morphing software

[atcer]

hey does anyone know if there is a download for photoshop seven for morphing or do you have to get a totaly new program for that...
thanks
ryan

[MarkM]

You trying to do a web animation in the same way as the Godly and Cream, Crying video (or Michael Jacksons, Black or White) ? The animation section of Paintshop Pro as apposed to Photoshop may be able to do it but the results are a little clunky there are proper programs out there a search for Morphing Programs will return more than enough to be getting on with. quite often they include free ones on magazines with an option to upgrade to the Full/latest version.

Photoshop comes with Image Ready as a plugin that allows animations so have a play and see what you come up with though the Paintshop version is easier to work...neither are sustitutes for a dedicated program though.

[atcer]

nah im just looking to do photos, no animation or anything, i just want to take two pictures and get a cross between the two.

[MarkM]

Ok well then layers and masks in Photoshop will do what you want then....morphing is for an animation a static pic will mean using the program you have...don't ask me how...I know it can be done but a lot of steps to do it though I use Photoshop rarely...I use Paintshop Pro more but then only 'cos the controls are to me clearer.

[Angry Man]

I do a lot of video work and photoshop work, too. There is no software for still morphs specifically, but there are plenty of great programs that do both animated and still morphing.

All programs work by drawing a set of bezier curves around the features on one object to be morphed, then corresponding curves around the other. The shapes outlined by the curves are relaxed into each other, while the pixels in them are crossfaded. It's very effective, and I have some clips of morphs I've done, but they aren't online (well the sorta are but nevermind.)

The best program like this is Elastic Reality. It's availible from Avid for about a billion trillion dollars. It was used in Forest Gump and a lot of other movies.

If you have after effects you can morph masks together with some filter, then do a crossfade yourself. This is a pain and it won't come out too great, but it's possible.

The best choice is a little program called Morph that's about ten years old and I've seen selling for around 10 bucks. It's ridiculously easy to use and the results are very very impressive. It's hard to find, but it's dirt cheap and very effective for what you're looking to do. Think of it as elastic reality toned way down.

Btw, the morphs done in X-men (the movie) were done in Maya (which is 5 grand plus)...3d models of the characters were created in body scan machines, then corresponding vertices were created and linked and junk. Then the textures were projected on the models from footage. Then, the guy did some awesome tricks to create the morph. The guy who did this lives like 2 miles from me; I really want to meet him but haven't.

[atcer]

yeah we used AVID alot at my tv station and school, and did a few morphs...
i found this morpheussoftware.com and gave it a try (it was free for two morphs) i got what i needed and it worked out pretty well. thanks for all your help.