Morphkey 1.2 automates the process of morphing object and splines. It allows you to create both a morph taget object and its keyframe in one simple step, rather than several; changing the morph sequence is also simplified. Morphkey 1.2 has two functions: Add morphobject and Parse Morphkeys. Here's how they work.

• Now compatible with the XL and SE 5.2 upgrade
• Undo-capatibilities added

Morphkey will work with polygon objects or splines. In the example below, we're going to use a polygon sphere. So, first create a sphere.

Place the Time Manager at Frame 0, and choose "Add morphobject 1.2" from your Tools/Plugins menu. A morph object will be added to the object manager.

Now, we'll create the next morph object at Frame 30. Move the Time Manager to Frame 30. With the object Sphere highlighted, change the object as desired. Keep in mind that morph objects must have the same number of points and polys for a morph to work. In the picture below, the magnet tool was used.

Once again, choose Morphkey from the plugin menu. Now there will be a new object created for Frame 30.

We'll make one more object at Frame 60 following the steps above. Move the Time Manager to Frame 60, edit the Sphere object, and choose Morphkey from the plugin menu

At this point, there are 3 objects in the Sphere Morph group. The number in the object's name indicates which keyframe the morph object is placed at. When you are finished creating morph objects, you can hide the group from view.

If you look in the Time Line manager, you will notice that a morph sequence has been created for the Sphere object, with keyframes corresponding to the morph objects.

That's all there is to it. Change to camera view, and you'll see the morph take place as you move the time line.

Alternate Workflow: If you like, you can create all the morph objects/keyframes first and then edit them. Here's how:

Create the original object. With the Time Manager at Frame, choose the "Add moprhobject 1.2" plugin. Move to another frame, and choose the plug again. Continue doing this until you are finished adding morph objects at the times you wish. The morph objects will be in object manager just as before:

Now simply select the of the Sphere Morph objects one by one and edit their geometry. When you view the scene in camera mode, you'll see the morph take place at the appropriate keyframes.

Parse morphkeys allows you to easily change the order of the morph keyframes. First, edit the morph object names in the Object Manager by changing the numbers in the names, as in the example below.

Now, select the Sphere object (which has the morph sequence) in the Object Manager. Choose "Parse Morphkeys 1.2" from the Tools/Plugins menu. The Sphere's morph sequence will now be changed. In this case, both the order and the event times were changed.

I hope you will find Morphkey 1.2 to be a useful plugin. If you have any suggestions (or problems) with this plugin, please don't hesitate to contact me!

Morphkey 1.2 ©1998, Mikael Sterner