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 mask, 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 (shapes animated using After Effects' inbetweening of animated shapes).

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.

2) Morph with nonlinear speeds

In this example we demonstrate that the animation of the shapes between Picture Keys need not be linear in speed. Note at each frame that frames 0 and 30 are warped to the shapes at each key frame, then linearly cross-dissolved. We've introduce non-linear speed variations by adding keys for each side of the hairline, and the two eyebrows. Note however, that the cross-dissolve is still linear across the 30 frame morph.

3) Morph with nonlinear shape

In this example we demonstrate that the animation of the shapes 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) 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) Morphs with per-shape 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 first morph (the morph that starts with "Pete" and ends up with "Richard." And we want the hair to blend completely to the Cat's hair by frame 39 (9 frames into the second morph).

We have two morphs, so we use "Mask Opacity" of each mask to control blending for the first morph, by setting Per Mask Blend % Comes From to Mask Opacity. At frame 30, at the start of the second morph (from "Richard" to "Cat"), we've animted the Per Mask Blend % Comes From to be Mask Expansion so that for the second morph the per-mask blend is retrieved from the Mask Expansion parameter for each mask.

For the first morph, for all masks, note that we've set the Mask Opacity for each mask to have a key of 0 at frame 0 and a key of 100 at frame 30 (the end of the first morph). Note for the masks named LeftForehead, RightForehead, RightHairline and LeftHairline, we've set a key of 100 at frame 6, so the hair dissolves in quicker.

Similarly, for the second morph, we've set keys for each mask's Expansion value to be 0 at frame 30 (the start of the second morph) and and 100 at frame 60 (the end of the morph). For the 4 hair masks, we've also set keys of 100 at frame 39, so that the hair of the cat dissolves in faster than for the rest of the image.

6) Morph with auto-align

We've taken the same morph as in 1) Morph with 2 pix, but have eliminated the eyelid and nose masks. 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.

7) Smart blend

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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Copyright 2005, RE:Vision Effects, Inc.