Belgian Amiga Club - ADF Collection/BS1 part 60.zip/BS1 part 60/Imagemaster d4.adf/apa.lzh/morph_tut2

Text File | 1993-08-30 | 13KB | 244 lines

\ApAssist
\: - This is the Quick Help for the special effects warp morph panel -
\: ---------------------------------------------------------------------
\:   Written by David E. Patterson
\: ---------------------------------------------------------------------

\font topaz.font 8
\tc 1
\wr
\lj
\dd "imh_descriptor"

\index "hlp_index/index"
\toc "hlp_toc/toc"
\help "aa_help/help

\node "morph_warp"
\title "Warp Morphing Tutorial"
\next "morph_tut3/morph_wtools"
\prev "morph_tut/morph_basics"
To access the Warp Morphng tools, you'll need to load an image so that the \{
\ts i \tc 10 Process \} panel becomes available. You'll need an image of a
face, viewed  from the front to follow along with the examples presented
here.  Also, it's important to note that when we talk about right and left,
we're talking about your right and left as the user of the software; \{ \ts i
not \} the right and left orientation as viewed from the perspective of the
person in the image.


Once you've loaded an image of a face, the \{ \ts i \tc 10  Process \} button
in the main panel becomes available. Press it; then press the \{ \ts i
Special Effects \} button, and finally the \{ \ts i \tc 10 Warp Morphing \}
button.  You are now located in the Warp Morphing control panel.

Warp morphing is the least complex of the various morphing operations, and
working with it will provide a good general understanding of the basic tools
available for all types of morphing within \{ \ts b Imagemaster R/t \} . The
working area consists of two displays; one of images on a full-size \{ \ts i
Amiga \} screen, and one of controls, on a "short" \{ \ts i Amiga \} screen.

\{ \ra \image "Clips/Bigsplat.pic" l 10 \cap
\{ \ts bu Useful Note\} :  You can hide the control area at any time by
pressing the right mouse button. This allows you to see the entire image
display area.\} \flushimage

Looking at the image display area, you will see two greyscale, identical
copies of the image in your primary buffer. These images are used to
guide you in placing your control points and edges. Looking at the
control panel, the button at the top left of the panel is a multiple-
choice one with the following options:

\{ \ra \image "Clips/Bullet2.pic" l 70 \cap
\ts b \tc 11 Add Points\} \flushimage
\{ \ra \image "Clips/Bullet2.pic" l 70  \cap
\ts b \tc 11 Delete Points\} \flushimage
\{ \ra \image "Clips/Bullet2.pic" l 70  \cap
\ts b \tc 11 Move Points\} \flushimage
\{ \ra \image "Clips/Bullet2.pic" l 70  \cap
\ts b \tc 11 Edges\} \flushimage

This is the \{ \ts i Mode \} button. Click on the Mode button until it
reads \{ \ts b Add Points \} . Now, using the mouse, point right at
the center of the right eye and click once. You will see a small \{ \tc 11
blue \} cross appear where you clicked.  This is a \{ \ts b start \} control
point.  Look at the image to the right; you should see a control point in
exactly the same location on that image - that is an \{ \ts b end\} control
point.

Now, use the mouse to click on and drag the end control point in the right
image somewhat off-center (if you're using a face as we suggested, drag it to
the right of the eye about the width of the eye). What you have done is told
\{ \ts b Imagemaster R/t \} that the part of the image identified by that
control point on the left image (the starting point) is to be moved, or
distorted, to the location indicated by the ending control point.

Let's take a look and see what kind of results you get from this single
control point. To see a preview of the morph result, click the button on the
control panel which has the legend \{ \ts i Do 1 Frame\} .  \{ \ts b
Imagemaster R/t \} will ask you if you wish to save the changed control
points; select \{ \ts b Proceed without saving \} . Now, you are
presented with a panel which indicates the total number of frames, allows you
to choose a particular frame, and has buttons for \{ \ts i Preview, Cancel
and Done \} in it.

First, click on the \{ \ts i Preview \} button so that it is selected.
Then look at the frame number control - it tells you (underneath the text
box) how many total frames there are. It might say 6, 15 or something else.
Whatever this number is, enter it in the text box provided and press return.
If the numbers already match, then just press \{ \ts i Done \} . \{
\ts b Imagemaster R/ t \} will now generate a preview image of the warp
morph, using the single control point you placed to create a new image. A
progresss bar will indicate how far the morph operation has to go to
completion. When the morph completes, the preview image will be drawn in the
bottom of the display area.  To view it, press the right mouse button.

Depending on just how far you moved the end point, the morphed image may look
slightly distorted or very distorted.

Now, add a second start point by clicking on the left image, and again move
the corresponding end point. Put the new start point in the middle of the
other (left) eye and drag the end point on the right frame to the left of the
eye, again by about the width of the eye.

Now, click on \{ \ts i Do 1 Frame \} , \{ \ts i Proceed without
saving \} and \{ \ts i Done \} .  \{ \ts b Imagemaster R/t \} will re-
generate the preview frame. When the morph is complete, use the right button
to temporarily hide the control panel to see the new result.

You should be getting the idea now; many unique and interesting warp morphs
can be specified using control points just the way we've been showing you.

Here's another way you can look at the motions implied by the control points
you placed. Click on the button with the legend \{ \ts i Arc Vectors\} .
\{ \ts b Imagmaster R/t \} will generate a new view of your image, with both
the start and end points visible, and a \{ \ts i vector \} connecting the
two. Start points are indicated by the solid box end of the vector, and end
points are indicated by the hollow box end of the vector. You should be able
to imagine the direction of motion implied by these vectors without any
problem here.  For the moment, don't click on any points; although you can
perform several types of operations in the vector display, we don't want to
get into those at this point. When you're done looking at the vectors, press
the button with the legend \{ \ts i Done \} and you will be returned
to the main editing display.

Usually, a large number of control points are used to completely specify the
exact distortions required. The more points you use, the better the resulting
morph will be. For the best results, you would completely outline features
you want to change (like the eyes) and then change the endpoints in the
right-hand window to represent the new form you want the image to take. The
right window contains the same image as the left so you have a reference of
just how far to go, or how much distortion you want.

We'll go through a quick example of this and in the process teach you how to
use \{ \ts i edges \} and a few more of the morphing tools.

First, you'll want to delete the two points you've already placed. To do
this, click on the button with the legend \{ \ts i Del All Points\} .
You'll be asked if you want to save the points.  Choose \{ \ts i
Proceed without Saving \} and the points will be removed.

Next, since we're going to be doing a bit more exacting operation, let's zoom
in on the area where we'll be working, the left eye. To zoom, first click on
the button with the legend \{ \ts i Zoom\} . Now point about 1/2 inch
above and to the left of the left eye, click the mouse and drag down and to
the right. A box will appear; keep pulling until the box entirely encloses
the eye (about 1/2 inch below and right) and then let go of the mouse button.
The image will now be zoomed in. If the result is not to your liking, click
on the Zoom button again and the zoom will be turned off. Repeat these steps,
beginning with re- selecting the zoom button, to get a better zoom around the
eye. When you have the eye nicely centered in a zoomed image, continue.

The Mode control button should still read \{ \ts b Add Points \} . If it does
not, click on it until it does. Now, point at the left image and drop points
all around the edge of the eye. About eight points should be fine. Looking at
the right image, the same points should be visible; just leave them alone
for the moment. When we do this, we place the points as follows; one at each
corner of the eye; one directly above, and one directly below the pupil; and
the final four, one at a time between the corners of the eye and the points
by the pupil; The final placement looks somewhat like this:
\{ \image "Clips/girleye.pic" c \} \flushimage
Now we're going to add edges. Point at the Mode button again and click on it
until it reads \{ \ts b Edges\} . In the left image, beginning with any point
you like, click on each point in turn all the way around the eye. As you go,
you'll see blue edges appear between each point. Continue until the eye is
completely surrounded by edges. When you get to the last point, click on it
twice to de-select it.  Looking over at the end frame, you'll see the edges
are there as well.

\{ \image "Clips/girleyeedge.pic" c \} \flushimage
Change the mode from \{ \ts b Edges \} to \{ \ts b Move Points\} . In the end
image, move each of the points in turn away from the eye - we're going to
make the eye \{ \ts i swell up\} .  Adjust each of the points in turn until the outline
is about the same shape as the outline in the start (left) image, but
larger. When you've got them adjusted to your satisfaction, click on the \{
\ts i Arc Vectors \}  button and take a look at the vectors and the
edges. Remember that you can use the right mouse button to hide the control
panel and reveal the entire image.  The vector format view may help you
imagine what the results will be.  When you're done looking at the vectors,
click on \{ \tc 10 \ts i  Done\} .

Now in the main morphing panel, press \{ \tc 10 \ts i Do 1 Frame\} , \{ \tc
10 \ts i Proceed Without Saving \} and \{ \tc 10 \ts i Done\} . When the
preview completes, you should have a nice image of a face with an enlarged
eyeball staring at you.

More complex morphs are usually made up of several regions such as the one
you just created around the eye. As is the case with many things, even the
most complex morph is the sum of a series of simpler operations.

\{ \image "Clips/q_mark.pic" c \flushimage\}

\{ \tc 15 \ts bu Have any Problems? \} \flushimage

If you didn't get the results described here, we suggest you go back and go
through the tour again. Most likely, you've missed a step somewhere.

\{ \ra \image "Clips/toolhor.pic" l 10 \cap \{ \ts bu \tc 15 Nuts and Bolts \} \}
\flushimage
Now that you've seen the morphing tool in operation, let's briefly go over
what you did from a more specific, technical point of view.

You placed \{ \ts b control points\} . These actually consist of two
elements, \{ \ts i start \} and \{ \ts i end \} points. These specify an
exact amount of movement for the point of the image which is exactly under
that particular control point. Areas of the image which are not directly
underneath a control point move in such a way as to agree with all the
control points nearby; the closer a control point is to a portion of the
image, the more the image will move in a manner similar to the motion of that
point. Control points which are very far away from a location on an image
will have little or no effect on that location.

You also placed \{ \ts b edges\} . These are lines that go between two
control points. They suggest to the software that no image information should
\{ \ts i cross\} the edges; while control points alone may not exactly
control an area, the combination of edges and control points can create
almost any needed distorting motion that is reasonable.

We brought up an interesting issue in the last paragraph - what kinds of
motions are reasonable and what kinds are not?  It is a fact that the kinds
of motion that can be specified with control points and edges is nearly
infinite, but not all of them are reasonable. \{ \ts b Imagemaster R/t \} has
to attempt to keep the motions you specify for the image surface \{ \ts i
connected\} , so that portions of the image flow together in a natural
manner. It is possible to specify motions that cause \{ \ts i tearing \} or
\{ \ts i folding \} of the image, though, and normally this will not be what
you want.

As you attempt more complex motions, you'll begin to encounter these
situations.  To solve them, you can either eliminate the offending
motions or try to be more specific in those regions by adding more
control points and edges.

Note that when we were discussing edges earlier, we said they \ts b suggest
\ts n control.  This is because some types of edge combinations are
impossible, such as where two edges cross each other, and edges in those
situations will either be ignored or will cause image tearing and/or folding.
Odd things also happen when the vectors specified by control points cross
each other. You can spot these easily by looking at your vectors in the \{
\ts i Arc Vector \}  panel. A good rule of thumb is to have as few as
possible crossing vectors or edges in any morph you attempt to do.

\endnode