Future Work and Applications

We see the potential for improving 3D morphing in three primary aspects:

Warping Techniques:

Improved warping methods could allow for finer user control, as well as smoother, possibly spline-based, interpolation of the warping function across the volume. More complex, but more expressive feature elements [11] may also be designed.

User Interface:

We envision improving our UI by adding computer-assisted feature identification: the computer suggesting features by landmark data extraction [18], 3D edge identification, or, as in 2D morphing, by motion estimation [6]. Also, we are considering giving the user more flexible control over the movement of feature elements during the morph, i.e. the rule by which interpolated elements are constructed, perhaps by key-framed or spline-path motion.

Blending:

Blending can be improved by allowing local definition of the blending rate, associating an interpolation schedule with each feature element.

Morphing's primary application has been in the entertainment industry. However, it can also be used as a general visualization tool for illustration and teaching purposes [3]; for example, our orangutan to human morph could be used as a means of visualizing Darwinian evolution. Finally, our feature-based warping technique can be used in modeling and sculpting.