You can select multiple faces (even non-contiguous ones) and pull them all at once to the same distance, saving significant time on repetitive modeling tasks.
When to use: Thickening organic surfaces, curved walls, terrain.
How it works: Each face moves along its normal vector. For a sphere, this creates a perfectly concentric shell.
2021 Tip: Use the Offset Distance parameter carefully. On high-poly meshes, values that are too large will cause self-intersection and crashes.
Many users searching for "Joint Push Pull SketchUp 2021" are actually looking for installation help. Here is the step-by-step process, as the tool is not freeware (it is a paid extension by Fredo6).
Cause: Your starting mesh has holes, internal edges, or overlapping faces.
Fix: Use Extensions > Fredo6 Tools > CleanUp to remove stray lines. Alternatively, stitch holes manually with the Draw tool.
| Extension | Integration Tip |
|-----------|----------------|
| Curviloft | Use JPP after skinning with Curviloft to give thickness to complex lofts. |
| Artisan / SubD | Subdivide mesh, then JPP for smooth organic shells. |
| SketchUp STL | After Thickness mode, export directly for 3D printing. |
| Solid Inspector² | Validate JPP’s solid output before fabrication. |
Three years after its release, SketchUp 2021 is still widely used by professionals who avoid subscription models (thanks to its perpetual license). Joint Push Pull bridges the gap between SketchUp’s beginner-friendly interface and advanced manufacturing needs.
Whether you are a landscape architect thickening a terrain, a product designer creating a double-curved casing, or a hobbyist preparing a 3D print, JPP turns an impossible task into a three-click operation.
Final Recommendation: Download the free trial today. Test it on your most frustrating curved surface. Within ten minutes, you will wonder how you ever lived without Joint Push Pull in SketchUp 2021.
Have a specific issue with JPP and SketchUp 2021? Leave a comment below or visit the official Fredo6 forum on SketchUcation for direct developer support.
Mastering Joint Push Pull in SketchUp 2021: A Comprehensive Guide
SketchUp is a popular 3D modeling software used by architects, interior designers, landscape architects, and product designers. One of the most powerful and versatile tools in SketchUp is the Joint Push Pull tool, which allows users to create complex geometries and modify existing models with ease. In this article, we'll dive deep into the world of Joint Push Pull in SketchUp 2021, exploring its features, benefits, and best practices.
What is Joint Push Pull in SketchUp?
The Joint Push Pull tool is a native SketchUp tool that enables users to push and pull faces, edges, and vertices in a model, while maintaining their connections to other entities. This tool is particularly useful for creating and modifying complex shapes, such as curved surfaces, irregular polygons, and organic forms.
New Features in SketchUp 2021
SketchUp 2021 brings several enhancements to the Joint Push Pull tool, making it even more powerful and intuitive. Some of the key new features include:
Benefits of Using Joint Push Pull in SketchUp Joint Push Pull Sketchup 2021
The Joint Push Pull tool offers numerous benefits, including:
Basic Techniques for Using Joint Push Pull
To get started with the Joint Push Pull tool, follow these basic techniques:
Advanced Techniques for Using Joint Push Pull
Once you've mastered the basics, try these advanced techniques:
Best Practices for Using Joint Push Pull
To get the most out of the Joint Push Pull tool, follow these best practices:
Common Challenges and Solutions
Here are some common challenges users may face when using the Joint Push Pull tool, along with solutions:
Conclusion
The Joint Push Pull tool in SketchUp 2021 is a powerful and versatile feature that can help users create complex geometries and modify existing models with ease. By mastering the basics and advanced techniques, and following best practices, users can unlock the full potential of this tool and take their SketchUp skills to the next level. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, the Joint Push Pull tool is sure to become an essential part of your SketchUp workflow.
In SketchUp 2021, the Joint Push Pull extension (by Fredo6) is a vital tool for extruding complex, multiple, or curved surfaces that the native Push/Pull tool cannot handle. Because SketchUp treats curved surfaces as a collection of individual flat faces, the standard tool can only move one face at a time, often breaking the geometry.
Joint Push Pull solves this by calculating an average normal for the entire selection, allowing for a contiguous, uniform extrusion. Key Features of Joint Push Pull
Joint Push Pull (Main Tool): Extrudes multiple faces while automatically filling in the "joints" between them to maintain a single, smooth surface.
Vector Push Pull: Allows you to push or pull faces in a specific direction (e.g., locking to the Blue axis by pressing the Up Arrow), which is useful for flattening terrain or creating vertical extrusions from sloped surfaces. You can select multiple faces (even non-contiguous ones)
Normal Push Pull: Similar to the native tool but works on multiple faces simultaneously. It creates gaps between non-contiguous faces rather than merging them.
Extrude Push Pull: Focuses on maintaining face contiguity during extrusion, often producing cleaner results for certain geometric layouts.
Thickening Mode: Specifically designed to add a set thickness to a surface while keeping the original faces (useful for modeling walls or shells). How to Use It in SketchUp 2021
Installation: Download the Joint Push Pull Interactive extension from the Sketchucation PluginStore.
Note: You must also install the LibFredo6 shared library for the plugin to function.
Selection: Select the faces you wish to extrude. You can select multiple faces across different parts of your model.
Activation: Click the desired Joint Push Pull icon from the toolbar or access it via Tools > Fredo6 Collection > Joint Push Pull. Execution:
Interactive: Click and drag the surface to visually set the extrusion depth.
Precise: Type a value (e.g., 10cm) into the Measurements box and press Enter.
Finalize: Double-click or press Enter to confirm the operation. Tips for Success
Shortcut Keys: Use the Arrow Keys to lock the extrusion to a specific axis (Red, Green, or Blue) during Vector Push Pull.
Group Creation: You can toggle an option to generate the new geometry inside its own group to keep your model organized and non-destructive.
Undo/Redo: The plugin has its own "Start-over" and "Redo" functions, which are often more reliable for these complex operations than the standard SketchUp Undo.
Joint Push Pull is one of the most essential "power-user" extensions for SketchUp 2021, developed by the prolific Ruby script creator
. While the native SketchUp Push/Pull tool is limited to flat faces and single directions, Use case : Creating roof overhangs, extruding walls
Joint Push Pull allows you to extrude multiple faces—including curved and non-planar surfaces—simultaneously Key Features and Modes
The extension is actually a suite of several specialized tools, each designed for different geometric challenges: Joint Push Pull:
Extrudes multiple faces along their average vertex normals, keeping the resulting faces connected (welded). Round Push Pull:
Similar to Joint, but it generates rounded transitions at the edges of the extrusion. Vector Push Pull:
Extrudes faces along a specific direction (vector) regardless of their orientation. Normal Push Pull:
Extrudes each face individually along its own specific normal. Extrude Push Pull:
Works like the standard tool but handles multiple faces at once without maintaining a "joint" connection. Why Use It in SketchUp 2021?
For SketchUp 2021 users, this plugin solves several workflow bottlenecks: Curved Surface Thickness:
It is the go-to tool for adding thickness to "skins" or organic shapes (like a curved roof or a car body) that the native tool cannot process. Efficiency:
Instead of pushing 50 individual window panes, you can select them all and extrude them to the same depth in one click. Visual Preview:
The 2021-compatible versions include a "ghost" preview that shows exactly where the geometry will land before you commit to the operation. Installation Requirements
To run Joint Push Pull on SketchUp 2021, you must satisfy two dependencies: LibFredo6:
This is a shared library plugin required for almost all of Fredo6’s tools. SketchUcation Extension Store:
Since Fredo6 moved away from the Extension Warehouse, you typically need to download and manage these via the SketchUcation marketplace Licensing Note
As of late 2021/2022, many of Fredo6's plugins transitioned from "Donationware" to a paid "Freemium" model
. While some legacy versions exist, most users on SketchUp 2021 will need to purchase a small, perpetual license through SketchUcation to unlock the full feature set permanently. installation