---
title: Twist & Bend
order: 8
---

**Twist** turns a shape round one of its own axes, through its origin: the farther a part is from the origin along that axis, the more it turns. **Bend** curls a shape that lies along one of its axes into an arc.

![a bar bent into an arc](../assets/bend.webp)

## Twist

![a post twisted round its long axis](../assets/twist.webp)

### Twist settings

![the Twist modifier in the panel](../assets/modifiersettings-twist.webp)

| Setting | Default | Range | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Axis** | Y | X / Y / Z | The shape's own axis to twist round |
| **Strength** | `1.0` | soft `-10` – `10` | Radians of turn per unit along the axis. Negative twists the other way |

### Twist gizmo

![dragging the top end ring round the axis, Ctrl to snap](../assets/twist-gizmo.webp)

| Handle | Looks like | Drag or click | Keys while dragging |
|---|---|---|---|
| End rings | White rings at both ends of the ribbon | Drag round the axis to twist. Both ends drive the one **Strength**: the other end turns the same amount the other way. No limit on the number of turns | `Ctrl` snaps that end to `15°`, `Shift` precision |
| Dials | Faint circle at each end, with an arc from rest to how far that end turns. Past a full turn the arc spirals inward, one loop per turn | Display only | |
| Ribbon | White helix just outside the shape, where its outer edge lands after the twist | Display only | |
| Axis line | Dashed line along the twist axis | Display only | |
| Axis button | Ring in the axis colour, below the origin | Click to step the axis X → Y → Z | |

The label beside the cursor shows the total turn over the shape (*Twist · 90.0° · over the shape*) and the **Strength** it makes.

## Bend

### Bend settings

![the Bend modifier in the panel](../assets/modifiersettings-bend.webp)

| Setting | Default | Range | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Axis** | Z | X / Y / Z | The axis the shape lies **along**: a bar standing on Z bends with Axis Z |
| **Strength** | `1.0` | soft `-10` – `10` | How tightly it bends (curvature). Negative bends the other way |
| **Direction** | `0°` | soft `-180°` – `180°` | Turns the plane the shape bends in, round the axis |
| **Center** | `0` m | soft `-10` – `10` | Slides the bend along the axis, away from the origin, in world units. The slice at the centre stays put |
| **Limits** | off | | Bend only between **Lower** and **Upper**; past a limit the shape carries on straight |
| **Lower** | half the shape's length below the centre | soft `-10` – `10` | Where the bend starts, from the centre along the axis |
| **Upper** | half the shape's length above the centre | soft `-10` – `10` | Where the bend stops |

### Bend gizmo

![dragging the top end of the centre line to set the angle, Ctrl to snap](../assets/bend-gizmo.webp)

| Handle | Looks like | Drag or click | Keys while dragging |
|---|---|---|---|
| End rings | White rings at both ends of the centre line | Drag to set the angle: the end follows the cursor round the bend's centre; drag through straight to bend the other way. The drag stops before the shape would wrap into itself. The label shows that end's angle; the whole bend is about twice it | `Ctrl` snap `15°`, `Shift` precision |
| Arrow | Double arrow in the axis colour through the bend's centre | Drag to slide the bend along the shape (**Center**) | `Ctrl` snap `0.1` (`Ctrl + Shift`: `0.01`), `Shift` precision |
| Direction dial | Faint circle round the axis, with a small white ring | Drag the ring round to turn **Direction** | `Ctrl` snap `15°`, `Shift` precision |
| Axis dots | Two dots on stems, in the other axes' colours | Click to bend along that axis | |
| Limit dots | Two small blue dots on the centre line (**Limits** on) | Drag along the axis to set **Lower** and **Upper**. Dragging one past the other swaps them | `Ctrl` snap `0.1`, `Shift` precision |
| Centre line | White line where the bent shape's centre runs; a dashed line marks the straight axis | Display only | |

![sliding the bend with its arrow, then pulling in the upper limit](../assets/bend-center-limits.webp)

Switch the handles with **Bend** and **Twist** in the tool header's [gizmo drop-down](../interface/gizmos.md#tool-bar-switches), or *Render Properties ▸ Gizmos ▸ Modifiers*.

## Pie menu

The pie's East wedge has a Twist row (axis buttons and the strength) and a Bend row (axis buttons, the strength and a **Limits** toggle). Click the strength and move the mouse to drag it; `Shift` is precision, `Ctrl` snaps to `0.1`.

## Limits and known issues

> [!warning]
> The pie's strength drag changes **every** Twist (or every Bend) on the shape at once. To set one of several, use its panel row or its handles.

- Only the gizmo stops a bend before it wraps round into itself. A large **Strength** typed in the panel can wind the shape into overlapping copies.
- With **Limits** on, a small crease can show where the bend meets the straight part.
- In 5.0.0 the **Direction** tooltip says `0` curls the axis toward the next one (Z toward X); a positive **Strength** actually curls it toward the opposite side.

## See also

- [Revolve](revolve.md), [Sweep](sweep.md), [Lattice](lattice.md): the other deformers
- [Array](array.md): combine with Twist for helical rows