Morphing + automatic inbetweening software

jeff · Post by **jeff** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 11:27 am

Some time ago, there was a thread on this forum about the practicality of automatic inbetweening. I was one of those who pooh-poohed the idea. I still say that as a general principle it is impossible for the foreseeable future, but here is a very interesting variation on the basic morphing software that has been around for donkeys' years. It comes much closer to being inbetweening software than your average morph program.
You need to download their proprietary player in order to see the results, but some of the examples are intriguing to say the least. Worth a look.

http://www.framefree.us/index.php

What do you think?

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 1:12 pm

What in the world?

There is Flash... QT... WMV... do we really need another "web player"?

... a "web player" for Mac OS 10.4 and Safari only (Mac)...

So... I have to... updgrade my computer... AND switch browsers to view any content?

<sigh>

I'm too lazy to bother.

Very short sighted. I understand the need for a plugin to view "special" content... but use existing technology to draw people in... THEN encourage them to download the plugin... there aren't even any pictures.

Their product might be good... but their marketing stinks.

-Vern

jeff · Post by **jeff** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 7:10 pm

Ooh, who is in a bad mood?

You're absolutely right of course as to why it has no chance whatsoever of taking off as a web product, but don't knock it til you've seen it, Vern. Some of the movies are hypnotic. If it has a future, it's for film/broadcast promos and special effects, not as a web product. It's just a pity you need their viewing program to sample it, but I shouldn't think it's that difficult to remove from your computer if it causes you such heartache.
One application they don't seem to have thought of is for doing a better job with "time-slice" photography and I am sure it will find a niche there.

By the way, I only use Windows XP (and Firefox is my browser) and the player certainly works under that combination.

I don't have shares in the company, so if you aren't interested, that's fine by me.

Jeff

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 8:49 pm

I think I was in a bad mood...
I couldn't view any of their stuff and got frustrated.

I was excited and interested... and then I just got annoyed.

They have a Firefox extension and a Java player but only for windows... what's up with that?

Yes... bad mood. I would have used my PC but the monitor just died <sigh>. Darn thing is only ten years old... what's up with that?

(half of the screen still works... I have the largest resolution setting and put all of my windows on the top half that works... can't see the task bar at the bottom though... have to rotate the screen to portrait view to use it).

I can either buy a new monitor for the PC or... get a Tiger upgrade... <sigh>

-Vern

The400th · Post by **The400th** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 8:55 pm

I wonder if Mike Smith is going to sue them for breach of his Tweenmaker patent?

InfoCentral · Post by **InfoCentral** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 7:48 pm

Does Moho not do tweening?

jeff · Post by **jeff** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:11 pm

Does Moho not do tweening?

Yes.....and no.

Yes. Moho is primarily a vector-based program. Inbetweening in vector graphics is easy if the two key frames you are inbetweening have the same number of control points. So yes, Moho can do this sort of inbetweening, though you need to plan or the results can look rather odd.

No, when we are talking about bitmaps. The software above is for bitmaps and it isn't possible to get a computer to inbetween two bitmaps in the same way as a human animator would inbetween a couple of drawings; a computer can't have any understanding of what an image is meant to be, so it can only attempt to interpolate across colours and pixels. What is interesting about some morphing software, is that used carefully, it can give a quite good impression of inbetweening.

InfoCentral · Post by **InfoCentral** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 1:54 am

OK, then you can take the bitmap into Corel X3 and have it convert it to a vector to use in Moho.

The400th · Post by **The400th** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:11 am

And the other thing about morphing software is that it takes an expert (read:expensive) operator to get good results that you could just give to a warehouse full of people in China or India to do traditionally for a fraction of the cost.

Which is why most morphing is used on effects, rather than character animation.

jeff · Post by **jeff** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:29 am

Tell you what, "InfoCentral" - why don't you just try it for yourself? I think the coin will drop once you actually attempt it.

Jeff

ingie01 · Post by **ingie01** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 11:58 am

I don't like the subscription license idea. I want something I don't have to keep paying for....(kinda looks like business oriented to me)

InfoCentral · Post by **InfoCentral** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:14 pm

jeff wrote:Tell you what, "InfoCentral" - why don't you just try it for yourself? I think the coin will drop once you actually attempt it.

Jeff

Will do, but right now I am rebuilding my computer after a virus reformated all my hard drives. Lost a lot of stuff I can't replace. Once I get it back up and running I will give Moho a go.