I need to draw a complicated mechanical surface and don't know how to approach it

I’m building an SU model of a locomotive engine that I want to 3D print. I’m able to handle most of the intricacies, but there’s one that I can’t get a handle on. It’s the waffle surface of the Roots Blowers at the back of the engine. I need help getting started.

I can conceive of doing the pattern in one plane, but can’t see how to do it in both planes.

A very rough approach.
On a more strangeely shaped component fredo’s joint push pull could work once you have the lines drawn ( and they could be overlaid in a number of ways ( drape being one) or flowify?

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drape tool and fredo joint pp.

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And with CLF Shape Bender:

and with TrueBend

// edit

You’re right, @RTCool, Flowify too!

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Or maybe Flowify?

Video demo.

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All good! I have Flowify. Now I just have to figure out how to use it. The tutorial was making a lot of mouse moves that were almost too fast to follow. I seem to get the gist. The target object and the pattern have to be group together. I’m going to try that first since I already have the extension.

Much thanks. I’ll share the results (good or bad) with y’all.

To understand how to use Flowify, watch tutorials on Youtube.
I created a clip with the phases (slow-mo) I used Flowify: