by KushiroCG·Modeling
Images © KushiroCG. Used for product review; image policy.
Simple Bend appears in the superhive library at popularity rank 49. Note that this is the older version of the tool; the developer also offers a separate, newer product called Simple Bend Ex.
Simple Bend is a Blender add-on for bending sub-divided meshes. You add edge-loops or sub-divide the mesh, select the faces you want to bend (either all faces or just the middle parts), run the tool, and drag on the yellow on-screen axis. You can also bend only a selected part and let the connected geometry follow by pressing the C key.
For more control, the Edge Axis mode bends at a self-defined angle. It reads your last two selected edges to set the bending axis and direction, so it runs in Blender's Edge mode, while the basic mode runs in Face mode. Both are launched from Blender's right-click context menu. While bending, on-screen keys let you modify only selected vertices (S), swap the axis (W), bend a single side (C), snap to 5-degree units by holding Shift, and confirm with Q.
Simple Bend has been updated to work with Blender 4.0.0 and auto-scales the on-screen axis for different mesh sizes. Install it from the zip file without unzipping, and scale objects in Edit mode rather than Object mode to avoid unexpected results.
Simple Bend is best for blender artists bending sub-divided meshes with on-screen axis control or a self-defined edge-based angle.
Simple Bend is completely free to download and use.
Simple Bend was updated to run on Blender 4.0.0. Version 2.3.0 brought the initial 4.0.0 support, and version 2.3.1 fixed a problem caused by a Blender API change. An earlier update also switched from deprecated OpenGL to Blender's newer GPU functions, since OpenGL began showing deprecation warnings from Blender 3.5.0 onward. For the current list of supported Blender versions, check the developer's page.
Simple Bend must be installed directly from its zip file. Do not unzip the add-on before installing it, otherwise Blender will not install it correctly and will cause errors. If you already installed the unzipped files, uninstall the add-on, remove those files, then re-install by selecting the zip file during installation. One more note from the developer: scale objects in Edit mode rather than Object mode, since scaling in Object mode can confuse Blender's mesh data for the add-on.
Simple Bend's Edge Axis mode is the advanced mode for bending at a self-defined angle. It reads your last-selected edges to set the bending axis and direction, and needs two edges that are not co-linear. Switch to Blender's Edge mode, select the part, hold Shift, un-select the two edges, then re-select them so they become the last selection, and run the tool. The first edge sets the mesh direction and the second sets the bending direction; press W to swap the axis.
Simple Bend uses several on-screen keys during a bend. S modifies only the selected vertices, useful when you select a mesh surface and want to bend it manually. W swaps the bending axis to change direction. C bends only one side instead of both, and pressing it repeatedly switches between parts. Hold Shift to snap the bending amount to 5-degree units. Press Q to confirm the bend when you are done.
Simple Bend is listed as free in this catalog. For current licensing details, and to confirm terms before you download, check the developer's page. Keep in mind that this is the older version of the tool; the developer also offers a separate, newer product called Simple Bend Ex, so review both on the developer's page to decide which fits your needs.
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