Grid Warp Node

Grid Warp is the most flexible warping tool in Fusion. Each point of the destination grid can be moved individually, and the image warps to follow it. With a frozen Source Grid and an animated Destination Grid = smooth, precise morphing.

Various manipulation modes: individual selection, region (affects several points with a falloff), magnetic (adjustable circular influence), Edit Line (draw a spline over an organic shape).

• Effects Library: Tools > Warp > Grid Warp
• Quick add: right-click in the Node Editor → Add Tool > Warp > Grid Warp

Displace

Procedural, map-based deformation. Uniform, pattern-driven. Perfect for heat haze, water, glass.

Grid Warp

Manual deformation with control points. Precise, animatable point by point. Perfect for localized morphing and specific reshaping.

Rule: procedural distortion → Displace. Precise reshaping / morphing / localized warping → Grid Warp.

• Primary Input (orange) - the 2D image to warp.
• Effect Mask (blue) - optional. Limits the warp to an area.

Face morphing / reshape:
MediaIn → Grid Warp (move the points around the face)
       → MediaOut

Correcting an organic surface:
MediaIn → Grid Warp (Edit Line mode on the shape)
       → move the points → MediaOut

Chain of localized warps:
MediaIn → Grid Warp (area A) → Grid Warp (area B) → MediaOut

X / Y Grid Size

Number of horizontal and vertical subdivisions. Higher = more control points, a more precise (but heavier) warp.

Subdivision Level

Smoothing quality between the points. Higher = smoother curves between the points (no hard angles).

Center / Angle / Size

Transforms the grid as a whole (before the point-by-point warp). Used to position the grid over the area to warp.

Source Grid

The original grid (usually left regular). Defines the reference shape the image has to follow.

Destination Grid

The target grid - the one you manipulate. The image warps so that the Source ends up at the position of the Destination.

Copy Src

Copies the current shape of the Source into the Destination. Useful to start an animation with the same shape and then warp it.

Magnet Distance / Strength

For Magnetic mode: the radius of influence around the moved point and the strength of the effect on neighboring points.

Selected

Point-by-point selection. Only the clicked point moves. Ultra-precise control.

Region

Selects a rectangular region of points. All the points in the region move together. Ideal to warp a large area evenly.

Magnetic

The moved point pulls the neighboring points with a falloff (Magnet Distance + Strength). Gives smooth, organic deformations.

Edit Line

Draw a spline over an organic shape (face, arm, etc.) = a matching grid is generated automatically. More precise than the standard rectangular grid for shape-aware warping.

1. Set the Grid Size BEFORE moving any points. Changing the size afterward resets your changes!
2. Source Grid = reference. Leave it in its default position or place it on the original shape (Edit Line).
3. Select the Destination Grid to manipulate it.
4. Choose a mode (Selected/Region/Magnetic/Edit Line) depending on the precision you need.
5. Move the points of the Destination to shape the warp you want.
6. To animate it, right-click the mesh animation label → Animate = the Destination Grid becomes keyframable.

• Face morphing / reshape - enlarge the eyes, slim the chin, lift the eyelids without surgery.
• Correcting organic distortion - fix an arm that looks too long or a badly positioned hand.
• Morphing between two shapes - a gradual animation from one shape to another (logo A turning into logo B, an aging face).
• Artistic liquid / flag distortion - warp an image as if it were liquid or on fabric blowing in the wind.
• Fixing imperfect tracks - after a Planar Tracker that does not handle a curved surface well (balloon, fabric), Grid Warp finishes the job by hand.
• Adjusting proportions - lengthen or shrink a building or a vehicle locally without affecting the whole shot.
• Illustration animation (tweening) - animate a drawing between two key poses with a keyframed Grid Warp.

• Grid Size FIRST - always set it before moving points. Changing it afterward = your changes are reset.
• Auto Smooth Points for natural curves - avoids hard edges between points.
• Magnetic mode for organic work - adjusting Magnet Distance and Strength gives soft deformations without having to move every point individually.
• Edit Line for complex shapes - trace the silhouette of a face or an arm = a grid that fits precisely.
• Chain several Grid Warps for localized deformations in several places - one per area rather than one huge global warp.
• Copy Src to start an animation - Destination identical to Source on frame 1, then animate it diverging.
• Moderate Subdivision Level - a Level that is too high = slow rendering without a real visual difference. 2-3 is enough in most cases.
• For morphing between two distinct images (not just warping one), combine Grid Warp + Dissolve with synchronized animation.