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The Complete Morph v2.10 User's Guide Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle _______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER Document dated: February 21, 1994 Paul D. Nettle 9668 Washington St. Romulus, MI 48174 (313) 941-9223 Author's name: Paul D. Nettle Author's Compuserve ID: 72163,2442 This document also Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle A limited license is granted to reprint short extracts from this document as long as credit is given to the above mentioned party. Individuals, BBSs and User Groups may distribute copies of this software, it's documentation and associated files (originally distributed in an archive) freely as long as the files remain in- tact, unmodified, are not re-named and are not made part of some larger work without the written permission of Paul D. Nettle. A BBS may rearchive the unmodified archived file's contents as long as the resulting archive is named CMORPH20.ZIP, CMORPH20.ARC, CMORPH20.LZH or CMORPH20.??? The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction.............................................4 What is Morphing?...................................4 How does it work?...................................4 CMorph is a full-featured morphing program. Take a look:5 System Requirements.................................6 Ombudsman Statement......................................7 Definition of Shareware..................................7 Disclaimer - Agreement...................................8 Getting Started..........................................9 Running CMorph from the command line.....................10 Configuring CMorph's Memory..............................11 Virtual Memory......................................11 Protected Mode Switching.................................13 Fine Control of Memory Usage........................14 Specifying a Range of Extended Memory...............14 A Note On the GUI........................................16 A Few Notes On the Mouse.................................17 The Go Menu..............................................18 Go menu category SYSTEM.............................18 LEAVE button...................................18 DOS SHELL button...............................18 GO button......................................18 Go menu category OTHER..............................18 HELP button....................................18 ABOUT button...................................18 Preferences Menu.........................................19 Preferences menu category: SPLINE SETTINGS.........19 Submenu category: MESH........................19 CATMULL, BICUBIC and STRAIGHT buttons.....19 TIGHTNESS text box........................19 Submenu category: INTERPOLATION...............19 CATMULL, BICUBIC and STRAIGHT buttons.....19 TIGHTNESS text box........................19 Preferences menu category: SCREEN SETTINGS.........19 DISPLAY CURVES button..........................19 ZOOM button....................................19 KWIK-SCREEN button.............................19 SOUNDS button..................................19 CURSOR COLOR buttons...........................20 MESH COLOR buttons.............................20 Preferences menu category: OUTPUT IMAGE FORMAT.....20 IMAGE FORMAT buttons...........................20 TGAs BOTTOM-UP button..........................20 Preferences menu category: OPERATION...............20 OPERATION buttons..............................20 FAST MORPH button..............................20 Preferences menu category: OUTPUT CONFIGURATION....20 FADE 50% text box..............................20 FADE START % text box..........................20 FADE END % text box............................20 WARP 50% text box..............................20 WARP START % text box..........................21 Page 2 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle WARP END % text box............................21 Preferences menu category: FRAME CONTROL...........21 TOTAL FRAMES text box..........................21 START FRAME text box...........................21 END FRAME text box.............................21 FRAME OFFSET text box..........................21 The Other Menus..........................................22 The Edit Menu.......................................22 The File Menu.......................................22 The Filters Menu....................................22 The Preview Menu....................................22 The FLICs Menu......................................23 Creating a Mesh..........................................24 Filter file (FILTERS.TXT) format.........................25 AnimComp -- The Animation Compiler.......................27 LAnim -- The Animation Player............................29 Convert -- The Image Conversion Tool.....................30 TurboFlic (TFlic) -- The Flic Builder....................31 IPI File Format..........................................33 Future Enhancements......................................34 Contacting Customer Support..............................35 Ordering Information.....................................36 What you will get when you register.................36 Non-registered vs registered users..................36 How to Register..........................................38 How to register with the author.....................38 How to register on-line with the CompuServe.........38 Page 3 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle INTRODUCTION Thank you for choosing "The Complete Morph." I hope that this product will be as useful for you as it was fun for me to write. I'll try to keep this document from being dry, so forgive me if the jokes get bad. From now on, lets just call "The Complete Morph" CMorph (pronounced "See-Morph".) What is morphing? Morphing is the process of slowly fading from one image to another, while warping the contents of both images so that they "metamorphasize." How does it work? Morphing is, in theory, actually very simple. Understanding how morphing works internally will aid you in creating high- quality morph animations. For a good quality morph, start by taking your time and finding a pair of similar images that have the same resolution. As an example, try to find two 320x200 images that both contain a full-screen face that is facing the same way, has the same orientation, and who's major points (eyes, etc.) line up pretty close to each other if they were to be overlaid. Now that you have two images, a mesh must be placed over each one. This is the "manual-labor" part of morphing. Take your time, this mesh defines the quality of the morph. A mesh is made up of horizontal and vertical lines overlaid onto both images. Each vertex of the mesh can be re- located. The points are usually connected by a curved line to smooth the bends. But be careful not to let any two horizontal or any two vertical mesh lines cross. Once all of the mesh lines are complete, the points in the mesh should line up with their counterpart on the other image (for example, the point on the source image that is centered in the left eye should have a counterpart on the destination image that is also on the left eye in that image), the morphing is ready to begin. A hint for a real clean morph is to align points in the image that not only select the features of the image, but also outline it's features with the lines that connect the points together. Morphing is a three-step process. The first two steps are the warping steps. The warping is done in two stages. First, all of the horizontal mesh lines are used to break up the image into "bands". Since there are the same number of Page 4 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle bands in each image, the destination band is warped to the same shape as it's counterpart in the source image, and so on through all the bands. Next, the destination image is broken up into vertical bands using the vertical mesh lines, and the process is repeated for the vertical direction. The last step in this process is to cross-fade the images into one. CMorph is a full-featured morphing program. Take a look: o Reads and writes GIF, IMG, TGA, BMP, PCX and IPI image files. o CMorph has a very beautiful and easy-to-use user- interface that utilizes all 256 colors of the SVGA palette, and on most video cards can handle resolutions up to 800x600 (1024x768 mode is only available on some video cards). o A DOS-shell helps you with those unexpected needs to visit the DOS prompt. o You control the output. Create a morph, a warp, or a simple fade. Each of these options utilizes parameters that let you control where in your animation most of the warping and the fading take place for super fine-tuning. o An interface for external programs to perform tasks that CMorph doesn't already perform via the IPI file format - - explained later in this document. This file format is also used in CImage, another of my products. o CMorph has advanced spline meshes giving you the option of three different spline types: Catmull (used in most morphing software today), Bi-cubic splines, and straight lines. Different effects can be obtained by changing which spline type is used for the image warping and which spline type is used for the interpolation. The Bi-cubic splines make use of a tightness parameter that allows you to have spline meshes that are almost straight to "very curvy". o CMorph also has advanced mesh editing features such as mirrored cursors, and cross cursors for aligning mesh points between the two images. A Zoom window tracks your cursor helping you get pixel-perfect output. o CMorph uses ALL available memory by running in 32-bit protected mode. If you need more memory, you can turn on the Virtual Memory. Page 5 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle o CMorph is complimented by it's complete suite of image processing filters. There are 100 pre-defined, user definable filters. o Color selectable overlays and color selectable backgrounds allow you to put your morph into any scene and add your name to the animation with ease. o Complete animation package, including animation compiler and viewer. o The registered and Pro versions have these great extra features: -- Automatic FLI/FLC/FLX/FLH/FLT animation generation built-in to CMorph as well as a stand-alone program that has the same capabilities, but is not limited to CMorph's output. An Image conversion utility that converts to and from BMP, IPI, PCX, GIF, TGA and IMG formats. And a few extra demos. System Requirements: CMorph and it's tools require at least a 386, and a video card that can handle 256 colors in 640x400 mode, 640x480 mode, 800x600 mode, or 1024x768 mode is reccomended. A math co-processor is optional, but highly recommended (can mean the difference between 5 minute morphs and 45 minute morphs). 4MB of memory is also required (although 8MB is better, and any more is just great). I hope you enjoy using The Complete Morph! Page 6 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle OMBUDSMAN STATEMENT This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the Shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a Shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. DEFINITION OF SHAREWARE Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs differ on details -- some request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using the software to an updated program with printed manual. Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware. Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it. Page 7 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT Users of The Complete Morph must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "The Complete Morph is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of The Complete Morph." The Complete Morph is a "Shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this program useful and find that you are using The Complete Morph and continue to use The Complete Morph after a reasonable trial period, you must make a registration payment of 35.00 to Paul D. Nettle. The 35.00 registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another. Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time. Commercial users of The Complete Morph must register and pay for their copies of The Complete Morph within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Site-License arrangements may be made by contacting Paul D. Nettle. Anyone distributing The Complete Morph for any kind of remuneration must first contact Paul D. Nettle at the address above for authorization. This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for Shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering The Complete Morph immediately (However Paul D. Nettle must still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest version of The Complete Morph.). You are encouraged to pass a copy of The Complete Morph along to your friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it. All registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of The Complete Morph system. Page 8 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle GETTING STARTED CMorph is ready to run. All you have to do is install it. Installation is simple. Since you've probably downloaded the CMorph archive and un-archived it (which you needed to do to be reading this document) you're already set to go. To run CMorph, you need to have both, CMORPH.EXE and DOS4GW.EXE in your path or in the current directory when you run it. To run it, just type CMORPH followed by two image file names. For example: C:\> CMORPH IMAGE1.TGA IMAGE2.TGA There are other command-line options, check the section titled "COMMAND LINE OPTIONS" for a complete description of them. If you're like me, you may already have a very large path, and wish not to make it larger. Where there is a will, there is a way! Simply create a batch file that runs CMorph in the following way: C:\CMORPH\DOS4GW C:\CMORPH\CMORPH %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9 This batch file runs DOS/4GW from the CMORPH directory, and tells it to run CMorph from the same directory. If you just run CMorph, then it will not find the DOS Extender (which is what it tries to do if you just run CMorph). So, you need to run the DOS Extender manually. Just place that batch file someplace in your path, and you're all set to go! Page 9 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle RUNNING CMORPH FROM THE COMMAND LINE Usage: E:\CMORPH\CMORPH.EXE [options] <source> <target> <source> and <target> are required parameters, <source> being the file name for the source image ("morphed from") and <target> being the file name for the target image ("morphed to"). These files must be in IPI, TGA, BMP, IMG, PCX or GIF format, and they must have the same resolution. The resolution of the output images is derived from the resolution of the input images. All options may be expressed using the slash (/) or the minus (-) characters. [Options] are: [-? | -H] List this help information [-B[X]] Batch mode (auto morph on startup) [with auto eXit] [-C] Force graphics mode to 16 colors Default: 256 colors [-Gxxx] Force vertical resolution to xxx scanlines Valid values: 400/480/600/768 Default: auto-detect [-Mfilename] Specify mesh filename [-Sx] Set mouse sensativity (0=fastest -or- 6=slowest) Default: 4\n" ); source Source image (IPI/TGA/BMP/IMG/GIF/PCX) target Target image (IPI/TGA/BMP/IMG/GIF/PCX) NOTE: [options] may be specified before, after or between the image names and may be specified by either the '-' or the '/' chars. Page 10 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle CONFIGURING CMORPH'S MEMORY CMorph an all its related tools (AnimComp, LAnim, TFlic - registered only, and Convert - registered only) use the DOS/4GW DOS Extender from Rational Systems. This DOS Extender places CMorph into "386 Flat Model" protected mode where the 80386 executes instructions faster, and has access to LOTS of larger chunks of memory. With access to all of this memory, CMorph can run faster, and perform more complicated tasks than it would if it were written for a 286 or less processor. Lets assume you have 8 MEG. CMorph loads above the first MEG (this is where most systems keep their faster memory). As memory is needed, CMorph gets it from the memory above that first MEG. If that runs out, then CMorph starts looking for memory in the DOS 640K area. DOS's memory is used last because it is usually slower, and also because CMorph can run DOS programs if you shell out to DOS, so you will want to save as much DOS memory as possible. Virtual Memory (VMM) is also available (see VIRTUAL MEMORY). Note that programs that use Extended or Expanded memory (like Disk Cache programs) will take memory away from CMorph. You may want to limit the memory that they use to allow a comfortable amount for both. VIRTUAL MEMORY CMorph was written with the Watcom C/C++32 9.5 and uses the DOS/4GW DOS Extender from Rational Systems. This royalty- free DOS Extender (DOS4GW.EXE) offers a Virtual Memory Manager (VMM). When CMorph runs out of memory, it can be configured so that it automatically starts swapping to disk. In this way, you can actually use more RAM than your computer has! This configuration MUST take place before CMorph is run. If CMorph runs out of memory while running, you must save what your are doing, exit CMorph and configure for VMM before re- starting CMorph. To enable VMM, you only need to set a single environment variable. Might I suggest that you create a CMORPH.BAT batch file that sets this variable before running CMorph, then clears it afterwards just in case you're not one for having all these environment variable hanging around when they aren't (like me) necessary. I have found a drawback to using the VMM. It tends to slows CMorph down, even when not swapping to disk. Page 11 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle To enable VMM with default values, just "SET DOS4GVM=1" from within DOS before entering CMorph. It's that simple. But, like all other things, there is a way to complicate it by configuring it (it's not that bad, actually). Usage: SET DOS4GVM=[option[#value]] [option[#value]]... (the '#' is used with options that take values since the DOS command shell will not accept "=") Setting the DOS4GVM=1 will use default values for all options. Here are some control options: MINMEM The minimum amount of RAM managed by VMM. The default is 512K MAXMEM The Maximum amount of RAM managed by VMM. The default is 4MB. SWAPMIN The minimum or initial size of the swap file. If this option is not used, the size of the swap file is based on VIRTUALSIZE (see below). SWAPINC The size by which the swap file grows. SWAPNAME The swap file name. The default name is "DOS4GVM.SWP". By default the file is in the root directory of the current drive. Specify the complete path name if you want to keep the swap file on another drive. DELETESWAP Whether the swap file is deleted when CMorph exits. By default the file is NOT deleted. Program startup is quicker if the file is NOT deleted. VIRTUALSIZE The size of the virtual memory space (swap file plus allocated memory). The default is 16MB. If you wish to have a temporary swap file, and only use no more than 4 MEG of RAM, then use the example below: SET DOS4GVM=DELETESWAP maxmem#8192 NOTE: This DOS Extender is especially advantageous for programmers. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Watcom C/C++32 9.5 compiler to developers. I own Borland C/C++ 3.1, Microsoft C/C++ 7.0, and Watcom C/C++32 9.5. My choice development tools are the Watcom Tools (although I hate to give up the Turbo Debugger). Take the time to learn them, they are wonderful! Page 12 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle PROTECTED MODE SWITCHING The following section is almost exactly as it appears in the manual for Watcom C/C++ 32-bit v9.5a. In almost all cases, CMorph can detect the type of machine that is running and automatically choose an appropriate real- to protected-mode switch technique. For the few cases in which this default setting does not work, I provide the DOS16M DOS environment variable, which overrides the default setting. Change the switch mode setting by issuing the following command: set DOS16M=value Do not insert a space between DOS16M and the equal sign. A space to the right of the equal sign is optional. The table below lists the machines and the settings you would use with them. Many settings have mnemonics, listed in the column "Alternate Name", that you can use instead of the number. Settings that you must set with the DOS16M variable have the notation "req'd" in the first column. Settings you may use are marked "option," and settings that will automatically be set are marked "auto." Alternate Status Machine Setting Name Comment auto 386/486 w/DPMI 0 None Automatic if DPMI is active req'd NEC 98-series 1 9801 Must be set for NEC 98-seri auto PS/2 2 None Set automatically for PS/2 auto 386/486 3 386, 80386 Set automatically for 386/4 auto 386 INBOARD None 386 with Intel Inboard req'd Fujitsu FMR-70 5 None Must be set for Fujitsu FMR auto 386/486 w/VCPI 11 None Set automatically for VCPI req'd Hitachi B32 14 None Must be set for Hitachi B32 req'd OKI if800 15 None Must be set for OKI if800 option IBM PS/55 16 None May be needed for some PS/5 The following procedure shows you how to test the switch mode setting. 1. If you have one of the machines listed below, set the DOS16M environment variable to the value shown for that machine and specify a range of extended memory. For example, if your machine is a NEC 98-series, set DOS16M=1 @2M-4M. See the section, "Fine Control of Memory Usage" later in this chapter for more information about setting the memory range. Machine Setting Page 13 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle NEC-98-series 1 Fujitsu FMR-60,-70 5 Hitachi B32 14 OKI if800 15 Before running CMorph, check the switch mode setting by following this procedure: 2. Run PMINFO and note the switch setting reported on the last line of the display. If PMINFO runs, the setting is usable on your machine. 3. If you changed the switch setting, add the new setting to your CMORPH.BAT file, or your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Note: PMINFO will run successfully on 286 machines. If CMORPH does not run, and PMINFO does, check the CPU type reported on the first line of the display. FINE CONTROL OF MEMORY USAGE: In addition to setting the switch mode as described above, the DOS16M environment variable enables you to specify which portion of extended memory CMorph will use. The variable also allows you to instruct CMorph to search for extra memory and use it if it is present. SPECIFYING A RANGE OF EXTENDED MEMORY Normally, you don't need to specify a range of memory with the DOS16M variable. You must use the variable, however, in the following cases: 1. You are running on a Fujitsu FMR-series, NEC 98- series, OKI if800-series, or Hitachi B-series machine. 2. You have older programs that use extended memory but don't follow one of the standard disciplines. 3. You want to shell out of CMorph to use another program that requires extended memory. If none of these conditions applies to you, you can skip this section. The general syntax is: set DOS16M=[switch_mode][@start_address[-end_address]] [:size] Page 14 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle In the syntax shown above, "start_address", "end_address" and "size" represent numbers, expressed in decimal or in hexadecimal (hex requires a 0x prefix). The number may end with a K to indicate an address or size in kilobytes, or an M to indicate megabytes. If no suffix is given, the address or size is assumed to be in kilobytes. If both a size and a range are specified, the more restrictive interpretation is used. The most flexible strategy is to specify only a size. However, if you are running with other software that does not follow a convention for indicating it's use of extended memory, and these other programs start before CMorph, you will need to calculate the range of memory used by other programs and specify a range for CMorph to use. Page 15 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle A NOTE ON THE GUI A few things need mentioning regarding the GUI's new radio buttons. There are two uses for the new radio buttons. First, they are used to toggle on or off certain options, like the zoom window (located in the Preferences menu). Clicking on this radio button will toggle it up and down. If the button is in the up position, then the feature is off, or disabled, and if the button is in the down position, the feature is on, or enabled. The second use for radio buttons is to choose between multiple settings for a single option. An example of this is the cursor color. Selecting a color will de-select the currently selected color and select the selected color (lots of "selects" in that one!) There are also keys that allow you to navigate through CMorph. Pressing F1 will bring up a help window that displays them. They are: F1/ALT-H Gets this help information on-line ALT-A Show About Box ALT-D DOS Shell ALT-E Enter Edit menu ALT-F Enter File menu ALT-G Enter Go menu ALT-I Enter Filters menu ALT-L Enter the FLICs menu (registered/pro only) ALT-P Enter Preferences menu ALT-R Enter Preview menu ALT-S Start morphing ALT-V Start a preview ALT-X Exit to DOS Page 16 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle A FEW NOTES ON THE MOUSE When the mouse is in the source or the target image windows, the mouse becomes a cross-hair cursor that spans both images. The cross-hair has two crosses. The first is the cross that shows where the cursor actually is, and the second is a less- significant cross in the opposite image. This cross points out where in the opposite image where the corresponding pixel is. Also, by placing the cursor within one of the two image windows, you'll see a filled circle. This circle follows the cursor around and is placed on the nearest mesh point. When the left mouse button is depressed (unhappy?...NAW!), the cursor position jumps to where that point is, so it may be relocated. When you have a menu up, you may back up to the main menu by pressing the right button or escape. Pressing the right button inside one of the two information windows (located directly below their respective image) will hide the meshes. And if you don't bother to read this in the docs, then you'll never know this. See, there actually is an advantage to reading the docs. (Not like I ever read them, either.) The last note that needs mentioning is that in certain circumstances, you'll be promoted by a message box for a "yes" or a "no" (like when you exit CMorph, for example). When one of these prompts are up, pressing the left button always means "yes" and the right button always means "no". Page 17 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle THE GO MENU You'll notice that there are four categories in this menu (in case you haven't done this yet, you'll need to take your mouse and click on the Operations button to get the menu to appear). Go menu category "System": "Leave" button: Exit to DOS. "DOS Shell" button: Shell to DOS. This will run a temporary copy of DOS. Once you are at in DOS, you may return to CMorph by typing "EXIT" on the DOS command line. "Go" button: Start the actual morphing, warping, or fading. Go menu category "Other": "Help" button: Displays a help window of available keys for navigating through the menus. "About" button: Displays an about box with version and copyright information. Page 18 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle PREFERENCES MENU The Preferences menu allows you to change all of CMorph's preferences and options. You'll notice that there are six categories in this menu. They are: Preferences menu category "Spline Settings": Sub menu category "Mesh": "Catmull", "BiCubic" and "Straight" buttons: These buttons select the type of spline used during the mesh warping stage. Use these different spline types for different effects. "Tightness" text box: Selects the amount of gravity used when drawing the Bi-cubic mesh lines. Valid values for this option can range from 1 (very little gravity; almost straight lines) to 100 (lots of gravity; very curvy lines). This only effects the mesh warping when the BiCubic mesh type is selected. Sub menu category "Interpolation": "Catmull", "BiCubic" and "Straight" buttons: These buttons select the type of spline used during the interpolation (or resampling) stage. Use these different spline types for different effects. "Tightness" text box: Selects the amount of gravity used when resampling the output. Valid values for this option can range from 1 (very little gravity; almost straight lines) to 100 (lots of gravity; very curvy lines). Preferences menu category "Screen Settings": "Display Curves" button: Toggles the displayed meshes from curves to straight. This option does not effect the Morphing, just what is displayed on the screen. Use this option to speed up the display when needed. "Zoom" button: Toggles the zoom window. When the zoom window is ON, the display and the cursor can be slow. Use this option when you need precise placement of mesh points. "Kwik-screen" button: Toggles the Kwik-screen option on/off. "Sounds" button: Toggles the sounds on/off. "Cursor color" buttons: Page 19 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle Toggles the cursor color from Red, to Green, to Blue to XOR. "Mesh color" buttons: Toggles the mesh color from Red, to Green, to Blue to XOR. Preferences menu category "Output Image Format": "Image Format" buttons: Select the output image file format. Available choices are: TGA, IPI, IMG, GIF, PCX and BMP. "TGAs Bottom-Up" button: Enables or disables the TGA files from being written out in Bottom-up format. Preferences menu category "Operation": "Operation" buttons: Select the operation to perform. Available choices are: Morph, Warp and Fade. "Fast Morph" button: Enables or disables a "draft mode" for morphing. It's a faster, but lower quality morph. Preferences menu category "Output Configuration": "Fade 50%" text box: This option will select at what percent of the morph the fade will reach 50%. For example, if this option is set to 10, then at 10% of the morph, the fade will reach 50%, hence, most of the fading is done early on in the morph. Note that this option sets the center of the fade between the start and end of the selected fade range (described below). "Fade start %" text box: This option will select at what percent of the morph the fade will start. For example, if this option is set to 10, then at 10% of the morph, the fade will begin. "Fade end %" text box: This option will select at what percent of the morph the fade will end. For example, if this option is set to 90, then at 90% of the morph, the fade will reach the end. "Warp 50%" text box: This option will select at what percent of the morph the warp will reach 50%. For example, if this option is set to 10, then at 10% of the morph, the warp will reach 50%, hence, most of the warping is done early on in the morph. Note that this option sets the center of Page 20 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle the warp between the start and end of the selected warp range (described below). "Warp start %" text box: This option will select at what percent of the morph the warp will start. For example, if this option is set to 10, then at 10% of the morph, the warp will begin. "Warp end %" text box: This option will select at what percent of the morph the warp will end. For example, if this option is set to 90, then at 90% of the morph, the warp will reach the end. Preferences menu category "Frame Control": "Total Frames" text box: This text box simply selects the total number of frames to create for this morph. The starting frame and ending frame are always saved separately. "Start Frame" text box: This text box simply selects the first frame within the number of total frames. If the total frames is set to 30, and the start frame is set to 20 with the end frame set to 25, then 6 frames (20-25 inclusive) will be generated. "End Frame" text box: This text box simply selects the last frame within the number of total frames. If the total frames is set to 30, and the start frame is set to 20 with the end frame set to 25, then 6 frames (20-25 inclusive) will be generated. "Frame Offset" text box: This text box simply allows you to select an offset number to start naming the output filenames. There is no correlation between the start, end or total frames numbers. This simply changes what the filenames will be. This is useful for generating a multi-part animation. Page 21 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle THE OTHER MENUS I won't bother going through the different buttons in the rest of the menus since they are very self explanatory, I don't want to insult your intelligence, and, basically, nobody reads documentation anyway (including myself!) So here's a brief description of each menu: THE EDIT MENU: The edit menu allows you to swap, copy and flip the different meshes and images. THE FILE MENU: The file menu allows you to: 1. Load/Save/Import (load v1.20) meshes 2. Load/Save images 3. Set the base filename. There is a maximum of five chars (the last three of the first 8 are used for frame numbering), but you may point to a path, like: "C:\ANIMS\MORPH" will place output images into the directory ANIMS on drive C:, and they will start with "MORPH", creating images named MORPH001.TGA, MORPH002.TGA, etc. 4. Select the name of, and enable arithmetic images. Arithmetic images are added to, subtracted from, or averaged with each output image as it is written to disk. You may also select to overlay the arithmetic image with a color range. This color range will select the range of color values that, if the color in the arithmetic image falls inside that range, then it is directly overlaid on top of the output image. This is useful when you want to add credits to your morph. The Background image is calculated BEFORE the arithmetic image is. 5. Select the name of, and enable background images. Background images work similar to the overlay images, except that the color range is compared with each of the output frames, rather than the background image. If a pixel in the output image is inside the range, then it is replaced by the corresponding pixel in the background image. The background is calculated BEFORE the arithmetic image is. THE FILTERS MENU: This menu allows you to select a filter file (described later in this documentation), and the appropriate filters contained in that file for use on each of the source and target images. THE PREVIEW MENU: A preview is very convenient for deciding where to place mesh points, and where flaws may be. To preview an image from a morph, simply select which image in the morph you want to view, (in the form of a % value, 50% for the center image), and select Page 22 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle the button "Show Preview". The preview will be viewed in the current video mode. When the preview is done, a beep will sound (assuming you haven't disabled it), and pressing a mouse button or any key will return you to CMorph's main menu. THE FLICs MENU: This menu is only available from the Registered and PRO versions. FLIC files are animation files that originated from AutoDesk Animator. These files can be played back by the free-ware program AAPLAY.EXE. This player, however, is limited to the FLI format only. To view FLX files, you will need Tempra's animation program (they developed the extensions from FLC for FLX files). This software still cannot play the FLH and FLT files. At current, the FLH and FLT files are the sole product of DTA (Dave's Targa Animator), DFV (Dave's Flic Viewer), with CMorph being the first and only product out (at the time of the writing of this document) to support the extra features of the FLH and FLT files. DFV is available today, and can play back all of the currently supported FLIC files that get generated from CMorph: FLI 320x200 - 256 color FLC no resolution limit - 256 color FLX no resolution limit - HiColor FLH no resolution limit - HiColor (enhanced compression on first frame) FLT no resolution limit - True-Color (16.8 million colors, 24-bit) The FLICs menu allows you to select the FLIC type, the FLIC speed (0 = fast, 10 = very slow, 99 = wait a long time between frames), the output FLIC filename, whether the FLIC is color or Monochrome (monochrome is great for first draft animations, it's very fast to generate), turn "Ping-Pong" on/off (morph from SOURCE->TARGET- >SOURCE for auto repeating morphs), and the FLIC generation on/off switch. If the FLICs are turned off, no FLIC will be generated. If the FLICs are turned on, then they will be generated during the morphing process in a second phase. If you have had an earlier version of CMorph, then you may notice a slight decrease in speed during the morphing process when FLICs are enabled because CMorph has to perform color reduction on each image it generates before it can add all the images to the FLIC file. This FLIC file will be created in addition to the separate image files, so make sure to leave plenty of disk space available. Page 23 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle CREATING A MESH Morphing relies on high quality meshes for high quality morphs. So, before you create a mesh, start by examining where you want to place your most important mesh points. Once you have decided where you want your primary mesh points, you can start adding mesh points. Once all of your primary mesh points have been added, you can add support points to help clean up the morph even more. To add a mesh line, move the mouse to the border of the image that you want to add a mesh line to, and click the right button. To add a horizontal mesh line, click in the left or right side border. To add a vertical mesh line, click in the top or bottom border. The mesh lines that get added will be placed between the two lines that you were located between when you clicked on the mouse. Most of the time, straight-through mesh lines cannot be added to the image, so the mesh line is bent at each intersection so that it may maneuver through the maze of mesh points. You may notice that there were actually two mesh lines added, one for each image. This is because CMorph requires that there be an equal number of mesh lines in each image. This should be taken into consideration when adding mesh lines. Page 24 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle FILTER FILE (FILTERS.TXT) FORMAT The filters are contained in the filter file. The filter description format for a 3x3 filter is as follows: FILTER NAME <filtername> <size> <upper-left> <upper-center> <upper-right> <center-left> <center-center> <center-right> <lower-left> <lower-center> <lower-right> <operator> <operand> <bias> Any text following semicolons are comments Where <filtername> is the name of the filter. This is where CMorph looks for the filter name (in the filters menu). <size> is the size of the filter (3, 5 or 7 only, others are ignored). For 5x5 and 7x7 filters, the above example is incomplete, since from <upper-left> to <lower-right> would be a 5x5 or 7x7 "grid". Convolutions are quite simple. For each pixel in an image, the filter grid is overlaid onto that pixel and it's neighbors with the <center-center> element of the filter grid aligned onto the current pixel in the image, and the outer elements in the filter grid overlaying the current pixel's neighbors. The next step is to multiply each element in the filter grid with it's corresponding overlaid pixel value. Once all these values have been calculated, add them together and perform the operation (/ 8 for an <operator> of '/' and an <operand> of '8'.) Lastly, add the <bias> value. If the addition of <bias> (or subtraction of <bias> if it is negative) takes the result above 255 or below 0, then the value is clipped to 0 or 255, respectively. A good trick for trying your own is to take a current filter, copy it, change the new copy's name, and modify it. If you have problems getting usable resulting images, try adding all of the values in the filter's grid and placing that value in <operand> with an <operator> of '/' NOTES: The valid range for <bias> is 0-255. Valid <operator> values are: +.......Add <operand> -.......Subtract <operand> *.......Multiply by <operand> /.......Divide by <operand> M.......Sort all multiplied grid elements, and use the median. Ignore <operand> -- Operand MUST still be present <.......Sort all multiplied grid elements, and use the lowest. Ignore <operand> -- Operand MUST still be present Page 25 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle >.......Sort all multiplied grid elements, and use the highest. Ignore <operand> -- Operand MUST still be present CMorph will search for the filter file in the following order: 1. The current directory 2. The default CMorph directory (where CMORPH.EXE is stored) CAUTION: The median ('M'), dilate ('>') and erode ('<') functions take a LONG TIME in 5x5 or 7x7 filters. Try to stick with using 3x3 filters for these operators. Page 26 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle AnimComp -- The Animation Compiler AnimComp allows you to build monochrome animations from the morphs that you generate from within CMorph. When you create a morph animation in CMorph, what you're doing is generating a series of animation "cells." These "cells" need to be compiled into a single file called an "animation file." The standard extension for this format is ANM. The ANM files can then be played back with the LAnim program. LAnim will sequentially jump through each frame in the animation very quickly giving the illusion of movement. This entire process is performed in the DEMO.BAT file. NOTE: AnimComp is limited to monochrome animations and a resolution of 320x200 only. This is NOT a limitation of CMorph. CMorph's output images are still full-color. These same output files can also be used to create full-color any-sized animations if you use a different animation program. For convenience, if you register CMorph. The registered version of CMorph has automatic creation of all the different FLIC formats. And even comes with a separate FLIC creation utility called TFlic ("Turbo Flic") that allows you to generating morph FLICs, or you can use it on any other set of images to create dramatic animation effects. There are other features and programs that are only available in the registered versions, so look near the end of this document for the complete list of registration incentives and options. Another of these animation programs is called DTA (Dave's Targa Animator). With this program, you can easily create full-color animations from CMorph's output. AnimComp allows you to specify options such as a Difference Minimum and Ping-Pong animations. The ANM files (like FLIC files) only store the first frame, then the differences between each consecutive frame, keeping the file smaller, and ideal for fast playback (as you will see when running LAnim). The Difference Minimum is used to specify the difference that must take place before that pixel is stored in the ANM file. If the difference between two pixels is less than the value specified, the pixel is not stored, and remains. This will degrade the quality of the animation file generated, but will reduce it's size, in some cases, a great deal. The Ping-Pong Option will tell AnimComp to generate an animation that goes from start to end, then end back (in reverse order) to start. For morphs, this is ideal for generating an animation that repeats. Since the end of the animation is the same as the start, the animation won't appear to "jump" back to the beginning. The usage for AnimComp is as follows: Page 27 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle AnimComp [options] <filespec> [outfile] <filespec> Describes input animation cells to be compiled. Formats supported are IPI/IMG/GIF/TGA/PCX/BMP, in 320x200 ONLY. Wild cards allowed. Files are compiled in alphabetical order (maximum of 100 files). [outfile] File name of animation file. Default is ANIMFILE.ANM [options] ?|H Get this help information P Generate Ping-Pong animation Dxx Difference minimum NOTES: 1. All files MUST be located in the current directory. 2. THIS PROGRAM WILL ONLY CREATE GRAY SCALE ANIMATIONS FROM A SERIES OF COLOR IMAGES. To illustrate, please consider the following example: AnimComp -p -d16 morph*.tga morphout.anm In this example, AnimComp will generate MORPHOUT.ANM based on all TGA files that begin with "MORPH" using a difference minimum of 4. Also note that all input images for AnimComp are sorted in alphabetical order, before processing begins, and that AnimComp uses the image files' extensions to determine the format of each file. Page 28 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle LAnim -- The Animation Player LAnim allows you to play-back the animations that you've created with AnimComp. LAnim cannot handle any other program's output. This program pair are the only programs that can deal with the animation file format that is used here. It's my own concoction from years ago. The idea is to allow you to view your morphs without any extra software. There is, of course, extra software available in Shareware that will allow you to have complete control over your animations. One of these being the software that comes with CMorph's registered versions, TFlic (described later in this document). You're not forced to register if you need this capability. There is other Shareware out there. Using LAnim is very simple. Since the animation files don't support a playback speed or repeat count, you'll have to enter this on the command line for LAnim. The usage for LAnim is as follows: LAnim <animfile> <speed> [<repeat>] <animfile> is animation file you created with AnimComp <speed> is delay between frames (in ms.) For complete animations: [<repeat>] is optional number of times to repeat (1 - 65535) For segmented animations: - if <repeat> is "FIRST", then LAnim will not restore the graphics mode and will not print the copyright when completed. - if <repeat> is "NEXT", then LAnim will not set or restore the graphics mode and will not print the copyright when completed. - if <repeat> is "LAST", then LAnim will not set the graphics mode but will restore it and print the copyright when completed. Also note that LAnim requires that you have enough memory to load the entire animation file into memory at once. So, look at your animation file size. If you have that much memory, it should load and run OK. Page 29 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle Convert -- The Image Conversion Tool Convert (only available in registered versions of CMorph) is a simple image conversion utility that allows you to convert images from format to format. Convert will read these image file formats: IPI, IMG, TGA (type 2, non-compressed only), GIF, BMP and PCX (256 color and 24-bit only). These same image formats are supported for writes, except that the image files are always written out in 24-bit color only. The only exception to this is GIF files, since they currently only support 256 colors. Running convert is simpler than copying a file. Simply type: Convert [infile] [outfile] Convert uses the file extension to determine what format the image file uses. So <infile> is the filename of the input file that you want converted to <outfile>. That's all there is to it. Note that if you run Convert with fewer than two parameters, it will automatically prompt you for the missing parameter(s). Page 30 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle TurboFlic (TFlic) -- The Flic Builder TurboFlic (only available in registered versions of CMorph) is a fast FLIC file builder. FLIC files are animation files that originated from AutoDesk Animator. These files can be played back by the free-ware program AAPLAY.EXE. This player, however, is limited to the FLI format only. To view FLX files, you will need Tempra's animation program (they developed the extensions from FLC for FLX files). This software still cannot play the FLH and FLT files. At current, the FLH and FLT files are the sole product of DTA (Dave's Targa Animator), DFV (Dave's Flic Viewer), with CMorph being the first and only product out (at the time of the writing of this document) to support the extra features of the FLH and FLT files. DFV is available today, and can play back all of the currently supported FLIC files that get generated from TFlic: FLI 320x200 - 256 color FLC no resolution limit - 256 color FLX no resolution limit - HiColor FLH no resolution limit - HiColor (enhanced compression on first frame) FLT no resolution limit - True-Color (16.8 million colors, 24-bit) TFlic's usage is as follows: TFlic [options] <filespec> [outfile] <filespec> Describes input animation cells to be compiled. Formats supported are IPI, IMG, GIF, TGA, PCX and BMP. Wild cards are allowed. Files are compiled in alphabetical order (maximum of 3000 files). [outfile] File name of animation file (excluding extension). The default is "ANIM." [options] ?|H - Get this help information M - Use monochrome animation (great for a quick preview, only on FLI/FLC). P - Generate a Ping-Pong animation. S?? - Set FLIC speed, default is 0. FLI - Make a FLI FLC - Make a FLC FLX - Make a FLX FLH - Make a FLH FLT - Make a FLT Note that all of the <filespec> files must be located in the current directory. Page 31 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle Example: If you have 30 frames to an animation that are named "FRAME000.TGA", "FRAME001.TGA", "FRAME002.TGA", through "FRAME029.TGA" and you want to generate a Ping-Pong FLH file from them called "MORPHED.FLH", then this is what you would type: TFlic -FLH -P FRAME*.TGA MORPHED Lastly, note that the -M parameter will not perform color quantization on the image files, generating a monochrome FLI or FLC file. This is much faster, but, it's also monochrome. This feature was meant to be used for quick previews of a morph, or, a 'draft' copy, if you will. Page 32 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle IPI FILE FORMAT The IPI (pronounced "ipee") file format is used to store 24- bit images. This format was designed to be the simplest to decode for programmers so that they may add functionality to CMorph via external programs. This file format was originally designed for use in CImage (The Complete Image, another of my products). If you don't own a copy of CImage (I won't try to sell you one, I promise), then you will most likely have no use for this file format. The IPI format is as follows: X resolution (WORD - MSB first) Y resolution (WORD - MSB first) Image data: FOR EACH PIXEL IN THE SCREEN (XRES * YRES) { Red Element (BYTE) Green Element (BYTE) Blue Element (BYTE) } Page 33 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS o Add import/export to meshes from Dmorf o Add new Nettleman spline o Add TIFF o Add sine wave addition to splines o Add vertical resolution to preferences screen o Delete mesh lines o Different sizes for each input file and different size for output files o Gamma for both images o ListBox for mesh files and image files o Morphs of animations o Move entire mesh lines o Targa - Compressed versions (and other versions not currently supported)/32-bit Page 34 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle CONTACTING CUSTOMER SUPPORT I'm available in the evenings, I have the standard 9-5 job (eastern time). If you need to reach me during the day, you can do so by calling and leaving a message. I call in to my voice mail about three times per day, however, on hectic days, it's not so easy, and I may not get any messages at all until the evening. Tech Support is available for all registered users for one full year following the purchase. For non-registered users (and registered users over one year), tech support is not officially available. But if I'm not swamped, I'll try to get back to you. Registered users over one year have priority over non-registered users. So, please state your status. It can be verified on computer. To contact me, just call (313) 941-9223. You may also mail your support questions to: Paul D. Nettle 9668 Washington St. Romulus, MI 48174 Also, don't forget about CompuServe. My address there is 72163,2442, your best chances of reaching me are on CompuServe. I tend to hang out in the GRAPHDEV forum. This is also where you can be sure to find the latest version of CMorph. My phone number and address are for support, comments, suggestions, questions, registration information, and of course, orders. Page 35 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle ORDERING INFORMATION What you will get when you register through the author: o The registered version of CMorph on disk (your choice of disk format -- 1.2M or 1.44M). o A printed manual. o The next update of CMorph -- free of charge (Including printed documentation). o Extra features: -- Automatic FLI/FLC/FLX/FLH/FLT animation generation built-in to CMorph as well as a stand-alone program that has the same capabilities, but is not limited to CMorph's output. An Image conversion utility that converts to and from BMP, IPI, PCX, GIF, TGA and IMG formats. And a few extra demos. o Peace of mind. What you will get when you purchase CMorph Pro! (Commercial) o The registered version of CMorph on disk (your choice of disk format -- 1.2M or 1.44M). o A printed manual. o Extra features: -- Automatic FLI/FLC/FLX/FLH/FLT animation generation built-in to CMorph as well as a stand-alone program that has the same capabilities, but is not limited to CMorph's output. An Image conversion utility that converts to and from BMP, IPI, PCX, GIF, TGA and IMG formats. And a few extra demos. o Peace of mind. Non-registered vs registered users: o Registered versions don't display the registration notice upon startup of CMorph. o Registered versions are marked with an "r" after the version number in the title rather than a "u". o Registered users are allowed free technical support priority via phone, by mail, or e-mail. Non-registered users are given no official technical support. (see Contacting Customer Support). Page 36 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle o Non-registered users dont get these great extra features: -- Automatic FLI/FLC/FLX/FLH/FLT animation generation built-in to CMorph as well as a stand-alone program that has the same capabilities, but is not limited to CMorph's output. An Image conversion utility that converts to and from BMP, IPI, PCX, GIF, TGA and IMG formats. And a few extra demos. Page 37 The Complete Morph -- Copyright 1993, 1994 Paul D. Nettle HOW TO REGISTER How to register with the author: To order a copy of The Complete Morph, just print out the REGISTR.FRM, fill it in, and send it with you check or money order for $38.00 ($35.00 + $3.00 S&H). How to register on-line with CompuServe: To register a copy of The Complete Morph on-line, just log onto CompuServe and "GO SWREG". Once in the forum, you'll have a short menu. Select the option labeled "Register Software". The Registration ID is #1629. The fee is $38.00 (inculdes S&H). Where to purchase CMorph Pro! (Commercial/German Language): Pearl Agency Am Kalischacht 4 79426 Buggingen Germany Tel: 07361 360 200 Fax: 07361 360 444 Page 38