FFD

FFD is an acronym that can refer to several concepts across different fields. The most widely recognized is Free-Form Deformation, a geometric modeling technique used to deform three-dimensional shapes in a smooth and intuitive way.

Free-Form Deformation (FFD) works by enclosing an object in a lattice of control points. The position of any point inside the lattice is determined by a weighted combination of the surrounding control points, typically using trivariate Bernstein polynomials. By moving the lattice points, designers can achieve non-rigid deformations of volume data, surfaces, or meshes without editing every vertex individually. FFD has been applied in computer-aided design, computer graphics, character animation, medical imaging, and digital morphing to provide flexible, artist-friendly shape manipulation.

In hardware and systems design, FFD can stand for Fixed-Function Device. This use describes components or blocks that perform a specific, non-programmable function within an integrated circuit or embedded system. Fixed-function blocks are often more efficient in speed and power usage than programmable logic, making them common in application-specific accelerators, digital signal processing chains, and other optimized subsystems. The term helps distinguish such hardware from programmable elements like microcontrollers, FPGAs, or configurable IP cores.

Other, less common uses of the acronym exist in various disciplines, dependent on context. When encountering FFD, the surrounding subject matter typically clarifies which meaning is intended.