How to Draw an Oval or Ellipse in SketchUp

SketchUp has no native ellipse tool, so the fastest way to draw an oval or ellipse shape is to draw a circle and stretch it with the Scale tool — no extension needed. Follow these steps.

How to Draw an Oval or Ellipse in SketchUp — Tutorial Video

Method 1: Circle + Scale (Recommended)

This is the standard method that works in every version of SketchUp, including SketchUp Free in the browser.

• Draw a circle with the Circle tool, then triple-click it and make it a Group (right-click > Make Group). Grouping first is the real trick here — if you scale a loose circle that touches other geometry, the Scale tool stretches the neighboring edges and faces too, not just the circle.
• Select the Scale tool, click the group, then grab one of the four middle (edge) grips — not a corner grip — and move the mouse. The grip you pick decides everything: a corner grip scales uniformly and keeps it a circle, while a middle grip scales in only one axis, which is exactly what turns a circle into an ellipse.
• Instead of eyeballing the drag, type the scale factor into the Measurements box and press Enter — for example type 2 to make the oval exactly twice as long on that axis, or type two values separated by a comma (like 1,2) to stretch the red and green directions independently in one move. Hold Shift while dragging an edge grip to force uniform scaling.
• If you need the oval at another orientation, rotate the group 90 degrees (or any angle) with the Rotate tool.

Important to know: a scaled circle is not a mathematically true ellipse. SketchUp only draws straight segments (a circle is 24 segments by default), and scaling one axis keeps that segment count with unequal segment lengths — fine for visuals, but raise the circle’s segment count before scaling if you plan to export for CNC or laser cutting. Right-click the circle before grouping and choose “Entity Info” to change segments (type a number and press Enter while the Circle tool is still active).

Method 2: Using the Ellipse Tool (SketchUp 2021+)

SketchUp added a dedicated Ellipse tool in version 2021. You may not see it in the default toolbar, but it is available via the Draw menu.

• Go to Draw > 2D Shapes > Ellipse (or find it in the Shape Tools toolbar).
• Click to set the center point, drag to define the first axis length, then move the mouse perpendicular to set the second axis and click to finish.
• This tool creates a true parametric ellipse approximated by segments. The default is 24 segments — change it in the Measurements box immediately after drawing before clicking anything else.
• The ellipse is drawn as a flat face. Push/Pull it to extrude, or delete the face to keep just the edge curve.

If the Ellipse tool is not visible, go to View > Toolbars > Shape Tools to add it. This tool does not appear in SketchUp Free (browser version).

Method 3: Arc-Based Oval

When you need a true smooth oval outline made of two arcs (like a racetrack or stadium shape), use the 2-Point Arc tool:

• Draw a rectangle as a guide, then use the 2-Point Arc tool to draw a curved arc along the short end from corner to corner. The bulge distance in the Measurements box controls how rounded it is — type half the rectangle’s short dimension for a perfect semicircle cap.
• Mirror the arc to the opposite end using the Flip Along command (right-click > Flip Along > Red/Green direction).
• Connect the two arcs with two straight lines along the long sides. SketchUp will auto-fill the face once the outline is closed.
• Delete the guide rectangle lines. You now have a stadium oval with exact control over both the width and the end radius.

This method is better than the Scale method when you want the oval to have a specific arc radius at its ends rather than a specific axis ratio.

Drawing an Oval in SketchUp Web (Free Version)

SketchUp Free (browser-based at app.sketchup.com) does not have the Ellipse tool or extension support, but the Circle + Scale method works exactly the same way:

• Draw a circle, select it, right-click > Make Group.
• Activate the Scale tool from the toolbar (the resize icon).
• Grab a middle handle on one side and drag, or type a scale factor.

The arc-based oval method also works in SketchUp Free. Both give you a usable oval shape without any extension.

Making a 3D Oval Tube or Cylinder

Once you have a flat oval face, you have two ways to make it 3D:

Push/Pull to extrude: Select the Push/Pull tool and click the flat oval face, then drag upward to the desired height. This creates an oval prism — useful for columns, pillars, or simple oval objects.

Follow Me to make an oval tube: Draw the oval as an edge curve (delete the face). Draw a circular cross-section profile perpendicular to one end of the oval. Select the oval path, then activate Follow Me and click the profile face. SketchUp sweeps the circle along the oval path, creating a tube that follows the oval shape. This is how you model oval table legs, frames, or rings.

To turn the flat oval ellipse into a more complex 3D shape, enter the group, draw your profile, and run the path with the Follow Me tool. The scaled circle still behaves as a single curve entity, so Push/Pull and Follow Me treat the whole oval as one smooth edge, not 24 separate lines.

Common Issues

Scale tool distorts nearby geometry: You forgot to group the circle first. Press Ctrl+Z to undo, triple-click the circle face, right-click > Make Group, then try again.

The oval face has a gap and won’t fill: SketchUp needs a fully closed loop to auto-fill. Zoom in on the endpoints — there is likely a tiny gap. Use the Line tool to close it (click endpoint to endpoint), and the face will appear.

Push/Pull won’t push the oval: If you grouped the oval, you need to double-click the group to enter it before using Push/Pull, or the tool will not see the face.

Oval looks very angular: The default circle segment count of 24 is too low for large-scale ovals. Before drawing the circle, type a higher number (e.g., 64s) in the Measurements box and press Enter to set 64 segments before placing the circle.

Exported oval for CNC has uneven curve segments: As noted above, scaling a circle produces unequal segment lengths. Use the Ellipse tool (if on 2021+) or an extension like “True Ellipse” from Extension Warehouse to generate evenly-spaced points for precision manufacturing.