Welcome to the Onshape forum! Ask questions and join in the discussions about everything Onshape.
First time visiting? Here are some places to start:- Looking for a certain topic? Check out the categories filter or use Search (upper right).
- Need support? Ask a question to our Community Support category.
- Please submit support tickets for bugs but you can request improvements in the Product Feedback category.
- Be respectful, on topic and if you see a problem, Flag it.
If you would like to contact our Community Manager personally, feel free to send a private message or an email.
ray
tunahan_döner405
Member Posts: 4 ✭
Title:
Feature Request: Native Bend/Curve Tool for Solid Bodies (Alternative to Sweep)
Body:
Hello,
I’m currently designing curved objects like rails/tracks, and I’ve run into a limitation in Onshape’s workflow.
Right now, the only reliable method to create curved geometry is using Sweep with a predefined path and profile. However, this approach becomes restrictive and unintuitive when starting from an already modeled straight part.
The problem:
- There is no direct way to bend or curve an existing solid body.
- If a design starts as a straight extrusion, it cannot be easily transformed into a curved version.
- This forces users to completely redesign parts using Sweep from scratch.
Why this matters:
In many real-world scenarios (like rails, pipes, structural elements), designers often:
- Create a straight version first
- Then decide to curve or adjust it
This workflow is currently not supported efficiently.
Suggested solution:
Introduce a “Bend” or “Curve” tool for solid bodies, similar to what exists in other CAD systems. This tool could:
- Bend a part along a defined arc or radius
- Allow angle input (e.g., 90°, 180°)
- Preserve cross-section during deformation
Benefits:
- Faster iteration and prototyping
- More intuitive modeling workflow
- Eliminates need to rebuild parts from scratch
- Makes Onshape more competitive with other CAD tools
I believe this feature would significantly improve usability for many users working with curved geometries.
Thanks!
Answers
Even though I can usually work around it, I'd welcome such a tool set, because it maps a real world workflow and it's manufacturing steps to the CAD world, making it easier for designers to support and document the manufacturing process.
+1 to bendy workflows. There's a whole world of 4d modeling I'm waiting to unleash on the unsuspecting masses that's hard blocked by the lack of a universal solid deformation function.
Derek Van Allen | Engineering Consultant | MeddlerDeform feature might be able to handle this.
RENDERCAD
rendercad.ai - Photorealistic product rendering.
▚▞▚▞▚▞▚▞▚
________________________________________________________________________
Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions.
I also appreciate the plugin/shared feature mentioned by MichaelPascoe. While it didn’t seem very effective for my specific use case, it still looks like it could be useful in certain situations.
I’m not fully familiar with how it works yet, so a short tutorial or demonstration video would be extremely helpful to better understand its capabilities and limitations.
Thanks again to everyone for your time and support!