Sketchy FFD remains the best free option for lattice deformation.

stands for Free Form Deformation . Originally developed by the plugin author CPhillips , Sketchy FFD allows users to manipulate a mesh by controlling a lattice of control points. Instead of moving individual vertices or edges one by one, the user creates a "cage" around their object. By moving the points of this cage, the geometry inside deforms smoothly to match.

You just achieved what would take 40 minutes of manual vertex editing in 10 seconds.

Mathematically, this lattice defines a local coordinate system. When the control points are moved, the underlying space is warped, and any geometry within that space is deformed correspondingly. This method offers two distinct advantages:

Here’s a feature idea for the SketchUp plugin:

In this comprehensive guide, we will dissect the Sketchy FFD plugin, explore its capabilities, address its reputation, and show you how to unlock fluid, organic modeling inside SketchUp.