Can I extrude a curved face using the Push/Pull tool in SketchUp?

ByCADbrief Staff

Short Answer

Yes — in SketchUp, you can extrude a curved face with the Push/Pull tool if the curved surface is actually a single face bounded by edges. The most common professional method is to use Push/Pull directly on the face after confirming the geometry is clean and closed. It will not work on a truly non-planar curved surface.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: SketchUp only lets Push/Pull work on faces, and faces in SketchUp are always planar. A common failure is selecting what looks like a curved face, but it is really a segmented or warped surface made of multiple small faces, so Push/Pull will not extrude it as one piece.

How to Extrude a Curved Face in SketchUp

  • Command: Push/Pull

  • Shortcut: P

  • Quick Steps:

    1. Activate Tools > Push/Pull or press P.
    2. Click directly on the curved or segmented face you want to extrude; if needed, open the group/component first for editing.
    3. Drag to extrude, then type an exact distance and press Enter. Use the Ctrl key toggle on Windows (Option on Mac) to create a new starting face if needed.

Variables & Settings

  • Key Setting: Ctrl (Option on Mac) = Toggle to create a new face while extruding

    • Expert Setting: This option controls whether Push/Pull leaves the original face in place. It is the standard professional option when you need a duplicate face for shells, offsets, or controlled solid edits.

Why it Fails

  • Cause 1 (Geometry): The surface is not a single planar face; it is made of multiple facets or is non-coplanar, so Push/Pull cannot treat it as one extrudable face.

  • Cause 2 (layers/Locks): The geometry is inside a locked group/component, or you are trying to edit geometry without opening the group/component context first.

  • Cause 3 (Command/Logic): Push/Pull works normal to a face, not along a curved path, so it cannot create a true extrusion from a doubly curved surface.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

  • Quick Fix: Open the group/component, verify the boundary creates a real face, then use Push/Pull on each valid face or rebuild the shape with Follow Me if you need path-based geometry.
  • Manager’s Verdict: Use Push/Pull for simple planar-face extrusions and segmented curved forms. Avoid it for true curved-surface modeling; in production workflows, Follow Me or solid modeling extensions are usually more reliable.

FAQ

Can Push/Pull work on a circle in SketchUp?
Yes, because a circle creates a planar face that Push/Pull can extrude.

Why does SketchUp say there is no face to extrude?
The boundary is not closed, or the edges are not coplanar enough to form a face.

Should I use Follow Me instead of Push/Pull for curved shapes?
Yes, if you need the profile to travel along a path rather than extrude straight from a face.

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