RE:Flex Tutorial File: Morph Examples

This project has 3 compositions that demonstrate how to morph from still to still using RE:Flex Morph.

1) Morph with 2 pix

In this composition we demonstrate how to morph from one picture to another.

In this case we'd like the "Pete" picture to morph to the "Richard" picture, so in 1a) Pictures comp we make sure that Pete is showing at frame 0 and Richard is showing at frame 30.

FOR YOU TO NOTICE: Since RE:Flex Morph will be creating the inbetween frames (from 1 to 29) we do not care which, if any picture, is showing in 1a) Pictures comp from frames 1 to 29, inclusive.

We then include the 1a) Pictures comp into 1b) Morph comp and draw the features we need for the morph. Note that we have turned on animation for the shape of each spline, and have placed a key shape at frame 0, on the Pete picture, and at frame 30 on the Richard picture.

Geometries keyed at time 0 to match Pete's features. | Same geometries keyed at time 30, to match Richard's features.

FOR YOU TO NOTICE: With RE:Flex Morph there aren't pairs of matching geometries in the timeline window. Instead, RE:Flex Morph uses the same geometry at two points in time as the "from" and "to" geometries.

Geometries, and resultant morph, at frame 14. Frames 0 and 30 are warped to the inbetweened geometric shapes at frame 14.

FOR YOU TO NOTICE: The Picture Key has been animated so that it is set to "ON" at frames 0 and 30, and is set to "OFF" at frame 1 (which turns it off for frames 1 though 29, inclusive).

Notice how the Picture Key setting has been keyframed appropriately.

5) Morph2Pix Per-Spline Color Blend

In this example we demonstrate how to configure the morph so that some parts of the picture dissolve faster than other parts.

In particular we would like to have the hair change complete by frame 6 in the morph (the morph that starts with "Pete" and ends up with "Richard."

Since we only have one morph on the timeline, we'll use the "Color Amt1" setting of each spline to control blending for the morph, by setting Local Clr % From to Color Amt1.

Note that we've set the Color Amt1 for each of the 4 hairline splines to have a key of 0 at frame 0 and a key of 100 at frame 6 (the end of the first morph). Also note that for each of these 4 splines we've set Use Auto Color % to off so that the Color Amt1 is used to control the color dissolve for the spline.

If we had a second morph, and we wanted to control the speed of the color dissolves per-spline, then at frame 30, at the start of the second morph, we'd animated the Local Clr % From to be Color Amt 2 so that for the second morph the per-spline blend is retrieved from the Color Amt2 parameter for each spline. (we would need to do this because the Color Amt can't be animated towards 100 at the end of the first morph and simultaneously start at 0 for the second morph).

3) Morph2Pix NonLinear Shape

In this example we demonstrate that the animation of the splines between Picture Keys need not be linear in shape. At frame 15, we introduce a smile and raised eyebrow. Note how this changes the resultant morph.

4) Morph3Pix
3 Picture morph

In this example we demonstrate how to morph from frame to frame along the timeline. The important thing to notice is the keys for Picture Key? along the timeline.

5) Morph2Pix w AutoAlign
Morph with auto-align

We've taken the same morph as in 1) Morph with 2 pix, but have eliminated the eyelid and nose splines. By checking Auto Align we've let RE:Flex do the finer matching... this will keep the hand-matching of the primitives and, in addition, lines up the nose and eye's automatically!

To do: uncheck the Auto Align, and notice the double exposure that happens on the eyes and the left nostril.

6) MorphWithSmartBlend

In this example we have two images... one of a person smiling and the other without a smile. We place features to align the eyes and mouth of the person, as well as a few other features.

In order to match the two images, a shift in the images needs to happen. In fact, in order to match, objects in the first picture need to move the right, and a bit up. This will cause the first image to "tear away" from the edge in order to match. This will cause fading in the "torn" areas of the image as they are matched. If we check Hold Edges in order to eliminate the fading in and out at the edges, then objects at the edge will unnaturally squash and stretch. However, if we check Smart Blend, then RE:Flex if only one image touches a particular pixel then RE:Flex does not blend, but simply takes the pixel from the coverage image... giving a very satisfactory morph.

To Do: unclick Smart Blend and see how the edges of the image fade in and out during the morph.

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