Geometry & 3D node
Geometry Curve Deform
Bends a mesh along a Path. The chosen Axis of the geometry is laid down along the curve — its full extent maps onto Start…Start+Length of the path — and the cross-section rides the spine's parallel-transport frame, so nothing snaps or twists on its own. A straight column becomes an arch, an extruded word follows a spiral. Offset slides the mesh ALONG the curve (wrapping on a closed path) — cable an LFO in and it is a train on rails. Amount blends between the original and the bent result.
Inputs
| Port | Type | Default |
|---|---|---|
| GeometryThe mesh to bend. The source is never touched — the node works on its own copy. | structure | — |
| PathThe curve to bend along — any point cloud or Path output. The spine's parallel-transport frame carries the cross-section, so nothing twists on its own. | structure | — |
| AxisWhich axis of the geometry is laid down along the curve. Its full extent maps onto the chosen stretch of path. | int | 1 |
| StartWhere on the path (0…1) the geometry's near end lands. | float | 0 |
| LengthHow much of the path (0…1) the geometry occupies — smaller squeezes the mesh into a shorter stretch of curve. | float | 1 |
| OffsetSlides the mesh ALONG the curve, in path lengths — cable an LFO in and it is a train on rails. Wraps on a closed path; runs straight off the end of an open one. | float | 0 |
| Path ClosedTreat the path as a loop: the frame closes seamlessly and Offset wraps around forever. | bool | false |
| AmountBlend between the original mesh (0) and the fully bent one (1). | float | 1 |
Outputs
| Port | Type |
|---|---|
| GeometryThe mesh to bend. The source is never touched — the node works on its own copy. | structure |
| Vertex Count | int |
| Triangle Count | int |
How It Works
Geometry Curve Deform bends a mesh along a Path. The chosen Axis of the geometry is laid down along the curve — its full extent maps onto Start … Start + Length of the path — and the cross-section rides the spine's parallel-transport frame, so nothing snaps or twists on its own.
A straight column becomes an arch; an extruded word follows a spiral. Offset slides the mesh along the curve, wrapping on a closed path — cable an LFO in and it is a train on rails. Amount blends between the original and the bent result.
Use Cases
- Text on a curve — 3D Text along a Path, following an arc or a spiral.
- Arches and vaults — A straight extrusion bent onto a curve.
- A train on rails — An LFO on Offset carries the mesh along the path.
- Pipes that follow data — A Path built from tracked points; the mesh follows the motion.
- Blend in and out — Amount from 0 to 1 straightens and bends the object as an animation.
Tips
- Subdivide along the deformed axis first, or a long straight mesh will bend in ugly facets.
- Axis must match the mesh's long direction, or the result will be nonsense — this is the usual first mistake.
- Length below 1 uses only part of the path, which is how several objects share one spine at different places.
- Path Closed makes Offset wrap, turning the motion into a loop.
- For carrying a profile along a curve rather than bending an existing mesh, use Sweep.
Open Geometry Curve Deform in the interactive catalog →
Geometry Curve Deform is one of 381 nodes in Grafit Pro.
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