One of the methods for producing single and double curvature skin parts is the stretch-forming process. Stretching presses have numerical control. To determine the amount of the stretching press hydraulic cylinders movement, it is necessary to construct an involute of the clamping jaws. The article presents a method for calculating the involute or trajectory of the press T-600 control elements movement during sheet stretching by simulating the process of the workpiece deformation in the CAE system. The trajectories of the control elements movement are found for various stretching schemes by combining boundary conditions when simulating the process of the workpiece deformation. The results are compared with the data calculated geometrically. The proposed method for calculating the deformation trajectories allows taking into account geometric and physical nonlinearity, correctly determining the level of deformations, stresses and choosing the best option.