What Is Morphing Animation? A Complete Guide

Do you remember those amazing movies where an animal transforms into a person? Or the recognizable T-1000 changes from Terminator 2: Judgement Day? This is exactly where you witnessed Morphing. Morph animation, as the name suggests, is an animation in which an object transforms into another, an idea that waves its strength in your face.

This might be a character transformation comparable to that of a werewolf. Or even something as basic as the shape-shifting of your company mascot into your logo. It is a visual tool that, even with the slightest animation, may unite themes and generate strong linkages between disparate concepts.

In this article, we have discussed the concept of morphing animation to help you understand and learn every bit of it.

What Is Morphing Animation?

Morphing is a type of animation where a subject, object, or shape is changed and transformed. The result is a seamless transition that draws attention to a moment of shape-shifting. This method was later employed in film and television to generate visual effects for horror and sci-fi movies.

It was first used in early cartoon animations for photo morphing simple objects like an animal or liquid metal. However, morphing animation may be seen in a lot of advertising and music videos!

Morphing Vs. Tweening

One term that usually comes along when talking about morphing is tweening. People often confuse these two; therefore, here is the basic difference between morphing vs. tweening.

Although tweening and morphing are sometimes used synonymously, they are not the same. Tweening is primarily about animation and providing movement, whereas morphing is a term used to describe a special effects method employed in the film industry.

Tweening in computer graphics is a relatively basic idea with a wide range of extremely effective and strikingly beautiful applications. To create a smooth-looking animation, “in-between” frames are calculated using tweening, which uses keyframes as input. Both computer-generated and hand-drawn animation can benefit from tweening. Additionally, it can be applied to visual morphing techniques, in which a photo believably transforms into another picture.

While morphing refers to transitions between fully colored images, tweening typically only refers to the transition of points that comprise an image.

Companies that provide 2D or 3D animation services know the difference and can help you make amazingly morphed animations.

Types of Morphing

Morphing is a visual effects method mostly used in the film industry. It is also used in different fields, like 3D modeling and animation. There are types of morphing, including:

1. Morphing At Max Speed

Morphing at max speed is a type that is frequently observed in movies. In motion, objects transform. The spacecraft in Flight of the Navigator serves as one example. Morphing moving objects can more easily hide any little errors, as they move quickly and are less likely to be spotted.

2. Direct Morphing

Morphing is also an option for simpler animations. For instance, to transform a basic line-drawn shape into another. You may convert a square into an animated circle in Adobe Animate by using the shape tween tool.

3. 3D Morphing

3D morphing is an additional method. This is more of a 3D modeling process than a method from the film industry. Morphing animations of this kind are used to switch between various movements. A morph target defines each pose or movement. It is applied to things without skeletal structure in order to animate them.

History of Morphing Animation

The history of morphing animation started in Hollywood, where it was practiced throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. The method evolved as digital technology changed the way films were produced, edited, and shot.

Early digital morphing techniques were utilized in the 1986 film Flight of the Navigator to produce the special effect of a spaceship that morphed from chunky to aerodynamic as it accelerated. Bob Hoffman and Bill Creber were part of the Omnibus Computer Animation team that worked on this.

Fantasy epic, 1988 With a morphing sequence that showed a goat rear up on its hind legs before effortlessly changing into an emu, a peacock, a tortoise, a tiger, and eventually human sorceress Fin Raziel, Willow set new standards in visual effects.

One of the most famous scenes in modern film history was made via digital morphing techniques in the popular sequel Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991). The movie’s antagonist, the T-1000, can change into people, things, and even the ground.

1992. Gryphon Software introduces MORPH, an application that gives the Apple Macintosh home computer access to robust visual effects software. The Washington Post, PC World, and New York Times all published articles on it, making evolving technology more widely known.

How Does Morphing Work?

Morphing video is a difficult procedure that calls for exact measurements and pixel counts. The following are some salient points:

1. Source Image and Target Image

For each animation morph, there is a source image and target. The source image is the new element you wish to add to the original object, such as Robert Patrick’s visage in Terminator 2, whether it be an animal or liquid metal.

2. Specify The Features

It is necessary to map the precise form of your original source material, such as an actor’s head, to determine dimensions. These are then used to either find footage of what it’s evolving into or develop models.

3. Feature Points Aligned

Expert software will pinpoint a few points in the initial and modified object. This guarantees that important regions, like someone’s eye, match. The pixels from the original object change into the pixels from the new object in between frames once these spots are fixed.

How To Do Morphing in After Effects

Using After Effects capabilities, you can create a morphing animation. Follow these steps to make a morph transition.

1. Split The Layers

Morphing in After Effects starts by creating a clip with the two objects: the original (let’s say a smartphone) and the thing you wish to change into it (let’s say a cushion). After that, divide this clip into two layers, one for each item. Just make a double of the layer.

2. Trim The Clips

You now have two clips, one for each object. You have to precisely trim each of these to coincide with the morph transition. You might need to make some edits to ensure that the movements between the two layers are fluid.

3. Mask The Objects

It’s now time to configure the two shapes to morph between each other. Draw a mask around the smartphone with the pen tool; if it moves, you’ll also need to animate it. Give the mask a new name, such as “mask phone.” Do the same with the cushion. Turn on keyframes for the path of the mask.

4. Add The Morph Effect

Return to the transition’s beginning, choose “object two masks,” and then paste it onto the object one layer. Due to the mask setting, this layer now has two masks visible. Next, switch the cushion’s mask mode to “none.” Choose the smartphone next, and then copy it onto the cushion morph layer.

5. Set Source and Destination Masks

Use the “reshape effect” feature in the tools panel to reshape the smartphone to resemble a cushion. Select the remote mask as the Source Mask and configure the cushion form as the Destination Mask.

6. Transition The Objects

Using correspondence points, you will then transform the contents of the smartphone mask into the cushion mask’s shape. These determine the portion of one object that will be formed, like the portion of another. This is more accurate when you add additional correspondence points in After Effects.

7. Make It Invisible

There’s a transition that now shapes the smartphone to resemble a pillow. Now, you may use After Effects tools to fade away the smartphone so that it vanishes as it fills the cushion’s contour. For the cushion, you now need to repeat steps 5 through 7.

8. Play The Transition

Upon playback, the smartphone will now take on the shape of the cushion. To make the transition between the two objects smoother, you’ll need to play about with the liquify effect and adjust the opacity.

After Effects helps 3D or 2D animation services experts to morph videos effectively.

Final Thoughts

Morphing animation is a compelling technique that produces captivating visual effects in a variety of media by smoothly transforming one object or shape into another. This thorough guide has covered everything from its historical roots to its modern uses. Through a mastery of morphing principles and the utilization of digital tools and software, animators and artists may open countless opportunities for storytelling and creative expression.

If you need assistance in morphing animation from professionals, Anideos is the leading explainer video production company. You can reach out to us at any hour to discuss your project!

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