Persona Morph Creation Instructions

• Generate the morphed images using Morpheus. We currently have a registered copy of Morpheus 1.82--you can find it in a zip file on the server.
  
• Morpheus is easy to use.. Load in the two pictures that you want to use for the morph, and place the morphing dots on as many visible facial features as you can to ensure a smooth transition.

  
  
  (If you're making several morphs which start from the same image, you can re-use the Morpheus Project (.aml) files, and change the second image, so that you only need to replace the dots for one image, and not both.)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Under Render->Options, the important things that you need to set concerns the Background. Check 'Strict Transparency', but do not check 'Fades with Picture'. For the Transparent 'color', only select RGB values of 0 or 255 (e.g. only use black, white, red, blue, green, magenta, cyan, or yellow). The reason for this is that you'll need to have an easily selectable background color to remove later.
  
  
• In the main screen, move the morph slider back and forth to make sure all of the image features move smoothly from one location to the other. If they don't, adjust the positioning of the dots, or add more, until the problem is resolved. Some of these issues can also be resolved by adjusting the number of frames the morph takes to occur. Keep in mind, however, that you should choose a number of frames that realistically portrays the change of expression that you're capturing (e.g. a person can raise their eyebrows almost instantaneously, but to go from a neutral expression to laughing typically takes a second or two.)
  
  
• Finally, select Render->Picture Sequence, and save your morph as a sequence of bitmaps. However, you're not quite done yet. Follow these steps to remove the background color (it's a little tedious, but you'll be able to do it really fast after a bit of practice):
  1. Delete the first and last images in the sequence (we'll substitute the original files in these positions).
  2. Load all of the bitmaps into Adobe Photoshop or Macromedia Fireworks.
  3. Save each .bmp as a .gif.
  4. Load all of your newly-created .gifs into your photo editor.
  5. Using the magic wand tool (with a low tolerance setting), select and delete the background color.
  6. Save the files.
  
  
  
• The last step is to import all of your files into the Flash Persona Library:
  1. Import the .gifs into flash. Store them in the 'sequences' directory under the persona graphics folder in the library.
  2. In a new symbol, place each image in the proper sequence on the timeline. (Be sure to use the initial and target images as the first and last image in the morph sequence...they ought to already have been included in the persona library).
  3. Duplicate that symbol, and drag the frames around to reverse the morph.. Now you can use it in the other direction!

Notes:

• If your target image has a significant difference from the initial image (e.g. a hand is present that wasn't in the first one), you may have to digitally edit the extra component out of the picture, create the morph, and then add the removed component separately on a different layer in Flash. It's not as hard as it sounds... check out any of the prof_surprised morphs for a good example.
  
  
• Be sure to do the bitmap to gif conversion in a good photo editor...cheaper editors that come with your computer will typically not give you high enough quality on the resulting .gif image.

Documented by: dasc 12/03
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