20Z")
For the _tengel07_ suggested option, to use [SUbD](https://evilsoftwareempire.com/subd), you need to create/transform your model to Quads ![sur-06](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/9/3/93d512e48f912b5d0e0e7944a8abbba583776760.gif) ---
**Author:** ![tengel07](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/tengel07/32/76819_2.png) [@tengel07](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/tengel07)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 7:09am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/15 "2020-09-30T07:09:46Z")
Guess we need to made a Quadface-Subd-Vertex-Tool Tutorial to bring organic modelling forward with sketchup. 😃 I like this extension, very useful when you understand the nature of subdivision. ---
**Author:** ![ong.waimen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/977dab/32.png) [@ong.waimen](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ong.waimen)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 7:21am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/16 "2020-09-30T07:21:20Z")
Tried all the method but still giving me a little jagged area on the surface =\ ![P4](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/9/d/9dc53828105f2c0e414f1d0292d8b46d9ae48356.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![mihai.s](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/mihai.s/32/202022_2.png) [@mihai.s](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/mihai.s)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 7:40am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/17 "2020-09-30T07:40:30Z")
Is your model located far away from Origin (0,0,0)? Or do you have custom material and render settings? With a model created quickly and default materials and settings for render, those jagged edges should not appear ![render1](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/c/f/cf3314f1d1c32c3882ce6c1114f248143efe1c2d.jpeg) ![model-1](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/e/2/e218956b2964ce22949df6cac5329f03b957a124.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![tengel07](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/tengel07/32/76819_2.png) [@tengel07](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/tengel07)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 8:20am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/18 "2020-09-30T08:20:45Z")
Thats a good example how subdivision helps to get smooth surfaces with less effort. basic shape - looks smooth in sketchup - but the render shows the real surface ![30-09-_2020_10-13-39](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/f/d/fdd4dacd443133d0c455ea6aeab29caa8f80c7bd.jpeg) Same shape - subd 3 iterations added - looks much smoother in render. ![30-09-_2020_10-14-40](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/2/a/2a991bef788627e4e3b4a8bf9b1f5e9fa8534c6c.jpeg) And, you can switch on/off subd in sketchup for work with the mesh with lower amount of edges and faces. Cheers Torsten (maybe a subd addict) ---
**Author:** ![TDahl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/tdahl/32/11584_2.png) [@TDahl](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/TDahl)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 12:16pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/19 "2020-09-30T12:16:16Z")
> [@ong.waimen](#): > > This is deep, do you have a website where I could have a read about it? Yes, here is the [Wikipedia page on Phong Shading](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phong_shading). ---
**Author:** ![ong.waimen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/977dab/32.png) [@ong.waimen](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ong.waimen)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2020, 7:58am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/smoother-curved-surfaces/137453/20 "2020-10-01T07:58:02Z")
Thank you everybody especially @mihai.s, with your solution I’m able to fix most of the thing. I’m still practicing to improve!